“Hello, Miss Annabelle. What a grand sight you are.”
“Flatterer.” Annabelle fell into the chair opposite him as Branna climbed out of hers to go and get the coffee.
“Are you well, Annabelle?”
“I just had my first flight in Ethan’s metal insect, so it’s fair to say I’m a little rattled, Declan.”
“Ah, well, that would explain the tension I see in your eyes, then.”
She’d had enough tension in her already after Cooper had pulled his stunt and stolen her money, but now, after Ethan had kissed her, she was strung tighter than high-tensile wire. They were a perceptive bunch, her friends, and if she was going to get through this situation without any of them knowing what her brother had done, she was going to have to be clever. For all anyone in this town knew, Cooper Smith was making it big in Vegas as an IT genius. Whenever anyone asked her about him, she kept her lies as brief as she could, because Annabelle loved her friends and lying to them went against everything she believed in.
“And how was your first flight?”
“Amazing, but I’ll thank you not to tell the Texan that. He told me I’d enjoy it, and you know how I hate being agreeable around him.”
“Ethan is a good man for all the bravado.”
And Ethan is a good kisser.
Recently reconnected with his daughter, Declan O’Donnell had not been in Annabelle’s life that long. She’d known him eleven years ago when he and Branna had moved to Howling after the death of his wife, but grief had made him a cold and silent man back then. But all that had changed now, and because he believed that Annabelle had intervened in his daughter’s life at a time when he could not, and in doing so had saved it, he treated her like one of his children too.
“Are those chocolate cupcakes?”
“With chocolate frosting,” Branna added as she lowered the plate of cupcakes to the table along with a mug of steaming coffee.
“You know I love you, right?”
“Ha, you’re like Jake, only loves me when I place food in front of him.”
“That’s harsh, considering you’re wearing my ring,” Jake said, coming in through the front door and moving to his girl’s side. “There must be one or two other things that I can tolerate, surely? I mean, there’s that thing you do with the vacuum,” Jake added.
Annabelle laughed as Branna punched Jake in the arm. He of course just grabbed her and wrapped his arms around her tightly, then placed a loud, smacking kiss on her lips.
Theirs had not been an easy journey. Both had had troubles in their past, but their two wounded souls were healing under the warmth of their love, which was a beautiful thing for their friends and family to watch. It was wrong of her to feel jealous of what they now had together, and probably jealousy wasn’t the right word, but the longing she felt inside her when she saw them share looks or touches was a physical thing for Annabelle.
She felt as if she’d been alone her entire life. Yes, she had brothers who loved her—had loved her, she corrected—but she had always been in charge, and no one had shared her burdens when she’d desperately wanted someone to. Of course there was also the fact that she rarely let anyone close. It was hard to share when you kept everyone a good arm’s length or two away.
Annabelle picked up her coffee and sipped as Ethan walked in. He had young Mikey Tucker draped upside down over one muscled shoulder. The boy was laughing as the Texan tickled him.
“Look what we found skulking around outside.” Ethan flipped the boy upright and lowered him gently to his feet. Mikey shot across the room to hug his favorite person, Branna.
He lived in town with his grandma, mother and brother. His mother travelled with her job and the rest of his family was too busy to take much time with him, so Branna, Jake and Declan did.
“Grandma said you came to visit, Annabelle.”
“Yup, did that two days ago, squirt. Just checking her over because she doesn’t like to leave the house much.”
“Is she all good?” His little face was worried.
Jake placed a hand on his head to reassure him. “All good, Mikey. She just needs to keep up with those meds of hers, and not get too much stress in her life.”
“Connor gives me stress, so I can only imagine what he does to Grandma.”
He was a serious young boy most of the time and they often commented on his being almost too old for his young age. He had an above average IQ like Branna, so they were the perfect match for each other.
“Branna and I think he’s got a few issues he’s dealing with, squirt, and it wouldn’t hurt to cut him a break or two.” Annabelle felt Ethan move around the room and then he came into her line of sight before disappearing towards the kitchen. Suddenly she could breathe again.
“Issues?” The boy leaned on Branna.
