Page 131 of Love Him Like Water

“Go get the kid, I guess.”

“Coal?” he clarified.

He’d been left alone for nearly two days at this rate. The guy was probably severely dehydrated and starving.

“Yeah. Free him. Get him cleaned up. Feed him. Then tell him to show up on my doorstep tomorrow morning.”

“You going home to your wife?” Rico asked, eyes knowing.

Fuck yeah, I was.

Lore - 2 weeks

The apartment was filled with familiar scents.

Turkey, gravy, buttery mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, fluffy rolls, the whole shebang.

Renzo had tried to insist that I should take the time off, slow down, recover after my ‘ordeal.’

But I’d never been more motivated to pull the whole Thanksgiving dinner idea together as I’d been following the attack, knowing how so many of these men and women had worked their asses off to protect Renzo and me.

After all the betrayal and loss, I felt like they needed this.

And I was happy to give it to them.

Well, me and Elian, who was by my side in the kitchen, lending the extra set of hands I didn’t realize I’d need so desperately, since I’d never done a whole holiday meal like this before.

The family had been through a lot that made them feel torn apart.

This, I hoped, would help them feel like a family again.

There was nothing better than everyone gathered around a table, enjoying a meal and conversation to help you connect.

“How is it?” I asked after Elian dipped a spoon into the mashed potatoes to taste them for me.

“If you weren’t married, I’d propose right now,” he said, smile warm.

“Well, married and like a little sister to you…”

“That too,” he agreed, looking across the room to where his sister was being casually charmed by the enigmatic Dav.

Elian’s brothers were also in attendance. I’d needed to buy an extension for our table and more chairs for this event.

A lot of the crew had their own families to go back to, but there was a surprising number of them who had no one and nowhere to go. Including the new kid, Coal.

No family.

Until now.

“Ready?” I asked as he grabbed the potatoes and I grabbed the rolls, the rest already on the table.

“Yep.”

“Dinner,” I called, making everyone’s heads turn to me.

But I only sought one face.

Renzo’s.

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