“Oh,hellyes! I can already tell that I’m going to devour this.” Santi looks over at what Blair’s carrying and groans. “Fuck, we’re going to havetwocooks now? How did I get this lucky?”
The dishes are placed at the table that someone has already set with placemats, dishes, and glasses of water. There are even two white candlesticks that are lit and gently blowing in the breeze. These little touches must’ve been Blair’s doing. The rest of us never bother with setting the table.
“Careful,” Wes warns Blair as she places her dish down. “Santi bites if you don’t move your hands away from the food fast enough.”
Blair whips her head around to glare at Santi. “I’m not cooking for you ever again if you bite me.”
Santi’s pained sigh is dramatic and followed up with a wink in her direction. “Fine, biting is off the table. Got it. If you ever change your mind, just let me know, okay?”
I’m torn between amused and fucking annoyed. Santi is the friendliest of the four of us and his teasing is harmless. Butmy teeth gnash together all the same. My jealousy is ugly but I manage to keep it hidden.
“Shut up, Santi,” Rhett says as he drifts over to where we’re all congregating. “Blair’s not going to be around long enough to entertain the idea of your teeth anywhere near her.”
There’s a hardness to his words, maybe even a bit of bitterness, but that’s just Rhett. I shoot him a warning look, though. I want Blair to be comfortable here in her new home. She’ll have to get used to his attitude but Rhett could cool it a bit, at least for a little while.
Santi laughs as he reaches for a mushroom. His hand is slapped away by Wes.
“Attempt to touch this food again and you’ll end up missing a limb,” Wes orders. “Go wash your damn hands and wait for the rest of dinner to be done.”
Santi practically runs off, grinning ear to ear. I chuckle at his excitement and settle down at one of the benches. Blair moves to pass me but I snag her wrist and yank her down to sit beside me. This earns me a glare.
“You still mad at me?” I ask her.
Blair’s chin juts up in defiance, and her brown eyes flash with indignation. “Yes. Youliedto me.”
My thumb strokes the soft skin of the wrist I’m still holding. I nod, holding her gaze while trying not to get too caught up in the feel of Blair. How is it that such an innocent touch can cause my blood to simmer?
Fuck. I let her go instantly.
No fucking touching, asshole, I remind myself.
“I’m sorry, Blair. Your father and I should’ve told you straight from the start what would happen in a situation like this. To be fair, when we made this plan you weremuchyounger and you needed looking after.”
Blair lowers her chin, some of her attitude slipping away as she stares up at me earnestly.
“We can’t let Dad face this threat on his own,” she says, a slight wobble in her voice.
The sound of her distress nearly throws all my carefully crafted control out the window. I fight the urge to drag her into my body and hold her tight. I want Blair to feel safe and happy here, not scared.
“Why don’t I put out some feelers?” I offer. “See if anyone I know has heard anything about this hit or about movement in the area he was last? I tried looking into this while I was waiting for you to arrive, but I was too distracted to really press the issue. Now that you’re safe, I can do a deeper dive. I’ll go through my contacts and see if any of them know anything. Then, once we have something to go off of, we can decide what to do then.”
Blair’s worried expression morphs into relief. She leans closer to me as she nods. It takes everything in me to hold still, to not close the distance between us. Fuck, having Blair around will test my resolve.
“I’d appreciate it,” she says quickly. “But what if you don’t find anything? I won’t give up on him.”
“No one said anything about giving up,” I tell her. “I don’t want my friend in any more trouble than you do. We’ll figure this out, Blair. Just put a little faith in me, alright? Let me see what I can do.”
My heart stutters as Blair’s face splits into a grin. I suck in a sharp breath, bracing myself as I’m hit with an unfettered look of joy on her face. Joy thatIcaused.
“Thanks, Ledger.”
The night is dying down.
Dinner was, unsurprisingly, delicious. We’ve moved from the table to the firepit chairs, conversation ebbing and flowing with ease. Watching Blair in a setting other than one that requires near-silence due to a looming threat, or that requires any type of survival skills, has been… enlightening. During jobs, Blair is vigilant, tense—even in the quiet moments. Sure, I’ve seen her playful side over the years, but clearly, they’d been water-downed versions of the real thing.
Hearing her unfettered laugh, so sweet and charming, catches me off guard. It happens pretty often, thanks to Santi’s typical antics. And she’s quick to tease and be playful with him in return. It’s almost like flirting, but with an air of innocence. There are still moments when she grows tense, mostly when Rhett opens his mouth. She’s good about letting his jabs roll over her, though. Then there’s the way she flushes every time Wes refills her plate or glass. It’s like she’s not used to the consideration.
Maybe she’s not? Anchor loves his daughter more than life itself, but affectionate and doting were not his forte.
