“Yes, well, we didn’t say that his thinking was clear or sensible,” Decker pointed out solemnly. “In fact, that’s why we wanted to talk to you instead of letting him explain.”
“You probably would have thought he was mad,” Anders pointed out.
“And he’s not really,” Decker assured her. “He’s just a tad confused . . . and desperate. Think of him like a puppy at the pound, eagerly licking the hand of anyone who stops to pet them.”
“Why would I have thought he was mad?” Holly asked with uncertainty. “I mean if he just explained as you have . . .”
“Well, you have to understand, as far as he’s concerned it’s a fait accompli,” Decker said solemnly. “To his mind, you are just seconds away from throwing yourself at him and dragging him off to bed.”
“I would never!” Holly gasped with amazement. She’d never thrown herself at a man in her life . . . ever. Heck, the only experience she had in that area was James and even now, after almost four years of marriage, she had yet to initiate any sort of intimacy herself. He was always the aggressor. Of course, she kissed and hugged him, but not in the take--me--to--bed way. She just wouldn’t know how. But even if she did, she was married. She cared too much for James to hurt him that way.
“Right, well there you go,” Anders said with a nod. “That’s why we wanted to tell you. We wanted to explain it in such a way that you would understand without his accidentally insulting you.”
“Hmmm.” Decker nodded. “We wanted to give him back the . . . er . . . support he gave to us when we each met our life mates.”
“Oh,” Holly murmured, but her attention was on Anders. He’d made a choking sound and turned away to hack violently into his hand as Decker had said that.
“Anyway, we’ll do our best to help keep Bricker in line. But, it would probably also be best if you avoided being alone with him as much as possible. You might very well be saving his life if you do.”
“Saving his life?” she asked with confusion.
“Oh, yes. You see we have a law against interfering with a married -couple,” Anders explained solemnly. “If he’s even suspected of trying to seduce you away from your husband, he could be . . . punished.”
Holly’s eyes widened. She’d already heard what their idea of punishment was—-execution Bricker had said. Good Lord! She wouldn’t want to see the poor man executed when he was just confused and desperate enough for a life mate that he was mistaking her for his.
“Yes,” she said solemnly. “I will be sure to avoid being alone with him.”
“Well, that’s grand then,” Decker said cheerily and then glanced up with a smile as the waitress stopped at their table. “And here is our meal.”
Holly smiled at the girl as well, but once she’d set their plates down and both men dug in, she glanced to the tacos they’d ordered for Justin and said uncertainly, “Where is Justin?”
“Oh, he’s fine,” Decker assured her. “He went for a walk,”
“A walk?” she asked blankly, and when neither man responded, added, “But his food will get cold.”
“We’ll have it packaged and take it out to him if he doesn’t return by the time we’re done eating,” Decker assured her.
“Or maybe split it ourselves,” Anders commented, eyeing the tacos. “They look pretty good and I’m hungry enough to eat my meal and his too.”
“Me too,” Decker said cheerfully and glanced at the plate. “We’ll split it.”
“Good idea,” Anders decided with a grin.
Holly just shook her head at the pair of them and turned her attention to her sandwich. Still, she did wonder where Bricker had gone off to. A walk? Why? She wondered, but in the next moment bit into her sandwich and forgot all about Justin Bricker.
“So, Holly,” Decker said a moment later. “Do you like flowers?”
“I used to,” she said, lowering the sandwich she’d been about to bite into again. “But after working at the cemetery for a -couple weeks I’m kind of off flowers. They represent death to me now rather than happiness and cheer.”
“Yes, I can imagine,” Anders said sympathetically. “What about picnics?”
She burst out laughing and shook her head. “I grew up being dragged from one archaeological dig to another. Every meal was basically a picnic. Can’t stand them, or camping or anything that has to do with the great outdoors anymore.” She sighed. “One thing that lifestyle did was turn me into a definite city girl. Give me restaurants any day.”
“So, no camping for you, huh?” Decker asked with amusement as she started to raise her sandwich again.
Holly shook her head. “Definitely not.”
“Dogs or cats?” Anders asked.
“Neither. Allergic, but also I was mauled by a dog as a child. They terrify me now,” she said with a shudder.
“Favorite and least favorite foods?” Decker asked.
Holly paused, lowering her sandwich once more without taking a bite, and glanced from man to man. “Why all the questions?”