visit your home,” Tempest said, before Shaman could say don’t even think about it, Mom.
“You really don’t want to,” he insisted, pulling in front of Cactus Max’s.
“Oh, but I do. Cat says it’s like a palace.”
Now it was his turn to groan. “Now who’s going to get the wrong impression?”
“Not me,” Millicent said. “I just came along to bring a smile to everyone’s stiff upper lips.”
“And you’re succeeding,” Tempest told her.
Shaman shook his head. “I’m surrounded by females whose greatest joy is to torture me.”
“Exactly. And look who has arrived,” Tempest said in delight, as Cat and Gage and Chelsea met them at the entrance. “How did you get here so quickly?” she asked, watching Cat fling her arms around her grandmother.
“Your texts were pretty clear,” Gage said. “Hello, Mother.” He hugged his mom a bit more warmly than Shaman had, Tempest noticed. Shaman hadn’t quite made the transition from wayward son to returning prodigal.
She understood those emotions. As much as Tempest had loved her, her mother hadn’t been a giving, maternal person. Bud Taylor hadn’t been a man she would have ever wanted to be close to, and she barely remembered her father. Sometimes Tempest thought she only remembered the memories her mother had shared of happier times, over too soon. It could be hard to be close to people when you hadn’t experienced close-knit bonds in your life, and she knew Shaman hadn’t felt close to his mother or father.
Millicent didn’t seem all that bad. Perhaps she’d mellowed over the years Shaman had been deployed. Tempest didn’t hold it against Millicent for wanting her to sign an agreement.
But it seemed as if Shaman wasn’t happy at the moment. “Hey,” she said, as they seated themselves at a big, round table. “Are you in shock?”
“I’m processing as fast as I can, doll.” He shook his head. “Are you still going to want to sleep in my bed? Because I kind of dig being with you.”
She laughed at his question. “Is that what’s bugging you? You’re afraid having twins makes me off-limits?”
“Can we order?” Millicent demanded. “You two can whisper later.”
Shaman snapped open the menu. “I just don’t know where I stand. It makes me crazy.”
“You are crazy,” Gage told his brother. “Thank you for taking him off our hands,” he said to Tempest. “He was the problem child.”
“I don’t doubt it.” Tempest grinned at her husband. “Split veggie fajitas with me?”
Chelsea smiled at Tempest. “I’m so glad you’re my sister-in-law now. Someone who understands the joys of living with a vegetarian.”
Millicent sighed. “Shaman, will you please go rescue Fitzgerald from that woman?”
They all looked in surprise at Millicent, then across the room. Fitzgerald sat under a TV in the bar, enjoying a tall drink and a pretty redhead who was chatting him up. For an elderly gentleman, Shaman thought, Fitzgerald was managing just fine.
“He looks happy enough to me. Fitzgerald can take care of himself, Mother.”
Tempest glanced at her mother-in-law, then turned her gaze to Shaman. “It wouldn’t hurt to shoo off his new friend, do you think, Shaman?”
He looked at her, surprised. “A man likes to have the attention of a pretty woman sometimes, Tempest. She’s not hurting anything.”
His wife gave him a small kick under the table and he blinked, realizing that she was trying to tell him something. He wasn’t certain what message he was supposed to be receiving but he sighed and got up. “Can’t a man have a little companionship?”
“No!” Chelsea and Millicent and Tempest said at once.
“I kind of hate to do this to the guy,” Shaman said. “It’s probably the first attention he’s had in years. I know I was a lonely man until you came into my life, Tempest. Thing about it is, if we weren’t pregnant, I’d be sitting over there with Fitzgerald.”
“I assure you,” Millicent said
“You really don’t want to,” he insisted, pulling in front of Cactus Max’s.
“Oh, but I do. Cat says it’s like a palace.”
Now it was his turn to groan. “Now who’s going to get the wrong impression?”
“Not me,” Millicent said. “I just came along to bring a smile to everyone’s stiff upper lips.”
“And you’re succeeding,” Tempest told her.
Shaman shook his head. “I’m surrounded by females whose greatest joy is to torture me.”
“Exactly. And look who has arrived,” Tempest said in delight, as Cat and Gage and Chelsea met them at the entrance. “How did you get here so quickly?” she asked, watching Cat fling her arms around her grandmother.
“Your texts were pretty clear,” Gage said. “Hello, Mother.” He hugged his mom a bit more warmly than Shaman had, Tempest noticed. Shaman hadn’t quite made the transition from wayward son to returning prodigal.
She understood those emotions. As much as Tempest had loved her, her mother hadn’t been a giving, maternal person. Bud Taylor hadn’t been a man she would have ever wanted to be close to, and she barely remembered her father. Sometimes Tempest thought she only remembered the memories her mother had shared of happier times, over too soon. It could be hard to be close to people when you hadn’t experienced close-knit bonds in your life, and she knew Shaman hadn’t felt close to his mother or father.
Millicent didn’t seem all that bad. Perhaps she’d mellowed over the years Shaman had been deployed. Tempest didn’t hold it against Millicent for wanting her to sign an agreement.
But it seemed as if Shaman wasn’t happy at the moment. “Hey,” she said, as they seated themselves at a big, round table. “Are you in shock?”
“I’m processing as fast as I can, doll.” He shook his head. “Are you still going to want to sleep in my bed? Because I kind of dig being with you.”
She laughed at his question. “Is that what’s bugging you? You’re afraid having twins makes me off-limits?”
“Can we order?” Millicent demanded. “You two can whisper later.”
Shaman snapped open the menu. “I just don’t know where I stand. It makes me crazy.”
“You are crazy,” Gage told his brother. “Thank you for taking him off our hands,” he said to Tempest. “He was the problem child.”
“I don’t doubt it.” Tempest grinned at her husband. “Split veggie fajitas with me?”
Chelsea smiled at Tempest. “I’m so glad you’re my sister-in-law now. Someone who understands the joys of living with a vegetarian.”
Millicent sighed. “Shaman, will you please go rescue Fitzgerald from that woman?”
They all looked in surprise at Millicent, then across the room. Fitzgerald sat under a TV in the bar, enjoying a tall drink and a pretty redhead who was chatting him up. For an elderly gentleman, Shaman thought, Fitzgerald was managing just fine.
“He looks happy enough to me. Fitzgerald can take care of himself, Mother.”
Tempest glanced at her mother-in-law, then turned her gaze to Shaman. “It wouldn’t hurt to shoo off his new friend, do you think, Shaman?”
He looked at her, surprised. “A man likes to have the attention of a pretty woman sometimes, Tempest. She’s not hurting anything.”
His wife gave him a small kick under the table and he blinked, realizing that she was trying to tell him something. He wasn’t certain what message he was supposed to be receiving but he sighed and got up. “Can’t a man have a little companionship?”
“No!” Chelsea and Millicent and Tempest said at once.
“I kind of hate to do this to the guy,” Shaman said. “It’s probably the first attention he’s had in years. I know I was a lonely man until you came into my life, Tempest. Thing about it is, if we weren’t pregnant, I’d be sitting over there with Fitzgerald.”
“I assure you,” Millicent said
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