A Very Hero Wedding - Chapter 6

Oops! I was so busy writing and proofing a paperback, I totally forgot to post Chapter 6 of A Very Hero Wedding.

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Harri carried Mitch down with her on the elevator. She didn’t think the Owl’s Nest was the best place for either Mitch or Grace to hang out, anymore than it had been for Francisco, but a year later, Miguel’s youngest was attending one of the top STEM universities on a full scholarship. Arthur and Tim kept a playpen down there with an array of toys for the kids, along with diapers, bottles, and snacks. However, taking Mitch down to the Nest also meant she’d have to apologize to Tim even if she hadn’t done anything wrong.

She entered the reception area as Aisha walked out of her office.

“What are you doing with my son?” her partner demanded.

“I fed him since the guy who was supposed to do it stormed out of my loft.” Harri held out Mitch to Aisha. “I also burped him and changed his diaper.”

Aisha frowned and didn’t take her baby. “Molly’s not back yet?”

“Does it look like she’s back?”

Instead of taking Mitch, Aisha pulled out her phone and started scrolling with her thumb. “Well, crap. It looks like one of the cables holding the shipping containers in place either wasn’t secured properly or snapped. Nix is using ultrasonics to keep the ship stable while Black Falcon and Captain Mojave are retrieving the containers.”

She looked up at Harri. “You know the shipping company is going to try to blame the supers. I guess I need some more coffee and have Arthur pulling surveillance footage for me when he gets back.” She pivoted and headed back toward her office.

“Hey, what about your son?” Harri snapped.

“Well, you weren’t bringing him to me, were you?” Aisha pointedly looked at her office door, then at the door to the basement. “If I were you, I’d do some serious sucking up to my man.”

“I didn’t do anything!” Harri glared at her partner.

Aisha slid her phone back into her slacks pocket. “Taking your anger at me out on Tim isn’t helping your relationship. He said he’d watch Mitch until Molly gets back. Since you chased him down to the Nest, you need to be the one to take Mitch down and apologize.”

Harri gritted her teeth, but she wasn’t going to win this one. Aisha could be more stubborn than Captain Mojave. Maybe that we why their friendship survived when all Harri’s other relationships bit the dust.

Aisha took two steps toward the break room before she pivoted on her stilettos to face Harri again. “By the way, I do not want to hear anymore bitching from you about me going to Paris if you are going behind my back to recruit more clients.” She flew to the break room, probably to keep from breaking her precious designer shoes by stomping on the antique floor tiles.

Or breaking the irreplaceable art deco tiles with her superstrength.

Blood roared in Harri’s ears. Dammit! Tim narced on her! She didn’t need this crap from either her boyfriend or her law partner. She was definitely collecting on one of Jeremy’s dinners tonight.

##

None of the Owl’s Nest security measures were active when Harri and Mitch reached the bottom of the basement stairs. Technically, the superhero lair belonged to Tim as the original Ghost Owl, but Rey and Aisha had sort of inherited it. Or rather, their superhero personas Black Falcon and Ghost Owl II had inherited the hideout.

Actually, a good chunk of the superheroes in Canyon Pointe used the Owl’s Nest. All of them happened to be Winters and Franklin clients, too. Like Molly Reinhold AKA Nix.

Lights flickered on as the motion sensors picked up Harri’s strides. Mitch nestled against her shoulder and chest. He was about ready to pass out for his post-lunch nap. She prayed Tim wasn’t running any heavy machinery. Mitch without his nap could be as cranky as his mom without pixie barf first thing in the morning.

When she entered the lab, Tim quietly clicked away on his ergonomic keyboard. Yet another concession he’d made for her, she realized with a pang of guilt. They’d both gotten the same model when they’d spent one evening icing their wrists after a particularly intense round of video games with the Esperanza boys over the summer.

He looked up at her, and the cold anger from earlier still sparked from his dark blue eyes.

“I came down to apologize. I’m sorry for taking my anger with Aisha out on you. It wasn’t fair.” She forced the words between her teeth. “Can you please still watch Mitch while she and I meet with Jeremy’s potential client?”

Tim’s face softened a bit. “Thank you for apologizing. And yes, I’ll watch our godson and pick up your bridesmaid dress.”

“You don’t have to—”

“I said I would, and I will,” he stated firmly. “I’m not that petty.” He stood and held out his hands for the baby. “Though I will wait until after his nap.”

Mitch barely opened his eyes at the trade-off. He made sucking noises with his pacifier, and his eyes drifted shut again. Tim laid Mitch in the portable bassinet next to his computer desk. The pacifier fell out of the baby’s mouth, and he was softly snoring before Tim could lay the Black Falcon baby blanket over Mitch.

Yep, Aisha definitely had more of a clue of marketing and licensing superhero merchandise than Harri did.

“What are you working on?” Harri asked.

“Finishing up the background check on your afternoon appointment,” Tim murmured.

“But Arthur—”

“Had to run an errand, and he took Grace with him.” Tim straightened.

“Does this have anything to do with a ring?” Harri raised an eyebrow.

A funny look came over Tim.

“Oh, my god!” Harri resorted to waving her hands excitedly to keep herself from yelling and waking Mitch. “When’s he going to ask her?”

“I’m staying out of Arthur and Patty’s business.” Tim crossed his arms over his chest. “And you are, too.”

“You’re no fun.” Harri wrapped her arms around his waist. “But I could convince you to tell me.”

“You can try, but don’t you have a client intake interview in an hour?”

“Getting too old for a lunchtime quickie?” she mocked.

“I prefer to take my time and make sure things are done right.” Tim cupped her head and lowered his lips to hers.

Their kiss was slow. And sweet. Really sweet. She detected hints of chocolate, caramel, coconut and vanilla cookie in his taste.

Harri broke the kiss and glared at Tim. “Where did you get the Samoas?”