Page 103 of Home to the Hollow

A tight feeling swells in my chest, and I cough when I try to speak. My eyes burn, and a little ball of fear ices in my gut, but I ignore it as I lean into the three of them. We’re quiet for a while, just standing in the middle of the yard, wrapped around one another.

“Oi! When were you assholes going to tell me our girl was home?”

I turn my head, seeing Doyle in identical—yet all black—duds, stalking across the lawn as if he’s going to beat the hell out of the guys for leaving him out.

Maybe the expansion isn’t such a poor plan. Maybe this time, it’s different.

Confident

“Is she fuckingserious? I’m going tokillthat Jameson drinking rave fairy!”

The growl from the bedroom makes me giggle. I knew the minute the garment bags arrived via messenger this morning that we were in trouble. Seer and her crew haven’t made it home yet, but the note included said they would be back in time for the ball. Their costumes are part of a group costume with my crew and I left the discovery of what mischief she was up to until the last minute on purpose.

This is one of the biggest events of the social season. It will feature all the freshly announced debutantes and alumnae—meaning both in-town and out-of-town attendees. In the Hollow, the ‘season’ comprises the presentation ball in the late summer—which I missed—and several other large-scale events throughout the year. They spent most of the year on charity events, community projects, and various public appearances that are used to network with the elite. At the end of the ‘season’, theBlack and White Ballcloses the year and completes the presentation of both the girls and their escorts in society.

It’s an antiquated tradition, but it’s part of the fabric of our town as surely as horses and bourbon. As a prominent community member—try not to laugh when you say that—and business owner, I'm expected to attend as are all of my guys. Unfortunately for them, the Halloween Masquerade is costume required, even for alumnae.

Thusly, Seer took it upon herself to design a group themed outfit for our band of merry misfits that has Edgar losing his mind. I haven’t opened my bag yet because the instructions pinned to it are very specific. Seer’s crazy loopy handwriting on the tag says I should don certain undergarments and fix my hair and make up a certain way. I’m not sure what she’s got cooking, but since the makeup part is simple so far, I think I can handle it.

That might have been part of her selection process, or she may have chosen the theme to aggravate my grumpy ass in the bedroom, but either way, I have a feeling this is going to be… special. Hell, I’m not even sure it’ll be acceptable for polite society, but since they’re already calling me a whore, I don’t rightly give a shit.

“Sugarplum, you’re going to want to see this,” Wolfie says with a grin. “I need some of your supplies in here to finish the growly hound and I. Do you mind?”

I blink as he gathers up shadows, powders, brushes, and liners in a small basket. I’m not sure where the basket came from, but his grin makes me suspicious. “Why would you need both smoky and autumn tones, and where did you learn to do makeup?”

He laughs, leaning in to kiss my temple. “There are lots of things you don’t know about me, love. You’ll have to unravel them one by one when the house is done.”

My eyes widen at the moniker, and he chuckles, sashaying a little as he heads out the door. Wolfie is downright adorable when he gets saucy and, like Prez said, he’s developing a mischievous streak a mile long. I find it cute, and Teddy seems to enjoy it, so I figure I’m a beneficial influence. At least, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

Humming under my breath, I look at Seer’s list, frowning when I see lashes.Christ, she has faith in me, doesn’t she?This is more paint than I’ve ever put on without her. Hopefully, I don’t look like I got ready in the dark. Maybe Wolfie can help me with this part? I’m not sure I’m ready to attempt false lashes and whatever the hell she means by ‘uwu fat curl ‘fro’. I finish up the eyebrows, drawing the lines like her diagram and filling them in quickly. Amazingly, they don’t look stupid as fuck. Now, to call reinforcements.

“Wolfie?” I call, putting a base coat of mascara on my eyes per the paper. “I’m going to need you.”

“Oi! Just because I drew the short straw and got the easy costume doesn’t mean I can’t help!” Doyle shouts from the other room. A low dark growl that can only be Teddy is the response, and I cover my mouth as I giggle.

“Unless you can help me put on false eyelashes, then I don’t need you at this moment,” I yell back, adding another layer of liner around my lids as I read through the list.

“Feck. Not my area of expertise, Tíogair. I’m free for a zip up, though, when you get there.”

“Make yourself useful, Haggerty. Go refill the glasses since you’re the only one fully covered and not trussed up like a turkey,” Prez shoots back.

Ooh. That sounds quite interesting, and I’m kind of excited now.

If the guys are all in various states of undress, I’ll have a lot of roaming eyes to fend off, but that’s a small price to pay to watch them move all night. The distraction might keep me from having a panic attack about being back in the Whistler’s Hollow Junior Ladies Society headquarters. I haven’t been near that building since the night of the catastrophe, and I’m not looking forward to it one bit.

“I’m coming, sugarplum.” Wolfie pops in, chest bare and covered in some sort of golden, glittery body shit and… oil? What in the name of Hillbilly Buck from Heehaw is he dressed as? He looks like he’s ready for a shoot in Maxim. His eyes light up when he sees my face, and he claps his hands. “You did a right fine job so far. Hop up on the edge of the tub, and I’ll get your peepers fancied up real quick so I can get back to Grumpy Bear out there. He’s way worse off than you.”

I arch a brow. “I’m following Seer’s rules because it’s always fun, but should I be worried? You look like a foxy boxing wrestler and you don’t seem perturbed in the slightest. Teddy sounds like he’s going to go alphahole any second.”

“Oh, sugarplum. Not that bad. He’s not used to… needing to be masculine enough not to be masculine in public. Once he wraps his cute head around it, he’ll enjoy pissing off the normies—particularly his parents. He’s not there yet, though, so you have to let him settle.” He picks up a weird scissor thing that looks like something out of Torquemada’s go bag, then opens the box containing the lashes. His hands are nimble as he applies glue, picks them up with the shiny device and moves towards me. “Now, close your eyes, and keep them that way until I say.”

“Isn’t this a switch?” I mutter, doing as he asks.

“No, love,you’rea switch. Well, okay, you and Prez, though I’m uncertain about Doyle. He seems to listen to you better than I’ve ever seen him listen to anyone before. I can’t get a read on him, anyhow.”

I sigh, smiling to myself as he continues to babble on about our little crew fondly. Wolfie is the sunshine spirit in a pool full of sarcastic assholes, and I can’t imagine not having his bright smile around. Even though he’s a worse morning person than Teddy—which I’ve never understood—and a slob of the first degree, I’m looking forward to tripping over his shit all the time. I don’t know exactly what ‘amenities’ they have planned because I’ve been told outside of the damned chickens, it’s a surprise. Whatever it is, I don’t care—I want them here all the time, and I’m tired of fighting myself on it.

“Wolfie?”

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