***
“I had the father talk with Smith,” Echo said when Keegan came into the bedroom.
He stared at her, clearly not understanding what she meant. “Huh?”
“The talk fathers give to their daughters’ suitors.”
His laughter took her by surprise.
“You expected he would?”
“Didn’t you?”
She rubbed her forehead. “Yes, I guess so.”
He threw the hand towel he held across a chair. “I’ll have a talk with him.”
“Please don’t.” Keegan and Smith shared a wonderful friendship, and she would not come between them. “He meant well.”
“He wasn’t abrasive? He didn’t hurt you?”
“No, of course not. It was rather cute, actually.” She threw back the sheet and walked on her hands and knees to the end of the bed. “Come here.” She crooked her finger, beckoning him closer.
In two long strides, he stood in front of her. “Are you going to have your way with me again?” he asked, grinning crookedly.
She ripped the towel from his waist and flung it across the room. “You can bet your luscious buns I am.”
“What about our guests?”
“What guests?” She bit his bottom lip and ran a hand over his buttocks. His skin felt like velvet beneath her fingertips. She splayed her hand against the pit of his back and pushed him against her. Her breasts smashed against his chest.
She looked into his eyes, noticing the specks of gold sprinkled through the green. Gorgeous; absolutely gorgeous eyes to pass down to offspring. She kissed the delicious cleft in his chin, and then moved to his chest, spreading feathery kisses over his ridged abdomen.
He ran his fingers through her hair. “You’re wonderful,” he said on a sigh. “I — ”
Someone banged on the door.
Keegan cursed. “Go away.”
Echo stilled and held her breath, hoping Keegan’s gruff voice would send whoever interrupted them on their way.
“You need to get out here quick, bro. You got trouble. Big, big trouble.”
“Is it the demons?”
“No, something worse.”
"What could be worse than demons?" Keegan asked.
She reached for her clothes and dressed without care. “I'm going with you. I have to see what that is.”
He hauled on the gray dress pants from yesterday. “It can’t be that bad. Smith’s voice is calm. If it were as he says, he would have burst in with no mind to our privacy.” He yanked open the bedroom door and followed Echo into the living room. He peered from Smith to the bikers who looked like they just learned about the demise of their favorite brewery.
“What’s up?” he asked.
“Take a look out on the deck,” Smith said, hitching his head toward the window overlooking the lake.
The hair at the nape of Keegan's neck prickled. Whatever awaited him outside was something he would definitely not like, and judging from the sorrowful expressions on his friends’ faces, his world was about to crash down on him.
Whatever it was, he’d meet it head on. He was in love and believed he could do anything, accomplish anything.
With a purposeful stride, he walked to the window and looked out. “Oh, Jesus,” he said, unable to remove his gaze from his ex-girlfriend. He thought about her terrible timing and something else he wouldn’t pretend not to notice.
In the silence that followed, he whispered her name, “Bonita.” The earth trembled beneath his feet. He turned.
Echo ran to him. “Keegan, what is it? What’s the matter?”
Unable to speak, he pointed over his shoulder.
She peeked out the window, saw the very pretty, very pregnant brunette and said, “Oh my.” Oh my.