Page 76 of Shattered Trinket

With a pout on my face, I cast a longing glance back at the nest before sighing deeply. Finally, I give him a quick nod and stand up, walking over to where all of them are as they all stand. Ridge holds his hand out for me, and I take it with a smile and a blush staining my cheeks as he grins down at me. His spiced gingerbread scent fills my senses, and I hesitantly lean into his side when we make it downstairs, relaxing completely when he wraps his arm around my shoulder and holds me to him.

Back in the house, we all congregate in the kitchen as Manny begins pulling things out of the refrigerator and pantry. As Ridge pulls out a stool for me, I sit down with a grateful smile, feeling at ease as I observe Manny’s movements in the kitchen.

“I hope you guys like tacos. We have some leftover birria that I made a couple of nights ago, so I figured that would be our best bet for tonight so you can get some sleep. You look about ready to pass out on the island,mi corazón,” Manny murmurs, stepping up to me and gripping my chin between his fingers, tilting my head up to look at him.

I blink sleepily up at him, and he shakes his head with a smile, kissing my forehead.

“Do you need any help?” Micah asks him, and Manny looks at him for a moment before eventually nodding, asking him to take care of the rice and beans while he cooks the tacos.

I rest my chin on my arms atop the island, watching the way the two of them cohesively move around the kitchen, almost like they’ve been doing it for years instead of this being the first time. While I get lost in watching them, Zeke and Ridge make small talk with Jeremiah, their words floating through the air. I catch snippets of their conversation, their voices blending together in a comforting symphony, but once I realize there’s no hostilitybetween them, I zone back out and go back to watching the two men cooking.

As Micah says something to Manny in Spanish, I notice the surprise in Manny’s expression as he glances at Micah with an arched eyebrow and a playful smile.

“Sabes español?”

“Sí. Mí mama es de Puerto Rico,” Micah responds, turning the rice and beans off and leaning against the counter with his arms crossed.

“I’d have never guessed,” I mumble sleepily, my stomach grumbling as the smell of spices and fresh tortillas fills the air.

Micah looks over at me, his eyes softening.

“Most don’t expect it when meeting me. But I’m curious about how you know Spanish so well. I don’t remember anything like that coming up in any of our sessions,” he says with a boyish grin that makes my heart stutter.

I smile back, resting my cheek on my arm.

“Four years of high school Spanish and an elderly man that was a regular at the diner I worked in. He spoke more Spanish than English and helped me practice if he was in on a slow day while I did my homework. I think he enjoyed having someone else to speak to in his own language. He was a lonely fellow that kept to himself, and I think I was the only person he spoke to back home.”

I shrug nonchalantly, but my voice carries a tinge of nostalgia as memories of Abuelo Emiliano resurface. He was always so kind, and I could see how much our time in the diner meant to him by the way his face lit up whenever we practiced my Spanish. When he died, the only two people present at his funeral were the priest and me, deepening my sorrow for the old man.

My cheeks heat when I feel the other’s eyes on me, and I sit up, glancing at them all.

“What?”

Manny’s eyes sparkle as he shakes his head with a grin, skillfully putting everyone’s plates together while Micah carries them over to the table when he finishes them.

“Nothing,Sirenita.You’re just showing us more of your kind heart, and everything we learn about you is like opening a gift on Christmas morning,” he says as we all get up to take our seats.

Manny pulls my chair out for me before taking the seat on my left, smirking at Zeke when he tries to snag the seat before him.

“Gotta be quicker than that,hermano,” he teases, and Zeke huffs, turning to take the seat on my right before groaning when he sees Jeremiah has already taken that spot.

Jeremiah’s brow arches as he observes him, a hint of amusement flickering in his eyes. Meanwhile, Zeke breathes out a weary sigh, then moves to the other side of the table, eventually settling himself in the chair across from me. Manny pushes my plate with two perfectly cooked birria tacos, beans, and rice closer to me with a wink, and the savory aroma of the food fills my nose.

As we eat, we talk, learning little tidbits about each other as we enjoy good food and each other’s company. The entire experience is surreal, but it makes my heart happy, nonetheless.

“So, Jeremiah. What, um, what are you doing for work now?” Ridge eventually asks him cautiously, and I stiffen slightly in my seat.

Jeremiah glances over at him, chewing slowly as he wipes his mouth with a napkin, contemplating his answer. As his eyes meet mine, his hand reaches out and delicately brushes against my cheek, a gentle smile playing on his lips, and I close my eyes as I lean into his touch. My eyes pop back open when I hear his sigh, and I watch as he leans back in his chair, crossing his arms protectively.

“I’ve been living off my savings for the last eight or so months, since I had to disappear for a while. Haven’t taken on a job since then,” he says with a shrug. “I decided a while ago to give that life up for Cozy when I thought it would just be me and her. Should have known better than that, though,” he laughs, tweaking my nose when my cheeks flush.

“It’s not my fault,” I grumble petulantly, pouting up at him and he chuckles.

“I know that, Dove. This is better. More people to protect you and keep you safe, and that alone makes having to share you worth it.”

When he looks back at Ridge, his face softens, and he rests his forearms on the table.

“So, to answer your real question. No, I’m not the Ghost anymore. Not to anyone but her, anyway. I still have a decent nest egg put away, but other than that, I’m not sure what I’m going to do for a job yet. I don’t think I’ve ever had a normal job. My life has been anything but normal since I was a kid.”

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