Chapter Twenty-One
Me: Ladies, I need to plan something tonight. Can everyone make it to Rebels tonight?
Emma: Yes! What is the occasion? What are we doing?
Evelyn: I love girl’s nights!
Me: Nope, all the guys too. Everyone. And I need a cake.
Violet: I can do cake. Come by the inn. Everyone is here.
Anna: I take offense to that. I’m not there.
Emma: You better get here.
Aubrey: Oh can I add Willow? They got in last night right?
Me: I’ve not met her yet. But yes, add her!
Aubrey: On it.
Willow: I’m here! I’ll be at the inn too! Can’t wait to meet you, Sophia. I’ve heard a lot.
Me: On my way!
Rolling out of bed once I hear the garage door close, I throw on whatever clothes I can find and run out to the inn.
There’s coffee there right? There has to be coffee.
Parking in front of the inn, Anna’s car is next to me.
“Good morning, dear.” She hugs me.
“Good morning.”
“You seem very happy,” she says, walking beside me.
“I’m just proud of Wyatt.” I smile at her. “He passed the detective’s test.”
“The… detective’s test? I didn’t know he was taking it!” She quickly masks the surprise that she had no idea.
“He didn’t want people to know in case he failed. But he found out this morning that he passed, and now I want to plan a night to celebrate him, but I don’t want to tell everyone yet, just you. We can keep it our secret.”
I realize as I’m talking that he should have been the one to tell her. I’m just so proud of him, and Anna will be too.
Looking over at her, she has tears in her eyes. “Thank you.”
Stopping, she hugs me tight. “I’m so glad my boy found you.”
“What the heck are you two doing out here?” Emma yells from the porch.
“We’re coming.” Anna pulls away from me, wiping at her eyes.
Walking into the kitchen of the inn, I’m met with the smell of freshly-brewed coffee and still-steaming scones on the counter.
“I don’t even know what those are, but I want one.” I smile, grabbing a mug and filling it up.
“They’re blueberry lemon scones.” Violet pushes a small plate over to me with a scone on it.
Taking a bite, the sweet and sour flavors burst on my tongue.
“Oh my God. This is amazing.” The sticky glaze on top just brings out the sweetness of the blueberries. “Please don’t tell Wyatt how much I’m enjoying a Maine blueberry. We don’t need him to think he’s right.”
“Soooo. A little birdy tells me that you’re living with my brother.” Emma slides into the stool next to me.
“Yeah. But it’s not what you think.”
“Oh, it’s exactly what we think.” Anna winks.
“Mom! What do you know?” Emma asks her, sipping her coffee.
“She knows nothing!” I shout out.
Thankfully their attention is taken from me when Willow comes in. “This family needs to learn to sleep in.”
“At least we welcome you in your cute little satin bow pajama set.” Evelyn hands her a full mug of coffee.
“These are from Coastal Rose. Hazel just got them in.” She beams.
“So when are we going to get some?” Aubrey says, coming into the kitchen.
“You’re late today,” Emma says.
Aubrey rolls her eyes. “Lily couldn’t find the right shoes for her dress. Then we fought about needing to wear shorts underneath her dress because she’s at summer camp.”
I laugh at my niece’s antics. “So she’s not wearing shorts?”
“No!” Aubrey throws her hands in the air. “That girl tests me on a daily basis. But I love her.”
She grabs a scone and sinks onto the stool next to me, resting her head on my shoulder.
“Okay, everyone is here. Tell us what we’re celebrating.” Violet pulls out her notebook.
“I can’t tell you. Just that it’s for Wyatt, and we need his favorite cake.”
All eyes settle on me.
“What? I dragged myself out of bed, and I’m here, in my pajamas, and I don’t even get to know what we’re celebrating?” Willow’s mouth hangs open.
“Sorry. Wyatt can tell you all tonight.” I look at Violet. “Ooh! Can we make him a cake with a blueberry and something else flavor?”
“Yes!” She reaches behind her, grabbing a binder. As she flips, I see hundreds of handwritten recipes. “I have a blueberry chiffon cake, and we can do a subtle lemon cream in the middle of the layers with a cream cheese frosting on the outside.”
Before I can even agree, she’s in the cabinets and refrigerator pulling things out.
“I think he’ll love that.” I smile. “Now onto Rebels.”
“We can get Rome to block off a section. Then everyone can just order what they want. I don’t know that Clarke could get all the ingredients to make one large portion of something,” Emma answers, typing out on her phone, presumably to Roman.
“That’s perfect. He’s going to be shy about telling you guys, but he really needs the win in his corner with this. Trust me.”
“Wyatt? Shy?” Aubrey laughs.
“I know what he puts out to the world, but he’s not the guy he portrays. I promise you, he feels more than he lets on, and he doesn’t want to disappoint any of you.”
