Page 46 of Hell In A Handbasket
“But bastard?” Soph counters. “Yeah, his wifethinksthat on the daily. He getsassholea lot, too.”
“But not weasel,” Ellie concludes. “That’s new.”
“Call me whatever you want, Doc.” Spence steps to the edge of the dock and crouches. “But you’re in the water, and now I don’t have to listen to Soph whine anymore. Either swim and have fun, or kill her and become our next leader. I honestly don’t give a fuck which way it goes.”
“Hey!” Soph snarls. “Loyalty matters.”
“Victory matters. If she bests you, she becomes head-bitch. Winner takes all.” Straightening out, he turns to me and raises a brow.You’re next, motherfucker.
Realizing I’m still dry, I unsnap my jeans and shove the denim down to reveal my boxers. “I can do it on my own.”
“Good to see.” Finally, he looks at Cato. “Don’t make me put you in, boy.”
“Don’t make me tear your heart out through your fuckin’ throat,” Felix warns, wading in the water beside a happily floating Christabelle. For the first time since we’ve arrived, she actually looks comfortable.
He points to Cato, then back at the water. “Get in. Because if he touches you, I’m gonna have to do something about it.”
“So you’ll defendhim,” Minka growls. “But you don’t give a shit about me?”
“You’ve got a husband to fight for your honor, Doc. If he insists on a duel, then I’ll provide the pistols and draw a line in the dirt.”
She swings her eyes to Archer. But he laughs and shakes his head. “I’m not declaring a duel for this. You needed to get in the water, now you’re in.”
I drag my jeans off and toss them to the dock, then I draw my shirt up and use it to wipe the sweat from my face. Just as I sit and dip my toes into the water, my phone vibrates inside my jean pocket, buzzing against the rotting wood and drawing me around fast enough to make my spine crackle.
Frenzied, I toss fabric aside and search my pockets. Not the first one. Not the second. But the third. I snatch the device out and almost drop the damn thing in the water, then I catch Sera’s name on the screen and mash my thumb against the glass to accept the call.
“Sera? Hey.” I spin the device the right way up and try again. “Hello? Sera?”
“I have an emergency, Charlie.” She panic-whispers. Choppy exhales and shaky words. And fuck! Why does my brain automatically jump to the worst?They went into the grocery store, and now they’ve been caught up in a robbery?They went to the bank, and now the place is on lockdown?
Why must she whisper? Who is she hiding from?
“What’s wrong?” I bound to my feet and draw eyes, especially those belonging to people who live in Copeland. “Sera? What happened?”
“She asked if you and I are getting married!”
I stop on a dime; the blood draining out of my face and my heart giving a heavy one-two thud that bruises the inside of my chest. “What?”
“And she asked where babies come from!”
I turn back to my wary crowd, their playful demeanors on pause while they watch and wait for more information.
“What?”
“She asked where babies come from, Charlie! She looked into my friggin eyes and asked that question, and now I think I’m deceased. I’ve locked myself in your room and just… I’m just…” She exhales a desperate breath. “Holy shit.”
“She asked you where babies come from?” I choke out a laugh, releasing the rest of them so they can go back to screwing with each other, then I walk along the dock and onto the grassy spot beneath a massive tree.
Already, the sun is hot enough to sizzle my skin, so I turn and lower on the grass, resting my elbows on my knees while the shade protects me from a burn. “What did you say?”
“I said it was time to put Bluey on the television, because Fifi needs to have a minute of privacy!” She blows out a heaving, shaking breath. Then the sound of a heavy thud rolls through the line.
I think she’s banging her head on the door.
“I didn’t expect that question, Charlie. I’m new to all this, and I was not prepared for this, so I don’t… I’m not…” She gulps. “Jesus, I’m not equipped for that kind of?—”
“So, we’re gonna calm down first.” Goddammit, why do my cheeks hurt from smiling? My daughter is asking about babies! That alone should leave me in a panic, but Sera’s freakout puts butterflies in my belly. “Take a breath, babe. The world’s not ending.”
