“You know Titus?” Hail asked.
“I do. Hung out with him a little last time we were here with Law. You were here,” Frenzy said, ignoring Alison’s question.
“Yeah, but I didn’t actually meet him,” Hail said.
“Because Law was here and was all about being professional and shit so you and Storm pretended you were still in the military because you hadn’t been allowed out before that and were afraid he’d put y’all back in a closet.”
Hail looked at Alison. “He’s not wrong. Once we got Brinnley back here, though we stayed and swam for a while, we didn’t really relax much.”
“Well, you’re here to relax now.”
“I am indeed” Hail said.
“As am I. I’m going to float some more,” Frenzy said, laying his head back again and moving his sun hat to cover his face as he pushed off from the edge of the pool he was bobbing in.
Titus walked toward the food that was set up in the outdoor kitchen, his gaze flicking toward Hail and Alison a few times at almost the same time Feral and Jack walked out onto the patio deep in discussion about something that had them completely engrossed. They spoke for a couple of more minutes, then shook hands. Jack slapped Feral on the back, and Feral grinned and shook Jack’s hand again, then walked away, his attention also on the outside kitchen and smell of the food that was offered there. Just before he moved into the outdoor kitchen, he hesitated, gave the general area the once over, his gaze lingering for just the briefest moment on Alison, then stepped into the outdoor kitchen area.
Titus rushed to get ahead of him, and in no time had three plates lined up in front of him as he loaded them up.
“Security works up an appetite,” Feral said.
Titus laughed. “It does, but this isn’t all for me.”
“Oh, yeah?”
“My first chance to eat today, and I noticed the direction I’m going in at the other end of the pool, the ladies there don’t appear to have eaten either, so I thought I’d take them both a meal.”
Feral nodded. “Let me ask you something.”
“Shoot,” Titus said.
“Alison available?”
Titus stopped spooning dirty rice onto the three plates he’d already put two or three pieces of fried chicken and an ear of corn on. “Alison, huh?”
Feral nodded, looking him in the eye.
Titus grinned at him. “Alison is a sweet girl, but never paid much mind to anybody else. She kind of keeps to herself. I’m surprised to see her hanging out with Hail today.”
“You know Hail?” Feral asked.
“Saw her briefly when she and Storm brought Findley’s sister to us, but didn’t get much chance to speak to her.”
“Yeah, they were on duty. Trying to impress Law with their professionalism I would guess.”
“So, you like Alison?” Titus asked.
“I do. A lot,” Feral said.
“Then here, I was making this for her,” Titus said, nudging one of the plates he had set out on the counter top toward Feral. “She’s not mated, nor is she seeing anybody. She’s real quiet, a background kind of girl. Might refuse you, but might not.”
Feral nodded as he pulled the plate closer to his end of the counter top, grabbed his own plate and started filling it for himself.
Titus finished filling the two plates he was still working on, stuck a plastic fork into the rice on each, then grabbed twobottles of water, tucked them under his arm and picked up the two plates. He waited until Feral looked up at him. “What about Hail?”
“What about Hail?” Feral asked.
“She got a male back home?”
