Daniel tore off another bite of licorice. "Why the hell didn't you let me know you're in pain this week?"
"What did Kathleen Bennett tell you?"
"Nothing." And he didn't look too happy about it.
"But you asked her."
"Hell, yeah, I asked her. And she got her flight suit all in a twist over rules."
Three cheers for patient confidentiality. "Danny, I'm fine, and feeling better by the minute thanks to Kathleen. By tomorrow I'll be a hundred percent, and your chocolate will be safe from me."
"Funny. Not. Why the hell are you so sensitive over a flipping trip to the doctor?"
Boggy wind whipped between them while she searched for a simple answer that would bring the fewest questions. "I didn't want to draw any undue attention to myself that might tip off Kent."
For all the good that had done her. If that False Unicorn plant had been intentionally placed, which she firmly believed, Kent had known about her return within hours of her landing. She shuddered.>He shook his head against her neck. "Don't know them."
"But you do know Darcy and Spike." She sank to the edge of the bottom bunk amid rumpled sailboat sheets, ducking her head to accommodate the upper bed. And you'll get to play with Darcy's big sister and brother and her dad. I'll bet they even take you to McDonald's, and Danny's going to give them money to buy two new cartridges for your Game Boy Advance."
Chiming bells from the video signified a leap to the next level. Trey's fingers flew. "You might as well give it up," he confided without pausing. "He doesn't want to leave you and go with them."
"Trey," Mary Elise warned low.
"He's just a big baby."
Mary Elise gasped, reached to clap her hand over Trey's mouth. Just what they needed. An all out battle on their hands.
Austin's head popped up from Mary Elise's neck. "Am not a baby."
"Are so."
"Am not."
"Then why are you hanging on her like one?"
Realization clicked. The kid was maneuvering his brother with tactics reminiscent of his big brother scamming an extra helping of ice cream out of a neighbor. She stifled the urge to give Trey a tight hug and blow the whole gig.
Trey flipped the off switch on his game. "Danny and Mary Elise need some time by themselves, you big bozo. Like Mom and Dad did."
"So they don't get a di-borce."
Divorce? Franklin Baker had been heading to divorce court again? She'd known they were having trouble, but apparently not how much.
Trey nodded. "Yeah, dweeb. Come on, I want that new Zelda: Ruler of the Universe game really bad." He rolled his eyes. "But it would probably scare you, anyway."
Mary Elise held her breath. Had Trey overplayed his hand with that one?
Austin squirmed, working his way down and out of Mary Elise's arms. Apparently sibling rivalry was a mighty strong motivator. She mouthed over Austin's head to Trey, "Thank you."
A grin creased his face.
Well, hell. He did look a little like his big brother after all.
Austin tugged her shirttail until she leaned forward.
"Love you. Have fun with Danny." He planted a wet kiss on her cheek along with a final hug.
Footsteps sounded down the hall just before Darcy poked her head into the room, looking rested from her power nap after her night flight. "Hey, kids, let's go raid your brother's junk-food cabinet and find some snacks for the road."