Chapter 15
CHAPTER 15
W ilder drove slowly down Main Street as if he could delay the inevitable. Now he understood why his brothers had been so defensive when they’d introduced their girlfriends to the family. Bex wasn’t even his girlfriend yet, but he knew without a shadow of a doubt that what he felt for her was special. While he loved his family, he worried they’d be too much for Bex. He didn’t want her distressed in any way. That intrinsic desire to protect her reached to the way his family teased each other.
“Wilder?” Bex asked nervously. “I think my cover is blown. Why is everyone waving at me?”
Wilder looked out at the street and the people walking by them. They were all waving and Wilder had been absently waving back out of habit.
“It’s creepy,” Bex said, dropping her voice to a whisper. “They’re all smiling at us. Do they know something we don’t? Are we walking into a trap?”
Wilder couldn’t help but chuckle. “It’s very obvious you’re not from a small town. They’re all just saying hi. You know, being nice.”
“No, I don’t know. People will call the cops if you do this in the city. They’ll assume you escaped a psych hold. I mean, they’re all smiling, Wilder. Why? No one is running into the other person. No one is shouting. Why are there no horns honking?”
“Something you need to know about Shadows Landing. If someone honks it’s usually to say hello. And people will stop you on the sidewalk and comment on the weather, how good the fishing is, or the latest game in just about every sport. It’s all normal down here. Everyone knows everyone and if they don’t know you, they’ll want to get to know you.” Wilder saw Bex visibly shiver as he pulled to a stop near the diner. “Ready for this?”
“Can’t someone just cuss me out?” Bex mumbled as they got out of the car.
Wilder smiled as he put his arm around her shoulder. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. I’ll protect you from all the nice people with manners.”
“Wilder. How ya doin’?” Gator asked, not pausing for Wilder to answer. Gator was a mountain of a man with a beard, wearing a long-sleeved maroon T-shirt under his overalls and a University of South Carolina ball cap with COCKS emblazoned across the front of it. He was not the first person Bex should meet. Especially since his job was alligator relocation. Wilder didn’t think Bex would believe him about that. “Savannah called. Heard Bubba and Mean Abe ain’t leavin’ ya alone. Got into quite the scrap over Bertha, they did, while you were gone. Scared all y’alls workers right outta their skin. I tried to put up a deterrent but your dock is a right MMA ring. Wouldn’t be surprised if Turtle and Skeeter aren’t down there now placin’ bets.”
Wilder glanced at Bex and saw her mouth was slightly open and her eyes were wide. “What the hell did you just say?” she blurted out.
Gator hooked his thumbs on his overalls and shook his head. He glanced across the street at the couple walking towards them. “Miss Georgie, ya got another one.”
“Another what?” Georgina King, former bartender, now heiress and happily married to sheriff’s deputy, Kord, called out as they crossed the street.
“Yankee. I ain’t teachin’ this one how to talk. She’s your problem as our official Yankee rep.” Gator turned to Bex and sighed even as he tipped his hat. “It is nice to meet you, ma’am.” Gator spoke very slowly and worked really hard to pronounce every word. “And no, ma’am is not a slight to your womanhood. It’s out of the respect I have for every woman. My dear departed momma would rise from the grave and smack me if I didn’t honor every woman. Welcome to our town. I hope you enjoy your stay. If any gato… alli -gators get in your way, just gimme a holler.” Wilder bit his lip as Gator turned to Georgie. “How was that?”
Bex’s jaw had dropped further open and Wilder and Kord were struggling not to laugh. Georgie smiled and patted Gator’s shoulder. “That was very nice, Gator. Thank you for being our welcoming committee. I’ll take it from here. Hello, I’m Georgie and this is my husband, Kord.”
Bex shook her head and held out her hand. “Bex Moretti.”
Georgie nodded. “Yes, we know. We’ve been expecting you. As a lifelong New Yorker, it’ll take a moment to adjust. Just know the creepy smiling thing is them being nice.”
Bex snorted and relaxed. “How do you know?”
“I’m from Boston, but have been living here the past almost two years.”
“Is this the New Yorker?”
Wilder turned to see Miss Winnie and Miss Ruby walking toward them with baskets in their arms. Miss Winnie resembled a boiled chicken. Miss Ruby was the round grandmother who hid candy in her bra. One pale, one dark. One skinny, one round. Both old. Both were amazing cooks. Both were absolutely wonderful.
