I gulped down all the emotions clogging my throat.
“Maybe one day,” I whispered.
She nodded, and then we were interrupted. Or for me, more like saved, when Bronson announced the food was ready. Lake gave my arm a gentle squeeze and then dropped her hand as the other women chose that moment to make their way toward us.
I was pretty sure from the tentative looks on their faces that they had been giving us space. I didn’t think that Capri or Gemma would have said anything about what happened earlier in the house, but the women were smart and I’m sure all of them could see the tension and unease radiating off of me.
I’d also run off earlier and hid after that, so it was pretty obvious I wasn’t of sound mind.
That didn’t seem to deter them now though. They approached, chattering about how they were starving and this or that as if nothing was wrong. I appreciated it more than they knew. My gaze caught on my kids wandering back up the road, the bundle of fur still in my daughter’s arms.
“I’ll be right in to dish up a plate,” I told everyone as theystarted into the house to grab their food. I wanted to check on Lennon and Breland. Plus, I needed the chance to take a couple of cleansing deep breaths so I could make it through the rest of the day.
The ladies all nodded or said something to acknowledge me, then were gone. Lake paused for a second, clearly worried as Bronson and Huntley approached with platters of hamburgers and hot dogs in hand.
Bronson gave me a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes, but it was the other man that I was more hyper-aware of, and my eyes met his.
“You good?” Lake asked.
“Yeah,” I told her, not looking her way.
She took the platter from Huntley’s hands, then she and Bronson went inside leaving me alone with Huntley. I darted a quick look in the kids’ direction, but they were still a little bit away. I didn’t want Lennon to get into another confrontation or to worry.
Putting on a brave face, something I didn’t feel so much right then, I looked up into Huntley’s eyes.
“I will never hurt you,” he said in an emotionally fueled, gruff voice. He’d already said that, but I could tell that it was important that I heard him again.
And Ibelievedhim.
Wanting him to stop beating himself up over it, something I could tell he was doing, I replied, “I know.”
His eyes widened and he sucked in a deep breath. Surprise and relief flashed across his handsome face.
The man was really something to look at.
He was tall, with a lean build, but I’d noticed the muscular thighs in his jeans along with the rippling abs and chest that pressed against his mossy-green T-shirt. I had a feeling that the color made his deep green eyes stand out even more thanusual. He had dark brown hair on his head that matched the sexy scruff on his perfectly angular face.
Wait, sexy?
“Mom,” I heard Lennon call out, pulling my attention from thinking about the distractingly good-looking guy in front of me. Again, a surprising thought since I didn’t notice that type of thing,ever.
My head swiveled toward the kids as they approached and then back to Huntley. He took his cue.
“Will you be okay?” he asked in a sincere tone that had my stomach fluttering again.
With a nod that seemed to appease him since no words emerged from my mouth, he smiled and walked inside, leaving me to wait as the kids finished walking my way.
Lennon’s gaze stayed on Huntley until he disappeared completely and then came to mine as the two teens that had become everything to me stopped in front of me. I pierced them with a reassuring smile, letting them know everything was good and asked if they were ready to eat.
All of a sudden kids were running past us back out the door with plates in their hands and some of the adults trickled out behind them. I couldn’t help but laugh, knowing that there were bound to be a few hot dogs that would hit the dirt.
Capri moved past us, her daughter Italia perched on her hip as she carried a plate in her other hand. “There’s enough food in there to feed an army. Which we are clearly working toward with this group.” She giggled and headed toward the other kids.
I hadn’t seen Lake come out yet, but Stormi must have made her way past me because she was suddenly by my side, empty handed. “Auntie River, my hot dog just slid off my plate.” She flashed me with an adorable pouty face. “Zandersaid just eat it, that a little dirt wouldn’t hurt me, but that’s gross.”
Lennon and Bre laughed next to me. God, I loved hearing that. It just didn’t happen as often as I would like but maybe all three of us could find our way to more laughter together with this new group around. The kids definitely made things interesting.
“I’ll help you get another one,” Bre said, shocking the crap out of me.
