Chapter 7
“ W ell, ain’t this lookin’ cozy?” I jolt awake when I see Cole’s wife standing in front of me with her hand on her hip and a judgmental look on her face. Then I realize what she’s judging me for. I got my arm wrapped around Everleigh’s shoulders, and she’s tucked her body right into me. I have to close my eyes and reopen them to check I’m seeing things right.
“Savannah, what are you doin’ here? I thought Garrett told you girls to?—”
“I’m digging you out of a hole,” she tells me, not even trying to hide the way her eyes flit over my bare torso. “I gotta hand it to ya, Mitch, you're packing for an old guy. Now, what you got to eat in this place?” She pats the neat bump that's sticking out over the top of her jeans and makes her way over to the kitchen. While I carefully stir Everleigh awake.
I don’t know how we ended up like this, but the girl looks cute as hell when she’s sleeping.
“Evy, darlin’, you gotta wake up.”
“Huh!” She gasps when she sees how close we are and I hold my hands up so she can see I’m respecting her boundaries. “We must’ve fallen asleep,” I tell her, still wondering what the fuck Savannah’s doing here.
“I’m sorry.” Everleigh leaps up from the couch and when she sees the stranger routing through our kitchen cupboards, she looks even more daunted.
“Everleigh, this is Savannah,” I explain quickly so she doesn’t panic. “She’s married to Cole, and she’s here to…” I turn back to look at her. “What are ya here for?”
“I’m here because Josie’s sick and Garrett needs you back at the ranch. Do you have any chocolate sauce I can put on these?” She tips some Cheerios into a bowl.
“I appreciate that, Sav, but?—”
“Mitch, Garrett really needs to see you.” The glare she gives me warns me that it’s important. “I promise, me and Everleigh here will be just fine, now get yourself gone.” She looks me up and down and when she winks at me, I quickly shove on my jeans and pull on a shirt.
“You okay with this?” I check, knowing how hard it is for Everleigh to be around people she doesn’t know.
“Go, I’ll be fine,” she assures me, still looking unnerved by the fact we woke up together.
“Okay, I’ll be back soon as I can.” I move in to touch her the same as I did last night, but think better of it when I see how overwhelmed she’s looking.
“Behave.” I point at Savannah, before lifting up my hat and quickly heading out the door.
“What time ya call this?” Garrett smirks as I park my truck up beside his. He’s already in his driver's seat looking ready to roll.
“I was… It was a long night, and what the fuck were you thinkin’ sendin’ Savannah up to the cabin?”
“Didn’t she tell ya? Josie’s sick.”
“Yeah she told me, but, Savannah? Really? Don’t ya think she's a little too much for Everleigh?”
“Well, we were all outta options. Maisie’s still shaken up from the package she opened up yesterday and Leia had to take Dalton to get his shots.”
“Hell, I think Finn or Tate would’ve been a better option than Savannah.” I roll my eyes. I think highly of the girl, she’s sure done a lotta good for Cole, but she’s intrusive and has no filter. That's gonna be hard for Everleigh to handle.
“So where we goin’ that's so urgent?” I ask, getting in beside him.
“We are goin’ to pay a visit to Bianca Mason,” he points out as he starts the engine.
“Are you mad?” I look across at him in shock.
“No, I’m attackin’ this head-on.” He stops himself when he realizes his choice of words is insensitive. “I mean, if she sent me Bucky Hall’s head as a threat, I want her to know that she’s gonna have to try harder.”
He lifts a napkin-covered dish off the console and places it in my hand.
“What the hell’s this?” I look down at it.
“That, Mitch, is a pie. I had Maisie make it so we can take it to Mrs. Mason and welcome her to my peaceful little town.”
“You have got to be jokin’?” I shake my head, and the grin he directs back at me tells me he ain’t. “And why do I have to come along to this doozy?” I question him.
“Because it was you who taught me, when I was five years old, that a man should never hurt a woman. I’ve got through my whole life never lettin’ ya down but that bitch made my wife cry. You’re comin’ along to keep me in the good Lord’s graces.”
“Garrett, I think you got struck off His graces a long time ago.” I shake my head, clutching hold of the fuckin’ pie while he pulls out the drive.
“Mrs. Mason is very busy,” the housekeeper who opens the door informs us.
“I’m sure she is, but you run along and you tell her that Mayor Carson’s here to see her, anyway.” Garrett doesn’t wait for an invite as he steps over the threshold and I follow him, watching as he studies the foyer like he’s never been here before.
“I see she wasted no time in redecoratin’,” he says under his breath while we wait.
“Mayor Carson, what an honor.” We both turn around when the clipped, female voice comes from behind us. Bianca Mason has pointy features much like her brother. She’s dressed in a navy, pinstripe, pantsuit and heels that add a foot to her tiny frame. Her long, red hair is too vibrant to be natural and she has it pinned up tight on top of her head like it's the only thing holding up her fake-assed smile.
“I don’t think there's any need for familiarities, we’re practically neighbors.” Garrett smiles as he holds out his hand for her to shake. She takes it and I see the tension in her knuckles as she squeezes.
“Here.” He reaches over, takes the pie I’m holding out my hands, and offers it to her. “My wife insisted that I bring you somethin’ to welcome you to town.”
“How sweet.” She smiles through her tight lips as she takes it. “I hear you keep your wife busy back at the homestead, three little ones must be a lot for her to handle.” She twists her lips as if she's struggling to keep them elevated.
“And yet, she makes it look easy,” Garrett smirks. “I hope you enjoy that pie,” he gestures his eyes down at it. “Ain’t nothin’ better than locally sourced ingredients, we just so happened to have a delivery to the ranch yesterday,” he informs her in a voice so full of charm that it covers up his rage.
“I’m sure it will be delicious.” She passes it over to her housekeeper.
“Well, me and Mitch here just wanted to let you know that if ya need anythin’, you can give us a call. Folk in this town look out for each other.” He makes that last part sound like a threat as he heads for the door to see himself out.
“And did you extend that kindness to my brother and nephews?” Her question stops him in his tracks and when he turns back to face her, there’s an arrogant snarl on his lips.
“I extend my kindness to anyone who wants to help my town flourish.”
“ Your town?” She lets out a tiny but very condescending laugh and I feel the tension building in Garrett.
“He’s the mayor, ain’t he?” I step in before he loses his shit. “And you're welcome here, ma’am.” I look up at the wall where there's a huge portrait of her with her husband and two teenagers that I assume are her kids. “You all are.” I make sure she sees the threat in my eyes before I lift my hat to her and then move past Garrett, opening the door for us to leave.
Garrett holds her stare for a good few seconds before he follows me out and I wait until we’re inside the truck before I speak.
“You didn’t really put any of Bucky Hall in that pie, did ya?” I check.
“What kinda sick fuck d’ya think I am?” Garrett starts the engine.
“Well, I could tell ya some stories.” My answer seems to lighten his mood and we both laugh as we pull away. Seeing the smile back on his face calms my nerves, but it does nothing to help the problem that I got back home.