“It’s probably partly that too.”
“Yeah. But if I take the job, my old boss won’t be happy. He just emailed me again this morning.”
“Do you want to go back to CERN?”
“I don’t really know.” She looked at him. “Do you want to live in Switzerland?”
Shocked by the question, Shen said, “I, uh, don’t really know.”
“Do you like Switzerland?”
“Um . . . I like Toblerone.”
“Toblerone?”
“The Swiss candy.”
“Yes. I know what Toblerone is.”
“Other than that, though . . .” He cleared his throat. “So, are you expecting me to move with you?”
“Why wouldn’t you?” She was silent for a minute, then added, “Speaking of which . . . You haven’t said ‘I love you’ again, since that first time.”
“It’s funny you mention that . . . I don’t remember saying ‘I love you’ to you at all.”
“Well, you said it in your sleep.”
“Ohhhhh. Oh, I see.” He nodded, relieved. “So you’re not completely insane.”
“Not about that.” She frowned again. “Wait . . . you do love me, right?”
“Sadly . . . yes.”
“Why sadly?”
“Because it’s against my better judgment, and it’s not like you gave me an option.”
She grinned. “I really didn’t. But I’m a girl who knows what she wants.”
“Clearly.” He took her hand in his. “But I really do love you, Stevie.”
She rested her head on his shoulder. “I love you too.”
“Isn’t it nice when everyone is awake when those words are spoken?”
“Eh.”
Shen chuckled, kissed her forehead.
When they received enough glares from the staff cleaning up, Shen jumped down from the stage and reached up, grabbing Stevie around the waist and carefully placing her on the floor. He again took her hand in his and together they slowly walked out of the building.
As they made their way down to the street one block over so they could catch a cab, Shen asked, “You know what’s really great about all this?”
“What?”
“That with you and this family, I will never be bored.”
“That’s very true. Of course, that’s really a blessing and a curse.”
Shen grinned. “Yeah. Just like you.”
EPILOGUE
Charlie was stretched out on the couch with Berg. He was behind her, his big legs on either side of her hips.
They’d been relaxing the last few hours, watching old episodes of The Twilight Zone. One of her favorite shows because of how advanced it was on all sorts of political issues, considering the time it had been created.
But she was ready to go to bed. Berg had already dropped off a few times before jerking awake again a few seconds later. He was trying to stay awake for her because she couldn’t sleep. She just didn’t know why.
Then she heard something and sat up.
“What?” Berg said, snapping awake again. “What’s wrong?”
“I think we have rats.”
“Rats? In this neighborhood? Between your sister and that cat, I doubt it.”
But Charlie heard noises in the . . . she turned her head trying to locate . . .
Kitchen!
Charlie scrambled off the couch and charged through the house, coming to an abrupt halt right outside her favorite room.
“What the fuck?” she demanded of the badgers in her kitchen.
“Oi, niece,” Will said in greeting, his mouth filled with what appeared to be a sandwich he’d put together himself. “Where ya hidin’ the honey? This needs honey.”
It was all of them. All the Scots who’d come to the states for Great-Uncle Pete’s funeral. And they were in her kitchen. Eating her food. Making themselves at home.
“What’s going on?”
“They blew up our plane,” Dougie explained, going through her cabinets, probably trying to find honey.
She looked over her kin, finally noticed all the burn damage to their faces and hands and expensive clothes.
“Were you standing next to it when it blew?”
“On it,” Will said.
She glanced at Berg, who was standing behind her, his confused frown deep. And Charlie was guessing she had the same expression.
“You were on the plane? On it?”
“Yeah,” Will shrugged. “Well, in the plane. And the bomb was right next to me and Dougie when it blew.”
“But how are you all alive? In my kitchen. Eating my food.”
“Luck?” Will suggested.
“Oh, my God.” Charlie faced Berg. “There is literally no way to kill a MacKilligan male, which means my father is going to live forever.”
“Awww now, sweet Charlie,” her uncle said, attempting to soothe. “You’ve gotta have faith, lass. I’m sure that someone will kill the bastard. And then we can all have a party. Wouldn’t that be nice?”
“Not really.” Charlie gave a small, defeated shrug. “But I’ll take it.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Originally from Long Island, New York Times bestselling author SHELLY LAURENSTON has resigned herself to West Coast living, which involves healthy food, mostly sunny days, and lots of guys not wearing shirts when they really should. Shelly is also the New York Times bestselling author G. A. Aiken, creator of the Dragon Kin series.
For more info about Shelly’s books, go to www.shellylaurenston.com. Or to check out G.A.’s dangerously and arrogantly sexy dragons, go to www.gaaiken.com.
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