"Okay," Sali looked sheepish.
"Look who's here," Sharon O'Neill opened the patio door and allowed Larry and Jeff onto the deck. The two who followed them made Cori growl low in her throat. Chad and Jeremy had come, too. Cori never let her panther take over like that. Never. Ashe felt the same way, but he couldn't produce his echolocation squeak while human, no matter how hard he tried.
"Cori, we're civilized," Marco had his mouth at Cori's ear, speaking so softly only Ashe could hear. Ashe forced himself to relax. Maybe Chad and Jeremy had developed manners. And maybe the sun would rise in the west the following day.
"Come on, we'll take on all six of you, since you'll be playing with girls," Jeremy laughed. Marco held Cori back. She was ready to turn and go after Jeremy. Cori's panther was larger (and more determined) than Jeremy's wildcat, and Ashe knew who would be the winner in that fight. Hayes walked through the patio door while all three girls (and Ashe) glared at Jeremy.
"I'm coming in," Hayes, dressed in swim trunks and a T-shirt, grinned and pulled his T-shirt over his head before jumping in. He splashed water over everyone and effectively defused the situation.
"All right, five against six," Larry declared, sending Ashe, Wynn and Sali to the other side to play with Marco, Dori and Cori.
"Trade places with me, Ashe," Dori had her hands on Ashe's waist, moving around him in the water. "You can get the higher stuff from the back."
"All right," Ashe stepped backward, allowing Dori to move to the front. She wore a pretty, pink bikini, Ashe noticed, her dark blonde hair hanging down in a wet ponytail. She also had tiny earrings in her ears that matched the bikini. Ashe blinked a time or two before shaking himself and settling in to play.
"Here's someone to even things up," Sharon O'Neill was back with Jackson Pruitt. He waved at the crowd, slipped off the Hawaiian shirt he wore over a swimsuit and slid into the pool with the other five opposing Ashe's team. It did even things up but Cori, Marco, Ashe, Sali, Dori and Wynn were on a mission. Jeremy had hurled the insult, as was his way, and there was revenge to be had. Ashe's team won by two games when they finally came out of the water for lunch.
Denise DeLuca, Lavonna Anderson and Ashe's mother had brought sandwiches, Sharon handed out towels and everybody was wandering around or sitting on the deck, a towel wrapped around them and eating ham, turkey or tuna salad sandwiches.
"They're having a fireworks show in Corpus Christi tonight," Marco said, sitting beside Ashe on the deck. Cori settled down beside Marco, allowing him to play with her hair. Dori sat in a chair behind Ashe; Wynn and Sali were in deck chairs beside her.
"I love your mother's tuna salad," Dori patted Ashe on the back.
"Thanks," Ashe turned to grin at her. "Tell Mom. She loves compliments."
"Mrs. Evans, I love your tuna salad," Dori said, loud enough for Adele to hear.
"Thanks, Dori. That's really sweet of you," Adele smiled.
"Are you driving us to the fireworks show tonight?" Sali asked Marco.
"I could, if the parents are okay with that."
"I heard they're shooting them from a barge out in the water," Cori said. "So the show should be amazing. We could watch it from that spot just off the bridge going into Corpus."
"We'll have to take the long way around," Marco said. "The ferry was backed up when we came through this morning."
"I wouldn't mind seeing fireworks," Marcus DeLuca walked out on the O'Neill's patio and grabbed a sandwich.
"Then we can carpool and get everybody there," Denise smiled at her werewolf husband.
"I want to wait until Aedan is awake," Adele said.
"I want to wait for Nathan," Sharon O'Neill agreed.
"Mom, I'll come with you and Dad," Ashe said.
"I'll ride with Ashe and his parents," Dori offered. Rides to Corpus Christi were sorted out quickly. The afternoon was spent either in the pool or lounging on the O'Neill's deck with snacks and soft drinks. Jeremy had finally settled down, after a few serious glares from Marcus and Marco. He knew better than to push the Packmaster or his oldest son.
"Ready?" Aedan asked as he slid into the driver's seat of his SUV.
"This is a nice ride, Mr. Evans," Jackson Pruitt ran a hand over the leather seat in the back.
"Thank you, Jackson. Now, did anyone forget anything?" Aedan asked.
"I think we're good, Dad," Ashe replied. He was squeezed into the back seat of Aedan's SUV between Dori and Jackson. Aedan put the vehicle in gear and backed out of the driveway.
Parking was nearly impossible to find. Aedan ended up leaving the SUV in the parking lot of a bait shop about a quarter mile away. Lawn chairs were carried and unfolded at a good spot. People were everywhere, making Ashe feel slightly agoraphobic. Aedan, too, watched the crowd carefully. Ashe realized his father had done that always, he just hadn't noticed it so much until he was older. He also knew his father's sense of smell was nearly as keen as any werewolf's.
"Here you are," Marco, Cori and the others found Ashe's small group and began unfolding lawn chairs. The night was beautiful and clear, with a quarter moon hanging low over the waters of Corpus Christi Bay. The air was thick with moisture, but nobody seemed to mind.
"I haven't seen fireworks in a long time," Nathan said, standing on the opposite end of the small group from Star Cove. Ashe realized that Nathan stood at one end, Aedan at the other, and Marcus was behind, taking up that position. Marco, too, stood at the front, just off center so he wouldn't block Cori's view.
"Why didn't I see that before?" Ashe breathed.
"See what?" Dori had sat beside Ashe.
"I'll tell you later," Ashe patted Dori's arm. The fireworks began shortly afterward and Ashe couldn't have said exactly when it happened, but by the last fierce display, when it seemed the sky was lit with all colors of bursting rockets and falling stardust, Dori's hand was clasped firmly in his.
"Ashe, what are you doing?" Adele walked onto the back deck Saturday morning. Sali was in a deck chair, shirtless and wearing only sunglasses and a frayed pair of cutoffs. He watched Ashe while grinning hugely. Ashe, sitting cross-legged on the deck, tipped a glass of milk so Dori, in her ocelot form, could drink from it.
"Dori climbed over the fence. She's thirsty," Ashe said, watching Dori lap the milk. Her ocelot was beautiful, with stripes and spots evenly distributed over fawn-colored fur.
"Dorilou, what are you doing?" Lavonna Anderson was looking over the fence to see where her youngest had gone.