CHAPTER 3
Nellie
“Mom?” Waylan sounded worried. “Is that what you thought would happen?”
I let out a sharp laugh. I felt like I was moments from crumbling. Mom and Dad were dead. Mills wanted nothing to do with me. I’d just embarrassed myself in front of what looked like the entire town. Things were not fine. I glanced down at Papa Jack and winced. “Papa Jack isn’t getting a kitty treat tonight.”
“Mom?”
I sighed as I parked in front of Vivian’s Bed and Breakfast. Turning to face my daughter, I thought of the dangerous looking biker who’d held Papa Jack and Waylan like they were delicate. Despite my previous experience with the biker gang that Virginia and Blade had been in, he hadn’t scared me. His words about Waylan had been just what I needed to hear to keep myself together in front of everyone.
“That didn’t quite go the way I expected it to, no. That’s okay, though. We’ll try again another day. For right now, though, we’re going to go inside and you’re going to meet the woman who taught me fourth grade.” I held my hand out until she slapped it. “I don’t want you worrying about anything right now, baby. We’re going to be great. Got me?”
She sighed and took her seatbelt off. “I got you.”
“Let’s see if we can get out without Papa Jack embarrassing me. He really is a giant jerk.” I laughed. “Did you see that dog was wearing pajamas?”
“Yes! Should we make Papa Jack wear pajamas? You know, as a punishment?”
“I’m starting to worry about how creative you’re getting with ways to punish him. I heard what you said about the pickles, too. If you think I’m bringing another jar of pickles into our house again, you’re wrong.”
She groaned. “Mom! I was just joking.”
I grabbed Papa Jack and held him tight after easing open my door. “Let’s get the monster inside. Hurry, hurry.”
Before we got to the door, Ms. Vivian herself pulled it open and greeted us with a warm smile and her arms wide open. The woman had to be in her seventies and she was almost as wide as she was tall but she had bright periwinkle hair and a pair of pink glasses that covered most of her face.
“Nellie Hellstone! You are—” She gasped as she looked at Waylan. “Oh, my god! She’s like looking at a little you! Young lady, do you know that you’re an exact replica of your mother? I taught her when she was around your age and if I was any older, I’d think I’d lost my mind.”
Waylan hesitated and looked back at me before offering to shake the older woman’s hand. “Was my mom good in school? She tells me she was, but I don’t know if I can believe her.”
Ms. Vivian threw her head back and laughed. “Oh, she’s going to be a hoot. Come in, come in, Nellie. Give me a hug and let that cat roam around.”
I shut the door behind me and dropped Papa Jack before hugging her. “I’m mad at him right now. He escaped the car at the ranch and chased some poor dog in pajamas all around the place. It was a full scene.”
“You mean Bobby! That’s Dean’s dog. He’s one of your sisters’ men, you know?”
One of? I smiled like I knew what she was talking about and glanced down at Waylan. “Thank you so much for letting us stay here. There aren’t a lot of places for rent in Devil’s Den.”
“Most of us are here until we die, girlie. You and some of your brothers are the only ones who ever left. And now the Mays, of course.” She winced. “That whole ugly deal was a shame.”
“The Mays?”
She was surprised by my lack of information, I could tell. She hid it with a smile and squeezed my hand. “That’s a conversation for later. One we’ll have to have over a finger of whiskey.”
“I need to pee, Mom.”
Ms. Vivian jumped into action. “Of course! I’m sorry, ladies. Let me show you to your room. I have a few other guests staying here long term for right now, so I’ll have to put you both together. Is that okay?”
“I don’t think I could sleep with this one out of my sight.” Warmth bloomed through my chest as Waylan took my hand. “One room is perfect.”
At the top of the stairs, the house went both left and right down a wide hallway. “You’re down here on the left. You’ll be neighbors with Henry. He’s a sweetheart. Down at the other end of the hallway is Woodrow and Seth. I’m sure you’ll meet them soon. They’re all good fellas.”
“Will they be okay with Papa Jack? I know you said he could roam the house, but if they aren’t okay with him, I’ll keep him in our room.” I directed Waylan down the hallway with my hand on top of her head and took a mental note that we’d be in the house with three men.
“They won’t mind. I caught Woodrow snuggling a dog that wasn’t his last week.” She pushed open the door to our room and stepped aside for us to go in ahead of her. “I updated the rooms a few years ago when my Annie passed. She loved this place and always wanted to modernize it but we never had the cash flow when she was alive.”
Waylan gasped and ran over to jump on the king size bed. It looked as plush as a cloud with crisp white bedding. The entire room was bright and clean and looked like it was made for comfort. “Wow. Ms. Vivian, this is amazing. You need to be charging more.”
“In Devil’s Den? Honey, this isn’t Dallas. Plus, don’t talk yourself into a higher bill.”
“Waylan, no jumping.” I made sure she went back on her butt before turning back to Ms. Vivian. “Thank you for having us. I don’t have a job lined up yet, so tell me if you need help with anything.”
“Well, I don’t know if I need your help, necessarily. I have a batch of cookies that need baking but I need someone a little shorter and younger than you to help me.” Winking at me, Ms. Vivian looked at Waylan. “What do you say, short stuff? Want to help me bake some cookies? I’ll even let you eat some cookies when they’re done.”
Waylan’s eyes went wide. “Really?”
I grinned and nodded. “Go ahead if you want to, baby. I’m going to unpack our stuff and get Papa Jack’s stuff set up. Just don’t go outside without telling me.”
“I’ll keep a close eye on her, Nellie.”
Waylan wrapped her arms around me in a tight hug. “Maybe I’ll save you a cookie, Momma.”
I leaned against the doorframe and watched as Ms. Vivian took her hand to lead her down the stairs. Waylan looked back at me and tossed me a smile which eased some of the ache I was feeling. I took a second to settle myself before going downstairs to get our bags.