Kimber and Brick exchanged a look.

“Uh. Well.”

“Did you come home to take me to lunch, big guy?”

Remi’s cheerful question had him whirling around in the foyer. His body the only barrier between the woman he loved and the one he’d married. Remi looked like a walking disaster. Her hair was piled wildly on top of her head. She had a slash of turquoise under one eye. Flecks of red dotted her hand. Every color of the rainbow lived on her green t-shirt.

Magnus threaded his way through her feet before wandering around Brick to greet Audrey. Mega, sensing trouble, tip-tapped into the foyer and cocked his head.

Brick’s brain froze. He’d been trained to handle a wide variety of threats, but this was new.

Remi’s eyes went wide in surprise.

Audrey’s face was unreadable.

Uh-oh.

“Hey. Remi, I was hoping to run into you while I was in town,” she said. “I have some things I need to say to you.”

Mayday. Mayday. SOS. Officer needs assistance.

“Why don’t we all take a minute—” Brick began.

“Sure. You want some coffee?” Remi offered.

“Love some,” Audrey said. She turned and handed Brick her suitcase. “Mind putting that upstairs for me?”

He stood there holding the bag as he watched the two women disappear into his kitchen.

“I can’t decide how fucked you are,” Kimber whispered.

“I... They... Uh...”

“I think I’m going to take myself out to lunch before I witness any crimes. If you need any back-up, text me,” she said, slipping into her coat and fluffing her hair.

“Um...”

“Good luck. Don’t make any sudden moves,” she advised.

45

“So, you and Brick,” Audrey said, wrapping her hands around the Michigan: The one that looks like a mitten, you moron mug.

Remi glanced her way as she poured her own cup. “Yeah. Me and Brick. After you and Brick.” She fished out the creamer he’d stocked for her and poured generously.

There was a long silence.

“This is weird,” Audrey confessed. “And I feel like he’s just lurking in the hall, waiting to see if he needs to call for back-up.”

“Poor guy. Want to go into the studio? We can crank the music and scare him even more.”

“Good plan.”

Remi led the way, waving to Brick, who was indeed standing in the hallway looking a little nauseated and a lot scared.

“He should have told you,” Remi said, closing the door. “I should have told you.”

Audrey shook her head, making her tiny earrings jingle. “Neither of you owes me anything,” she insisted, perching on a tall stool. “In fact, if there’s any apologizing to be done, it should be me.”

“You? Why?” Remi asked.

Audrey adjusted her glasses, a gesture that brought Remi right back to high school. “I wanted what you had. And when Brick started paying attention to me, I felt like it was my chance to finally be the special one.”

“I don’t know what to say,” Remi said, hopping up on a paint-splattered work table, letting her feet dangle.