Chapter 22
“What are you looking for?” Rowan asked Nellie as she went through the house for a third time.
“I would have sworn I saw some sewing,” Nellie replied.
“You did. However, I finished it last night after you went to bed. Why?” Rowan wondered what she wanted with torn clothes. He still did his own mending as his mother taught him.
Nell had been pacing since they got back to the house from the courthouse yesterday afternoon.
She was clearly restless. They’d stopped at Gator’s and updated Sue Ellen, who then, in turn, called her attorney.
Sue Ellen and her children were safe. They were also very happy.
That calmed Nell until today. Now she was pacing again.
“I like to knit. When I can’t knit, I sew. It gives me something to do with this built-up energy. It’s like we’re waiting for Ingram to lose control and see if we can live through it.”
“You need to get rid of some excess energy, huh? I guess I didn’t do a good enough job last night,” Rowan teased. He knew he did a good job. Nell slept after all.
“Not a horrible idea. I’ll never say no to orgasms.”
“Let me see if I can get you some non-orgasm help. Your orgasms are all mine.” Rowan pulled out his phone and called his brother. “Stone, hey. Yeah, everything is all good. But it turns out Nellie is a knitter. Yeah? Sure. That would be great. Thanks.”
Rowan hung up and smiled at Nellie. “How would you feel about going to the knitting club with Stone tonight?”
“Knitting club? With your brother? What kind of knitting club is this?”
Rowan just chuckled. He’d let it be a surprise.
They spent the afternoon down at the marina before Rowan took Nellie to dinner. Tamika at the Pink Pig loaded them up with barbecue until Rowan wasn’t sure he’d be able to walk Nell to knitting club.
Rowan placed his hand in hers and together they strolled up Main Street.
He’d loved today. They weren’t worried about the warrant.
They weren’t worried about Ingram. After losing, he would lick his wounds before coming for them again.
Nell told Rowan she felt safe in Shadows Landing, so the evening out was a perfect way to feel normal in a very not-normal situation.
“Hey!” Stone called out as he and Dare, Harper’s husband, crossed the street toward the church.
“I hear you’re joining us for knitting club,” Dare said to Nell as he was carrying a tote bag that said Fuck off, I’m knitting.
This was exactly why Rowan didn’t think twice about sending Nell to the knitting club.
Stone and Dare would look out for her. But to be honest, so would Miss Mitzy, Miss Ruby, and Miss Winnie.
The room they used for the knitting club was next door to the church’s armory.
It was probably the safest place in town.
“I am, but I don’t have my bag. Do you think they have some extra yarn and needles I can borrow?” Nell asked them.
“For sure,” Stone told her before turning to Rowan. “The girls are at the bar if you want to join them while we knit.”
Rowan blinked a couple of times then nodded.
Sure, he could do some girl time. “I’ll be right across the street if you need anything.
See you in a couple of hours.” Rowan kissed Nell’s lips quickly before she was herded off by Dare and Stone talking about needle sizes and debating straight versus circular.
Rowan watched until they entered the church. He glanced around, and after not seeing anything suspicious, he headed to the bar. Turtle was sitting alone at the bar near a table where Natalie and Harper were seated.
Rowan waved to the women when they motioned for him to join them, but he pointed to Turtle. They nodded in understanding and Rowan took the stool next to Turtle. “Hey, Turtle. How are you and Tank doing?” he asked, looking down at the actual turtle Turtle was holding as he was drinking a beer.
“We’re good.” But Turtle didn’t look good.
“What’s going on, Turtle?” Normally the man was as happy as a Labrador Retriever. Now he looked . . . lonely.
“It’s nothing. Just Gator is with Sue Ellen and the kids and Skeeter and Mary are at some history seminar in Charleston. They’re too busy now to hang out like we used to. Not that it’s wrong or anything. I’m happy for them.”
Rowan nodded in understanding. “You miss them. I understand. I felt the same as all my brothers got married.”
“How’d you handle it?”
“I had to realize I wasn’t losing my brothers, but gaining sisters. My family just got bigger. So, like tonight, I’m hanging with my sisters-in-law. Do you want to join us?”
Turtle looked over longingly at the four-person table where Natalie and Harper were talking. “I don’t want to intrude.”
“Turtle, you’re not intruding. Come on. Grab your beer and join us.” Rowan caught Harper’s eye and glanced at Turtle.
