Page 7 of Love Finds Home

I narrow my eyes at Joker, who smirks back before going over everything he needs to with Lottie. I make myself as invisible as I can and lean against one of the walls, watching everyone. I knew Elle had been in town and staying with Tiny, but I didn’t realize she was so ingrained with the women already. Ginny and Trish surround her, asking about the benefit her family put on last week and getting caught up. Davis leans against the wall next to me, not taking his eyes off of Trish.

“I hear she’s not that bad,” he says in a quiet voice so no one can hear us.

“It doesn’t matter. I don’t want her there.”

He blows out a breath, chuckling at my distress. “You think that matters?”

“Doesn’t mean I can’t put up a fight.” I side-eye him.

“Take her money. Overcharge her if it makes you feel better. But you have the space, and Tiny knows it’ll be safe.”

“Yeah, cause he wants me to fucking babysit her.”

“You know you don’t have to do what everyone wants, right?”

“Except rent out my studio to some chaotic—” I cut myself off when Elle laughs at something the women say, “loud, anti-me.”

“Except that. And who knows, maybe you’ll find out she’s not so bad. You might even become,” he gasps dramatically, “friends.”

“Asshole,” I chuckle.

I watch the group in the room, my eyes straying to Elle more than I’m comfortable admitting. She’s a beautiful woman, there’s no doubt about that. When she smiles, her face lights up, but it’s in her stillness that she’s stunning. Those seconds don’t last long, but in those times, there’s a depth to her that one would miss if they weren’t looking for it. And I’m not looking for it, damn it. I move my gaze to Trish, who is absentmindedly rubbing her belly.

“Everyone excited about the baby?” I ask Davis, tipping my chin Trish’s way.

“Oh, yeah.” He nods. “Lucas has already picked out the nursery colors. Harper is making a list of books they have to have and Owen is working on a list of names.”

“Names, huh? What’s at the top of his list?”

“Ah, if it’s a boy, the current top name is Hades or Spartacus and if it’s a girl Persephone.”

“Should I ask?”

“He’s been binging the History channel where he got Spartacus and he read a book about Hades and Persephone.”

“So next week you’re going to give him a book about a David and Melissa?”

“Something like that,” he agrees with a laugh. “But, yeah, everyone’s excited. And we have the wedding we need to plan. Mom didn’t even cry much when we said we wanted to do it on the beach over in Diamond Cove.”

“Your mom is a peach, man.”

“She really is.”

“Let me know when, and I’ll be there. Just need enough time to close up the shop.”

“You know we wouldn’t do it without all of you. If it weren’t for you all, who knows what our lives would look like today.”

“You’d have found your way back to each other without us.” I wave him off.

“Maybe,” he agrees.

We move on to talk about basic bullshit, and when I notice Lottie and Tiny getting antsy, I lead the charge to get out of there. If they need my help, they’ll let me know, and until then, it’s always best to stay out of the way.

Home with a beer in my hand and my ass on the couch with silence is my paradise. After the Army and then being in the hospital for so long after the accident with those noises, I enjoy the silence. At the shop, the buzz of the tattoo guns don’t bother me, it’s like white noise. It shuts out all the chaos and I can focus on what I’m doing.

I don’t think of Vanessa often anymore, but meeting Elle for the first time has me reflecting on my life and where it went so horribly wrong. Because she lied to me, because she did what she did, I blame the aftermath on her. And my brother. I blame me being on the road in Georgia instead of in the sandbox on them. But even more than that, I can’t find a way not to blame her for losing a few of my men and the injury of more, since I wasn’t there with them. Survivor’s guilt is a real thing, that’s for sure.

Before I can spiral into a pit of despair, my phone rings.

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