Dana stepped inside and then carried three dishes into the kitchen. “Pippa, our resident amazing chef, is out of town, so I made you a chicken casserole and a cannellini bake, both with directions on the tinfoil. I’ll put them in the freezer.”
Gemma partially stood. How incredibly kind. “Can I getyou anything?”
Dana slid the dishes into the bottom freezer and opened the fridge, taking out a 7UP. “I had these added to your grocery list since I figured I’d visit.” She placed the third dish on the counter. “These are sugar cookies with peanut butter cups broken up inside them. They’re Jethro’s favorite, and it’s Pippa’s recipe, so they’re good.” Then she removed her coat, hung it neatly in the mudroom, and moved gracefully toward the table with her soda. For her visit, she wore a pink sweater, black jeans, and stunning blackleather boots.
“Those are amazing boots,” Gemma said, angling her head to view them better.
Dana smiled and sat. “I have a thing for boots.” She leaned forward, her eyes dancing. “One of my sisters is a buyer for luxury brands now and always gets us great deals. It’s awesome.” She opened the soda.
Gemma would love boots like those. “It’s kind of you to cook for us, but I don’t want to impose.”
Dana sipped her soda. “Pippa has gotten us all so spoiled with her cooking that when she’s gone, one of us gives it a try. Right now I don’t feel like writing anything, so I figured I’d bake.”
Gemma took a drink from her water bottle. “We reallyappreciate it.”
Dana nodded and smoothly unraveled a plush-looking green scarf from around her neck. “Anything to keep my mind off this baby constantly kicking me.”
The front door opened and Jethro shoved his way inside, half carrying an injured Ian. Oliver, just as tall, broad, and dangerous-looking a man as Gemma remembered, followed behind.
Gemma’s eyebrows lifted.
Jethro winced. “Wehave company.”
Dana stood and wrapped her scarf around her neck before hurrying toward the mudroom.
Gemma looked at Jethro, paused, and then stood to follow her new friend. “Areyou all right?”
Dana pulled on her heavy coat, then turned and smiled. “Yes. I’m fine, but I think I need to throw up for about an hour now, and I’d rather do that at home.” She leaned in for an impulsive hug. “Thank you for worrying, but don’t. I’m good.”
Gemma returned the hug and leaned back, impressed by the woman. “You’re so strong to realize exactly what you need.” Maybe Gemma should take a page from Dana’s book and really figure out what she needed and wanted.
Dana chuckled. “It’s a slow process, but I’m happy. Very happy.” She hooked her arm through Gemma’s and returned to the living room to say hi to Jethro, greet twins Ian and Oliver, and head out the door.
Gemma watched as Jethro dumped Ian on one end of the cloud-soft sofa and Oliver dropped to the other side, both immediately pulling the levers for the built-in ottomans to roll out. From what she could tell, Ian had the broken leg and Oliver the broken wrist—black cast and blue cast. They were both beat to heck, with bruises, burns, and stitches evident wherever their skin was exposed.
Jethro handed Ian the remote control for the flat-screen on the opposite wall and then moved toward her.“Can we talk?”
“Sure.” She paused before following him to the master bedroom. “Can I get either ofyou anything?”
Ian flipped on the television, turning to the sports channel as if he had a direct line to the right number. “Jethro is on it, I think. I hope.”
Okay. Gemma followed Jethro into her bedroom and then turned as heshut the door.
He held up a hand. “I apologize for just bringing them here, but they’re injured because of me, and I couldn’t leave them out there alone and unprotected.”
She blinked. “Of course you couldn’t.” Did he honestly think she’d expect him to forget his friends because of her? They obviously were very injured in the bombing. “I would’ve brought them here, too.”
Jethro straightened to his full, impressive height, surprise glowing in his eyes. “Oh. Well, nobody is after them, so they actually bring protection rather than more danger toyou and Trudy.”
She held back a smile. He’d obviously come up with several good arguments to persuade her to allow the men to stay, but it wasn’t even her house and she truly didn’t have a right to say no. Which she wouldn’t do anyway. “They need help and we’rehere, Jethro.”
His shoulders visibly relaxed. “Oh. All right.” He gave her that look, the one that warmed her inner thighs. “They can crash on the sofa.”
Though the sofa was ultra comfortable for watching television, those men needed to heal. “They can have the master bedroom, Jethro,” she said softly. “I can either stay in Trudy’s room…or yours.” She held her breath.
His smile was wicked. “Mine it is, then.”
Her body tingled, head to toe.
