Into the Storm (Signal Bend #3)(47)
Fuck, he missed his girls. Fuck.
He felt Shannon’s hands on his back and came out of his bittersweet reminiscence. Turning so he could hook an arm over her and pull her close, he said, “Everything squared away?”
“To the extent it can be. They’re not happy, and the clubhouse accommodations aren’t exactly five star, but none of that is my fault, and they’re being civil. I’m working with one of their ‘people’ in L.A. to get them new travel. I swear, it’s like dealing with toddlers. They need people to do everything for them.”
Show grinned and kissed her temple. “Got some gossip, if you want it.”
She looked up at him. “About Hollywood?” He nodded. “Then lay it on me.”
“Len boned the little chick last night—Harrie.”
He thought it was funny, but Shannon was looking up at him, appalled. “You’re kidding. I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. It was consensual and everything?”
He pushed her back and looked down at her, offended. The men of the Horde got overly enthusiastic and a little deaf when they were drunk, but they weren’t in the habit of forcing women. “Jesus, Shannon!
Of course it was!”
She looked appropriately abashed. “Sorry. Really. I’m just working it through. You know, the toddler thing. I don’t want backlash on the town if she regrets it.”
“From what I hear, she doesn’t regret it.” The whole clubhouse had heard her not regret it, apparently.
Kind of like it was around the B&B last night. Remembering, he grinned and pulled Shannon close again.
“So I don’t think you need to worry about backlash. Len took good care of her.”
She laid her hand on his bare stomach, sliding her fingers through the line of hair up the middle. His cock stirred. “You look seriously hot, standing here with your shirt open, but you should probably button up. The hangover triplets could stumble down at any time. We put them to bed pretty early.”
He winked and handed her his mug so he could button his shirt. The ease he felt this morning, even as he missed his girls, astonished him. He felt good. He took the mug back and drained it. “You got a snow shovel, I expect? A blower?” He hated blowers, but shoveling gravel was a pain in the ass.
“Both. And some kind of animal-safe ice melt stuff. But it’s all down in the barn.”
“Not a problem. I got weather gear in my truck box. Don’t suppose I can get a hot breakfast before I get to work, though?”
She rose up on her tiptoes and looped her arms around his neck. He enclosed her in his arms, his empty coffee mug still in his hand. She looked happy, too, her eyes glittering up at him. “I can make you bacon and eggs. I’m only average in the kitchen, but I can do that much.”
“I can’t imagine you’re only average at anything.” He kissed her.
oOo
There wasn’t bacon, but there was sausage. Show sat at the table in the B&B kitchen with a second mug of coffee and watched Shannon make him breakfast. The room was warm and bright. Cozy. About halfway through the prep, Beth dragged in, looking haggard. Glaring at them both, she poured herself a cup of coffee and then pushed Shannon aside.
“What are you doing in my kitchen?”
Shannon looked chastened; Show thought it was cute. She was the boss, but not in this room. “Sorry— just making breakfast. I only have cereal and instant oatmeal in the apartment.”
“I don’t care that you’re here. I care that you’re using my eggs and sausage for that. Go sit down.” Beth looked over her shoulder at Show. “Biscuits and gravy? Eggs up, right?”
Show nodded, feeling guilty. He would have liked Shannon to make him breakfast, and she was clearly disappointed to be derailed from the endeavor. But Beth could f*cking cook. Shannon came over to the table with a cup of coffee. When she started to sit at the place next to him, he reached over and grabbed her arm, pulling her onto his lap.
“Show…” she muttered under her breath, glancing over at Beth.
“Let ‘em talk, hon. I want ‘em to.” He hooked his hand around her hip.
Beth looked over with a wicked grin. “Oh, we’re talkin’, don’t you worry.”
Show laughed, and Shannon blushed all the way to her shoulders. He moved her hair from her neck and kissed the flushed skin.
Before Beth had finished making breakfast, Rose and Marie were down, too, all of them looking like they were struggling hard with the effects of their night. But they all sat around the table and shared breakfast, Show and four women. He sat and listened to their chatter, watching them pull Shannon into the mix, and realized that she was becoming a part of the town.
oOo
He spent several hours shoveling the walk leading to the front porch, blowing the snow from the gravel lot and drives, putting down ice-melt, and seeing to the animals. Badger, stranded at the clubhouse, had called him twice and Shannon once, fussing over his charges.
When he came back in, the B&B was redolent with the aroma of beef stew and cornbread. His stomach rumbled appreciatively. If you’re gonna get snowbound, best to do it with a houseful of cooks. Shannon, dressed in a long, heavy knit sweater and snug dark brown knit pants—leggings or whatever they were called—that made her look warm and sexy, met him in the parlor with a steaming mug. He took it, but tossed his head back as he brought it to his mouth. “What’s this?”