It was wondering how long Magnus would be, and if they could sneak upstairs for a quickie when he did return. Although quickies weren’t really quick when you had to factor in the fainting spell that followed.
“Yeah, it’s tough,” Tricia said with a grin.
“Your sympathy is underwhelming,” Allie said dryly, and another laugh slipped from the blonde.
“I’m sorry. I am sympathetic,” she assured her. “I remember how overwhelming it was at first. But you’ll adjust.”
“I’ll adjust?” Allie asked slowly, and then squawked, “You mean this doesn’t go away?”
Tricia shook her head, her smile turning wry. “Not as far as I can tell. You just learn to deal with it better . . . or multitask.”
“Multitask?” she asked with disbelief. “What can you possibly do while— I mean, you pass out at the end.”
“Yeah. That can be a problem,” Tricia admitted. “I was once sewing a badge on my uniform when Teddy started to . . .” Pausing, she apparently decided that was sharing just a bit much and simply said, “Anyway, I only had two stitches left, so I announced that I was going to finish while riding him.” She shook her head. “Should have just put it down. Only managed one stitch and it was crooked anyway and had to be redone. Plus, when I woke up after, it was to find the needle sticking out of his eye. I’d impaled him when I passed out. Nasty,” she said, shaking her head. “Fortunately, he was still unconscious. I pulled it out and he was all healed by the time he woke up. Didn’t know a thing.”
“Oh, my God,” Allie breathed with horror, and then shook her head. “Why would you try to keep sewing?”
“Well, it was my uniform,” she said as if that should mean something, and when Allie stared at her dumbly added, “My first shift on the Port Henry police force was just two hours away. My uniform was only delivered that morning, and I had to sew the badges on before I showed up for my shift. It’s not my fault Teddy decided he wanted to celebrate my first day that way.”
“Yeah, but . . .” Allie shook her head helplessly. “I would never—”
“Yes, you will,” Tricia assured her cheerfully. “Maybe not that, but something else. I hear Sam and Mortimer ended up trying to do it while he was driving on the highway.”
“No!” Allie gasped, eyes wide.
Katricia nodded. “I guess they damned near had an accident before Mortimer pulled over . . . apparently just seconds before they passed out,” she added dryly, and then shrugged. “But that shows you how little sense we all have when it comes to life mates.”
Allie just stared at her with a sort of horror.
“So.” Tricia clasped Allie’s left hand and lifted it off the table to examine as she changed the subject. “Look at this, a married woman without a ring on her finger.”
Allie peered at her bare hand and smiled wryly. “Magnus put his signet ring on me for the ceremony, but it was much too big. I gave it back to him as we left the courthouse rather than risk losing it.”
“Hmm.” Tricia nodded and then pursed her lips and arched her eyebrows. “Now I wonder what Magnus could be shopping for?”
Allie’s eyes widened. “He went for a ring?”
“I don’t know,” Tricia admitted, releasing her hand. “But that would be my guess. It really bothered him that he didn’t have a proper ring to give to you.”
“He said that?”
“No, honey. He thought it. He’s easily read right now,” she explained. “It’s a symptom of meeting a life mate. Even old immortals are easily read then.”
“Oh,” Allie murmured, peering down at her bare hand again.
“You said the kids were in the basement?” Tricia asked.
Allie nodded. “Playing the owl game.”
“Well, it’s good they’re getting some use out of the rec room Victor insisted on putting down there,” Tricia said with amusement.
“It wasn’t always there?” Allie asked with surprise.
“No. The basement was concrete walls and floor before. Victor had it finished to give the kids a place to play, but they usually stay upstairs,” she said, and then stood up. “I think I’ll just pop down and say hi to my son. I’ll be back in a minute.”
“Okay.” Allie smiled after her.
It seemed to her that the basement door had barely closed when Drina called, “Tricia? Is that you I hear down there?”
Rising, Allie moved out to the entry to look up at the woman standing at the top