“You’re not going to like my answers,” Rory warned, suddenly glowering at everything—at the snow, the trees, at me. It was as if he hadn’t expected my agreement to his plan at all.
Then again, we usually don’t like the plans he comes up with and end up co-opting them somehow. This may be the first time that he’s ever been told that he’s right about something and had any one of us want to go with his plan right away. “It’s all right,” I said. “I don’t like the plan, either, but when you’re right, you’re right. I don’t get a vote in whether or not you’re right on this because I know in my gut that you absolutely are. I just have to accept it and find a way to fix this.”
“Stubborn,” Rory muttered.
“You know it. I always have been and yet somehow, all of you manage to put up with me somehow.”
He cracked a smile. “That’s because we love you, you stubborn bitch.”
I grinned and shrugged. “Everyone’s got something. So tell me who you think should tag along with the only person here that’s more stubborn than Thom and I put together.”
“Your husband,” Rory said without another moment’s hesitation. “Thordin, me, and Jacqueline.”
“Jac?”
Rory nodded. “Jac.”
“Why Jac?”
“You mean other than the fact that she’s absolutely head over heels for him and I’m thinking that he’s got more than a little yen for her, too?”
Wincing slightly, I glanced sidelong at him and found myself meeting his gaze head-on as I did.
“I’m surprised that she’s the one you’re arguing about,” he said.
“You thought that I’d argue with you about sending Thom?” I shook my head, giving him a rueful smile. “They’re more likely to keep each other out of trouble than the alternative. Besides, when we float this plan, I don’t want Thom to feel torn between volunteering and not because he feels like he needs to stay here with me. Sure, I’d like him with me, but sometimes we have to stop being selfish and do what needs doing. This is what needs doing and he’ll know it if I don’t fight it.”
“That—”
“Probably doesn’t make sense,” I said. “But it’s true.”
“Yeah,” Rory said quietly. “I guess it is.”
