So Sweet a Changeling: A Novel of the Terribly Acronymed Detective Club (Book 6)

Chapter Sixteen: Lauren, Wednesday

The door opened, and Rachel entered with Joe, Sunny and Tej. Thinking about sex with Al must have put her in a state of heightened arousal, because now she was mentally undressing all four of the newcomers, all of whom looked fabulous, including her big bear of a husband, in his suit from the Big and Tall shop, and she realized she'd had sex with all of them, either individually or in different combinations. It made her feel rather slutty, but not ashamed. Already she was wondering how they could kick Johnny out of this room, lock the door behind him and start an orgy right here in the middle of a funeral reception...

Okay, maybe that was a little blasphemous, and if Joe's mom could read her mind right now she'd feel completely justified in her view that her daughter-in-law was a harlot. She shook her thoughts away as Rachel closed the door behind them and Sunny asked, "What's going on, guys?"

"Did you see those pictures on the wall?" Rachel asked.

"What pictures?" Tej asked. "We were on the balcony."

"Come here," Lauren said, opening the files on laptop. "You two weren't at Al's mom's house Saturday evening; we congregated there first because I wanted to see if they had any pictures of Joe's dad for the slideshow. Wait," she said, grabbing Joe's arm. "You weren't there, either. You have no idea what we're talking about. Shit, I forgot to tell you, we were dealing with so many other things."

"Tell me what? Joe asked. "I heard Mom ask something about pictures, but I was with Sunny and Tej, and, well, Joanie was in the yard."

"Joanie's here?! Get her!" Lauren said. "Jesus, don't leave her somewhere your mom can see her!"

"I'll get her," Rachel said. "While I'm out, tell them about the photos. Joanie knows too, so she won't miss anything."

After she left, Joe wrapped an arm around Lauren and drew her close, making her feel cozy and content in a way Al never could. All of the men, and the women, in her life had their unique qualities, and thus satisfied her in their own way.

"Thanks for looking after her, babe," Joe said. "I know you don't have to."

"She's my sister in arms," Lauren said, referring to the camaraderie they'd developed in the heat of battle on more than one occasion. "And anyway, I don't want anyone else to suffer the wrath your mother gives me."

Sunny and Tej both looked uncomfortable. Johnny, to her surprise, said, "She's right, Joe. Mom's a bitch to her."

Lauren was so touched that she threw off Joe's arm, went over and threw her arms around her brother-in-law. "Thank you," she blubbered. "You don't know what that means to me."

Johnny squeezed her back, and she realized too late that her hug was a little too lascivious, because she was very aware of his whole body against hers, not just his shoulders as was proper. She cleared her throat and unlocked from him, and saw he was blushing. "Sorry," she said, wiping her eyes. "I just... needed to hear that."

"Anytime, squirt," Johnny said, and that made Lauren laugh-cry as she fanned her face, not only to stop crying, but to cool the flush in her own cheeks after that hug. His nickname for her, once used to offend her, now sounded endearing, and she actually liked it coming out of his mouth. If she ever heard her friends use it she'd give them her trademark killer punch in the arm, but she'd let Johnny have this one, especially after he'd declared himself her ally against his mom.

"So, anyway," Joe said a bit too loudly. He was irritated, she could tell, but whether it was from hearing anything against his mother on the day of his father's funeral, or from that hug, she couldn't say. "What about these pictures?"

Lauren beckoned Joe, Sunny and Tej over to view the laptop. "I think they go in this order," she said, bringing each up to full screen view.

"When I saw it, it was laid out in a four-square pattern," Johnny said.