Page 64 of Lost Lyrebird

“Nah, I fuckin’ mean it, brother.My baby sister is not just off-limits, she’s a no-go, like ever, or I’ll bury you.”

“I mean, now that you told me not to, it’s like waving a pirate flag at a born rebel.”

Dozer goes to slap the back of his head, but Bodie dodges and sinks back and out of the way.He’s laughing now, but hollers, “Just a fuckin’ joke.Swear on my life, bro.I won’t touch her.”

Dozer pulls out his phone again and curses.

“What?”Bodie asks, the smile falling away rapidly as he studies Dozer’s expression.

“She’s got cheer practice.Forgot about that.And she’s got a shift at the gas station that starts at six.”

Bodie throws his head back while groaning, “Fuuccck, really?”

Shaking his head and getting a kick out of Bodie’s situation, Dozer smirks.“Sorry, man.She said tomorrow she can help, but not today.”

After rubbing his face vigorously, Bodie’s gaze falls back on me, the silent observer to this animated conversation.When his head tilts to the side and he keeps staring, a spark of trepidation flutters in my chest.

“What?”

“Please!”He whines.

I laugh.“Please, what?”

“Help me?”

“Bodie, I—”

He cuts me off.“I know, but surely you know more than me.Or you can at least even the odds.One child, I can handle no problem.It’s the two together running around like fuckin’ maniacs that stresses me the hell out.”

“Why have kids if they stress you out?”

“Because they’re cute little fuckers and I love ’em.But this is my first one-on-one, and it’s freakin’ me the fuck out.At least with some backup, I’d be less anxious.”

I eye him suspiciously.“And this isn’t just a ploy to get me to your house alone?”

He crosses his fingers over his chest in anX.“Swear to fuckin’ God, no.Wouldn’t do Finn over like that.”

Dozer snaps his head to me at that.My eyebrows rise, and I study Bodie’s face.His words take me by surprise.He must have taken Dozer by surprise, too, because now the big man analyzes me as if he’s seeing me in a new light.

“He’s my boss, nothing more.”

Bodie grins widely, his dimples making an appearance.“Sure.Sure.”

“I’m serious.”

“Well, that may be, but doesn’t change the fact that you two sure throw a lot of sexual chemistry around when you’re within a few fuckin’ feet of each other.”

“We don’t—”

“You do,” they both say at the same fucking time.

I roll my eyes in response and bite my bottom lip so I won’t give voice to all the thoughts running through my mind.If only they knew how much history Finn and I share.Knew who I really am and what my angle is here.If they did, there would be none of this banter.No welcome.And neither of them would be as accepting of me as they are now.Bodie wouldn’t be inviting me into his home to meet his kids.

Sure, he’s doing it purely for help with his kids.But still.

I agree to help him, which might be a mistake.However, there’s a part of me that wants this.This is an opportunity to get to know Finn’s best friend.To learn more about the man who is on record as being the one who pulled Finn out of the firefight after the roadside bomb incident.Had Bodie not made it out, had he not saved Finn, then Finn would be what I’d imagined him to be for so long.

Dead.