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“She’s not going to walk well for you guys,” I insisted.
“We’ll have Eddie walk her,” Lark suggested. “He should be done cooking,” she said, sniffing the air.
“Maybe,” I said, patting my leg, and Frida ran toward me, following me through the house.
“There’s that pretty girl,” Eddie declared, voice lower than usual, seeming to sense my head was screaming. “I tried to make a little variety. Dunno what your stomach is gonna feel like holding down,” he said, waving at the cluttered counter.“Burritos, pasta with marinara, and some very plain chicken sandwiches,” he said.
“Thank you so much, Eddie,” I said, giving him a weak smile as I moved over to grab one of the sandwiches, deciding it was the safest option. “We could have just ordered. You didn’t have to go out of your way.”
“Out of my way?” he asked, sounding offended. “I wanted to do it,” he insisted as he snuck Frida a piece of chicken. Which she took without hesitation. Maybe the girls were right about him walking her. “You gotta get on your man’s ass about picking out some kitchen supplies. And a dining table,” he said, shaking his head sadly at the piece of wood set on sawhorses.
“The dining table is coming soon, actually,” I told him. “But you’re right about the kitchen, though. We’ve been ordering in. Since we’ve been busy with, uh, all the fixing up,” I said, waving toward the house in general.
“That’s what we’re calling it these days, huh?” he asked, winking at me.
“I was wondering if I could ask you for a bit of a big favor,” I said, feeling my belly flip-flop at having to ask for help, but knowing that these were good people, that there was nothing I needed to be stressing about.
“Whatcha need?”
“Could you take Frida on a walk? She doesn’t seem to like the girls, but she likes you.”
“Thought you said you needed abigfavor,” he said, shaking his head at me, like I was being silly. “I’ll take her right now. What do I need?” he asked.
I helped him get her water, leash, and baggies, and he took off, humming all the way down the driveway.
The girls came into the kitchen, loading up plates, and chattering in low tones, mindful of my headache.
“Hey, we won’t be offended if you want to go rest,” Sass insisted after I forced down my last bite.
“Yeah, you’re looking rough,” Rynn agreed, shooting me a smirk.
“Has anyone heard from Alaric?” I asked, glancing toward the front window.
“Not yet. But I’m sure we will soon,” Sass said. “Believe me, we’ve all been in your shoes. Some of us several times. It’s going to be alright. These guys know what they’re doing.”
“Thanks,” I said, nodding, knowing they knew what they were talking about. It just didn’t make it any easier. “Can you wake me if you do hear from him?” I asked.
“Of course,” Sass said, nodding.
“Take another pill,” Rynn suggested.
“And we will let Frida in with you once she comes back.”
With that, I made my way back toward the bedroom, taking another pill, turning all the lights down, and rolling over onto my good side on the pillow, sure I was too worried about Alaric to actually sleep.
But the pills took away my choice within an hour.
The next thing I was aware of was a body curling around mine, warm and familiar, but with a different scent clinging to him than I was used to.
Something sulfuric, but just a hint of it.
I knew that smell.
It’s what the air had smelled like at the clubhouse.
At the range.
When Alaric had been teaching me to shoot.
