Arilyn looked away. “You don’t know what I put on my list,” she said quietly.
Kate raised a brow. “True. You gonna tell us?”
“No.”
Kennedy laughed. “Thought not.”
The red door slowly opened, and the tiny Japanese woman exited. Her gleaming white robe was tied with a bright scarlet sash. Her bare feet floated over the bamboo floors as she walked toward them, a tiny smile resting on her lips. Kennedy couldn’t help the slight tremble of both anticipation and nervousness before a session with Ming.
As Nate well knew.
Her lover trailed behind Ming in a dazed cloud of peace and relaxation. His skin was damp, and he smelled deliciously of citrus and soap. His gaze scanned the room and locked on hers.
Nate smiled. “Hey.”
Her heart squeezed with emotion. “Hey, baby. Good session?”
“Not sure right now.”
Ming gave a delighted cackle and gently pushed Nate toward her. “He good boy. Much better this time.”
Kennedy snuggled into his arms, warm and snug and safe. “This my woman,” he slurred.
Kate laughed. “He’s punch-drunk, Ken. Gotta love a man who can’t hold his muscles through a Ming session.”
Ming reached out a hand and pointed to Kate. “You next.”
Kate bit her lip. “Umm, can Arilyn go first?”
“No. You get married soon, no? You need cleansing.”
Kate shuddered and slowly stood up. “Okay. I think.”
Ming’s sharp gaze swung to Arilyn. “You drink more tea and wait. You have man?”
Arilyn nodded. “Yes, I have a man.”
Ming frowned and jumped up and down in temper. “Your man no good for you. I feel this. You need to refresh aura for right man.”
Arilyn’s mouth dropped open. “No, I don’t! I’m—happy.”
“You lie. I speak with you later.” Kennedy buried her face in Nate’s robe and tried hard not to laugh. Ming was a massage therapist, healer, and psychic, and no one ever knew what type of session they’d have. Her humor was short-lived when Ming focused all that concentration on her. “You marry this man?”
“Not yet. One day. Right now, we’re happy the way things are.”
Nate tugged at a wayward curl. “Yes, we’re getting married. As soon as I convince her,” he said with an amused grin. They had decided to move in together and had settled into a happy routine, inviting Connor to join in on their eclectic family and encouraging him to pursue school.
Ming nodded, pleased. “She hard case, but you strong. You don’t give up.”
His face softened. “I never will,” he whispered.
The man said the damndest things. She knew they were both right. She’d break down and say yes, but not for a while. It was too much fun to let life take her in this direction, enjoying every second of the incredible gift of Nathan Ellison Raymond Dunkle.
Ming turned to Kate. “We go now.”
Her friend gave a desperate look back and stepped into the hallway. “Bye, guys. Wish me luck.”
The door closed.
Arilyn shook her head. “I’m happy,” she insisted. “Ming is wrong.”
“I believe you, babe. No worries. It’ll all work out in the end.” She looked up at the man she loved and smiled.
“It’ll all be . . . perfect.”