Page 42 of Healing Creek
Ah. Jupiter was back. His friend. Though she suspected Creek wouldn’t have used the word.
Grace smiled remembering the Arena Dog and his mates. “I’m glad they’re safe.”
“Feeona might have better luck figuring out where your sister is, from her…less reputable contacts.”
That would be a relief. With every day that passed, Grace became a little more certain that her sister’s circumstances were deadlier.
The sound of joyful female laughter drew Grace out of her dread. Feeona walked down the hall with Jupiter and Seneca. Their shoulders brushed together as they moved. Small touches passed back and forth. A dark-haired, brown-skinned boy walked with them. The boy carried a cold-pack container from a handle slung over his shoulder. Feeona ruffled his hair as he joined her in laughter.
Creek followed the sound as well.
As they reached, them Jupiter stepped forward and pulled Creek into an embrace with a slap on the back. “Creek. Glad to see you.”
“And you.”
As Jupiter stepped back, the others closed the distance. Grace could see the longing in Creek’s eyes. Jupiter and his mates had become a close knit family in the time they were gone. Before there had been passion between them, but this was something more. Something Creek longed for.
Feeona turned to the viewport. “Impressive gathering, isn’t it?”
Creek nodded. “Samantha put a call out to her friends and they came. Many are boarding now to take over for St. Germaine’s old crew.”
It wouldn’t do to take anyone they couldn’t trust to Haven—the secret resistance base.
Grace added, “And I’m told it was your clever negotiating that raised enough funds to pay them all.”
Feeona shook her head. “My threats and blackmail, to be more honest.”
Jupiter huffed. “Parting the slavers from their money can only be considered a thing of beauty, my mate.”
Both Samantha and Feeona had proven their worth to this growing family. What did Grace have to offer? Nothing but trouble.
Feeona waved off his flattery but her face glowed. She put a hand on the boy, who was now staring out at the gathering of ships. She introduced him as Toby.
Seneca smiled at the boy. “He’s one of the children Feeona rescued from her home world while Jupiter was here on the slave ship.”
“Oh, heavens. You make me sound like a hero then slap me down with that terrible decision.” The color in Feeona’s cheeks deepened into a blush.
Grace had heard the story of how Feeona had sold Jupiter to the slaver to raise the funds to save several dozen children from death on a colony world and then come back to rescue him and Creek in the process.
Grace could only be grateful.
“Youarea hero,” said the boy. “You’re the Angel.”
“Now, let’s not go there, again,” Feeona protested. “Now that we have a reliable crew coming on board we can finally get to Haven and find out what’s going on with the resistance.”
Grace reached for Creek and found the muscle of his arm as tight as she’d expected. He did not want to return to Haven. But he took her hand readily enough and returned the soft squeeze she offered. She needed to get the whole story out of him before they arrived, so she would know how to support him.
Her mind was fixed firmly on that problem when Feeona looped her arm in Grace’s and tugged her away. “Come on. Let’s go see Samantha and let the big guys show each other how much they missed each other.” Jupiter huffed and Feeona grinned. “By beating up on each other, of course.”
“Uh, okay.” She returned Feeona’s smile.
“Toby, you’re with us.” She wrapped her free arm around the boy’s shoulder and leaned over and whispered to Grace. “This is going to be fun. We brought root beer.”
“Root beer?” So that was what Toby was carrying.
“Yep. Honest to God, made from natural ingredients, root beer.”
“Where—”
