Page 48 of Daddy’s Fortitude

Her hair was up in two pigtails with black and white ribbons tied around them, and she’d definitely toned down the crazy makeup.

This must be what she thought was appropriate funeral attire.

“Yes, where would you like her to keep her emotional support rat?” Keira walked up to Aimee’s other side with Zander standing behind her. Webb stood behind Honey. And suddenly, the old guy was looking far more nervous than he had been before.

“Who are you all?” Aimee asked, staring around them in amazement.

Ammo stepped in front of her, so he was blocking her view of the funeral director. He gazed down at her. “Are you all right?”

Aimee shrugged. “I mean, I guess I’m as all right as you can be when you’re about to attend a funeral for your cheating, lying husband who was found dead in a motel room while likely waiting for his latest booty call.”

Honey whistled. “Boy, that’s rough.”

“It really is.” Keira put her hand on Aimee’s shoulder and patted her lightly. “No wonder you need your emotional support rat.”

“Absolutely,” Honey said. “I’m surprised you don’t need two.”

“I just need to have Kevin with me,” she said to Ammo. “You can understand that, right?”

As Ammo turned away from her, disappointment made her shoulders slump. She felt sure that he’d be on her side, but he probably thought she was crazy, just like Ed.

The two strange women on either side of her slipped their hands into hers. One of them was heavily pregnant with gorgeous red hair. And behind her stood a tall, tanned, blond man.

The other woman was dressed strangely, but edgy. And behind her stood a big man with a dark afro. He had his arms crossed. She didn’t know who they were, but she was glad for their support.

And then Ammo did something utterly amazing. “She’s taking the rat in.”

“She can’t take the rat inside. This is no place for rats,” Ed replied.

“Pretty sure rats go wherever rats want to go,” Honey told him.

“I think there are probably rats in there right now,” the man who stood behind the pregnant woman said. “Definitely will be once you go inside.”

She had to hide her smile. She wasn’t sure that Ed would get the inference that he was a rat.

“It is completely unacceptable, and it is not happening.”

“Fine. Cancel the funeral,” Ammo told him.

“Excuse me,” Ed said with a gasp.

But Ammo had already turned to her. “Do you still owe him money?”

She nodded. “Yeah, I owe him the final payment.”

“Well, he’s not getting it. Let’s go. Zander, Webb, grab the casket. We’ll have the funeral at the house or something.”

“You . . . you can’t do that!” Ed spluttered from behind Ammo.

“Sure, we’ll go get the casket,” the guy with dark hair said.

“No, no, look, I’m sure we can work something out,” Ed said. “I guess the rat will be okay as long as he stays in your hair, Aimee.”

Ammo turned to her. “That okay with you, Aimee?”

“I suppose it is,” Aimee said with a nod. “I just want to get this over and done with.”

“Fair enough. Honey, let’s go. Come on, Aimee. You can sit with us,” the pregnant woman told her.