“I can’t believe you all came over here and saved me from that crew. Would you all like to come inside so we can talk?” Saylor asked, hoping Max wouldn’t mind having his place invaded while he was away.
“We love Max’s house. He has a great swing set,” Pippa said.
“I haven’t seen it,” Saylor admitted as she led the group inside. “I haven’t known Max for long. You all probably think it’s weird that I’m here.”
“Why would we think that was strange?” Aspen asked. “Our guys don’t mess around when they find their…” She hesitated and Saylor guessed Aspen didn’t know how comfortable Saylor was with being called little.
“I’ve never been a little girl before,” she admitted. These ladies made her feel safe. She waved them toward the seating area. “Please make yourself comfortable. I’m floundering here. Hopefully, I’m not too awkward.”
“We all felt the same way when our daddies found us. I fought hard,” Giana admitted. “I’m a fire captain and met Koa when he set a grill on fire. Believe it or not, I was not ready to obey him.”
“Really? I guess if you have to set something on fire, a grill is one of the better things to ignite?” Saylor asked, settling into a chair. The group lounged comfortably on Max’s furniture while Rexysettled on the cool tile in the kitchen. They’d definitely spent time in here before.
“No fire is a good fire,” Giana said before rolling her eyes and adding, “I did notice him. Good thing he’s so handsome.”
“And daddyish?” Brooklyn teased.
Saylor loved the dynamic between the women. They were all obviously friends. She crossed her fingers in her lap.Please let me fit into the group.
“He’s definitely all daddy,” Giana agreed. “I miss him already.”
“How long are they usually gone?” Saylor asked.
“Forty-two days was the longest the team has been out in all the time I’ve lived with Jerico. It was the longest month and a half ever,” Aspen said with a sigh. “Rexy missed him a lot.”
“Not you, though?” Brooklyn teased.
“I missed him most of all. Rexy’s not a big cuddler. He hogs the covers,” Aspen shared, making everyone laugh. Rexy sighed heavily and flopped onto his side, taking up more space and increasing the delighted giggles from his audience.
“What kind of dog is Rexy?” Saylor asked.
“He’s a mixture of mastiff and Great Dane with a big sprinkle of best dog ever,” Aspen bragged. Rexy immediately thumped his tail happily on the floor.
“I can see that. He has very good manners,” Saylor complimented. Her fingers itched to capture the image of the dog’s abandon. It had been a long time since she’d had an irresistible desire to sketch. “Do you mind if I draw him?”
“Of course not! I forgot. Daddy mentioned you were the art teacher,” Aspen said.
Saylor remembered her sketchpad was in her portfolio in the trunk of her car outside. Were those women really gone? Steeling her nerves, Saylor stood and walked to the door. “I’ll be right back.” She hated that her hand shook slightly on the doorknob.
“Rexy probably needs to potty. We’ll come with you,” Aspen said and stood to pat her thigh. Rexy heaved himself onto his massive paws and stretched before padding to her.
Holding the door open, Saylor peeked out, relieved to see no one lurked outside. When Aspen and Rexy took care of their business, she gave the dog privacy and walked to her trunk. Grabbing her small bag and her portfolio, Saylor decided she needed to stay at Max’s at least for a while.
Aspen rejoined her at the door, this time holding it for Saylor to carry her things inside. The kind woman whispered, “They’re not coming back. If they do, call the police. They respond quickly to this area. A lot of military families live around here. We’re all close.”
“Thanks. Max sent me everyone’s contact information. Is it okay to text or call you all?”
“We’re going to drive you nuts with our messages. We’re chatty,” Aspen assured her.
As they walked in, Aspen addressed the group. “I’ve warned Saylor that we send a lot of messages. She may need to mute us when she’s teaching.”
“Oh, yeah. That’s a good idea. I do that at work,” Giana said.
Saylor grabbed her sketchpad and opened it as Aspen sat down with Rexy sitting at her feet. The big dog rested his head on her knees, looking happily at his owner. The love between them went straight to her heart.
The thought that she should act as a hostess and at least offer her guests something to drink made her hesitate. She didn’t want to miss this moment. Saylor forced herself to ask, “Can I get anyone something to drink? I’m afraid I don’t even know what Max has.”
“Do you mind if I raid Max’s pantry? He showed me his secret stash of flavored drink mix during the last barbecue here,” Pippa said.
