Hennessey's Handler (Protect and Serve #4) - Pandora Pine Page 0,31

beer and onions in with the clams while Ozzy sang to the mussels as he sauteed them in fresh garlic and real butter.

After the little hiccup with Stan, Morrison and I’d had a great day. He’d been my lucky charm. In all the years I’d been lobstering, yesterday’s haul had been the biggest I’d caught. All of the lobsters were of legal weight and size and none were breeding females. We didn’t have to throw a single lobster back into the ocean. My date had been enchanted with the little prayer of thanksgiving I said to Poseidon after we hauled the last trap.

“Uncle Hen!” Sophie and Lola shouted when I walked into my parents’ backyard. Both girls ran to me and jumped into my arms. I caught them both and held on tight. My shoulders barked a bit, but I couldn’t have cared less.

“Good morning, princesses. Did Mimi and Bumpa show you the lobsters?”

Both girls shook their heads no. “I want lobsters. Me no scared.” Lola folded her arms over her chest as if her word was final. It usually was.

“We saw the mussels and clams. They look like the shells we find at the beach.” Sophie was all smiles. “I might be scared,” Sophie whispered.

“How about we take a peek at the lobsters?” I scoured my brain to think of the best way to keep Sophie from being afraid of the lobsters. If she was scared, she might not want to eat them, which in my mind is the best part.

As I carried the girls onto the wide back deck, I could hear a commotion in the house. That kind of excitement meant Morrison was there. Mom always made a big deal over her newest stray.

“Look who I’ve got!” Mom sang as she pulled opened the sliding screen. Morrison was standing at her side.

“Just in time for the grand unveiling. I’m going to introduce the girls to the lobsters.” Luckily, Morrison hadn’t been afraid of our catch, so I didn’t have to worry about him giving the girls any ideas.

Sophie looked more unsure than ever.

“You no scared!” Lola grinned at her sister.

Sophie stood taller but moved several steps back from the cooler.

I lifted the lid. All there was to see was ice.

Lola kicked the cooler. “Hey, losser! Where you go?”

Morrison snorted. He covered his mouth with his hand.

“They’re under the ice, Lola.” I pushed some of the cubes to the side and started digging for a lobster. My fingers brushed against the back of one. I hauled it out to show the girls.

Sophie screeched and climbed onto my back. “What is that?”

“That’s a lobster.” I had no idea what to say to Sophie to calm her down. If she was scared of the crustacean, she wouldn’t eat it. On the other hand, I could tell her it was a relative of Sebastian on The Little Mermaid. Maybe not the best idea.

“Hi, losser! You yummy!” Lola announced. She poked its carapace with her index finger. “Oh, cold.”

“They live at the bottom of the ocean,” Morrison said gently. “They like it cold.” He stepped onto the porch and stroked the lobster like Lola had done.

“Why is he all spiky?” Sophie asked.

“That’s his armor.” Morrison knocked on the shell. “He doesn’t have bones. Instead, he has this hard shell to keep other animals from gobbling him up for lunch.”

“No bones? Cool!” Sophie scrambled off my back and touched the lobster like Morrison had done. “Why does he wear rubber bands on his snappers?”

“Those are his claws. He uses them to catch his own lunch by pinching his prey.” Morrison demonstrated, giving Sophie’s arm a squeeze. Thankfully, she giggled.

“Where are my girls?” a loud voice boomed.

“Kennedy!” both girls shrieked and ran off the deck and into the yard.

I picked up the lobster and stuck him back in the cooler for safekeeping. “I hope the girls don’t lose their shit when their new pet gets dumped into the boiling water.”

“I’m sure Hennessey the Great will figure out a way to distract them during the horror.” Morrison eased himself onto one of the built-in benches. He seemed to be moving more slowly this morning.

“You look like you’re a little worse for wear.” I nibbled my bottom lip to keep from laughing at his pain.

“I’ve never been this sore in my entire life. I should have expected to wake up nearly paralyzed after the pounding you gave me.” Morrison grimaced.

“It’s good to hear Hen is a full-service fuck toy!” Kennedy snickered as he walked up the