Around 10 in the morning, the heavy wooden gate creaked open. Nathan, Ethan, and Joe arrived and greeted Dylan.
"Greetings, boss!" Nathan declared, straightening his back and offering a firm, respectful cup of his hands in a traditional fist-and-palm greeting.
Joe stepped up right behind him, his broad shoulders relaxed, while Ethan stood slightly to the side, carefully flexing his newly healed fingers.
"How are all of you?" Dylan asked, smoothing the lapels of his immaculate tunic before folding his arms across his chest with practiced composure.
"Bad guys!" Scarlet immediately ducked behind Dylan's hip like a startled kitten. She peeked out at the three grown men with a fierce, adorable pout, her small hands forming tiny fists.
"Grr..." She puffed her cheeks, glaring at them with absolute, cute hostility for daring to step into their yard after trying to cause trouble the night before.
