Moon grinned before he returned downstairs. Trisha tried to relax. It wasn’t easy. She was still upset by what had happened.

Well, Slade knows about our baby now. She’d fulfilled what Justice had asked her to do and it had been a disaster. She fought tears. She hadn’t dreamed in a million years that she’d end up screaming the news of fatherhood at a man whose baby she carried and she’d called him names on top of it all. Just…crap!

Was Moon correct? Slade had been an extreme ass**le. If he didn’t care he wouldn’t have reacted so violently to the news of her being pregnant. It had really hurt when he’d instantly assumed she’d slept with Justice. Maybe he thought she slept around with men regularly. He didn’t know her at all if that was the case.

The whole “mine” thing remained stuck inside her head. He’d said she was his when he’d attacked Bill at the camp where she’d almost been raped. Then when they were outside he’d screamed at her that she knew she was his but if he considered her that, why had he abandoned her? He’d said something about protecting her and it was just confusing when she tried to make sense of his words. He wanted to give her time? He’d said only time could have given them a chance or something close to that. Time for what? For me to feel used and stupid for thinking something meaningful happened between us?

She heard the stairs creak a short time later and wiped away her tears. Harley walked upstairs carrying a glass of milk and some food with him. A spoon peeked out of the bowl.

“I brought you milk for the baby and soup for your upset stomach. Moon told me you were sick enough to lose your last meal. I’ll bring you chocolate-chip cookies if you hold all this down. They sent a large bag of them. I told the guys to at least save you one.”

Trisha smiled as she sat up. “Just one?”

“Maybe two. You are eating for two people now.” Harley grinned at her. “You be careful with this. It’s hot. I don’t want you to get burned.”

Trisha stared at him with gratitude. “Thank you for being my friend.”

“A friend? I thought we could elope to Vegas and have Elvis marry us.” His gaze sparkled as he teased. “I had it all worked out too. We could buy some mangy mutt, buy us a rusty old RV, and find some city dump to live next to. I hear it’s a great place to find furniture.” He lifted up the material on his arm and exposed his thick biceps. “I had a spot picked out here to have your name tattooed on me and I thought I could have my name tattooed across your ass. That way I could actually say I owned your ass.”

Trisha laughed. Moon walked upstairs and sat on the edge of the bed holding a plate with a few pieces of buttered toast. He set it down on the bed next to Trisha so she could easily reach it.

“It’s not her ass you have your name put on, Harley. You have her tattoo it on her arm so when she forgets your name, it’s right there. We all know how memorable you aren’t. She’d have to be a contortionist to see your name on her ass.”

“If she’s a contortionist,” Brass called out as he climbed the stairs, “then she’d have to marry me instead. And you never have Elvis marry you. That’s a bad omen if I ever heard one. Everyone knows marriage started by a dead guy ends in a dead marriage down the road. And speaking of road, she’s high class and don’t forget it. You don’t buy some rusted-out RV. You buy a fifth-wheel travel trailer and live in style. That way you can unhitch it and not have to remove the patio every time you need to go somewhere.”

Trisha wanted to flinch when she saw Brass’ face. He had bruising to his cheekbone and jaw, cuts all over, and there was swelling near his eye. He held her worried gaze and winked. “I’m still incredibly good-looking.”

She laughed. “Yes. You are.”

Moon sniffed suddenly. His gaze turned to Brass and Harley. They sniffed too. Three pairs of eyes turned to the window before they glanced away.

Trisha tensed. “What do you smell?”

“It’s nothing to worry about,” Moon muttered. “Just a hint of a storm outside.”

“Oh. I hope the roof doesn’t leak.” Trisha glanced up at the slanted wood beams of the ceiling and back at the guys. “The cabin seems pretty solid though, even if it is outdated inside.”

“I’m sure it won’t, Trisha.” Brass motioned to her food. “Eat up.”

Trisha ate while the men kept teasing her. She laughed, listening to them get more outrageous about funny marriage scenarios. She saw them glance at the window a few times. It had grown dark outside. The window remained open but she didn’t see any flashes of lightning or hear rain.

Trisha finished all of her soup, ate both slices of toast, and finished off her milk. Moon took her dishes.

“I’ll bring you cookies and some more milk but I’m going to take a jog first. I enjoy a good run at night. Can you wait for your snack?”

“Yes. Thank you.”

He smiled at her and disappeared downstairs.

“I know,” Harley chuckled. “You could marry me and we could go live with your parents. I hear that humans living with their in-laws always have a successful marriage.”

Brass smacked his forehead with his palm. “Where do you hear this backward bullshit? That’s a surefire way to kill a marriage.”

Trisha laughed. “You’d run for the hills or worse if you ever met my parents and would probably buy a gun and shoot them. I don’t want to be married to a guy who’s doing twenty-to-life in prison.”