Page 154 of Rock Giant

Maybe if he ignored it...

No, there it was again.This time a little more aggressive.

“Should I answer that?”his beloved asked, already putting her burger on her plate, and moving her leg to slip off the stool.

As tempting as it was to pretend they weren’t home, he knew their visitor wasn’t the sort to give up and go away.Fuck it!“Why, Ronnie?”he asked, swinging the cabin door open to admit his bandmate.

Tone-deaf as usual, Ronnie swung his bag off his shoulder and left it by Paul’s feet, before sweeping past him and flopping onto the sofa.“Hey guys.I’m finally here.It’s taken forever.”

“Ron,” Paul muttered through gritted teeth.“Didn’t you get the message?”

“Xane did give me a message, yes.And Alle and Ash suggested I could maybe rethink my plans and go to Spook’s, but I didn’t see why I needed to change plans.Not really.By the way, do you realise your arse is hanging out?”

Paul covered his face with his hand and squeezed his temples.Jodi snickered into her food.

“That’s because my wife was appreciating it.”Also, he’d volunteered to remain naked for the whole of his stay if it pleased her.“You’re not supposed to be here, Ronnie.”

“I am, though.We booked it together, and I really wanted to see the lake.”

“You could have gone to Spook’s and still seen the lake.It’s the same lake.It’s a really fucking big lake.”

“Is it?”Ronnie said innocently.“Well, yeah, I suppose it might be, but...”He got off the sofa.“I’ll make myself scarce.Promise.You won’t even know I’m here.Oh, hello, little fella.”Flugwhump leaped onto the table, attracting Ronnie’s immediate attention.He dived straight in with the ear scritches.

“Ron,” Paul prompted.

Ronnie held up his hands.“Making myself scarce.Doing it right now.Look, see.I’m going.”He scooped the cat up and headed towards the bedrooms.“Oops, no, not that one,” they heard him say from down the corridor.“Guys, you need to air your room.This one across the way, maybe?I’ll be across the hall from you guys,” he yelled.

“Great,” Paul replied.

“You told him not to show up?”Jodi remarked, eyebrows hiked.

Paul pursed his lips.He had in fact told him both to his face and through every member of the band not to show up, but here he was anyway, all green and prickly.

“So, I guess we won’t be fucking in the lounge or on the deck, or—”

“We are so doing those things.He’s staying in his room.”He raised his voice.“You’re staying in your room, right, Ronnie?”

“I’m staying in my room,” his bandmate replied.

There was no fucking way he was going to stay in his room.Paul wailed.His wife came to him and wrapped him in a comforting embrace.

“I’m not supposed to be sharing you with anyone besides the cat,” he complained.“But of course Captain Oblivious doesn’t comprehend that.”

Ronnie came out of his room again and grabbed his bag.He made it about four feet with it before he dipped into a pocket and produced a bag of jelly sweets.“Worm?”he offered.

“Ronnie!”

He side-eyed the pair of them.“Okay, no worms.Ooh, what are you having, burgers?Nice.”

“Ronnie...”

“Say,” Ronnie leaned towards Jodi’s ear, while chewing on the mouthful of Paul’s burger he’d just stolen.“Has he flashed you his purple worm yet?”

“Don’t answer that, Castle.”

“It’s mega, right?”

Paul clapped a hand to his own head.

“Still can’t believe I managed to fit the whole of it in my gob.”