“Whoaaaa boy…”
“I bet the dork grins when he does ‘the deed’…”
“Firefly!”
“I’m siding with him – I’ve got twenty bucks that says Firefly is right!”
“Armadillo!”
“I’ve got twenty on the smiling dork, too…”
“AERON!”
“Sorry, babe… you just gotta know the guy. Nothing makes him mad – ever. The dude seriously is the nicest guy around.”
“I’ve got twenty on Ghost grinning, too…” Houdini chimed in. “And I think I’m gonna have to scratch my eyes out now.”
“I’m in, too!”
“Hunter! You had better not be betting,” Glory exclaimed in disbelief. “Besides, I know a certain flyboy that can’t wipe the smile off his face either…”
“You know it!” Alpo crowed happily, winking at his wife.
“I’m not betting,” Thumper said bluntly, crossing his arms.
“Thank you,” Harley said simply.
“And that’s why,” Thumper smirked, causing several of them to laugh. “I love being married to my sweet girl, and she would have a heart attack at the waste of money.”
“It’s not a waste if we win…”
“Nobody is betting against you pests…” Melody sighed heavily, rolling her eyes.
“… And I’m sure not answeringthatquestion,” Mary sputtered, her face red with embarrassment.
“He absolutely grins! I freakin’ knew it…” Firefly chuckled, causing several of the men to crack up laughing as they went about unloading the boxes.
“Just ignore them, Mary…” Marisol coached, and Melody quickly agreed.
“They are like three-year-old brains with thirty-year-old bodies.”
“So, when is Ghost coming home?” Harley asked openly.
“He’s coming to visit in a month for a week.”
“No,” Harley smiled, and looked at Thumper, then Armadillo, Firefly, Alpo, Glory, and the others – who were all smiling at her, making her feel weird, like they knew something she didn’t. “I meant, when is Ghost coming home… to stay for good?”
Mary smiled shyly and saw their knowing glances.
“We’ve all been there,” Valkyrie acknowledged. “It’s part of the reason that we take care of each other. In Ghazni, our brothers had our backs…”
“But here?” Firefly interjected. “We are on our own, and take care of each other every chance we get.”
“Whether it’s setting up a home…?” Alpo smiled, putting his arm around Glory’s waist.
“Babysitting?” Armadillo grinned at Delilah, who rolled her eyes.
“Teaching?” Romeo volunteered.