Page 26 of Endless
“What happened?” he demanded.
Rori hopped off the counter and ran to him, letting him scoop her up with one powerful arm and hold her protectively against his chest. That got Mari and Gunner’s attention, untangling from each other and frowning at our girl’s red, tear-soaked face.
“Oh sweetheart, are you okay?” Mari cooed, stroking her hair out of her eyes.
“Trombone bit me,” Rori mumbled.
Shadow’s gaze hit me like a cannonball to the chest, and I brought my hands up defensively. “We were all outside! I’d been telling her not to go near him all day.”
“And Papi laughed at me,” Rori went on.
“Youwhat?!” Shadow looked more ready to murder me in that moment than during any of his sleepwalking episodes. If he wasn’t holding Rori, I’m sure he would have decked me.
“Okay, let’s all calm down.” Mari put a hand on Shadow’s shoulder and held her other arm out to Rori. “Want to wrap up in your llama blanket and relax? We can read a story.”
Our daughter nodded slowly and allowed Shadow to pass her over. Once Mari took hold of her, she carried Rori toward her bedroom and shot us a look that said,Figure this out amongst yourselves.
“Did you seriously—“ Shadow started at me again once they were gone, but Reaper stepped between us with his hand raised.
“Look, she’s not badly hurt, which is the important thing. But she was really scared for a moment and that reaction,” he gave me a disapproving look, “probably didn’t make her feel any safer.”
“I know, I know. I fucked up.” My hand came to my forehead, rubbing where a headache started to build. “That’s probably what’s hurting her most and, believe me, I’m gutted to have done that. I’ll make it up to her.”
“You better,” Shadow snarled.
“Probably gonna have to get her that llama after all,” Gunner chimed in oh-so-helpfully.
“Great,” I grumbled. “Fucking great.”
“Seriously, though. She’s been provoking the chickens despite you telling her not to, right?” Gunner came forward and clapped a supportive hand on my shoulder. “Now she knows the consequences, and she’ll listen better next time.”
“I guess, if she doesn’t fucking hate me forever.”
“She won’t, man. And let’s be honest.” He brought his thumb and forefinger close together. “It was probably alittlebit funny, right?”
“What the fuck are you saying?” Shadow growled. “Her being scared isn’t funny.”
Gunner whirled around to face him. “Dude, you laughed your ass off when that same rooster chased Mari all throughout the house when he got inside!”
Shadow leveled him with an incredulous look. “Yes,Mari. Who can handle one dumb fucking rooster. Rori isfive.”
“If she was in anyrealdanger, of course I wouldn’t have laughed, bro,” I told him. “I’d put myself between her and whatever the threat was, like any of us would. But yeah, like Gunner said, she kind of had this coming.”
“Sure, she did,” Reaper cut in. “But laughing was the wrong response at the wrong time.”
“I’ll own up to that, definitely,” I said. “And I’m getting rid of the rooster, so she doesn’t continue to be afraid of him,” I added with a sigh. “He’s a nuisance, anyway. Foghorn’s so chilled out now that he’s an old man.”
“I hate both of those birds, but Foghorn is easily my favorite of the two.” Reaper opened a cabinet in search of more whiskey, the matter apparently settled. “If one of the new chicks happens to be male, maybe it’ll bond with Rori and not act like a shithead towards her.”
“Yeah, that’s true.” I gestured at the drinks he began pouring, beyond ready for one myself. “Dámelo.”
“Speaking of.” Gunner nudged Shadow with a chuckle. “Did you know Trombone took a shit in Mari’s hair that one time?”
Shadow, who had been in the middle of taking a drink, coughed and wheezed as he doubled over the counter. “No fucking way.”
“I’m serious, I had to help her wash it out. Our battle-medic wife, who’s seen buckets of blood and guts and shit, was like,retchingbecause of a little rooster shit in her hair.”
“Poor thing.” Shadow’s lip twitched in amusement.
