burst,” she said, her smile so bright it lit up the whole street. She took off her fake glasses.
“He took it?” I asked.
“He totally took it,” she said. “But oh man, Luke was in there. So was Annika. But I don’t think they recognized me.”
Levi’s gaze snapped to her, his eyes alarmed. I didn’t have time to ask what his problem was. Fiona kept talking.
“I just kept my head down, but I thought any second, someone was going to yell my name or… I guess I don’t know what they would have done. Not opened the box, that’s for sure. Are Peek and Boo okay?”
“They’re about to be the happiest little shits in town.”
Logan winced again as more squirrels scampered around us. A few ran up the tree and even more scurried around on the tavern roof. “I’m so not comfortable with this.”
“Now what happens?” Asher asked.
“Wait for it,” I said. We ducked behind my car.
At first, all was quiet, except for the growing gang of squirrels running around the tavern. More of them found their way to the vent Peek and Boo had opened, their bushy gray tails disappearing inside.
More followed, until a steady stream of squirrels climbed the tree and crossed the branch to the tavern.
The muffled sound of a commotion suddenly rang out from inside the tavern. Loud bangs, like chairs toppling over, hitting the wood floor.
“I think the bartender just opened the box,” Fiona said.
The front door flew open and customers raced out to the parking lot, squirrels darting around their feet. One of the little fuckers clung to someone’s jeans. The guy stopped with a yell and kicked his leg until it let go.
As if they could sense the smorgasbord waiting inside, squirrels ran in through the open tavern door while the people rushing out narrowly missed stepping on them.
Pandemonium.
A steady stream of squirrels climbed the tree, crossed the branch, and went in the vent. More ran right up to the front door, dodging the feet of people trying to leave. Other squirrels ran out, carrying their treasure of nuts and cookies in their mouths and tiny clawed hands.
The Timberbeast Tavern had become Squirrel Central.
A squirrel ran out and darted in our direction, carrying something that wasn’t a nut.
“Does he have a wallet?” Levi asked.
Another ran out with what looked like a half-eaten cheeseburger and disappeared down the street.
My brothers erupted with laughter, cracking up at the chaos that was the Havens’ hangout. Their goat prank on the Caboose had been original, I had to give them that. But neither side had ever truly harnessed the power of the Tilikum squirrels.
It was fucking hilarious.
Fiona tried to stifle her giggles behind her hand. “Oh my word, this is crazy.”
“Uh, guys?” Levi said. “Maybe we should get out of here.”
The burly Timberbeast bartender appeared in the doorway, his face flushed bright red.
“Let’s go,” I said.
Asher, Logan, and Levi stuffed themselves in the back seat while Fiona and Gavin took the front. Abandoning the kennel—I’d come back for it later—I hopped in. A few seconds later, I was ripping us out of there, my arm slung over the bench seat, my girl at my side.
Careful not to hit any squirrels, I drove us out of town and headed for my place.
When we got there, everyone piled out. Fiona went in first and shrieked as soon as she opened the door. I flung an arm around her, twisting to pull her behind me.
But she was laughing.
Right in the middle of my living room stood life-sized cardboard cutouts of all my brothers, naked except for tightie-whitie underwear. With my face on the crotch.
As if that wasn’t enough, there was one of me. Naked. They’d Photoshopped me holding a picture in front of my junk.
A picture of my brothers wearing underwear with my face.
How the fuck?
I stared at the ridiculousness in my living room while Fiona and my brothers erupted in hysterical laughter behind me, then shot an accusing glance at Sasquatch. “You let them do this?”
His tongue lolled out of his mouth. Traitor dog.
“Oh my god, those are even funnier in real life,” Fiona said.
“How?” I asked.
Gavin clapped me on the back as he walked in. “Magicians don’t reveal their secrets. Or, in our case, prank masters don’t reveal their secrets.”
Fiona slipped her hand in mine and squeezed. “I might have taken that picture of you.”
I looked down at her—at those hazel-green eyes I loved so much—and laughed. I had to admit, it was well played.