“What harm?” Rooster asked behind me.
Daisy and Shiv’s mouths fell open but their eyes were full of wonder. Turning, my brows shot up. Rooster’s fists were balled so tightly his knuckles were white and his jaw ticked below the short scruff.
“No harm in sending my resume to the CDC, where Shiv works.” I reached out and grabbed his fist, holding it until he relaxed it enough to put my hand into his. “I’m alright.”
“Did you eat?” he asked.
Turning, I waved my other hand over the table. “Mama Hen brought us snacks, but I’m starting to drool from the smell of the grills.” Mama Hen, with the help of a member, had taken a bunch of meat outside to cook and the savory smell waswafting inside.
“Shouldn’t be too long. Want to hang out here or go outside?”
Shiv jumped up. “Outside, let’s go.”
The other ladies stood as well, so I followed their lead. “I guess we’re going outside.”
Shiv threaded her arm through mine, pulling me away from Rooster. I shot him a tight-lipped smile as we headed out front. “I need to soak up all I can. It’ll be too cold for me soon.”
“You grew up in Illinois,” Lacy said as we took seats around a fire pit outside.
“Yeah,” Shiv replied, “but I’m from an island and I like it warm. Georgia was perfect in the summer. I hated winters up north. I can function here in the cooler months, I’m sure, but won’t be able to enjoy basking in the sun when it’s cloudy and fifty degrees.”
“Is this your first fall and winter here?” I asked as I sat in one of the Adirondack chairs around the unlit fire pit.
“Yep. Told you. These guys move fast.” Shiv grinned as she looked up behind me.
Rooster stood behind me as if he was guarding a celebrity: back straight, chin up, hands clasped together in front of him. “You know you can sit, right?”I asked.
“These chairs are taken. I don’t want to go inside to drag more out.”
Looking around, we had the four chairs around the fire pit occupied. There were picnic tables scattered around, but Ididn’t see any single chairs that we could easily move. Standing, I pointed to the seat. “Well, you sit, and I’ll just sit with you.”
Rooster cleared his throat and took a few beats, but he walked around the chair and sat, then reached for my waist and pulled me down. I giggled at first, but when I locked eyes with him, I got quiet. It was silly and cute… and intimate. Not in a sexy way, but a close way.
The last few days had been a whirlwind filled with angsty emotions and uncertainty. But sitting there in his lap, our arms around each other, his woodsy scent tickling my nose, and the heat of his palms over my back made it all seem so simple…and right.
“Tell me about this job,” he said in my ear. The low timbre of his voice sent goosebumps over my arms.
“Um, honestly, not exactly sure. Shiv said there were a few openings and I should apply. That would be kind of amazing. The CDC.”
He squeezed a little tighter. “The CDC isn’t too far from here.”
Shrugging with a grin, I told him, “Yeah. Kind of a hike from here according to my GPS search but I can always find something closer.”
“Hmm.”
“That’s getting ahead of myself. I haven’t even applied. But I think I might. I’ll take a look tomorrow morning. But after the long day, I just want to relax.”
He nuzzled into my hair, his warm breath dancing over my neck. “I’ll help you relax even more later.”
The promise of fun later wasn’t far from my thoughts as we coasted through the rest of the night. It was like a family barbeque. Music, good food, and good conversation were steady as the sun went down and a chill hit the air.
Stretching, I said, “What a fun party.”
“Oh, this was just a normal dinner. You’ll know when it’s a party. Alright,” Shiv said as we sat around the fire pit that someone finally had lit for us. “It’s too chilly, even with this fire. And I have work tomorrow.” She stood, stretching and grabbing her drink. “Kristie, welcome to the fam. Text me when you send your resume and I’ll get to work on the hookup.” We had exchanged numbers earlier when she was convincing me to apply.
“I will.”
Rooster buried his face into my hair, his voice low in my ear. “You bout ready to go up?”