“Yes, ma’am,” Wilder answered Miss Ruby before introducing them to Bex.
“Bless your heart,” Miss Ruby said as if Bex was ill. “You’re skin and bones.”
Miss Winnie clucked, which, given the floppy bit of skin on her neck really messed with Wilder. “Don’t they have food in New York? Thank goodness you’re here now.”
“We brought you a welcome basket. Homemade biscuits, country ham, macaroni and cheese, and an apple pie,” Miss Ruby told her as they handed over the baskets.
Wilder and Kord reached for the bottom of their shirts and began to pull them off. There was nothing Wilder wouldn’t do for one of those pies.
“What are you doing?” Bex gasped as she watched the two men start stripping.
“We want a pie,” Kord answered as if it’s obvious.
Bex looked to Georgie, who had seemed normal before, but just shrugged as if this made sense to her.
“Yeah, and we know they have the Christmas bake-off coming up soon,” Wilder said, now shirtless. “Which means they need a new banner.”
“And that means you have to take off your pants?” Bex asked as Wilder and Kord began to unzip their pants right there on Main Street. A banner for what? What did getting naked mean for a pie?
“Taste the pie and you’ll understand,” Georgie whispered. “I’ll hold your underwear, babe,” she said to Kord.
“Aren’t you going to stop this?” Bex asked Miss Ruby and Miss Winnie.
“Oh, honey child. No way,” Miss Winnie chuckled.
“We’re just waiting for them to realize we only have one pie on us right now. Someone’s dingdong is going to be hanging out all alone in this chilly air,” Miss Ruby whispered.
“You know, that’s the best way to see them,” Miss Winnie said, dropping her voice too. “If they still look good with shrinkage going on, you know you’ll be satisfied.”
“What is going on?” a loud voice boomed with a European accent. Thank goodness. Someone who could explain all of this to Bex. She turned and saw another sheriff’s deputy walking with his arm around his very pregnant wife.
“Apple pie,” Kord called out.
“Am I too late?” the deputy asked as he yanked off his shirt and kicked off his shoes while he ran across the street, leaving behind his pregnant wife.
“Flex your six-pack, honey! Baby needs apple pie!” the wife yelled as she slowly made her way across the street, belly first.
“I wonder how many we can get naked before they realize how many pies we have?” Miss Winnie asked.
Kord and Wilder were down to their boxer briefs and the second deputy was shoving his pants down when the diner door opened. A man with black hair, tattoos, and a don’t mess me with me look on his face stepped out. “Wilder. What the hell are you doing? We’re all waiting in here.”
“Apple pie, Damon. Apple. Pie.”
Damon, that had to be one of Wilder’s brothers. Bex couldn’t remember their birth order. Damon glanced at her and she tried to smile. But before she could, he’d looked away from her and at Miss Winnie and Miss Ruby. “Where are the pies?”
Wilder paused with his thumbs in the waistband of his underwear. “What?”
“I see the detective holding two baskets, but where are the pies? Their welcome baskets usually only have one pie. The other basket holds a casserole of some kind.”
All eyes then turned to the baskets Bex was holding.
“Busted,” Miss Ruby said with a curse. “Damon Townsend, one day we’re going to get you naked with our pie.”
The man grinned and holy smokes he could devastate the entire female population of the world when he did that. “Sorry, Miss Ruby, but I don’t want to kill you. Your heart can’t handle me naked.”
“Is he trying to send me into labor?” the pregnant woman asked as she fanned herself. “When he smiles like that, ovaries everywhere pop out an egg. I’m afraid the same could be true for babies. Hi, I’m Edie Durand. Tristan, the half-naked man there, is my husband.”
“Bex Moretti,” Bex said with a smile. “When are you due?”
“Any second.” Edie rubbed her stomach. “At least I know I’ll get a pie when they come visit the baby. So, we heard you’re in trouble.”
“We’ve all heard she’s in trouble. It’s why we’re meeting if my little brother could keep his pants on,” Damon shouted from the door.
A hand reached out and smacked Damon before the door was pushed open and a woman poked her head around Damon. “Hi, Bex. I’m Waverly. I’m engaged to Kane, Wilder’s next older brother. It’s so nice to meet you. Come on inside and we’ll chat. Don’t mind Damon. He’s the classic eldest sibling. How about you? Do you have siblings?”