Harper got up and went around the bar. “Two more beers, coming up. You guys are joining us, right? We’ve been waiting for you both.”
Soon they were all sitting around the table, drinking their own drinks, as Natalie and Harper told them about Stone and Dare’s latest knitting projects.
“Turtle,” Natalie said, leaning forward seriously. “Did you hear about the problem with Turner’s Pond? Forrest was telling me all about it, and it made me think of you and your expertise.”
“What’s Turner’s Pond?” Rowan asked after Turtle shook his head.
“It’s not really a pond, but more of a contained marshy area. It’s got a large turtle and gator population for its small size. It’s near southwestern Charleston where all that new building is happening,” Turtle told him. “What’s the problem with it?”
“The aquarium and a team of scientists and veterinarians are begging for help to relocate the animals. Apparently, the pond was bought by developers and they’re going to drain it and build over it. Forrest is livid and is submitting an impact statement,” Natalie told him.
“I should help,” Turtle said suddenly. “Gator can, too.”
“That’s why I brought it up. Here’s the woman at the aquarium. She’s spearheading it.” Natalie turned her phone around and showed it to Turtle.
“Wow.” Rowan wasn’t sure Turtle realized he’d said that out loud, but he was clearly blown away by the woman in the picture.
She was short and wore round tortoiseshell glasses that made her brown eyes seem melty.
Her curly brown hair was pulled up in a messy clip and she wore a blue polo shirt with khaki shorts in the photo.
“Here’s her phone number,” Natalie said, sending it to him.
“I thought they could really use your expertise. They’re starting the relocation if the appeal fails.
If it fails, they have to move fast. So, they’re getting everyone in place, just in case.
Forrest and others are trying, but he’s doubtful he can stop it. ”
Turtle blushed. “I’m not an expert.”
“I bet to differ,” Harper told him. “No one knows more about turtles than you do.”
“Yeah, but they would know all that. They probably went to college for it. I didn’t even go to college.”
“Doesn’t matter,” Natalie told him. “You have experience, and in this situation, it’s better than book learning. Can you learn how to capture a snapping turtle with your bare hands in a book?”
“No, ma’am.”
“Then they need you. With their book smarts and your real-world experience, you’ll make the perfect team,” Harper told him.
Rowan looked over Turtle’s shoulder. “Emmy Hanson. I think you should go call her.”
Turtle nodded and handed Tank over to Rowan. “I’ll call her now. Can you watch Tank?” Turtle got up, looking like someone heading to their execution.
“Well, let’s see what the educational world thinks of Turtle’s experience,” Natalie said with a smile, knowing Turtle would blow them away.
“They’ll laugh at him then he’ll leave them speechless. No one can catch turtles like him,” Harper answered. “Or know more about them.”
“I think so too. In the end, he’ll be the one who saves the wildlife and that will leave little Emmy very impressed.” Natalie rubbed her hands together as if this were an evil plot.
“Are you two setting Turtle up?” Rowan asked.
Four big round eyes looked back at him and blinked innocently. “Who, us?” they both said at the same time, leaving Rowan laughing.
Nell took a seat in the circle of chairs.
No one blinked that she was here. Needles and yarn appeared in front of her to pick from as everyone got out their projects.
People were talking all around Nellie as she picked the needles and the color yarn she wanted.
It was nice to not feel as if you needed to talk.
“What are you making, Dare?” Miss Mitzi asked.
“Baby booties.” Dare was smiling happily as he held up the beginning of little booties.
Nellie smiled at that. The big man hadn’t stopped talking about Harper and their baby. It was adorable. Stone was working on hats for all of his teammates for Christmas, but then Miss Ruby and Miss Winnie pulled out their projects. Nellie looked at them and paused. That couldn’t be, right?
“Miss Ruby? Miss Winnie? What are you working on?” Nellie asked slowly.
“Natalie paid us to make these for all the WAGs of Stone’s team for Christmas. We are getting an early start. What do you think?” Miss Winnie held up what she was working on, and while Nell thought she knew what it was, she didn’t want to say anything.
“Here’s our prototype.” Miss Ruby fished it out of her bag and held it up. Yup. That was exactly what she thought it was.
Nellie cleared her throat. “Very nice. I particularly like the skates on the bottom of the testicles.”
“They’re hockey dicks,” Miss Winnie said proudly.