I stand up for him. Not that they’re mean to him about anything, but I don’t think he gets enough credit for everything he does.
Anna squeezes me around my shoulders. “I knew you saw my boy,” she whispers into my ear.
“Every part of him,” I whisper back.
The rest of the morning is a flurry of planning, baking, and gossiping about the town and the book we’re reading.
“I can’t believe they haven’t caught the guy after two years!” Willow exclaims.
“Ace is totally going to catch the guy. He’s down bad for Dahlia.” I nod, popping a carrot in my mouth from the snack board we made for lunch.
“Ugh. Ace is on fire,” Emma adds. “I don’t know what N. Thompson did in Fractured Pieces, but I need more, and I need River yesterday.”
“I don’t know. I think I like Papa Jack.” Anna laughs.
“Um, yeah! He’s a total silver fox like Pops Keaton.” I nudge her shoulder.
“That. Is. My. Father. Can we please stop admiring him?” Emma cringes.
“Yeah, yeah. I’ve got to get home to shower and get ready for tonight anyway. After I call my babysitter.”
Rolling my eyes, I pull out my new burner phone and text Ripp.
Me: Ready to go home.
Ripp Burner: Still sitting outside.
Me: Of course you are. You need a girlfriend.
Ripp Burner: I’d still be here trying to kill your man until Hugh is behind bars.
Me: Tell my brother to get on that. I’m partial to the daily orgasms.
Ripp Burner: You know that you’re like my little sister right? I don’t need to hear that shit.
Me: So get rid of Hugh. >
Ripp Burner: Sounds like you have some ideas.
Me: More than some, but I’d be suspect number one. He needs to go away legally or by someone else’s hands.
“Okay, ladies, my chariot awaits. I’ll see you all at seven?” I stand, pushing my stool back against the island.
A chorus of goodbyes ring out and I hug more people than I’ve hugged in my whole life to see them again in a few hours.
“Are you staying here?” I ask Ripp when he parks outside Wyatt’s house.
“Yeah. But I’ll be walking the perimeter. Not coming in.” He rolls his window down and rests his arm on the edge.
“Let me grab you some water or something then.” I go to get out, but he laughs.
“Don’t worry. Your man already set me up.” He points out the window to the refrigerator now sitting in the garage. “He wants you safe. It’s loaded with food and drinks for me.”
“Oh. When the hell did he do that?”
“After you were asleep. A smokin’ hot woman came by with a car full of shit, and two guys brought the fridge.” He’s smiling big, watching me.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” I narrow my eyes.
“I’m happy for you. This is a good family. They watch out for their own, and you deserve a family like this.”
Ripp had almost as bad of a home life as Ryder and I did. Probably worse. There are scars all over his back and chest that I’m willing to bet came from his family.
“Thanks.” Launching myself at him for a hug with tears welling in my eyes. Ripp and Damon are just as much brothers as Ryder. “I hope you find it one day for yourself.”
“You’re still good, princess. I’ve got too much dark in me.”
“You have more light than dark, Ripp. Don’t sell yourself short.” With that, I leave him to go in the house.
Shutting the door and locking it because we can’t be too careful, I head off to the shower, secretly hoping that Wyatt will come home early and join me.
Wyatt wraps his arms around my middle as I finish curling my hair. “Do we need to leave?”
“Yes! Everyone is coming to celebrate you, and if you don’t show up to tell them why, they’re going to riot.” Placing my curling iron down on the counter, I spin to face him.
“I can just send out a text.” His lips trail along the column of my neck.
“No.” I push him away. “No. We need to go. You can’t seduce me into staying. Violet has cake.”
“Mmm, what kind of cake?” He taps his chin. “Just need to see if it’s worth it.”
“It’s worth it. Trust me.” Sitting on his bed, I slip on my wedges.
“Okay, fine. We can go.” He slips on his own sneakers and pulls me up off the bed.
“You won’t regret it. I promise.” I kiss his cheek standing on my tiptoes.
“Better not.” He attempts to pinch my ass, but my skirt is too tight.
Turning around, I wink at him before taking off running outside to the truck.
I’m excited to get a night out with the group, but seeing Ripp sitting in his truck is like a wet towel on the night.
I can’t seem to escape the fact that my father wants Wyatt dead, and I’m supposed to be dead, but someone knows I’m not.
Whether it’s James or my father, someone knows, and it’s only a matter of time before trouble finds us.
Wyatt goes over to Ripp first, then comes over to join me.
“Ready to go?” he asks me.
“Sure am.” I wiggle my ass in the seat. “All buckled and everything.”
He leans over the center console, kissing me. “In case I don’t say it later, I appreciate everything you’ve set up tonight.”
Smiling at him, I settle back in my seat, turning on the music while his hand rests on my thigh. He squeezes and inches closer to the hem of my skirt. This man is going to be the death of me. And death by orgasm sounds pretty fucking fantastic.