“Well, boys, we are in cowboy county. You know what that means?” Asked Daphne with a grin. She was more casually dressed. After all, Montana’s weather was unforgiving this time of the year. And, even though it was pleasantly warm in Café Kandahar, they would need to get out of it and soon.

“That you are going to pretend you are a bull so that a cowboy can tie you up?” Deadpanned Erin. He knew how Daphne’s mind worked, by now.

“Erin!” Chastised Andrew. “That was rude of you to say.”

“But the truth, Andy. The hag is in the mountains. What are the chances that we can find a cowboy to take us there?” Andrew and Erin shared a look.

“None,” said Andrew, and Daphne pouted. “Winter is some of the busiest time for herders, Daphne. They actually need to feed their livestock now.”

“Well, I suppose that a ranger is fine, too,” Daphne had a dry spell for the last week. They had to prepare for the trip, her new manager of the bar had blundered his way through the bar’s finances, so, she had to fire him and beg Despina to take over the bar.

Granted, her friend had agreed to do so only for a month, stating that she had a job. But Daphne was hopeful that she could get her friend to take over for good. Despina had a knack for organizing things. And Daphne was prepared to pay her handsomely.

“The one we are assigned to is old enough to be your father,” said Andrew with a raised eyebrow. It had been another agent. A werewolf, this time. He was built like a Hulk and had a short temper. He had traveled with them and had complained about everything. Daphne scrunched up her nose at the mention of the man.

“Yes, Hank is a party pooper. But, we will have some downtime after we bag the hag, surely,” said Daphne, more to herself than to her teammates. “Then, I can go clubbing with Andy, and he can weed out the scumbags from the nice guys for me.”

“You are not going anywhere alone with Andy,” said Erin, protective.

“Andy is not a child and can party if he likes,” hissed Andrew, and both of them turned to look at him.

“Finish your dessert,” said Erin, nudging Andrew’s plate closer to him.

“And your latte,” added Daphne.

Andrew adopted a stormy expression and stood up.

“If that is how you two will be like, then I am going to go keep Hank company,” he stormed off out of the café and Daphne sighed.

“Well, fangs, you are a cradle robber. I can tease him about his age, but did you have to do the same,” Erin sputtered at that.

“Cradle robber? He is legal, and we are only seven years apart!” He said, keeping his voice low. They were in the back of the café, but people had still given them some looks.

They were, after all, not locals. And in Whitefish, Montana, that was a strange thing. Even if the town bordered a national park and had its fair share of skiing enthusiasts and hikers passing through.

“Seven years is a lot. Just imagine, when he was a baby, you were already seven,” Daphne had a point. Still, it wasn’t like he had been twenty, or something.

“I love him. That should be enough,” said Erin, and Daphne smiled at him.

“Yes, well, he also needs your respect. And Andy deserves it, too. He is a no name orphan who saved up enough money by babysitting to get his place after the orphanage could no longer house him. And he got a job almost as soon as he moved in his apartment. While you…lived off rats for a month and then played on his pity,” Erin glared at her.

“Yes, well, I didn’t have a choice. And I respect Andy. He is special, I know that. Occasionally, I wonder if he wouldn’t be married already, if I hadn’t come in the picture,” Erin was bitter at that. Sure, marriage for gay couples was legal now, but does he propose? Should he take all of Andrew’s prospects?

“So, get a move on, fangs. A wedding on his ninetieth birthday or on Christmas day sounds lovely. I will be a bridesmaid, of course. Along with my best friend, Despina. And Adam can be the ring bearer,” Erin imagined the wendigo with a pillow with two rings in his hands and shuddered. No, if he was going to marry Andrew, Adam Hawk would not be invited. Besides, he is probably to refuse to come.

“No wendigos at the wedding,” said Erin, and Daphne snickered. Clearly meaning that last part as a joke.

“But, is there going to be a wedding?” She asked with a raised eyebrow. “And, more importantly, would Despina and I be bridesmaids? We have never been. It would be a treat for us.”

Erin became thoughtful. Andrew deserved something stable in his life. Not just a relationship that could end at any minute. Granted, marriages could end, too. But Erin didn’t believe it was easy for the people involved to put an end to such a commitment.

After all, his father was a drunkard, and his mother hadn’t left him. So, it was safe to say that Andrew would overlook quite a bit of Erin’s flaws, if Erin proposed.

“Yes to both,” Daphne clapped her hands, a wide grin on her face.

“We need to go shopping. You are buying a ring right away! I will hear no protests,” said Daphne, and she stood. Erin did too, and he placed enough money to pay for their orders and a tip. He had ordered just water for himself. He stared at the uneaten soufflé that Andrew had left behind and sighed.

“Pity that won’t be eaten,” he noted at the dessert.

“I am sure they can wrap it up for home,” Daphne went to the counter and smiled at the server on the other side.

“My friend couldn’t eat his soufflé. Would it be possible to have it placed in a box?” The woman nodded and picked a box from behind the counter and went to their table. Daphne had eaten her crêpe with cream and strawberries, and now she was desiring something sweeter. She looked around the café. No one caught her eye. Maybe the person in the jewelry shop would be cute?