“Oh, well that makes sense now. I’m the youngest in a big Italian family.”
Damon’s glowering didn’t bother her. TJ regularly wore that look. Jimmy, their youngest brother, was usually the reason for said look.
Waverly seemed very sweet as she led Bex around and introduced her. “You met Damon. Then there’s Stone and his wife, Natalie. And that’s Hunter and his wife, Maggie. This is my fiancé, Kane.” Waverly used her hands as if she were a flight attendant showing where the emergency exits were as she introduced the Townsends. “Then there’s the twins, Forrest and Rowan. Last, but certainly not least, is Penelope.”
Natalie, Maggie, and Waverly had all smiled a welcome. Penelope did not. She had perfected Damon’s glare. Even their black hair and gray eyes were the same.
“Wow, you’re night and day to Olivia. Except for the glare. That you both got from Damon. It’s very impressive. I use the same one when I’m interviewing suspects.” Bex said to Penelope. Olivia was as blonde as Pen was dark. The comment made Pen’s lips twitch before her stormy gaze took in Bex’s clothes. Then Pen’s lips spread into a smile. Just as Damon’s smile caused women to ovulate, Pen’s was enough to make Bex consider swapping teams. She was pretty sure every man there not related to Penelope suddenly got an erection.
“What an interesting outfit.”
“Thank you. It’s from the Miss Tibbie Collection. I feel as if I’ve just had tea with Jackie Kennedy.” Bex spun to model the outfit.
Maggie laughed at that and nodded. “It probably is vintage. We can take you to Bless Your Scarf after breakfast. They open in an hour.”
“Thank you,” Bex told her as she took a seat and waited for Wilder to finish getting dressed and join them. She also tried not to freak out at the fact she was at the same table as hockey legend, Stone Townsend.
Natalie, Maggie, and Waverly engaged her in small talk until the rest of the group from the sidewalk joined them. Then they got down to business. Bex talked more to Kord and Tristan but was surprised when Hunter and Damon also took the lead and asked questions. Penelope sat back and just listened. She didn’t make sympathetic sounds like Natalie, Maggie, Waverly, or Edie. She just had her arms crossed over her chest and listened.
“We will be on the lookout for anyone who sticks out or is asking about you,” Kord told her. “We’ll let businesses know, especially the waitstaff and bartenders.”
Bex nodded. It made sense. “Do you have the resources to handle this?”
Kord chuckled and Tristan just smiled. Even Maggie grinned.
“We’ve handled a lot worse than some corrupt politicians and New York drug dealers,” Tristan told her.
“Bubba eats them for snacks. We’re good,” Kord said with another chuckle.
“That’s the second time I’ve heard about Bubba. Some big man in overalls said he was fighting with a guy named Abe over a woman named Bertha. Why aren’t they in jail?” Bex asked.
“Bubba and Mean Abe are alligators,” Kord said, trying to hold back another chuckle. “Bertha, too. If you see one, you call for Gator. He was the big guy with the overalls I saw you talking to. He’ll relocate them back to the water.”
“And Bubba eats drug dealers?” They were teasing her, right?
“And jerky. He loves jerky,” Waverly told her. “He’s really sweet. It’s Mean Abe who is a dick. Bertha you never know what you’re going to get. Sometimes she’s just happy to sun herself. Other times she’s full of piss and vinegar.”
“You’ll get used to it,” Forrest whispered to her as Wilder nodded.
“A whole different world, sweetheart,” Wilder whispered to her as he squeezed her thigh with his hand.
“Are you armed?” Maggie asked her. It was strange coming from such a pretty woman wearing the latest in southern prep and carrying a monogrammed tote bag.
“No. And trust me when I say I feel my gun’s absence.” Bex had had her gun on her hip every day for years. She was hoping the sheriff’s office might issue her a gun, but that was asking a lot since there was a warrant out for her arrest.
Maggie pulled out a monogrammed quilted box from her large tote. She entered some numbers and when she opened it, Bex almost fell out of her chair.
“Would you like to borrow the Sig or the Glock? I also have rifles and shotguns in the car if you’re more comfortable with those. But I thought you’d want one of these since you’re used to carrying one every day.” Maggie pushed the gun case across the table as if it were not a big deal.
“First, that gun case is so pretty. Second, should you be offering me a gun?” Bex glanced at Kord and Tristan waiting for them to stop this.
