Chapter Three
Lily
A group of women sat around an open firepit on an assortment of benches and chairs and chunks of log standing on edge.
A cheerful fire blazed away. I noticed no one was sitting very close and I can’t say as I blamed them.
It was still fairly warm out for this time of year.
To the right was the largest propane BBQ setup I’d ever seen surrounded by a dozen or so guys and a couple of coolers overflowing with ice and beer.
Janet and Mom headed to the women, each carrying a tray of cupcakes. They set them down on a picnic table behind the group of women. The women weren’t paying attention to the cupcakes, though. All eyes were on me and Rattler.
Mom came over and took my other arm. “Be nice, girls. This is Lily. Her brother was in Rattler’s platoon, and he didn’t make it back. He told Lily about us, so she decided to come and find us. Rattler just happened to be the first person she met when she got off the bus.”
“He doesn’t look too upset about it.” A teenaged girl grinned at me.
“That would be Jasmine.” Mom shook her head. “Don’t mind her. She’s been reading all those sappy romance novels this summer and thinks everyone is in love. That’s her sister Jewel over by the flowerbed. They’re twins, and they belong to Beast.”
My expression must have given me away, and Mom hastened to add, “They’re his daughters. They live here with him because they don’t like their stepdad.”
I could totally relate to that and smiled shyly at the young girl. “Hi, Jasmine.”
“So you’re not Rattler’s new girlfriend?” She looked disappointed.
I shook my head. “Nope. Only met him a couple of hours ago.”
A dog came bouncing across the lawn to sniff at Scrapper, who jumped up on my lap. “That’s Willow.” One of the women rushed over to the dog. “She was okay with the barn cats up at the homestead, so she’s probably just curious. I’m Sophia, by the way.”
Scrapper wasn’t so sure. The fur on his back stood on end and he hissed at the dog. On such a tiny creature, the display looked hilarious.
Willow settled back on her haunches and tilted her head to study Scrapper. Her expression was comical, as if to say, “Why are you yelling at me?”
“Get back here, you little brat. You’re scaring the kitten.” The woman grabbed the dog by the collar, looking up at me. “Sorry about that. She’s usually good with cats, but they don’t always like her.”
I winced as one of Scrapper’s claws dug into my skin. “Nice to meet you. It’s been a long day for him with lots of changes. He might be more willing to be friends once he’s had time to settle in.”
“He’s cute. What’s his name?”
“Scrapper.” I carefully disengaged his claws from my shirt.
“Hello, Scrapper.” She held out a hand to me. “Nice to meet you. Deuce over there is my other half.”
One of the men over by the BBQ pit looked over and waved at the sound of his name.
“How about we do a round of introductions and get it over with?” Mom pointed to the woman closest to us. “You start.”
One by one, the women introduced themselves and pointed out their partners. My head was spinning, and I just knew I wasn’t going to remember everyone. I noticed no one asked about my bruises or why exactly I was here. Introductions over, everyone turned their attention to the plates of cupcakes.
Janet stood and addressed the group, hands on her hips. “Remember, this is a tasting. You’re supposed to try some different ones, and we’ll vote on our favorites at the end.”
I’d never seen a cupcake tasting before and watched in fascination as the women all swarmed the table, each grabbing a couple of the little treats. Mom had cut each cupcake into quarters so there were lots of pieces to go around.
“It’s really just for fun.” Rattler put his arm around me again. I should have objected, but it made me feel safe. Safe, and something else that I didn’t want to explore just yet.
“What do you mean?”
“Janet’s already decided what she’s going to order for the wedding. She just thought this would be a fun thing to do. She plans to have some of each flavor, and a bunch with colorful sprinkles for the kids.”
I looked up at him in surprise. “There’s going to be kids at a wedding?”
“Sure.” He looked puzzled. “It’s a family affair, so people come with their kids. The actual wedding is at a church, but the reception will be here, so there’s lots of room for kids to run off some energy. And if things get spilled, it’s no big deal.”
I’d only ever been to a couple of weddings, and they had been very formal affairs. Ties, suits, long dresses, and definitely no children. I was starting to see why Jack had been so enthusiastic about this group.
Janet came over and took my hand, making shooing motions at Rattler. “Go. This is women’s work.”
He lifted one eyebrow but let go of my arm.
I tilted my head. “Tasting cupcakes is women’s work?”
Janet smiled at me. “Absolutely. Come on. You can help.”
