Defending Everly (Mountain Mercenaries, #5)(68)

She knew she was blowing her tiff with Elise out of proportion, that things would look better in the morning, but at the moment, she couldn’t help but doubt herself and all the decisions she’d made since bringing her sister to Colorado Springs.

Feeling tears well up, she closed the fridge and turned her back to it, sliding down until her ass was on the floor and she rested against the big stainless-steel appliance.

The phone in her hand vibrated with a text.

Ball: Hey, you home?

God. She couldn’t deal with anything else right now.

Everly: Yeah.

Ball: Great. I’m downstairs. I’ll be up in a few.

Wait, what? He was there?

Everly: Now’s not a good time.

Ball: Why?

Everly: It’s just not. Go home. I’ll see you later.

Ball: No. I’m almost there.

Now she was crying. Maybe if she didn’t answer the door, he’d just go away. Elise wouldn’t hear him knocking, so he wouldn’t disturb her. Her neighbors were kinda nosy, though. If he got obnoxious, they’d call the cops on him.

The first knock on the door sounded as soon as she had that thought.

Sighing in frustration, Everly got up off the floor. She’d never hear the end of it if her fellow cops were called for a disturbance at her address. Besides, she wouldn’t do that to Ball. It wasn’t his fault she was in a piss-poor mood.

She padded over to the door and unlocked it, but didn’t bother opening it. She heard Ball turning the knob even as she walked away. She detoured into the living room instead of going back to the kitchen and sat on the end of the couch. She put her feet up on the cushion and wrapped her arms around her updrawn knees.

Within seconds, Ball was there. He gently wiped the tears from her cheeks. “What’s wrong?”

Everly shrugged.

“Elise all right?”

She nodded.

“You’re not hurt?”

She shook her head.

Ball slightly relaxed and sat down next to her. He hauled her into his lap, and Everly briefly resisted the comfort before giving in. He held her close without speaking. How long they sat like that, Everly had no idea. By the time she was ready to talk, she figured his legs had to be numb from her sitting on them, but he didn’t seem to mind in the least.

“Ever have one of those days where nothing seems to go right?” she asked.

“Yeah.”

“Well, today’s been one of those days for me. Elise quit the Outdoor Club, which I thought she

loved. She won’t talk to me, and she’s acting weird, lashing out. Work sucked. It was one crazy asshole after another today, and to top it off, I had to work an hour and a half past my shift because of an accident that happened right at five. No one was killed, thank God, but there were a ton of injuries, including a little, tiny baby. I’m hungry, afraid my sister hates me and I’m fucking up her life, and now I don’t get to spend the day with you tomorrow.”

To Ball’s credit, he didn’t immediately try to talk her out of her funk, he simply held her tighter and ran his fingers down her arm soothingly.

Finally, she sighed and sat up.

“Better?” he asked.

“Not really. But I can’t exactly sit around like a moping teenager all night.”

Ball took her hand in his. He led her to the kitchen and helped her sit on the counter. “Let me make you something. What are you in the mood for?” he asked.

Everly shrugged. “I don’t know.”

He opened the cabinets and looked at what she had. Then he looked inside the refrigerator.

Turning to her, he asked, “How about cheese quesadillas? You’ve got tortillas and shredded cheese.

There are a few tomatoes on your counter, and you’ve got sour cream as well.”

Nodding, Everly put her hand over her stomach when it growled.

Smiling, Ball wisely didn’t comment, simply got to work making her some dinner. He actually made two and, after he’d helped her down off the counter and gotten her seated at the table with a glass of lemonade and her meal, asked, “Do you mind if I take this one to Elise?”

“Of course not. But don’t blame me when she bites your head off.”

Ball hugged her with an arm around her shoulders and gently kissed her cheek. “For the record, you’re doing an amazing job with her. She’s fifteen. I’m not surprised her inner bitch finally came out. She’s been here for two months, I was wondering when it would happen.”

“Well, aren’t you the smarty-pants,” Everly said a bit snarkily.

He simply smiled at her. “Eat. You’ll feel better once you get something in your belly.”

Everly watched him grab the plate and head down the hall. Most men she knew would’ve turned around and gone the other way after getting her text. But not Ball. He ignored her bad mood, held her when she needed a hug more than a lecture, and was going to do his best to help Elise too.

Fuck, the man really was perfect.

Ball had no idea what he was going to say to Elise, but he had to try to talk to her. He hated seeing Everly so down. It wasn’t in her nature to be grumpy, so he knew she had to have had a really bad day.

He also didn’t like that Elise had quit something she’d seemed to love so much. Something must’ve happened. He hadn’t known her all that long, but he hoped maybe she’d talk to him. That maybe she was just uncomfortable talking to her sister about whatever was bothering her. If nothing else, at least she’d know that he was worried.