“I didn’t eat half a pig. I only had one sandwich. Though I did have three plates of potato salad. Which reminds me, I’m gonna need the name and address of whoever made it, so I can get down on my knees and ask her to marry me.”
“Actually.” Ethan chuckled. “My dad made the potato salad.”
“Well, damn,” River muttered.
“You need a wife,” Shiloh told River.
River shot her a filthy look even though he’d just said he was down to propose marriage to the potato salad maker.
“Bite your tongue, woman. I need no such thing. Though that shy redhead at the picnic was damn cute.”
Oh, shit. The only redhead at the picnic was Lauren. My eyes slid to Logan and just as expected his jaw was clenched. He would never make a move on our pretty receptionist, but it seemed he didn’t want anyone else to.
Silence ensued.
Then it stretched to uncomfortable.
“What?” River asked. “I thought she was single.”
“Oh, she’s single,” Matt put in. “But good luck getting in there. She’s on the shy side.”
Logan growled.
Matt smiled.
“It’s the shy ones who are always wild,” River continued.
The guy had no idea he was digging the knife into Logan’s chest, and with Matt egging him on River was likely going to twist it.
“She’s not a natural redhead,” Matt noted. “But I bet she could be fiery with the right…persuasion.”
Logan growled again.
“Well, hook a brother up.”
Yep, there was the knife being twisted.
“Yeah, no,” Shiloh cut in. “I know Lauren. She is shy. She’s also sweet. And you, big brother, are a dawg. You’d chew her up and spit her out. Go find someone else to play with who understands what one night, no repeats, means because that is not Lauren. Just today she told me she’s looking to settle down. She wants a husband and kids and she’s serious about finding a man.”
Fuck.
I was wrong; it wasn’t River who twisted the knife, it was Shiloh.
Logan wanted Lauren something fierce. But he didn’t want a relationship. Didn’t believe love was real. And he really, really, didn’t want kids.
“Hell, yeah,” Dylan barked, and all eyes went to him.
His head was bowed and he was looking at his phone.
“What?” Ethan asked.
“Got the prints back,” Dylan announced. “Jeff Shepard was in Becca Harper’s bedroom. Prints on the door handle, nightstand, and also on the shovel at the rental property he swore he never touched.”
Ethan looked shell-shocked and Dylan looked like he was ready to pump his fist in triumph.
“Is that enough to haul his ass back to Georgia?” I queried.
“You talking about the Harper cold case?” Phoenix was looking between me and Ethan.
“Yeah,” I answered.
“Righteous.”
“Fucking finally,” Ethan muttered. “Thanks for dinner, Shiloh, but I gotta run.”
“Hey,” Shiloh called softly and waited for Ethan’s attention to come to her. “Good work.”
“Not me who drove to Montgomery. That was your man who broke the case.”
With that, Ethan jogged through Shiloh’s living room.
“Be good that little girl can finally get justice.”
River wasn’t lying.
A high-pitched squawk followed by a long tone filled the room and Shiloh’s eyes drifted closed.
“Shit,” Shiloh muttered.
“Thought you weren’t on call,” Phoenix protested.
“I’m not, but two warrants came yesterday, we only got to serve one. Bravo was going to serve the other one tonight. If they’re caught up in that.” Shiloh shrugged and sighed. “You know the drill.”
“Go get ready, I’ll start cleaning up,” I told her.
“Will you be here when I get home?”
“If you want that, yeah. If not, I want you hitting my place when you’re done.”
“Stay here. All of you. Make yourselves at home.”
“Go get ready,” I urged.
Her gaze went around the table then settled on me.
Then she leaned over and brushed her lips across mine.
Christ, that felt sweet.
Shiloh was out of the room when Phoenix cleared his throat.
“Haven’t had time to apologize. I was in a bad mood and took that out on you. It was a dick thing to do. My apologies.”
“No worries.”
“Not lost on any of us you’re moving in and doing it fast.”
I clenched my teeth and remained silent.
“That’s the right play,” Phoenix continued. “You gotta do this fast. Get in there and dig in before she sees you coming. We talked about it, and before today I wasn’t all that sure I was on board with my brothers. But after watching the two of you, I’m all-in.”
“All-in for what?”
“We got your back. Sunny pulls a cut-and-run we’re dragging her ass back to you.”
Jesus, that felt good.
“Appreciate that. But right now the way you can take my back,