Reaper's Stand(103)

Then her eyes found me, and they narrowed.

“This her?” she asked, her voice sharp. Em sighed heavily and Hunter rolled his eyes. Time to step in and diffuse, I decided.

“I’m London Armstrong,” I said in a clear, friendly voice as I walked over and held out my hand. “You must be Kit. I’ve seen so many of your pictures, but none of them are recent. I love your look—very classic.”

She sniffed, signaling clearly that it would take more than flattery to win her over. Alrighty, then. I’d try another tactic.

“Reese, would you like me to go and get coffee for everyone?” I asked. “Let you have some family time together?”

He raised a brow, but Kit looked triumphant. Clearly she thought she’d scared me. Not the case, but I wasn’t looking to butt heads with her. Em was her sister and Reese was her dad—this was about them, not me. I saw right through this girl. Under the belligerence was an undercurrent of fear and insecurity. She needed to know I wasn’t here to take her father away from her, and the best way to communicate that was with space.

They could have their moment without me.

“I’ll help you,” Hunter said suddenly. I nodded, surprised. Up to this point, I would’ve bet a hundred bucks that he wouldn’t be leaving this room for anything.

Interesting.

He followed me into the hallway. “Cafeteria’s this way.”

We started walking, falling comfortably silent. I had no idea why he’d come with me, but if I needed to know, he’d say something. I felt like my role here was to support, not question.

“They should have time together,” he said finally. “They’re tight, but Kit and Reese love to fight. Like two alley cats. Us being in there just gives ’em one more thing to fight about, and Em doesn’t need that.”

I laughed, shaking my head as it fell into place.

“They’re not the easiest of families, are they?”

“You got no f*ckin’ idea.”

We bought the coffee and carried it back slowly, but despite our best efforts the errand only took about twenty-five minutes. I knocked on the door and pushed it open carefully. Em lay back in the bed, Kit cuddled up next to her on top of the covers. Reese sat between them and the window, leaning back in his chair casually. He rested one ankle across his knee, watching over his girls as they whispered quietly to each other.

Then he looked up at me and smiled, pale blue eyes creased with warmth, obvious pride written all over his face.

“C’mon in,” he said.

I glanced at Kit, but she ignored me. Em winked, patting the side of the bed. I walked over and sat down awkwardly in the tiny sliver of space, wondering what the future held for me with this family.

Only one way to find out.

“Who wants coffee?”





CHAPTER NINETEEN


ONE MONTH LATER

LONDON

I leaned forward into the bathroom mirror, carefully brushing mascara over my pale lashes. Outside the bathroom door I could hear Mellie and Jessica arguing about something—the cabin was only about a thousand square feet and I was very, very happy that Melanie would be moving into student housing in a few weeks.

Wasn’t sure how much more of this I could take.

Loud music started blaring as I brushed my hair, changing abruptly to rap as I smoothed on lipstick. That would be Jessica taking control of the stereo.

It switched back again and I realized a full-on musical battle royale was starting outside the tiny bathroom. Taking one more quick look at myself—not perfect, but I’d do—I stepped out, prepared to start yelling. Before I could, the music stopped completely. Both girls stood in the living room, glaring at each other. Melanie had started standing up to Jessica in recent weeks, something I’d always wished she would do. Now I regretted that wish because I lived in a war zone.

“You’re a f*cking idiot,” Jessica growled. I took a deep breath, prepared to tell her off. Melanie beat me to it.

“Don’t talk to me like that.”

“I will if it’s true. I saw that letter. He’s just another *-chasing *, and writing to him in jail is desperate and pathetic. You’re smarter than me, so why don’t you act like it?”

Mellie’s mouth dropped and so did mine.

Then the doorbell rang.

Melanie stomped past me toward their shared room, leaving Jessica standing in the center of the living room, eyes bright with fury. The bell rang again and I decided they were big girls who could figure this out on their own. Grabbing my backpack, I walked over to the door and opened it.

Then I smiled because everything was okay again.

Reese was here.

REESE

Christ, but she was gorgeous.

I took London’s hand and tugged her out onto the porch for my kiss, because I didn’t feel like dealing with whatever girl drama was brewing in the cabin. And there was major drama brewing—after raising Em and Kit, I could f*ckin’ smell that shit in the air.

Fortunately, the sweet softness of London’s lips more than made up for the girls and their games. My hands found her ass, lifting her up and into my body. As always, my cock was as happy to see her as the rest of me.

Rap music blasted out through the window, all but knocking us off the porch. Just as fast it turned off again.

That’s when the screeching started.