Page 46 of Forever Flustered

Getting out of the car at Flyboys, Eli held out his hand to her, and she pretended not to see it. Maybe he could turn off his feelings with the flick of a switch, but every time she peeled back a layer of his personality – she was falling deeper and deeper in love with the infernal man.

“Hey there!”

Maureen recognized it as the groom from the wedding – and Eli’s brother. He had spotted them, immediately rushing over and welcoming them… well, Eli. Sidewinder embraced his brother and then turned to her, his eyes blazing with questions and a little too similar to Eli’s beautiful eyes for her own comfort. She looked away and politely offered a quick ‘hello,’ shaking his hand. Things were strained, and you could feel it in the air between them – and his brother was no fool. Sidewinder was measuring up the problem… and his eyes settled on her.

Thanks a lot…

“Come sit by me,” Sidewinder told his brother, immediately dragging Eli toward the barrel in the distance that was glowing as a few embers and ash took flight into the evening sky that was already darkening. That’s me, she thought, following them – a pretty burst of warmth that cooled a little too fast… and forgotten. Yeah, she was not in the proper mindset for this and was struggling.

There were chairs all around the fire, several smiling faces watching them – mixed with others that looked concerned or alarmed. They were all expecting happily ever after, and it was easy to see… heck, she’d hoped for that too, but maybe it wasn’t in the cards for her.

They hadn’t even sat down yet when Eli was yanking his phone from his blue jean’s pocket and stepping away to take a phone call. Concerned, her eyes landed on his back as he walked away from the commotion – only to feel a hand touch her shoulder. Turning away from Eli, she saw it was Harley.

“Is everything okay?”

“Just dandy…”

“Men are frustrating sometimes – aren’t they?” Harley whispered softly, her voice hushed as her caring eyes held hers – and Maureen couldn’t speak. She didn’t want to admit anything or acknowledge that there was trouble in paradise, because Eli was right. They were very new to this, and you couldn’t fall for someone that fast. That was insanity, right? He would leave – she would mourn the loss of company – and then get back to her daily life.

That was it.

Maureen shrugged and glanced back to Eli for a moment, before hearing Harley once more, speaking softly as a friend or sister.

“Sometimes it’s the long game we have to play – even if we wish it were a shorter or much easier one. Think about the game of checkers. When you get to the end of the board – it feels like things are over, that there are no spots left to move forward, but then something happens. That’s when things change and your checker gets ‘kinged’ giving you all sorts of freedoms you never expected.”

Turning back to look at Harley, Maureen drew in a shaky breath and whispered back to the woman. “I’m not looking for freedom…”

“I know,” Harley answered softly, giving her a slight hug. “I know you’re not, but trust me – you’re still on the board, so don’t give up yet.”

Maureen didn’t answer, moving away to take the first empty chair she found beside a very pregnant woman.

“How are you doing, honey?” she said with a soft drawl that was noticeable. “Did you fella get that stick out of his craw?”

“It’s firmly lodged,” Maureen volunteered glumly, causing several around her to crack up laughing at the unexpected ‘joke’. If only they knew…

“Y’all are too funny – and too cute,” she smiled. “I’m Delilah. This is Dixie – and over here is Sophie. Marisol, Valkyrie’s wife, has to work tomorrow and their youngest is teething, so she’s babysitting all the little ones at their house for a bit…”

“Until she’s ready to pull her hair out from the tears…”

“I hated it when Ben was teething…” Sophie volunteered with a slight groan and rolled her eyes. “The things we go through – am I right, ladies?”

“India – my daughter – is still teaching me,” Dixie smiled tenderly and held back a blanket that was wrapped around her shoulders, revealing a sling against her body with a tiny lump nestled inside, directly against her.

Maureen melted at the sight. A lump lodged in her throat as she beheld the sweetness before her. India had a large dark swirl of curls on her head complete with a tiny little bow fastened on there. Her sweet, pink cheeks looked almost too big for her face. Tiny little lips moved slightly as if suckling in her sleep, like a cherub – and the whole thing felt like witnessing something divine.

“She’s beautiful,” Maureen managed to whisper hoarsely, a craving so fierce rolling over her, because she wanted a baby – moments like this – and probably would never have them. She was too busy trying to ‘eke’ out an existence and building her career, mixed with the fact that the man she was falling for would be leaving in a few days.

“What was that?” Sidewinder called out boldly from where he was sitting about ten feet away, looking past everyone to where Eli had disappeared. Turning, Maureen saw Eli walking back toward them, his expression grim and determined… and his eyes cold. He was angry, she realized, and immediately felt concerned, rising to her feet in alarm as he turned toward her, met her eyes, and looked away. Maureen sat down – well, collapsed as her knees gave out, because he looked angry… at her.

Delilah tapped her on the arm, giving her a wan smile. “I see what you mean – it’s firmly lodged up there, isn’t it?”

“Probably with good reason,” Sophie muttered, watching a dark-haired man cross through the crowd, making his way toward where Eli and his brother were now standing, talking in a heated exchange that was a flurry of hushed words. “Once you’re on the bad side of someone, they can make your life a nightmare… I oughta know.”

“Reilly,” all three women said at once, sharing a look.

“Who’s Reilly?”

“That was the person in charge before my husband took over,” Sophie murmured, frowning as she stared at the exchange. Maureen realized that everyone was getting quiet around them as they realized something was happening.