I blinked slowly. “I don’t even know where to begin my questioning.”
Bristol laughed. “You have no idea how many times I have heard that when it comes to Alice. The things she says and does would boggle your mind, but she’s one of the best people you will ever meet.”
“I’d love for her to meet Leo and Marco. She would most likely curtsy and ask which one of them is the king of the mafia.” Greer laughed loudly. “I only met her one time, and it was a highlight of my life.”
“Alice does know how to spice things up,” Bristol agreed.
“I have a list of people I need to hang out with, and Alice was just added to it.” I burrowed under the blanket and sighed. “I only got a couple of days with Meg before I had to run here.”
“Oh gosh,” Greer sighed. “That is another pairing I would love to see. Alice and Meg. I wonder if their craziness would cancel out the other or if it would just be an epic explosion of craziness.”
“I would have to lean toward it more being an explosion,” Bristol declared. “I mean, Alice carries a blender in her trunk, and Meg can turn anything into a three-ring circus.”
“Well, if they ever do meet, I hope I have a front row seat.” Greer settled into the couch. “And a video camera.”
“Yes,” Bristol called.
My eyes were heavy, and I listened to Greer and Bristol reminisce stories about Alice and Meg. I fell asleep on the couch and dreamt of being a golden girl while buying a cow.
Crazy.
*
Marco
“Shh, beautiful,” I whispered.
Royal wound her arms around my neck and sighed. I lifted her from the couch and cradled her in my arms.
“Be careful with her,” Greer called. Apollo had his arm around her waist, and she had her head resting his shoulder.
“I’ve got her, Greer.”
Bristol was still passed out in one of the recliners, and Murphy and Princeton were doing rock, paper, scissors to decide who was going to carry her to bed.
I nodded to Apollo and headed down the hallway to the stairs.
Even nine months pregnant, Royal was as light as a feather. I was going to have to make sure she was eating enough for her and the baby. She had only eaten half of her dinner tonight and had passed on dessert.
I climbed the stairs, and she didn’t even stir when I bumped open her bedroom door with my hip. I moved to the bed and leaned over to lay her down.
“No,” she whispered. “Don’t leave me.” Her arms tightened around my neck, and she clung to me.
“It’s okay, Royal,” I whispered back.
“Don’t leave,” she repeated.
“Beautiful, I’m not leaving you.”
She sighed lightly but didn’t move her arms from around my neck.
I was awkwardly bent over the bed with Royal clinging to me. I tried to move her arms from around my neck, but she wouldn’t budge.
If I called for help from Murphy or Princeton, I would wake her up. I didn’t want to do that.
Shit.
I would just have to lie with her until she loosened her hold on me.