CHAPTER 37
Nellie
I had to get out of the house for a few minutes. Waylan and Papa Jack were in a battle I wanted nothing to do with, even if I’d started it by buying the stupid pickles. Waylan kept scaring the cat and in return he’d peed on her shoes, hidden on a cabinet to slap her head when she walked by, and even chased her through the house while screaming like a loon. Papa Jack, not Way. Way didn’t scream. She just swore even though we had the no swearing in the house rule. Ms. Vivian was following them around with a recorder which had to be from the eighties, laughing maniacally and claiming she was going to be rich when Bob Saget played her video of America’s Funniest Videos . I didn’t have the heart to tell her that Bob Saget had retired from that job years ago.
The guys were in the living room, shouting at a football game, and I was going to murder someone if I didn’t find a place to exist in silence for a bit.
I went to the living room and put my hands on my hips. I’d found their big flaw. I mean, they had plenty, I was sure, but screaming at the TV was going to be a big one. “Hello?”
Woodrow snagged me around the waist and pulled me into his lap. “Hey, baby. What’s—What the hell kind of call was that?! Mate, that was out of bounds! First and ten, my ass!”
Okay, the one thing I didn’t hate about their football issue was that it seemed to bring out more of Woodrow’s Australian roots. His accent was thicker and he kept saying ‘mate’ and ‘crickey’ in total seriousness.
I grunted when he jostled me and sighed. “I have to run out. Will you guys make sure Waylan and Papa Jack don’t kill each other?”
Seth looked over at me and smirked. “You have to run out? Or we’re driving you crazy?”
Woodrow turned his full attention on me then. He pulled me into his chest and nuzzled my neck. “It’s just Saturdays, Sundays, some Fridays and Mondays.”
My eyes widened. “You’re shitting me.”
He gripped me just under my breasts and chuckled. “Yeah. We only get like this over Georgia and Texas.”
“Thank god.” I waved my hand in front of Henry’s face and laughed when he pressed a fast kiss to my palm and then let my hand go. “It’s probably not a good sign the passion is already dead.”
His head snapped around to face me. His eyes were dark as he reached out to grip the back of my neck. “We’re in the house with Waylan and Vivian and your cat who thinks he’s the guy from American Psycho today. If I pay too much attention to you, I’m going to want to fuck you and I’ll probably try because I’m an absolute heathen. Then you’ll have to turn me down and we’ll both be sad. This football game is saving us both a lot of heartache.”
By the time he finished talking I was grinning from ear to ear. “You’re an idiot.”
He pulled me over and kissed me. “If you absolutely need to go out, I wouldn’t turn down a piece of pie. I’m craving something sweet and for all the reasons I already mentioned, I can’t have what I really want, so pie will have to do.”
Seth rolled his eyes. “Jesus. Here, Nell.”
I looked at the wad of bills he tried to hand me. Tilting my head at him, I frowned. “I can afford a slice of pie.”
“You could get us all pie.” He smiled. “Please?”
“Fine. I’ll get us all pie.” I untangled myself just as Waylan ran into the room, cursing in creative ways I didn’t think I’d even mastered yet. “Way!”
She slid to a stop and then yelped when Papa Jack pounced on her back and took her down. Papa Jack sat on her back while she struggled to move and slowly licked his paw while looking up at me.
“Help! He’s going to flatten me! I won’t like being a pancake!” She flailed her limbs like she was making a snow angel but she couldn’t budge under his weight. “We feed him too much, Mom! He needs a diet.”
As if he understood her, he reached out and slapped the back of her head.
Seth stood up and lifted the cat. “Both of you need to be nicer to each other.”
Waylan reached into the front pocket of her shorts after standing up and pulled out a pickle. She waved it at Papa Jack and he screeched and tried to climb Seth’s head.
I made an executive decision and slowly backed out of the room. I was going to let them handle it. They’d been undercover agents; surely they could handle one little girl and one giant cat.
I bumped into Ms. Vivian in the hallway on my way out and blushed at being caught. I turned to go back to the living room, feeling guilty under the gaze of another person.
“Get out of here, honey. I’ll make sure no one gets seriously maimed.” She shooed me with the kitchen towel she held. “Bring me back some pie, too.”
I hugged her quickly and then left. I didn’t let myself think about how she’d heard about the pie and how easily she seemed to eavesdrop on every conversation. As soon as I shut the front door, the ruckus faded. It was a welcome relief.
Devil’s Den on the weekend was at its busiest. It was like every person in town went out and about to find something new to gossip about. I passed Sugar just as she was walking out of Steve’s, her hair messy. She didn’t see me so I tucked that tidbit of gossip away for later.
The diner was busy, every booth filled. Mary was behind the counter, looking nothing like the relaxed woman she normally was. As soon as she spotted me, her eyes widened and she pointed at me. “I need you!”
I hurried over. “What’s wrong?”
“I’ve been taking meals over to the jail for the guy stuck there but I’m alone on the floor right now, Nellie. If I give you the keys, can you take the food over for me just this once? I know it’s my job but I can’t leave this place right now.”
I swallowed. Taking food to Hammer hadn’t been on any of my goal lists. I couldn’t leave Mary in the lurch, though. “Of course.”
“Thank you, Nellie. Let me put in your order now while I can.” She took my order for a whole pie and then shoved a bag and keys at me. “The utensils are in the top drawer of the desk in the office. They’re paper or something so the prisoner can’t escape, I guess.”
“Great!” I pasted on a fake smile and slowly walked out. I just had to give Hammer food and then leave. I could deal with his nastiness for a few minutes.