Page 22 of Havoc's Fox
“You met someone? Is he a shifter? Possibly a mate? Remember that Maverik had two…”
Analise huffed a small laugh. “No, Beau’s a human. But he’s very kind, and so smart and funny. Very charming. We go to dinner every now and again and go to the farmer’s market when I’m in town.”
“Oh. Well, we all know that’s not often.”
“No, but at least I’m not sitting home alone when I’m home.”
“I’m glad for that at least,” Everly said.
Analise sipped her coffee. “He really has done a great job, hasn’t he? I’m happy for him. So proud of the man he’s become.”
Everly opened her mouth to point out that she’d never met Beau, but realized from the things Analise was saying, she meant Havoc.
“He’s certainly turned into an excellent father. But he has been all along. That baby is the only reason he went along with the things he stood by that girl back then.”
Analise shook her head. “He stood by her like he did back then because it was the right thing to do. And the baby. There was no way he was giving up his child.”
“You’re right. Even in the middle of all the teenage angst, he had a measure of integrity,” Everly said, slicing bananas and strawberries to put on the waffles when they were all done.
“Yeah. Shame he couldn’t have applied that integrity to me and what we had,” Analise mumbled as she slid off the barstool and went to refill her coffee cup.
“You shouldn’t have had to see all that. Most shifters have the chance to grow up, make their mistakes, experience other people, then meet their mate later. Not witness it right beside them.”
The sound of the front door opening stopped their conversation, then Emmalyn called out happily. “Yoohoo! Anybody awake yet?”
“No, we’re all still sleeping. And why are you calling me to tell me to get home when you’re not even here?!” Analise asked indignantly.
Emmalyn came into view, her hair mussed, sheet prints still across her face, smiling sheepishly. “Sorry. I thought that if maybe you were home before me, they wouldn’t be as upset when I got home.”
Analise glared at her sister. “Because they’d have already taken out their irritation on me.”
“Something like that.”
“Where were you?” Everly asked, propping a hand on her hip.
“Nowhere I shouldn’t have been,” Emmalyn answered defensively.
“Emmalyn…”
“Mom, I swear. It’s all good. I got it under control.”
“Got what under control?” Analise asked.
“I have no idea. I’d like to know myself,” Everly said.
“Look. I’m a grown ass woman. I work for the FBI for God’s sake. I am well aware of how to take care of myself. I got this. I know what I’m doing.”
“Unless somebody’s playing you,” Analise said.
“Really? You think that I’m in danger of being played? Do you remember who used to take up for you and keep you safe? Me. It was me. And I’m a damn profiler. I’m the one who analyzes everybody else, tears them down and lets the agents know who they’re looking for. Nobody’s going to play me.”
“You get a little too confident, you can easily overestimate yourself,” Everly said.
“Just like everybody else underestimates me. I got this. Y’all will see,” Emmalyn said.
“All I know is you are both grown women and I can’t tell you anything about how to live your lives, but I can tell you what I want for you and what I don’t,” Everly said.
“Merry Christmas!” Bam said, walking up the hallway from the master suite. While his Christmas morning greeting was standard, the tone with which it was delivered was less than jovial.