“He’s a Malone,” Kylie states dryly, giving him an exasperated look. “He moved here for me, he’s now on my side of the lake—living in a cabin he built for us—and something major, such as the fight, had to happen for him to be considered for induction.”
“What’s going on?” I whisper to George.
George just pats my shoulder before he stands.
But Hale keeps arguing first. “We have steak night. We also steal his desserts.”
“He’s not getting desserts anymore,” George says dismissively. “He might have fought with the Vincents, but it’s clear he’s a Malone.”
“They just want him because we finally beat them!” Hale shouts, pointing an accusatory finger at George.
George grins. “Our fight didn’t finish.”
“Want to finish it now?” Killian drawls.
Vick starts banging that gavel, and I stifle a laugh. It’s the most ridiculous town meeting in the history of town meetings. And I sort of love it.
“Two Wild Ones cannot date if they’re from different corners,” Vick says dismissively. “Sorry, but it’s the rules,” he adds, not sounding sorry at all.
Hale groans as he drops to his seat, and Killian fights not to smile. He finds this entertaining, apparently.
“And since he’s here for Kylie Malone, it’s clear he’ll take the Malone name when they marry—”
“Now, slow down a little, we’re not that far along,” Kylie is quick to point out.
“You’ll marry,” Vick says dismissively, causing me to hold back my laughter.
“Aunt Penny has volunteered to plan the wedding,” Lilah says as she stands, casting a devious look toward Kylie, who scowls in return. “We’ll get them down the aisle.”
Benson tugs her back down to her seat, and tosses an arm around her, as Kylie says something else about the litter-producers that earns her a scowl from Lilah.
Sometimes, if you didn’t know how much they all really cared about each other, you’d think they hated one another.
“So it’s settled then,” Vick says, looking around. “The Harper family will be dealt with if they come looking for their lost son, and Liam will be a Malone and the newest addition to the Beaver corner.”
A few snorts of laughter follow that, and the Malones all groan.
“A beaver is much more vicious than a dead chipmunk,” Jared drawls.
“Or a squirrel,” Eric says, looking pointedly at the Nickels.
One of the guys makes a squirrel sound, but it seems to have a rabid edge.
“The matter is settled,” Vick says loudly before anyone else can start volleying insults. “Everyone has two minutes to clear out.”
The gavel slams down, and everyone starts standing. My smile actually hurts as Kylie wraps herself around me and starts kissing her way down my throat again.
“No fucking in those two minutes!” Vick shouts, possibly at us.
Grinning, I stand with Kylie attached to me, and we follow out everyone else.
“Liam Harper is officially a Wild One,” Eric Malone says as he claps my shoulder.
Still holding Kylie against me, I stare out at the town who all pause as the violin music starts to play again. The river dancing begins immediately, and I’m forced to put down Kylie so I can join in, though this time I do it a little more willingly.
The Vincents start having a dance-off with the Malones, and my smile spreads as I take the Malone side against them.
“I regret not giving him to the Vincents now,” George says when he gawks at my…not so skillful moves.
Kylie stumbles into me, laughing so hard at the standoff that she can’t keep her balance. I keep moving even as my lips find hers, kissing her so hard that she starts moaning into my mouth.
This is my life.
This is my home.
This is my family.
This is my Tomahawk.
Kylie draws back, mouthing three little words that have me ready to steal her father’s boat so I can take her home.
“What’s that look for?” she asks, peering up at me, still not realizing just how much she means to me.
“I have a present for you.”
Her eyes brighten as she steps closer.
“What?”
My lips brush over hers. “A lot of boots,” I tell her as the violin music stops.
“Boots?” she asks, clearing her throat like she didn’t just swoon a little.
“So many boots you circled in those catalogues,” I tell her, grinning.
“Where?” she asks, trying not to sound overly excited, even as I see the weakening resolve in her eyes. After all, boots are her biggest weakness.
“Lilah hid them,” I tell her with a shrug.
“What?” she asks with a very serious, and not-so-happy expression.
I shrug, playing coy. “I didn’t want it to look like I was trying to buy you, so I sent Lilah to collect the boots until the perfect time to return them.”
“You let Lilah Vincent touch boots that you bought for me?” she asks like I’ve committed treason.
“Yes,” I say, my smile mocking her.
She whirls around, spotting Lilah dragging Benson toward the boats like she’s about to break town rules about sex-in-public.