Page 16 of Running on Empty

“Ah, no thanks, Gun,” she said. “Though if Lois opens that bottle of rosé…”

“I think we’d better,” Lois said with a cheeky grin. “Now, there’s plenty of nibbles outside. Go and grab something to eat.”

Kelly barbeques were alwayshuge events. Kids ran around screaming while all the adults in the clan–uncles, aunties, cousins and various other members gathered around the fire pit built in the backyard. Some of the men worked on the meat, waving stubbies around as they chatted by the grill, while a few of the women fussed over the table of salads and snacks, trying to keep the flies away as well as some of the more feral kids. The rest were sitting, relaxing and enjoying the warmth of the fire. But while most people turned around and waved hello, or called out my name, only three of the gathered Kellys got to their feet at my appearance.

Shit.

When Jax, Ash and Ronan stood up, I remembered my half-mumbled conversation with Jax, and my cheeks flushed bright red with belated embarrassment. It was obvious that the three of them had talked about it since, based on the Care Bear Stare the fuckers were rocking. I smoothed my hand down my jeans and took a healthy swig of my beer before turning back to Scarlett and Lois.

“Cheers!” the omega said, passing Scarlett a generous serve of rosé, and I raised my beer to clink against their glasses.

“I might go grab something to eat first,” I said to excuse myself. “Otherwise I’ll be pissed on one beer.”

“Of course, love,” Lois said, her expression softening. “Now, there’s—”

She was going to walk me over, no doubt to pile my plate high and to encourage me to eat all of it. The woman was obsessed with the fact she thought I was too skinny.

“Stay here with Scarlett,” I said. “I’ll be back in a sec.”

I strode away from them, head down, intent on making it to the table without being waylaid by the Kelly boys. As I approached it, I looked up, and smiled at several of the Kelly cousins I recognised.

“Stevie!” Cat was the cousin I knew the best and she walked over with a big smile, bumping hips with me. “Wasn’t sure if you were coming.”

“Pretty sure your aunty would come around and drag me out forcibly if I didn’t,” I replied. “Damn, did you make the cobb loaf dip again?” I broke off a piece of crusty bread to shovel out a good serve of the creamy dip in the centre of the loaf.

“Damn straight,” she said. “If I didn’t bring one I’d never hear the end of it. So what’ve you been up to? The garden is looking…” I looked up when she paused, and quickly identified why. She smiled wickedly at the appearance of her cousins. “Hello boys, looking for something in particular?”

“We need to talk to Stevie,” Ash said in a low voice. “Alone.”

“Oo-ooh…!” Cat sniggered. I shot the guys a dark look, because they really didn’t need to give her any more shit to tease me about. I used to come over from next door when we were both still teenagers, so she’d had seen me at my best and my worst, including crying my eyes out over these three muppets. “Let's talk afterwards,” she instructed me with a wink.

I waited for her to be out of earshot, noticing how all the other ladies mysteriously wandered away as well, before I faced them down.

“We’re not talking about anything that happened today.” My voice was firm, definite. “Last night either. Are we clear?”

“Right.” Ash’s voice was tight. The fuckhead was never happy when someone else was giving the orders, though he gave plenty of his own. “Well, give me your plate then.”

“What? Get your own.”

But Ronan reached over and plucked my plate from my fingers with a smirk, then began conspicuously consulting the offerings on the table, putting some on my plate.

“Some of the spinach dip,” Jax said, dumping a spoonful of it next to Ronan’s selections. “She always loves that.”

“What about the tuna salad?” Ash said. “Full of good slow carbs and fish oil is good for your brain.”

“She hates seafood, dickhead,” Jax snapped, staring at his brother. “She ate that fillet Dad made for her because she didn’t want to say anything, and then was vomiting behind the house all night because of it. I held back her hair.”

I frowned, narrowing my eyes and looking the three of them over like they were strangers, and then asked the question that burned inside my brain. “What the fuck are you idiots doing?”

“You said you don’t want to talk,” Ash said, giving me his best fuckboy smirk. My hands balled up into fists, but before I could shoot back a response he turned back to the food. “What about the devilled eggs? Good source of protein.”

“She hates eggs,” Ronan replied. “Mate, you fucking suck at this. Don’t worry, I’ve got it.”

And to my amazement I watched him and Jax select a bunch of the things I would most want to eat. The two of them looked at me almost shyly as they offered me the plate.

“Why are you doing this?”

The pain I worked so hard to keep from showing bled into my voice and that’s what had me taking the plate and turning around before they could answer. I saw Cat sitting with her partner so I stomped over there, sure she could fill me in. Because I knew what the three of them were doing and I didn’t like it.

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