Protecting What's Mine(26)

“Come on back. The rest of the crew is in the backyard.”

Crew was apparently a loose term for half of the town of Benevolence.

Harper and a dark-haired fashionista Mack recognized as Gloria Moretta were organizing the food table and yelling at an entire army of kids. Aldo was manning the grill with sunglasses, a cold beer, and tongs that looked beefy enough to flip a cow.

There was another couple—he was tall and blond, she a leggy brunette—canoodling around the fire pit instead of actually lighting the fire.

“Get a room if you’re making us more grandkids,” a woman with a silvery pixie cut called from the lawn chair where she was supervising Aldo’s grilling process. The canoodling couple broke apart sheepishly.

There were dogs. Two more in addition to the now skunk-free Lola. Both non-Lolas were small. The wiry one had only one eye, but it didn’t seem to slow him down as he zoomed around the fenced-in yard. The other one was so small it looked like Lola could mistake it for a snack. But they seemed to recognize each other as peers rather than predator and snack.

“Wow,” Mack said, taking in the chaos.

“You’re telling me.” Luke grinned. He dumped Henry in the grass and led Mack over to meet his parents, the perky Claire and the stoic Charlie. The canoodling couple, Sophie and her husband Ty, the sheriff, introduced themselves. Sophie was pretty and vivacious in a way that made Mack think the woman had never once lacked an ounce of self-confidence. Her husband was clearly crazy about her and their two kids, who were buzzing around the backyard with the rest of the pack.

“It’s nice to meet the doctor everyone’s been talking about,” Sophie said mischievously.

“Behave, Soph,” Gloria teased, walking up and wrapping Mack into a hard hug.

People in Benevolence really seemed to enjoy inappropriately long hugs.

“I’m just saying it’s awfully big of you to be so nice to the woman seen mauling your husband in the middle of the road,” Sophie teased with a dimpled grin.

“Don’t forget she’s also gettin’ flower deliveries from the fire chief,” Ty added. He was Ken-doll pretty with cop-short hair and the kind of easy smile that made public service a little easier. “Word is she’s a man-eater.” He winked.

Mack laughed. “Rawr.”

“Welcome to Benevolence, where everyone knows your business, and if they don’t, they’ll make something more interesting up,” Sophie said. “I bartend at Remo’s, so I pick up all the gossip folks are dropping.”

An argument involving several of the kids broke out near the swing set.

“Who had first tears at ten after seven?” Harper called from the food table.

“Me!” a short, round, loud woman who could only be Mrs. Ina Moretta shouted.

“Ina gets the pot,” Charlie said, consulting a handwritten paper while parents jumped into the fray.

Another dog, this one blonde and fluffy, bulleted past Mack. It looked suspiciously like…oh, hell.

“Sunshine!” The kids who weren’t fighting or crying chorused gleefully.

“Well, well. If it isn’t my favorite neighbor and gal pal. We could have carpooled.” Fire Chief Lincoln Reed, in a well-worn Benevolence FD t-shirt and shorts that couldn’t help but call attention to his muscled thighs, strolled her way. He had a ball cap on that added to his boyish charm. Mack purposely ignored the little pitter-pat of attraction she felt in her chest.

“I didn’t know you’d be here,” she said casually.

He stepped up to her, and they turned to survey the backyard festivities. His shoulder brushing hers. He was so big, so solid. He took up so much room.

“You look real pretty, Dreamy.”

“Uh, thanks,” Mack said, running a hand through her short hair. She’d let it air dry. But she had slapped on a coat of toenail polish and her new favorite red gloss that Tuesday assured her was “totally complimentary” to her skin tone. “So I thought this was just a small family thing.”

Linc’s grin was underwear incinerating. “It is. It’s just we’ve got big families around here. You and I are the only two unrelateds.”

Sunshine, suddenly needing to touch base with her father, came bulleting over to them. She flopped down on Linc’s feet and stared up at him expectantly.

“Belly rub time,” he said, sinking down to pat Sunshine’s exposed belly. The dog vibrated in ecstasy until he stopped. Then she looked up at Mack.

“Why is she looking at me like that?”

“Well, she either wants your potato salad or her belly rubbed.”

Mack sank down next to him and tentatively poked Sunshine in the stomach. The dog wriggled back and forth on her back, making grunting noises. “What does that mean?”

“Means she likes it. She likes you.”

Lola barreled over to see what the fuss was, and Mack took a break from Sunshine’s silky fur to give the pit bull’s short hair a stroke.

“You’re a natural,” Linc said, giving Lola’s side a good thump.

The little gray wad of fluff bounced their way and started yapping, making sure to stay just out of arm’s reach.

“Bitzy, shut up!” Sophie and Ty yelled together.

“Sunshine, attack!” Linc teased.

“Harper!” Luke barked. “You forget to tell me about an addition to the guest list?” He shot Linc a dirty look.