“I have a couple of great sniper rifles if you want to go that route,” Tristan told her, “But Maggie’s the expert, so I’d stick with what she offers you.”
“We talked about the department giving you a gun, but Granger figured with your warrant it would be best to get one from Maggie,” Kord confirmed what Bex had been worried about, yet it didn’t appear to stop them from making sure she was able to protect herself.
“Do you have a gun?” Bex asked, turning to Wilder. She never thought to ask.
“No. Hunter has enough for all of us since he’s Special Forces. But don’t worry sweetheart, you know I can protect you even if I don’t have a gun.”
“I know you probably carry the Glock, but if you haven’t tried it, the Sig is very smooth,” Maggie told her confidently. Bex thought back to what Wilder had told her about his family. It was hard to remember who was who, but Maggie had to be the sharpshooter. She certainly knew her guns.
“I’ll take the Sig. Thank you.”
Bex picked up the gun as Maggie reached into her tote bag and pulled out a holster that Bex could slip into the small of her back. “Also, here’s one for your thigh in case you’re wearing a dress. And here’s some ammo. Let me know if you need more. I have a shooting range at my parents’ house if you ever want to go.”
“Great,” Natalie said, standing up. “Now that we have Bex outfitted with a gun, we need to get her outfitted in clothes that don’t make her stick out so much. Guys, we’ll take it from here. Do you want me to drop her off at your house, Wilder? Or somewhere else?”
“My house will be fine. Thanks, Nat.”
“Oh, and remember,” Waverly said, standing up too, “tonight we’re watching Quad’s game at Harper’s.”
“Who is Quad?” Bex asked, already being led away by the women. She was surprised to find Penelope joining them.
“He’s my sister’s boyfriend and plays basketball for MSU,” Waverly told her. “Lark is a freshman and Quad is a junior. You probably know him as Terry Clemmons IV.”
Bex gasped as they led her down the sidewalk. “When Wilder said they had a basketball player from Shadows Landing I didn’t know he meant the top college player in the country who should have gone pro last year so New York could snap him up in the draft.”
Waverly laughed. “Yeah, he’s bucking tradition and staying to get his degree. He promised his mother. But then I’m sure he’ll be off to the pros. My sister is both excited about that and dreading it. However, he seems completely devoted to her, so I’m not worried.”
“More importantly,” Maggie said, pushing open the door to the boutique. “What’s going on with you and Wilder?”
Bex cast a glance at Pen who was browsing. She clearly heard the question, but she didn’t react. “Nothing. He was a suspect.”
Pen turned and arched an eyebrow at her in clear disbelief before holding out a pair of jeans and a super cute top that was totally Bex, just cuter than what she normally wore. “Try these on. Besides, detective or not, I don’t think you can handle our family. Olivia would eat you alive and that’s if you don’t cry when Damon snaps at you.”
“He’s not that bad, Pen,” Natalie said to her sister-in-law. “But I won’t lie and say the brothers aren’t a tad overprotective as a whole.”
Maggie nodded in agreement. “And then when you’re with one? They get uber-protective. Hunter trusts in my skills and my ability as a sharpshooter, but if I need him, he has my back. Always.”
“Agreed. I’ve never had support like Kane before,” Waverly told her.
“Stone too. Even if he’s at an away game in the playoffs, he’ll call to see how the dance recital for the little kids went. But do you know who was there for that recital I put on that Stone couldn’t make it to?” Bex shook her head. “Damon, Forrest, Hunter, Wilder, Rowan, and Kane. They all came. Damon even brought flowers for each participant.”
Waverly nodded this time too. “I told Kane I cut myself on a beaker yesterday and Rowan stopped by an hour later to make sure I didn’t need stitches. Kane was in Atlanta for a meeting.”
“Wow. I thought my family was tight. However, when I did break up with my seventh-grade boyfriend for cheating, all my brothers and cousins beat him up while my mom and aunts took me for a spa day. That’s nothing compared to the interrogation every boy I bring home gets, not just from my brothers, but all the cousins and uncles, too.”
“Sure. Interrogation.” Pen rolled her eyes. “You don’t know the meaning of the word unless you grew up as a girl in the Townsend family,” Pen said before handing her another super cute outfit.
Bex didn’t argue because she was shoved into a dressing room, busting at the seams with clothes for her to try on.