Page 17 of Take a Hike
“Who’s Rhys?”
“Another fortune hunter, the slippery one Callum was annoyed he couldn’t spot,” Charlie explained absently. “Apparently, he is also the fortune hunter who has a huge crush on Bones. I knew I should’ve asked for more details about that. Now the curiosity’s going to kill me.”
“Seems like a popular occupation,” Kieran muttered.
Charlie wondered if she’d missed part of their conversation. “What is?”
“Murdering you.”
His flat delivery made her laugh. “You have no idea.”
Four
Charlie knew it was a risk, but she’d never been afraid of taking a chance…especially when the stakes were so high. Raising her clenched fist, she knocked on the door. She heard the angry thud of each footfall as someone closed in on the door. When it was ripped open, she had to keep herself from outwardly flinching.
“You arenotgoing to be my other wife,” Bennett growled, and Charlie swallowed a snicker.
“Of course not.” She used his height to her advantage, waltzing under his arm and into the honeymoon suite. “I already have my husband picked out, and I’m sorry to tell you that you weren’t even in the running.”
“Really?” Fifi said, emerging from the bathroom in her pajamas. “Who’s your husband-to-be? And were you really running around the hotel dressed like that?”
“Cranky firefighter Kieran, of course.” Charlie plopped down on the bed and made herself comfortable. “He’s hot, fun to wind up, and he has a soft spot for small animals…i.e., the perfect potential husband. What’s wrong with my llama jams?” Her sleepwear actually covered quite a lot, plus she had on fuzzy socks. She wasn’t sure what her sister’s objection could be.
“Does Kieran know?” Charlie was glad to see that her brother-in-law’s irritation was quickly shifting to amusement.
“Of course not.” Charlie waved her hand, dismissing the idea that his lack of knowledge could be a problem. “We’re only in the introductory stages. He’ll find out before we’re actuallymarried, though, don’t worry.”
“Was that a dig about our wedding?” Fifi asked, sitting next to Charlie and tugging the covers over her lap.
“Of course not.” Charlie patted her sister’s leg through the bedding. “Maybe your wedding wouldn’t make the cover ofBride Magazine, but you made it work for you, and I’m very happy with the result.” She gave Bennett an approving nod. “Now we have a multi-tool around whenever we need it.”
His eyes narrowed, but he didn’t ask if “tool” was referring to the one he carried or the man himself.
Taking pity on him, and because she really did like Bennett, Charlie assured him that she was being literal. “It’s very handy to have access to your multi-tool.”
“I’ll get you one for Christmas,” he promised.
Although she tried to appear pleased, she must’ve wrinkled her nose, because he gave her a frowning head tilt. “That’s great and all, but it works a lot better when the tool is connected toa set of burly muscles.” She gestured at Bennett, who looked pleased, flexing a little while shooting Fifi a sideways glance.
His wife rolled her eyes—although she very obviously checked out her husband’s muscly display—and made a get-on-with-it gesture at Charlie. “Since you’ve invaded our honeymoon suiteagain, you must want to talk about something. Let’s discuss so you can go to your very beautiful, very functional room that—most importantly—isn’t this one.”
“I do want to talk,” Charlie agreed, “since, you know, someone tried tomurderus tonight. Again.”
“We do seem to come off as rather murderable,” Fifi said as Bennett scooted in behind her so that she was leaning against his chest.
“I don’t know.” Charlie grabbed a pillow to squeeze, since she didn’t have a living teddy bear of her own like her sister did. “Apparently, attempted murder is pretty common around here.”
Bennett gave an agreeing grunt.
“There has to be a reason though,” Fifi said. “People don’t barricade us inside coffee shops and burn them down without a good reason.” When Charlie gave her a look, she amended that. “Withoutareason.”
“Who’d you annoy the most when you were here before?” Charlie asked. “The militia?”
“Bennett did run down one of their members with a golf cart,” Fifi said thoughtfully. At Bennett’s grunt, she shrugged. “Humiliation makes people—especially men—feel rather murder-y.”
“True.” Charlie was quiet for a few moments while she thought. “Lou could’ve been the intended target too.”
Bennett made a skeptical sound.
