3. Elsie
ELSIE
“You and Hayes looked pretty cozy last night.” Lacy gave me one of her looks as she said, “If I didn’t know better, I’d say he’s got a thing for you.”
“Hayes and I are just friends. Nothing more.”
“Are you sure about that?” Lacy was one of the club’s hang arounds, and even though she was several years older than me, she was my closest friend.
She had an easy-going, bubbly personality and loved to stir trouble, so I wasn’t surprised when she pushed, “’Cause it sure looked like you two were having a good time. ”
“We were having a good time.”
“So, what’s the problem?”
“There is no problem.” I shrugged. “I’m just not interested in him that way.”
Hayes was a great guy, and I enjoyed spending time with him.
I enjoyed spending time with all the guys, but I knew what it would mean if I slept with one of them.
One would lead to another and another, and it wouldn’t be long before they’d stop seeing me as their little sister and more as an easy lay.
While that might have its advantages, I didn’t want to be just another hang-around.
Don’t get me wrong. Lacy and the other hang arounds were great.
They were sweet, beautiful girls, and I enjoyed working with them.
We cleaned together, cooked for the guys together, and even did the brothers’ laundry together, but at the same time, we lived very different lives.
I had my sights set on earning my college degree and having a successful career while they had their sights set on claiming one of the brothers—any of the brothers.
I, on the other hand, was only interested in one, and only one.
And it wasn’t Hayes.
Lacy pursed her lips as she said, “Well, you’re missing out, honey, ‘cause that boy can really get the juices flowing if you know what I mean.”
“I’m sure he can.”
“Oh, come on, Lace. Don’t waste your breath.” Makayla glanced over at me as she dumped more dirty dishes into the sink. “You know she’s only got eyes for Bones.”
“That’s not true!” I dropped the sponge into the sink, then whipped around to face the girls as I said, “He is just a friend.”
“A friend you pine for on a daily basis.”
“I don’t pine for him, Makayla. At least, I don’t anymore. I’ve moved on,” I lied.
“Is that so?”
“Um-hmm.” I turned back to washing dishes as I told her, “In fact, I have a date Friday night.”
“With whom?”
“Ben,” I announced proudly. “He’s a guy from my Spanish class, and he’s so hot. He’s tall with dark hair and the bluest eyes I’ve ever seen. He’s really smart and confident, without being overly confident. You would really like him.”
“So, when do we get to meet this new hunk of yours?”
I glanced over my shoulder and was about to answer her when I spotted Wyatt standing in the doorway.
I had no idea how long he’d been there, but his blank expression suggested that he’d been there long enough to hear what I didn’t want him to hear.
His eyes never left mine as he started walking in my direction.
My throat tightened, and my heart started to race, making it impossible for me to think, much less speak.
Of course, Lacy had no problem flashing her sexiest of smiles and saying, “Hey there, handsome. I haven’t seen much of you lately.”
“Been busy.” He made his way over to the medicine cabinet, grabbed a bottle of ibuprofen, then turned and started back out of the room. “Have a good one.”
“Bye, Sugar. You let us know if you need anything.”
“Hm-hmm.”
Without saying anything more, he marched out of the room and disappeared into the hall. Once she was certain he was gone, Makayla turned to me and asked, “What was that all about?”
“No clue.”
I turned my attention back to the dishes in the sink, hoping that she’d get the hint that I didn’t want to talk about Wyatt or his bad mood, but no such luck. “Is it just me, or did he seem even more on edge than usual?”
I didn’t respond.
There was no point. They’d made it no secret that they’d often found Wyatt’s quiet demeanor to be too intense and off-putting.
I tried explaining that he was just a guy who didn’t speak unless he had something to say, but they didn’t get it.
They were used to the other brothers and their loud, boisterous personalities and didn’t know what to do with the quiet, brooding personality of Wyatt.
I like the quiet.
I usually found it comforting.
At least, I used to find it comforting.
Today was different.
Today, I got the feeling there was a reason behind his silence, and if I didn’t know better, I’d say it had something to do with me. But, then again, I had no real reason to think that. He’d had his chance. If he wanted to make a move, then he would’ve made it, and that was that.
I continued washing the dishes, and just as I’d hoped, it wasn’t long before Makayla changed the topic of the conversation. “You know Reagan’s birthday is next weekend.”