“Do you want me to keep an eye on Scrapper for you?” Rattler eyed the little furball.
“No need. I can take him inside and give him something to eat. He’s probably hungry,” Mom offered.
“That would be great, thanks.” That muffin I’d fed him at the bakery probably wasn’t the best food for a growing kitten.
Mom reached for Scrapper and carefully lifted him into her arms. “Come on, little fella. I have a can of tuna with your name on it.” Cuddling the kitten, she headed back inside, closely followed by the curious Willow. I had a feeling Scrapper was going to be spoiled rotten here.
“So you just met Rattler today? You two looked pretty cozy.” Janet led me over to the table laden with cupcakes.
“He seems nice, but it’s not like that.” Tim had seemed like a great guy when I first met him, I reminded myself. “He’s just being friendly because he knew my brother.”
Janet laughed. “I don’t think so. I saw the way he looked at you. The man is smitten.”
I shook my head. “Hardly, unless you believe in love at first sight. We literally just met.”
“Doesn’t matter. That’s how these guys work.” She reached for a cupcake sample and peeled the paper off it. “When they find a woman they want to spend their lives with, they don’t waste time. I bet you didn’t approach him; it was the other way round.”
An image of our first encounter came to mind. He’d followed me into the alley, and I’d pulled a gun on him. Hardly the start of an epic romance. “Yeah, but it wasn’t like that.”
I seemed to be saying that a lot, maybe because deep down I wished it was.
Rattler gave off a sense of cool confidence that made me feel safe.
He was big. Rough looking. Covered in tattoos and leather.
My common sense told me I should be wary of him, but my gut told me just the opposite.
It told me here was a guy who’d stand by the woman he chose to be his own.
Who’d protect her instead of hurting her.
Hell, here was a guy who laughed at a kitten’s antics.
Here was a guy who made my panties get damp with a mere glance.
“Sure.” She smirked. “That’s what we all say at the beginning.”
Sophia glanced over at me. “You want a cold beer?”
“That would be nice, thanks.” I realized it would probably make me drowsy given the past twenty-four hours, but I felt safe here.
Safe enough not to worry about Tim showing up and finishing the beating, assuming he was even alive.
I was pretty sure he was. Although it would probably set me up for a murder charge, I’d be happy if he were dead.
I wouldn’t have to worry about him finding me.
“These are delicious!” Emma grinned and licked a bit of vanilla cream cheese icing from around her mouth. “How are we supposed to pick a favorite?”
Jewel spoke up. “I vote for the chocolate mocha.”
Her sister shook her head. “Nope, definitely the carrot cake ones. The raisins make them nutritious, right?”
I found myself laughing as the group discussed the pros and cons of each flavor.
Finally, Janet held up her hand. “I think we can all agree that we’re going to need some of everything, right?”
The women all nodded enthusiastically.
I sat on the edge of a bench and nibbled on a carrot cupcake, watching the women laugh and joke with each other as they devoured the food. They were all so warm and welcoming. I’d spent so long being alert and afraid, I’d almost forgotten what it felt like to just relax and enjoy myself.
I glanced over at Rattler and found him staring back at me. It felt good to know he was here and watching over me. A slight smile lifted the side of his lips as he acknowledged me with a slight dip of his head.
Licking stray bits of icing off their fingers, the twins came to sit down on either side of me. “It’s going to be okay.” Despite their young age they seemed to understand how I felt. I struggled to remember which one was which. I think it was Jasmine who covered my hand with hers.
I nodded and tried to look confident. “I know. I just need a bit of time to really believe it.”
Jewel nodded sympathetically. “We can teach you to shoot if you want. That way you can protect yourself from whoever did that to you. It helps to feel like you have some control.”
I shook my head. “I’m actually a fairly good shot. My dad was a cop, and he used to take me to the gun range with him when he was practicing. If no one else was there, he’d let me practice too.”
“Awesome!” Jasmine’s face lit up. “We can all practice together!”
I frowned. “They let you two onto a gun range? I thought there were age limits on most of them. You’re not eighteen yet, are you?”
“No, but we’re allowed at the local one as long as our dad is with us.
Riptide makes its own rules for the range here, so we can use it without him.
Our dad wanted us to be safe, so he taught us how to shoot, and how to handle firearms safely.
” Jewel gestured to the back of the property.
“The guys like to practice a lot and this way they don’t have to worry about schedules or what kinds of ammo they can use. ”