And it finally sank in. She wasn’t leaving them. Ever again. Something settled. She’d fight to stay with them this time. And they’d fight to keep her.
Maybe. Just maybe she could get that happy-ever-after.
20
“Is this really necessary, Wolfe?” she said with exasperation.
“It’s sunny out.”
“Well, I figured since it’s the desert.”
“I don’t want you getting sunburned,” he explained.
“With the amount of sunscreen you’ve plastered on me, there’s no chance of that. But there’s every chance I’ll be mistaken for a giant marshmallow.”
“Yum, marshmallow.” Aleki watched her with wicked eyes. She shivered.
I can’t wait to taste you. To relearn every inch. When I can, I’m going to spread you out on my bed and eat you for hours.
Lord. Help her.
Wolfe finally finished plastering sunscreen on her. “There, that’s good.”
She looked down at her skin. Only she couldn’t see her skin. Because she was covered in greasy, white sunscreen.
Jeez Louise.
She started to push herself out of the seat. “Where are you going?” Wolfe asked.
“To wash my hands before we land.”
“We’re getting close to the descent. You need to belt up.”
She sighed then jolted as she heard something smash in the kitchen.
Aleki glanced over. “I’ll go find out what that was.”
Wolfe belted her in and sat beside her. When Aleki returned, he shrugged. “Marilyn is in a state over something. She’s muttering about a missing bowl. But when I offered to help her, she snapped at me.”
She couldn’t drudge up a lot of sympathy for the other woman. She’d always hated take-off and landing. She wished she could hug Piggles, but she’d had Aleki put him away earlier.
“You okay, jelly bean?” Caleb asked, setting his laptop aside.
She smiled tightly and nodded.
“Feeling scared?” Aleki asked. “You used to bend my hand in half when we flew together.”
Considering the size of his paws, that was an exaggeration.
“Wolfe, hold her hand.”
Wolfe froze and looked from Caleb, who had issued the order, to her. She doubted Wolfe had ever held anyone’s hand. Maybe as a child. But then, it was hard to imagine Wolfe as a child.
“It’s okay,” she said quietly, not wanting him to feel pressured. “I’m fine.”
She really wasn’t.
“Wolfe, swap places with me,” Aleki suggested. “You want me to grab Piggles, baby?”