Page 42 of The Pretenders of Copper County
“I mean…” He narrowed his eyes in warning. “Watt knows we’re married.”
Married?
Me?
To… Reed?
What in the…?
Reed jiggled me again, this time to make me start talking.
“Oh. Ha! Right.” I chuckled faintly. “Thatstory! Yup. That’s us. Married, married, married. So married!Supermarried.”
“It’s a big change, and it’s taking my babydoll a little while to get used to it,” Reed told Watt apologetically. “We haven’t known each other long. It was kind of a whirlwind romance from the moment we met. Isn’t that right?” The man gave me another jiggle… which, honestly, was excessive.
I was a terrible liar, and I knew it, but I was trying my best to process what was happening here with no information,and jiggling me wasn’t like flipping a hecking on-off switch.
“Very much like a whirlwind.” I glared up at Reed, daring him to jiggle me again. “Actually, pookie bear, it’s reminded me quite a bit of season five, episode six ofJohn Ruffian: Pretender, where John wakes up in a?—”
“Mirror universe!” Watt crowed. He clapped a hand to his hat. “Oh, shit yeah. Where the sky is green and the coffee is blue, and suddenly, he’s a notorious criminal who needs to stay one step ahead of the law by stealing cars until he can figure out how to get back to his own world?”
I smiled, delighted. “Oh my gosh! You’re aJohn Ruffianfan, too?”
“Pfft. Who isn’t? Awesome fucking show,” Watt enthused. “My favorite was season one, though, where he was?—”
Reed let out a protracted grunt, and his scowl was hotter than the sun. “If we could get back to reality forjusta second—” he prompted.
“For a certain definition of reality,” I muttered, low enough for only Reed to hear.
“—what my honeybear and I really need is some privacy, Watt,” Reed went on. He forced a smile. “A break from work and stress so we can, you know, focus on our relationship and, ah… discuss shit.” He scratched his beard. “Chris is all about discussions. Aren’t you, love muffin?”
Somebody grunted angrily.
I was shocked to realize this time, the grunter wasme.
“Discussions are a good thing.” Watt gave me an approving look. “Communication’s vital, or your little issues will snowball into bigger ones, and then you’ll find yourselves snapping at each other over the slightest provocation. Believe me, Iknow.”
I was pretty sure Watt had no idea. No one in my life had ever made me feel the way Reed did. Angry and argumentative, butseen. Protected and safe, but frustrated. Wanted—maybe? At least a little?—but also literallyachingwith want.
I clenched my fists. “It’s funny you should say that, Watt,” I said sweetly. “I knew a man once who ended up married to the first person he’d ever kissed, even though that person later claimed the kiss was a regrettable, no-big-deal mistake and never wanted to discuss it again.”
Reed frowned. “The first person?—?”
Watt frowned, too. “Wow. That’s… concerning.”
“Itis,” I agreed. “It is concerning. And also, this man’s husbandgrunted.”
“Grunted?” Watt glanced between Reed and me again, this time suspiciously. “About what?”
“About nothing. About everything. He grunted when his husband wanted to discuss things with him but also grunted when his husband discussed things with other people. Justgrunt, grunt, grunt, all day long. Can you imagine?”
“Yes, definitely.” Watt lifted his cap and scratched his head. “Wait. I mean… no?”
“Angel cake,” Reed bit out. “Maybe we should?—”
“Like, can you imagine if you weremarriedto a person who frowned incomprehensibly every time you mentioned your favorite television show, or expressed enthusiasm for pumpkins, or had a polite conversation about love and trust with the head of a motorcycle organization? Serious lack of communication right there, huh?”
“Lover, Watt has work to get back to, I’m sure.” Reed tried to do the warning jiggle again, but I was ready this time and refused to be moved.
