“Isn’t it nice when we’re all on the same page?” Naomi asked brightly.
“Yeah, yeah.”
“Mith Thloane! Mith Thloane!” Ezra was back, still wearing my cardigan and now waving what looked like a scroll.
“Hey, buddy,” I greeted.
“I made thith for you.” He shoved the paper at me. It was tied in the middle with a red string.
Behind me, Naomi made an “aww” noise.
“For me? Wow, thanks, Ezra. That is so sweet of you,” I said, carefully untying the string before unrolling the parchment paper.
“Thath you and thath me. We’re piraths just like that book we read. And thath the library on our pirate thip. See all the bookth? And hereth the X for the treathure!” He pointed out each element of the three-foot-long crayon and marker drawing. Stick figure Ezra had one arm and four feet. My ponytail was green to match the hearts he’d sketched above and below the books.
“The. Cutest. I’m dying,” Naomi whisper squealed.
“Do you like it?” Ezra asked hopefully.
“I love it,” I said, unable to resist the urge to boop his nose. “It’s amazing and so are you.”
He flashed me a coy, tooth-deficient grin. “You could hang it up if you wanted.”
“I’m going to hang it up in my office so I can see it every day,” I promised.
“Awethome. Happy Valentineth Day!”
“Happy Valentine’s Day, Ezra.”
He launched himself into my arms for the kind of hard, sticky, heart-melting hug that only kids under the age of six gave, then made a beeline for the pillow fort again.
“My heart,” Naomi said. “He’s Gael and Isaac’s new foster son, isn’t he?”
“He is. I watched him here for half an hour when Gael had to leave for a pet store emergency the other day. We read two pirate books, and he drew pictures for his new big sister.”
“It looks like you made quite the impression,” Naomi said, tapping the drawing.
“Me or the pirates.”
“You’re going to be a great mom,” she said.
Her words punched me right in the heart. “Thanks,” I said. “You already are.”
She leaned in and caught me in the kind of soft, spontaneous hug sisters exchanged. “We’re going to raise our families together,” she whispered in my ear.
“I was gone three minutes. What the hell has you two ready to bawl your eyes out?” Nash demanded, looking around the first floor of the library for obvious threats.
“Girl stuff,” I insisted.
“Sloane’s a pirate,” Naomi said with a sniffle.
“I don’t want to know,” Nash decided.
Naomi released me with a watery smile. “I’m going to go do something library related.” She gave Nash a peck on the cheek and headed for the stairs.
Nash pulled out his phone.
“What are you doing?” I asked nosily.
“Telling my brother that whatever he’s buying Naomi, he’d better double it.”
I chuckled.
Nash stowed his phone. “I better get back to work.”
“Have a happy Valentine’s Day,” I told him.
His grin was a heartbreaker. “Will do.”
He made it all of four feet toward the door.
“Oops. I seem to have dropped my necklace,” announced Belinda, an elderly, busty patron who preferred her books steamy. She pointed at the huge crucifix that she’d just unfastened from her neck and tossed on the floor. “Be a dear and fetch it for me, Chief Morgan?”
Nash heaved a sigh and glanced my way.
I shrugged. “If you don’t pick it up, they’re just going to keep throwing things on the floor.”
“I’m ordering new uniforms with tunics,” he grumbled.
“The citizens who appreciate the male specimen would be devastated,” I warned.
He bent at the waist and hastily plucked the necklace off the floor.
“You just made this old lady’s day,” Belinda said, smugly returning the crucifix to her more than ample bosom.
“Might want to get that clasp checked, Ms. Belinda, seein’ as how it fell off in the grocery store last week and in the park the week before that.”
“I’ll do that,” she lied glibly.
Shaking my head, I pulled out my phone.
Me: Did you send me a case of sports drinks or do I have a stalker who’s concerned with my hydration?
Lucian: I thought it would be more appropriate than flowers and candy seeing as how I’m only using you for your body.