Page 69 of Single Malt Drama
“The world’s largest splinter.” A grin tugged at the corners of her mouth. “I’m pretty sure it’s a piece of the dock. It must have come off when I shot the snake.”
“You shot the snake?” Rubbing a tender spot on the back of my head, I said, “Maybe I have a concussion. Nothing’s making sense. Where did you get a gun?”
“Cyril lent me a forty-five-caliber pistol after he saved me from an alligator, and I shot some birds.”
“You shot birds, too?”
Nico took my face in her hands and met my gaze. “My love, you had a very large splinter near the other cut on your leg. No one’s shooting at us, and the snake is dead.”
The pieces fell into place, but the picture they created put my man-card in serious jeopardy. “Right. Gotcha. I’m starved. Probably low blood sugar making me confused.”
She gave me side-eye as she climbed from the boat. “I made dinner.”
“Yeah?” I stood and forced myself not to limp as I joined her on the dock.
Nico took one of the plastic bags, wrapped it around her hand like a makeshift glove, and reached for the snake.
I grabbed her shoulder. “Don’t touch it. It could still bite you.”
“Marco, it’s in pieces. It can’t hurt me.”
My stomach clenched every time I glanced at the damned thing. “Haven’t you ever seen someone kill a chicken? The body moves after you cut its head off.”
Nico rolled her eyes and proceeded to shove the snake parts into the water. “Honestly, sometimes I can’t tell when your serious and when you’re joking.”
Who’s joking?More than a little embarrassed, I snatched a couple of bags from the dock. “Let’s start over. How was your day, dear?”
“Eventful.” She smirked. “We should clean your boo-boo.”
“It’s a war wound, thank you very much.” I followed her upstairs. “Wait…what was that about a gator?”
“I came very close to being eaten today.” Nico seated me at the dining room table, took a first aid kit from the cabinet, and proceeded to nurse me back to health.
I listened in horror as she described her near-death experience with a freaking alligator. Somehow, hearing her story made my reaction to the snake seem that much more ridiculous—especially once Nico convinced me it hadn’t been a water moccasin, but a harmless black snake.
I should just hand her my balls for safekeeping.
Miserable at the thought of her putting herself in danger, I propped my chin in my hand. “I’m glad Cyril was there, but you shouldn’t be wandering around out here by yourself.”
“I was bored and needed to get some fresh air. Besides the gator, I had a great day. I sketched some of the scenery and started working on a few new designs. Practical clothes, fashion-forward, but items women can wear in the real world.” Nico set a glass of wine in front of me.
“I’d love to see them.” Being home, having a normal conversation with my wife, made the stress of the day fade into background noise. “Whatever you’re cooking smells great.”
Her cheeks flushed. “I’m not really cooking. I’m warming up Hildie’s lasagna.”
I pulled her into my lap and kissed the shell of her ear. “It’s the thought that counts.”
“Oh.” She jumped up and hurried to the fridge. “We have dessert.”
Wiggling my brows, I said, “The only desert I want is you.”
Nico brought a pink pastry box to the table and opened the lid. Inside was a small white cake with intricate swirls of frosting, marzipan flowers, and two gold rings. “It’s our wedding cake.”
“That must have been what Hildie meant when she said she’d added something special.” Not everyone is against our marriage. The thought had me blinking back tears.
Thankfully, Nico didn’t seem to notice. She took the cake back into the kitchen and pulled our dinner out of the oven. “It needs to bake for ten more minutes uncovered.”
I moved to her side. “Need some help?”
“No. I can handle it.” Using a fork and a potholder, she removed the aluminum foil. A slew of murmured curse words fell from her lips.
I glanced over her shoulder and winced. “Is that melted plastic wrap?”