Burn Before Reading(48)

"Do me a favor and tell him to cry me a huge-ass river," I shot. Wolf chuckled, the sound like pleasant thunder. Seamus came in just then, his face flushed.

"It's ready, Miss Bee! Do come back and change into it. I must see how it looks."

I gave a 'here I go' thumbs up to Wolf, and trundled into the sewing room. A beautiful, sensible pale blue dress sat on a mannequin, with simple sleeves and an elegant, scooped neckline. Tiny poppies bloomed on the fabric, bright orange and deep black. The skirt was wide and fluffy, cinched at the waist so gentle waves formed naturally. Seamus excitedly showed me how to put it on, and then closed the door behind him to give me some privacy. I marveled at the soft fabric. This was so much prettier and more delicate than anything I'd ever owned. I almost felt out of place putting it on, but it was perfectly tailored - it hugged the spots I liked and was loose around the spots I didn't like. I twirled, feeling like some kind of movie star. I forgot I liked wearing nice things like this. The girl in the full-length mirror across from me looked totally different from the one I stared at the other night.

She looked happier.

I walked out and showed Seamus, and he clapped so fast and loud it sounded like three people applauding.

"Come! We must show the boys."

"The boys?" I choked, but Seamus dragged me by the hand and out into the living room before I could protest. I froze, a deer in the headlights, as Fitz and Burn looked at me. Fitz, his face still a little swollen and bruised, whistled and hooted. Burn nodded, once, a sure sign of approval. But Wolf had gone still on the couch, his eyes wide.

"Wolf!" Fitz groaned. "Don't just sit there and leave our girl hanging - say something!"

Fitz leaned in to slap him on the back, but Wolf saw it coming, regained himself, and stood up quickly to avoid it.

"You -" He started, swallowing. "It -"

"It's okay!" I scrabbled, some part of me deeply and weirdly afraid at what he was going to say next. "It's okay, isn't it? I'm going to change out of it. I'll be right back."

I dashed back into the sewing room, Seamus lamenting when I asked for a pair of pants. He passed me a simple black pair, and I changed. He insisted I take the dress with me.

“I can’t take it until I pay you for it,” I said. “How much is it?”

Seamus busied himself putting the dress in a box.

“Seriously, Mr. Seamus. How much is it?”

“Oh, don’t worry about it, dear –“

“How much!”

“Six hundred,” He said abruptly. I felt my face grow cold. “But don’t worry about that! Consider it a gift, Miss Bee. I had such a pleasant time, and so few opportunities to make a dress for a nice young lady like yourself - I can hardly charge you for it.”

“Mr. Seamus, I don’t take cha-“

“Charity,” A voice finished for me in the doorway. I turned to see Fitz leaning there, smirking devilishly. “We know, we know. God, you’re like a broken record. An irritatingly stubborn one. Are those pajama pants you’re wearing?”

I made a mock-curtsey. “Designer.”

“Horrific,” Seamus added his opinion of them off-handedly as he packed up his sewing gear.

“Not that I’m not grateful, but I would’ve be fine with Target,” I said, ignoring Seamus’ gasp of offense. “But Wolf just brought me straight here.”

Fitz patted Seamus on the back and laughed. “Yeah, no. Wolf doesn’t exactly….like doing things like normal people. He just does whatever he’s used to. And Seamus tailors all our stuff, so, to him this is basically where we get clothes from.”

I massaged my forehead. “What a bizarre way to live.”

“You should’ve seen him when we took him to a drive-thru for the first time. The food came and his eyes bugged out and he went ‘already’?”

I laughed. “He might not know the merits of basic shopping outlets, but he definitely helped me this morning. So there’s that.”

“Oh?” Fitz quirked a brow. “Do tell.”

“No,” I scowled. “I get your whole thing, now, Fitzwilliam. You’re just going to taunt him with it if I tell you.”

“Rats,” he snapped, and put on an accent. “She’s figured me out, Seamus. Whatever shall I do?”

“Might I suggest retiring? It worked out very well for me,” Seamus offered.

“How did you guys know we were here?” I asked Fitz. He shrugged.

“We didn’t. Had to pick up a new set of uniforms – Burn’s been outgrowing his pretty much every week for the past four years.”

I changed into the casual black pants Seamus whipped up and followed Fitz back out to the living room, still half-shy about the whole dress thing. Seamus gave Burn his uniform and the Blackthorn brothers left, but I lingered.

"I owe you, Mr. Seamus."

The old man winked. "Not very much, though."

I made to leave, but Seamus called me back in the doorway.

"Miss Bee?" I turned. Seamus beamed. "Please take care of those boys. Wolf, especially. I've never seen him look at someone quite the way he looks at you."

It felt like a thousand degrees in the room all of a sudden. I cleared my throat and hurried out the door, Seamus waving from his porch. I jogged up behind Fitz and Burn, the two of them leaning against Burn's red convertible. Wolf was putting his helmet on. None of them could see me, yet.