20. Willow
WILLOW
Ican feel all eyes on my back while I stand facing the stove, and it’s driving me insane.
After today’s bullshit, I decided on comfort food.
I’m frying up the last of the chicken and pulling out the homemade cornbread from the oven.
The mac n’ cheese, green beans, mashed potatoes, and gravy are already done.
I figured it would take a while for all of the guys to leave when they were at this level of high alert.
I decided to just make enough food to feed an army and hope that they calm down a little after they are well fed.
I was not expecting Grey to still be here, but I guess he didn’t want to look bad to the boss for leaving when they were still concerned, so I made enough for him to have some, too.
Living with him while we were away was one thing, but I’m not sure how I feel about him being in my space.
I sneak a peek at Knox, who is leaning against the counter next to the fridge, speaking in a low tone to Jackson standing in front of him.
I take a second longer to check him out since he is distracted.
His long brown hair is tied up in a man bun today, and it makes me want to take out his hair tie and run my fingers through it, but now I can see that his ears are gauged.
His beard is cut closer to his jaw than the last time I saw him, so it makes his sharp jaw line more defined.
He is wearing black Vans and jeans that look like they have been well worn by all the grease and paint splatter on them.
I notice that the shirt under his cut is just a plain black V-neck that allows the top of a tattoo that is on his chest to peek out from underneath.
I knew he was muscular the last time that I saw him, even though he was wearing a sweatshirt.
Now that he’s not, I can see that one of his huge arms is completely covered in colorful tattoos, while the other is bare.
After finishing my stealthy check-out session, I look back to his face, and my blue eyes clash with his black ones.
Jackson is now talking to my dad, who must have walked over to them while I was being a creeper.
Shit. He just caught me checking him out.
Knox smirks and winks at me. I quickly turn my head and focus on the fried chicken in front of me, but I can feel my face heating up.
“I don’t want you staying at the house by yourself, baby girl,” my dad says for the hundredth time since they cleared the house, and I was able to come back in and shower while they all freaked out in my living room.
I was not about to sit with them, listening to them talk about everything that could go wrong and speak over me every time I tried to say something.
I was going to wait to give my opinions when they were too busy stuffing their faces to interrupt me.
It was one of my mom’s tricks, and they had no idea.
“We’ll talk about it when we all sit down to eat, Dad.
Dinner is almost done anyway.” I take the last of the chicken out of the pan and start bringing the food to the table that I already set in the dining room.
Dad and the idiots do the same, since they were well trained by Mom.
When I set the plate down in the center of the table, I notice Knox bringing the last dish, setting it down, too.
I give him a small smile, which he returns.
I quietly mumble a “thanks,” and take a seat, averting my eyes as fast as I can before I start blushing.
I really don’t need my dad and idiots to pick up on the fact that I think this man is ridiculously hot.
I have never shown any interest in a guy in front of them, partly because I have always been too busy to have a relationship or be around the opposite sex romantically.
The other part is because the closest that I have ever been to dating someone was in the cancer ward the second time around, and when the idiots found out, they were not happy about it.
Fortunately, they were in school, and it was mostly Mom that hung out with me.
She thought it was good that I was able to be close to someone that could relate to what I was going through.
When he left the hospital without saying a word and never reached out after, I got to experience the closest thing that I have ever gotten to a first heartbreak.
I was depressed for a while after, and my idiots were about to hunt him down for hurting me.
I appreciated it, but having my family in my hospital room treating me like I was even more breakable made it worse.
I always hated seeing the pity in people’s eyes when I was sick, and promised myself that I would never be seen that way ever again.
I look over to my dad while everyone loads up their plates, and his eyes dart between me and Knox. Damn it.
I look over at Gig next, and he is doing the same. People always say that men are oblivious; why can’t I have that problem with the men in my family?
I start to put food on my plate and ignore them until I start to hear the happy noises that the guys around me make when they first start eating, making me smile.
Cooking has always been my happy place, and I love it when people appreciate my work.
After I take a few bites of the homemade mac n’ cheese, I set down my fork and decide to restart the conversation.
“I think I should stay at my house. The idiots go back in a few days, and you have a bunch of contracts coming up. I know that you have a lot of catching up to do after everything, and I’m not going to let you take time to babysit me.
What would be the difference between me being alone at my house and being alone at yours?
Especially when the soldiers are going to be gone anyway?
I need to catch up on my businesses too, and I want a chance to get close to ‘normal.’ I want to do that in the home that I have worked hard on. ”
I finish my argument and look between my dad and the idiots. I want them to understand and see my reasoning. They are not going to be happy with it, but I don’t want them to freak out about it while they are gone. I hate making them worry.
“No one has gotten through the security at base yet. They have here,” Grey says like he gets an opinion on my safety.
“Good observation skills, Greyson, but if you noticed, there are pictures of me coming and leaving base, showing that they know where it is and that I’m there regularly.
And we have the same security system at both homes.
If they got through mine, they could get through that one if needed,” I reply as sweetly as I can just to annoy him.
I’m not even sure why the asshole is still here.
My dad is now looking between me and Grey while John smirks.
Grey is just giving me a death glare that makes me smile.
He is so easy to annoy; it’s slowly turning into one of my favorite hobbies.
“I did set up a backup feed so it doesn’t happen again. I’m going to try and set up one or two more backups before I leave,” Gig chimes in. He isn’t exactly on my side, but he will give all the facts, even if they swing the argument in my favor.
Him and the other two idiots are pissed that this happened right before they have to report back to base.
They are supposed to leave in the next few days, and I know this is going to be hard on them, especially because it takes a while to get messages to them.
After this, I can tell that they are going to want more than the weekly phone check in with me until this blows over.
I don’t mind talking to my idiots, but I’m trying to get a social life at some point, and I don’t really want to have to spend the small amount of free time that I have calling my brothers and staying on the phone with them until they are certain that I’m fine.
Sometimes, they can be high maintenance—they should honestly thank their lucky stars that I love them.
“I can promise to call and text you more than I already do so you can make sure I’m okay.
You know I can handle myself, but I need to start having my own life,” I say, hoping Dad can understand exactly why I want my own space.
I need to try and detangle myself from my family a little.
I feel like there has been one crisis after another my entire life, and we needed to lean on each other for those times.
But I’m twenty-four now, with multiple businesses and my own home.
I want some independence. My dad puts down his fork and remains quiet.
“I would feel better if John or someone was here at night, just until I get back from the few jobs that we have coming up. You usually work during the day, and it would just be until I get back, and can be fifteen to thirty minutes away if someone was able to get in again,” he responds.
“Sorry, Willow, but I have to go visit my sister for two weeks, minimum. The shop wasn’t due to open until the end of the month, so I was going to go visit her while I’m still retired,” John says, not looking up from his plate as he cuts his food and shovels it in his mouth.
I swear I see a small smirk like the old man is up to something.
He has always been known to meddle in everyone’s business, and retirement has not helped.
“I can do it.” Knox’s voice comes out of nowhere, and the entire table goes silent. I look at him with the same shock as everyone else. Well, Grey just looks pissed off, but I’m convinced that’s just how his face is.
“We have the bike expo that we have to go to,” Jackson says with a face that now just looks as pissed as Grey’s.
“Only one of us has to go, and we both know you’re the one that deals with all of the behind-the-scenes bullshit at the shop anyways. I’m just there for the build and the paint. I’ll be in town, and I can keep Willow safe,” Knox says in a confident tone, like it makes the most sense in the world.