Page 23 of Trusted Instinct

Auralia turned to look over her shoulder. Rou was out in front, Creed had the kid on his back, and Gator was taking up the rear. Auralia squeezed Doli’s arm. “I think we have a few minutes until the speakers step up to the mic. Creed and I need to talk to Gator for a minute. I’ll be right back.”

Standing, Auralia brushed her hands over her clothes, then adjusted her shoulders back and down. She waited off to the side, giving the team time to make their way to a picnic blanket, where a distraught mother dangled a baby on her hip with a stormy face.

Creed handed off the screaming boy to the first responder, and Gator fished a bag from his tactical pants and then handed it over.

Off they went—mother, toddler, rescued child, and first responders.

Gator looked bemused.

Creed looked like he could use a drink. He bent down and scrubbed a hand over Rou’s fur, then clipped her lead into place.

Things were already riled up. Better head on into the fray and take advantage of the agitation.

Chapter Five

Auralia

Auralia caught Creed’s eye and held it unblinking as she made her way over to the men.

Once there, she closed the circle, standing between the two, trapping Rou in the center.

“Nervous?” Creed asked.

Auralia lifted her brows high. “About?”

Gator posted his hands on his hips and turned to face Creed. “Are you asking for her hand in marriage ’cause that’s Mamma’s role.”

“You know already.” Auralia painted her tone with exacerbation.

Gator swung back with that same bemused look on his face that he’d come out of the woods wearing. “Of course I know. I saw the dance at my wedding.”

Auralia frowned. “I thought you only had eyes for D-Day that day.”

“For my babysourette, I have eyes all the way around my head. And my antennae up, always.”

She gave Gator a shove, which was ridiculous because he was a boulder of solid muscle.

“You mad right now?” Gator asked.

“Yeah, I am. That was just damned anti-climactic. Days of hives and not even asoupçonof surprise on your part. Don’t you know how to feign surprise or excitement?”

“Auralia, I saw how you looked at each other at my wedding. I knew something had shifted. Creed wouldn’t be my lifelong friend if I didn’t know he was a good man. He came preapproved.”

“That’s a damned sexist thing to say,” she grumped. “I don’t need your approval.”

“You don’t, that’s for certain. It’s Creed that needs to go through me.” Gator stretched out a fist and tap-punched Creed’s shoulder.

She wrinkled her nose. “Still sexist, patriarchal bullshit.”

“Now, come on, Auralia,” Gator crossed his arms, rocking back on his heels, “that isn’t true. You want to play tit for tat with me? Remember back before I brought D-Day around? Remember Amy?”

Auralia wrinkled her nose. “How could I forget Amy?”

“She told me you had a set down with her and you told her point blank that she weren’t near good enough for me.”

“And what happened?” Auralia lifted her brows and jutted her chin forward, ready to defend her right to safeguard her brother.

“I let her vent, then I told Amy that you have Bayou blood, and you knew what you knew. Then I thanked her for sharing the conversation, thanked her for our time together, and I told her we were done.”