Chapter 11
KELLAN
Itry, but I can't stop grinning. My entire body is happy and humming, as if I've been in a warm sauna. Sleeping with Jenna in my arms was like a vacation for my soul.
I shuffle around the kitchen, going through the motions of making coffee and prepping breakfast while my mind spins. Jenna is clearly shy. A bit nervous. Hopefully some stability would be good for her.
It's not at all my place to take over and organize her entire life, but I can’t help but think that if she were living here, she could continue her work with no stress.
If she needed to take photos in the city, we could go there anytime.
Hell, if she suddenly needed to take photos in Italy, we could go there anytime.
I hear movement and reach behind me without looking until I find an arm. With a quick spin, Jenna and I are dancing around the kitchen.
"I love that you're in such a good mood in the morning," she says, shimmying in her adorable lavender sleep shorts and tank top.
"You would prefer a grumpy old mountain man?"
"Well, that's what I expected. I mean…you’re a bit older."
My eyes narrow as I growl at her, gathering her legs up before carrying her to the dining room. "Just for that, you don't get to help me make breakfast. In fact—"
I jerk up my chin when I hear noise outside, then I set her on her feet. "Truck in the driveway. Doesn’t sound like any of my brothers. Maybe you should—"
"Proper clothes? Got it."
"If it's your stepdad, don’t worry, I haven't seen you. Anyone else, I'll holler." She nods, then dashes up the stairs.
A quick glance out the window identifies the dirty old pickup. "Jenna, it's just my cousin," I call out. "He's cool."
"Thanks – should I still hide up here?"
"No way, baby. Come on down whenever you're ready." Someday soon, I was going to be announcing to the whole world that she’s my girl anyway, and I have to admit, my grouchy cousin wouldn’t have been my pick for first on the list, but that’s okay.
I fling open the front door and smile at one of the few men on the mountain who is even bigger than me.
Not just taller…wider. Mostly muscle, with a surly attitude thrown in that matches his nickname.
No surprise, he doesn’t exactly smile back, although there’s the smallest hint of warmth in his eyes.
"Morning, Bear. Come on in. Coffee?"
He nods, automatically kicking off his work boots and leaving them on the mat in the foyer. "Sure."
I fill a large mug and set it in front of where he's already seated at the kitchen table. “Strong and black, just how you like it.”
“Great.” His head jerks up when he hears footsteps on the stairs. “Crap. Am I interrupting something?”
“Not at all.” I wave Jenna into the kitchen, grinning at how adorable she looks in jeans and a comfy sweatshirt, her hair pulled back in a clip. “Baby, come meet my cousin Emerick.”
“I’m Jenna,” she says, shaking his hand.
He smiles at her warmly, his rough energy instantly softening. “Bear.”
Her eyebrow quirks up. “Bear?”
I chuckle. “Yeah. As in, if they called him Rick, or any other short form of Emerick, it would be like poking the bear.”
He winks at Jenna, then releases her hand and turns to growl at me. “I’m here to help you, asshole. Remember that?”
Over coffee Bear explains how his brothers Knox and Thane are also on board with helping fix the roads.
The three of them have construction experience, so they’re already collecting supplies, gear, and trucks along with my brothers.
They’re also rounding up workers from Pinesley and organizing them into teams.
Bear shakes his massive head. “Some of these guys want to work, but don’t even have proper boots. Kingston sent a few dozen of them money yesterday. This morning they’re shopping for work gear and getting ready to go.”
“Wow,” Jenna marvels. “Pre-paying them for the work is amazing.”
“Not even payment for the work yet. They said to think of it as a signing bonus.” Bear shrugs, and I swear he almost chuckles. Almost.
“Wait. How did I not hear about this?” I check my phone, but there haven’t been any texts from my brothers since early yesterday afternoon.
Bear clears his throat. “You were spotted driving around with this young lady. I guess they assumed you’d be busy.
” He nods to Jenna. “Sorry for the intrusion, miss. But the other four brothers are all slammed with gathering supplies, meanwhile some important backup hasn’t happened for over a week. ”
He pulls a small blue hard drive from his pocket, then smirks. “They said that since I’m family, I have the security clearance to hand you this.”
“Right. Be right back.” I take it downstairs and transfer the latest master copy of our algorithm from it onto my computer hidden in the basement. All five of us have a similar setup, and a random system to keep the data backed up securely.
On my way back upstairs, I hear Jenna laughing. “They pay for that, too? Isn’t that wildly expensive?”
Bear snorts. “Girlie-girl, you must have no idea about the fortune your new boyfriend has. The Wolfe family has always been…let’s call it comfortable.
But those tech brothers…” I catch his eye in the reflection of the window, so he knows I’m coming up behind him.
“They’re what Grandma would call unholy loaded. ”
“Hey now.”
He pretends to be startled, which makes Jenna laugh. Then he chugs his coffee and takes the drive from my hand. “So I’m to give this to whichever of your brothers I run into next?”
“Yes. Thank you.”
The chair creaks ominously as Bear stands up.
“Nice to meet you, Jenna. Sorry to interrupt your morning.” He turns to me, and I’m shocked when he claps me on the shoulder.
“The guys said this was all your idea. The roads need fixing, and those people need work. Good job, Kellan. Good coffee, too.” Bear lumbers off without another word.
Once his truck has disappeared down the driveway, Jenna asks, “You don’t hug your own cousin goodbye?”
“Ha! No. Those guys are not huggy types. Good men, but loners with a capital L. They live on the other side of the mountain, close to Rathlock.”
Jenna seems thoughtful as we scramble eggs and then take our breakfast out to the futon to watch the morning sun fully take hold.
All families are weird. I guess it’s going to take some time for her to get used to mine.