Page 11 of Bernadette
“Okay, calm down, nothing to be worried about. Where did you tell them to meet you?”
“Here, I gave them the address to the compound.”
“Good, then let’s all go out an meet them. Nothing to panic about, he’s like any other guy, he puts his pants on one leg at a time.” The women laughed, and it was Joyce who walked up to Lucas and placed a hand on his shoulder.
“Breathe, he’s no more special than anyone else. As long as you remember to breath, then everything will be fine.”
Lucas looked at her like she’d lost her mind, but when the others nodded and didn’t seem worried, he took a few seconds to calm his nerves. He was about to meet the person he had hired to make sure his uncle and future aunt would be extra safe on their wedding day. By the time everyone was outside, they looked toward the road when they heard what sounded like hundreds of bikes arrive, but Morgan grinned when she saw most of her brothers pull into the driveway. They waved on their way past, and went to park their bikes in the garage. The men had just come back to stand next to the women when several vehicles began to pull in.
“What’s up?” Justin asked his girlfriend Ava. “We are expecting people?”
“We are, these are the people Lucas hired to protect Morg and Wyatt at the wedding.”
“Ah, the guys from Montana?”
“Yes.” Everyone watched as several vehicles pulled in, and they watched as Lucas directed them as to where to park. By the time it was all said and done, there were at least nine additional vehicles, and at least eighteen men and women, two children, and one dog. Everyone watched as the dog looked around and made a beeline for Alice.
“Six!” Alice laughed as she dropped to one knee and held out her arms for the animal. She laughed as she was bombarded by him and began rubbing him down. While they watched that, Lucas looked around, and after getting a nod from Morgan, he stepped forward.
“Hi, I’m Lucas Erwin, which one of you is Hank?”
“I am,” Hank said as he stepped forward and held out his hand to the younger man. “This is my wife, Sadie, and our daughter, Emma.” After that it took a good twenty minutes for introductions to be made and then Hank finally asked, “Why are we here exactly?” Everyone turned to look at Lucas and he stood there looking like a deer in the headlights, turning his head back and forth between Hank and Morgan.
“Lucas?” Morgan stepped up and laid a gentle hand on his bicep. “What is it?”
“I don’t know how much to tell these guys. I don’t want them to step on your toes.”
Morgan grinned, then turned to Hank. “Come on over to the office, and we can read you in.”
“I can take the children,” Dottie said from her position on the porch. “I have a fresh batch of cookies fresh out of the oven.” She smiled when all the men whipped their heads over to her and she only shook hers. “The girls will be fine upstairs with me, while the rest of you discuss what needs to be done.” She turned on her heel and walked back into the house.
“Who was that?” Hank scowled at the people before him.
“My mother,” Morgan snickered at his shocked expression, then she followed the older women into the house, expecting the others to come in. It took some time, but everyone finally entered the compound, and the new arrivals stopped short and stared in shock.
“You live here?” Hank demanded of Morgan, who held a warm chocolate chip cookie in her hand and shook her head.
“I don’t, but they do,” she waved her hand to the others standing there. “I live two miles down the road at Wyatt’s ranch.”
Everyone stood around, until Hank asked, “You got a bathroom?”
“Yep,” Morgan said then laughed at his expression.
“I’ll take them downstairs,” Chuck said as he headed toward the door that would lead them to the basement.
“Bring them to the office when you’re done!” one of the women called out.
Chuck only paused to yell back, “Down or out?”
“Down!” several women yelled, and Chuck nodded as he took the men down to the basement. “Here you go,” he said as he pointed to the bathroom that all the men had used before the J’s moved upstairs with their women.
“Wow, this is big,” Hank said as he went in and returned in a few minutes. The others followed and listened as Chuck explained the living situation in the house, they all referred to as the compound.
“What did the women mean by down or out about the office?” Boomer asked as he joined them in the area they used as a gym.
“There are two offices, one down here that the ladies used while we were building the permanent one outside. They are connected by a tunnel, but if you’re here early because of Lucas, the information you’re going to want to know about is in the office down here.” He pointed, and the others referred to him, and he led the way to the other side of the basement. He opened the door, and the women were coming down the steps as the men came in from the other direction. It took a few minutes, but they were finally all settled down, and everyone turned to Lucas.
“It’s your show,” Morgan waved her hand at him. “I’m not throwing you under the bus. I’m here if you need me, but you hired them, and you need to tell them why they are here.”
