All Through the Night: A Troubleshooter Christmas by Suzanne Brockmann Page B

intentionally. The man said something, I don’t even know what he said, but the woman gets all snitty and goes,
It ruins it for me when you talk.
”
    Jules laughed. “Wow.”
    â€œYeah.” Robin was finally smiling, too, but it was still rueful. “Ever since then, the idea of having sex in pig masks has been, like, the biggest soft-on I can think of. It just came out of my mouth when I was
talking to the reporter from The Boston Globe.
” He was instantly back in agony-land. “God, I fucked up. He told me he was new in Art’s office, and I believed him.”
    â€œWhy wouldn’t you?” Jules put his arms around him again. “He came into our home, and he lied to you…Sweetie, really, it’s going to be okay. Come on. Let’s get you inside and cleaned up. What’s done is done.” He pulled Robin to his feet.
    Dolphina was hovering, right by the front door. She opened it as she saw them coming. “I’m so sorry,” she said. “I should have—”
    â€œNot your fault,” Jules cut her off. “We—all of us—should have been ready for this kind of thing. It’s not going to happen again—let’s just focus on that.”
    â€œI kind of liked him,” Robin said. “Will.”
    The stupid thing was, Jules had kind of liked him, too.
    Dolphina surprised them both. “I hate his freaking guts.” She looked at Jules. “I photocopied his driver’s license in case you really do want to kill him.”
    â€œYou threatened to
kill
him?” Robin asked.
    â€œKill who?” Sam had wandered out of the living room, clearly in search of them. “Dang, who’d you mud wrestle, Boy Wonder?”
    â€œRobin got locked in the basement,” Dolphina told Sam. “Right after he unwittingly talked to a reporter who crashed the party.”
    Sam looked at Jules. Thankfully he didn’t say anything to make Robin feel any worse than he obviously already felt. But the look in his eye was pure
here we go…
    â€œWell, go and de-mud, the both of you,” he said. “Alyssa says it’s time to open your presents, and you don’t want to get her mad. Although she’d be a good team member for the murder you’re planning.”
    â€œNo one’s going to kill anyone,” Jules announced.
    â€œI have to take a drug test so I can send the results to
The Boston Globe,
” Robin reminded them. “Who wants to come watch me pee into a cup? It needs to be someone besides Jules, because that’s just not
quite
humiliating enough.”
    And now the look that Sam flashed Jules was sympathetic. “I’ll be your witness.”
    â€œThanks,” Jules told his friend.
    â€œBefore you go upstairs, I think you need to know,” Dolphina said, and they all stopped and looked at her. She took a deep breath. “The President and Mrs. Bryant are planning to attend your wedding.”
    Jules started to laugh. Of course they were.
    Sam said it all, in one heartfelt word that he Texified into two syllables. “Shee-yit.”
    â€œYou said they wouldn’t come,” Robin said, looking at Jules.
    â€œOops,” Jules said.
    â€œIt’s a huge honor.” Dolphina tried to bright side it.
    â€œBut you didn’t want a big wedding.” Robin was worried, not about himself, but about Jules. “It’s going to have to be big now. There’ll be Secret Service and—”
    â€œI don’t care.” Jules interrupted him. “I just want to marry you. I just want to stand up in a church, and tell everyone that I’m going to love you forever. I don’t give a shit how many dozen whirling ninjas with fiery batons are spinning in circles around us.”
    â€œWell, that’s good,” Sam pointed out. “Because the ninjas—they’re working up their routine, starting right about now.”

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