“Oh, no,” Adrienne said quickly, her dark eyes teasing. “I miss you. But I figure I’ve saved enough out of my food budget in the last four weeks to buy a new car. I say let the Guardians feed you another two weeks, and we’ll be completely out of debt.”

A deeply hurt expression flattened Clayne’s features even more. Then suddenly he lunged forward, causing the dishes on the table to jump and Adrienne to squeal as he caught her arm. “So that’s how it is, huh?” he growled.

“Clayne!” she wailed, as she tried to pull free. “Let me go!”

“Buy a new car, huh? Get out of debt, huh?”

“Clayne! You’ll wake the children. Nicole! Help!”

But Nicole just waved her away, laughing too much to render even psychological assistance.

Suddenly Clayne sobered, and Adrienne instantly followed. She leaned forward and gazed into his eyes. The meat-cleaver hands came up and brushed at her cheeks gently, and Nicole looked away, embarrassed to witness such open and unabashed love between two people. She knew that she and Travis were moving in that direction, but they weren’t there yet. Few people she knew were.

“Forget the car,” Adrienne said softly. “Just come home again. Okay?”

“I will, soon as we get this young bronco tamed. You know that.”

Slightly flustered at her own emotions, Adrienne put her hand over Clayne’s and turned to Nicole. “How soon are you going to let this man of mine go?”

She shook her head. “Clayne can answer that better than I. The training period is over now, but until Eric has proven himself on the job, the Major wants Clayne to stay with him. I’d say another two weeks probably.”

“Did they ever move his family up to Stage One?” Adrienne asked.

“No. Because of that little show with the stool, the Major insists that he totally prove himself first. Eric still has a Stage Two.”

Clayne stood up and motioned to them. “Let’s go in the living room to talk.”

They moved into the next room and sat down, Clayne and Adrienne on the couch, Nicole in a comfortable chair facing them. “Well, I know he’s a challenge,” Adrienne said, once they were settled, “but I think he’s nice. The kids just love him.”

Without thinking, Nicole pulled a face.

Clayne laughed. “I don’t think Nicole is quite as taken with Eric as you are, dear.”

“Why?”

“He’s insolent, arrogant, and totally self-centered,” she shot back.

“Translated, that means he takes particular delight in needling his Monitoring Officer,” Clayne explained. “And he has a peculiar talent for that. And as if that weren’t enough, the first day on the job he nearly decked her fiancé.”

“Your fiancé?” Adrienne cried.

“Yes—Travis. If I hadn’t pulled him off—”

“You lunkhead,” Adrienne said, smacking Clayne’s leg with her fist. “You didn’t tell me Nicole was engaged.”