Yes. Yes, they were. There would be a whole army of foot-tall penises with hockey skates on their testicles and the player’s number on the shaft.
“Very clever,” Nellie said before turning to Miss Mitzi, who was cross-stitching instead of knitting.
“What about you, Miss Mitzi?” Miss Mitzi turned her cross stitch around and Nellie smiled at the bold floral design.
Then she blinked. She looked closer. No, that couldn’t be right.
“It’s for my daughter-in-law,” Miss Mitzi beamed.
“It’s lovely,” Nellie told her, even as she cocked her head to the side.
“I do think you might need to change the thread color for the outline of the roses. It looks like one of those posters from back in the day where if you stare at it, you see a picture. The longer I stare at it, the more I see the word twat.”
Miss Mitzi’s smile beamed. “Great! It’s working then.”
“Miss Mitzi was so excited when her son got married, but her daughter-in-law turned into a nightmare. It sounds mean until you meet her. Then you’d understand that’s an understatement. She makes demons look like angels,” Dare whispered to her.
The evening passed quickly as everyone chatted. It was even fun when they grilled Nell on her feelings for Rowan. Tonight was a night that refueled her heart and soul. How could you not be happy with two old ladies knitting penises on skates?
When knitting club wrapped up for the evening, she headed across the street to the bar, Dare on one side of her and Stone on the other. Nell frowned when she saw Turtle standing alone by the door, staring at his phone.
“Turtle,” Dare said, worry in his voice. “Are you okay?”
“She wants to meet me,” Turtle sputtered.
“Who wants to meet you?” Nell asked, suddenly worried for her new friend.
“Emmy Hanson. She’s leading the charge to save the animals from Turner’s Pond.”
“And that’s a bad thing?” Stone asked.
Turtle turned his phone around to a picture of a cute woman with curly brown hair and big brown eyes smiling back at them.
“Ah,” Stone said, slinging his arm around Turtle’s shoulder. “Dare and I will have your back. Well, maybe not Dare. He’s growly. That works for Harper, but probably not for someone who wouldn’t kick you in the balls for pissing her off. Now me on the other hand . . .”
Dare rolled his eyes. “You’re saying I can’t help Turtle make a good impression on a woman?”
“If the growl fits,” Stone said with a shrug. “Come on, Turtle. Let’s get a beer and come up with a game plan.”
“How about just be yourself,” Nell called out as the two men walked inside, leaving her and Dare to follow.
“Turtle will be himself,” Stone shot back. “Just without the willie picture.”
“Turtle! We thought you left,” Rowan called out as he stood up and slipped his hand to the small of Nell’s back to give her a quick kiss.
“Emmy wants to meet him,” Stone told them all. That’s when the table erupted. Harper went to get everyone who could drink some beers so they could talk it through.
“Bring Tank in one of those outfits that Miss Ruby, Miss Winnie, and Miss Mitzi made him,” Natalie told him. “Any animal lover will melt at that.”
“How was knitting?” Rowan whispered as the group talked about Emmy.
“It was a lot of fun. I can’t wait to go back next week.” Nell stopped and frowned. “Well, I guess, if I’m still here.”
“I hope you’re still here,” Rowan told her.
It made her heart beat a little stronger and gave her body the flutters in the best way.
“You do know you don’t have to leave Shadows Landing, right?
You have friends here. You have me here.
But if you want to go back to Holland Springs, it won’t change anything between us.
We’ll find a way to make our relationship work. It’s not that far away.”
“It’s crazy,” Nell admitted. “I feel more at home here than in the town I grew up in. I have better friends. I have you. I have your family, who is already treating me like their sister. I even have a naughty knitting group. All in a week.”
“Sweetie,” Natalie said with a sincere smile on her face, “sometimes it doesn’t even take a week. Just ask me, Waverly, Bex, or Jordana. We fell in love with Shadows Landing while we fell in love with our men, which was rather quickly.”
Nell looked up at Rowan. She was falling in love with him and the town, just as they said.
Maybe tomorrow she’d borrow his computer and start looking for jobs closer to Shadows Landing.
Even if things didn’t work out with Rowan, she felt happy here.
She felt safe here. She felt valued here.
And that was more important than going back to a hometown where she had none of that.
Just as her heart was becoming Rowan’s, so was she becoming part of Shadows Landing.