“That’s right. I forgot all about it.”
“Well, we’ve gotta do something special. She’s going to be twenty-one!”
“That’s right!” Excitement filled Lacy’s voice as she suggested, “We should go to the city and try out one of those dance clubs everyone’s been raving about.”
“That’s a great idea!”
“How about you, sourpuss?” Lacy bumped me with her hip. “You up for a big night in the city?”
“Yeah, going to the city sounds like fun.”
“That’s my girl!” Lacy whipped back around to Makayla. “You know, we should get a couple of hotel rooms. That way, we won’t need to designate a DD.”
“That’s a great idea.”
Makayla threw her hands up over her head and started dancing around the kitchen, and it wasn’t long before Lacy joined in.
They were still twirling around when I finished washing dishes.
I grabbed the drying cloth from the counter and tossed it at Lacy.
“Those dishes aren’t going to dry themselves. ”
“Yeah, yeah. I’m on it.” She stopped dancing and started over to the sink. “Such a sourpuss.”
“But you love me anyway.”
“You got that right.”
I left Lacy and Makayla in the kitchen and headed down the hall to my room. I went over to my desk and got busy studying for my big Spanish test. I hadn’t been at it long when I stopped and took a quick look around my room. It looked so different than the day I first arrived at the clubhouse.
Back then, it just had a desk and a small bed in the corner.
Now, the walls were painted gray, the bed had a new comforter and pillows, and I’d hung several pictures I’d brought from home. It was nice—much better than living in my car, and I liked knowing the guys were just down the hall.
They’d really looked out for me.
They made me feel safe. Not only had they given me a roof over my head, but they had given me a home, and not just because of what my father had done for them.
They’d taken care of me because they wanted to, and I would be forever grateful.
But I was older now and about to graduate college.
It wouldn’t be long before I had to start really thinking about my future.
It wasn’t like I could live at the clubhouse forever. I needed to get a job—a real job, and I needed to find a place of my own. Just thinking about it made my head spin.
Thankfully, I had some time before I had to start planning my future.
I had to graduate before I could get a real job, and in order to graduate, I needed to pass my Spanish test. With that thought, I turned my attention back to my studies, and I spent the next few hours focusing on my classes.
By the time I was finished, I was both tired and ready for a bite to eat, so I decided to go check the fridge for leftovers.
I was just about to walk into the kitchen when I heard Henley say, “I saw Bones early, and I swear the boy has grown another foot. I can still remember when he was our sweet, little Wyatt with his little game in his hand.”
“Oh, I remember it all too well,” Wren replied. “He was a precious little thing, but I gotta tell ya. Raising him wasn’t always easy. He had a bit of a stubborn streak.”
“What?” Henley scoffed. “No way.”
“I know it’s hard to believe, especially now. But we had some rough patches.” Wren let out a breath before saying, “Mainly because I pushed him to do things he didn’t really want to do.”
“All kids need a little pushing from time to time.”
“That was definitely true for Wyatt. I remember the summer when Michael and I took him to the beach for the first time. He was only five at the time, and we’d just gotten his Asperger’s diagnosis.
It wasn’t the best time to hit the beach, especially when he was going through this phase where he didn’t want to touch or be near anything that felt funny on his skin. ”
“What happened?”
“Girl, the second that baby’s feet hit that sand, he lost it. He started screaming and fussing, and I immediately regretted my decision to go to the beach.”
“Oh, no. What did you do?”
“I did the only thing I could. I took his little hand and forced him to walk down that beach.” My chest tightened when Wren said, “The screaming only got worse, and it didn’t help matters that everyone around was staring at me like I was the worst mother on the planet.
And to be honest, I felt like the worst mother on the planet. ”
“Oh, Wren. I can’t imagine how hard that must’ve been.”
“Oh, it was, but it had to be done. He had to learn that he could do the hard stuff.” I could hear the emotion in her voice as she said, “And in the end, it was totally worth it ‘cause when we finally made it to the ocean, and that water touched his little toes, his entire face lit up. He totally forgot about the fit he’d just thrown. And when I saw that smile on his face, I forgot about it, too. The next day was much better. He knew if he could just get to that water, all would be well. We both learned a big lesson that day.”
“That story makes me want to cry.” Henley’s voice was filled with emotion as she said, “You were a good momma, Wren. You still are.”