Trials and Tiaras (Untouchable #7) - Heather Long Page 0,102

contracts.

“All of them,” he said with a grin. “Well, except for Julliard, but I only did that because you insisted.”

“Fuck Julliard then,” she said with sniff. “Their loss.”

Laughter circled the room as Jake and Archie added Bubba’s data to the board. Jeremy came in with a huge tray of food and drinks. There was hot tea, soup, sandwiches, and more. He also offered her more cold medicine and a handful of other pills.

“Vitamins, minerals, and homeopathics to help nip that in the bud. We also want to get your fever down.” He gave her a firm look, and she took the meds without argument. Man, Jeremy and I needed to talk. Getting Frankie to slow down took an act of congress, and he managed it with a look and gentle word. “All of the tea, and there’s honey in case your throat gets scratchy. You can have a soda after you finish it. The hearty soup is for you, and the boys will leave it be until you’ve had your fill.”

Yeah, I knew an order when I heard one, and I wasn’t the only one saying “Yes, sir,” in response.

“There will be dessert if you fancy it in a little while. Who is looking after your cats this evening?”

“Trina is,” I told him. “She already texted that she went by and fed them.” She’d been working hard on communication, and one of the things the counselor suggested was building trust. So we’d given Trina access to a spare key but only to be used with our permission. I hated to say that Archie had set up a couple of surveillance cams at the apartment and we’d used them just to check in when she volunteered to feed them, but we’d tried to find a reason a couple of times a week for her to do it.

So far, so good.

Jeremy nodded. “Let me know if I need to go and fetch them. You, Miss Frankie, will be staying here. I’ll make up Mr. Archie’s room for you, and he can sleep in the guest room.”

“Hey,” Archie said. “What the hell, Jere?”

The look Jeremy gave him would peel paint. “Miss Frankie needs rest, not boisterous boys she needs to comfort or will feel bad if she ignores. In the meanwhile, Mr. Coop and Mr. Jake will look after the cats this evening, and you and Mr. Bubba may switch with them tomorrow if she isn’t feeling better.” Then he fixed a look on Frankie. “Of course, if you want Mr. Archie or Mr. Bubba to sleep with you, that’s fine, but I would imagine you want to sleep and not worry about getting them sick.”

She hid behind her tea and shot Archie a smile. “I don’t want to get you sick.”

“I don’t care,” he muttered. “I’d risk meningitis before I choose to sleep somewhere else. At least if one of us is there, we can get you what you need when you need it.”

Biting her lip, she did a terrible job of not laughing, so I just said, “Sounds like a plan to me. Though if you send them over to watch the cats tomorrow, Jake and I can sleep in Archie’s bed with her.”

Yeah, that got me a look from Jeremy and Archie’s middle finger salute from behind Jeremy’s back.

“Thank you, Jeremy,” Frankie interceded before we got further scolded. “I’m fine going back to the apartment. The boys will take care of me.”

“Hmm, I would prefer you stay here until that fever is taken care of. If you cooperate, I’ll let them stay in the room with you.” With that, he nodded to the tea. “All of it, and then the food.”

He didn’t wait for our answer before he headed out. Jake thumped Archie on the shoulder. “Damn, you got told.”

“Right?” He laughed, then looked over at Frankie and his expression softened.

“You did say you’d share him and Grandpa with me,” she pointed out all reasonably in a thick, almost stuffy voice that was equal parts adorable and miserable.

“I did,” Archie admitted with an almost sorrowful note. “Which means I have to behave.”

That did it. Jake cracked up, and so did Bubba. I buried my face in her hair, but that didn’t stop my laughter. Even Frankie laughed, though a cough cut her off, and I pressed a kiss to her hair.

“Better get on that tea before Drill Sergeant Jeremy gets back up here.”

“Be nice,” she chastised me, but she kept sipping her tea. She was most of the way through