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“We’ll be there early to help you clean,” Bailey volunteered.
“Hey, I knew you were my favorite cousin,” Steel bent and kissed her cheek, and she surprised both of us as she wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him.
We sat on the sofa. It was quiet. I was relaxing, and Bailey was writing ideas for dinner. “Tell me what the main meal is in these mountains. I want everyone to be happy with what we prepare.”
“Well, since I’ve eaten at Steels home with your family many times, I can tell you your aunts will bring food early, and all of you will be cooking by seven. Steel’s kitchen and stove are huge. Plus, he has a wooden stove outside that will also be fired up even if it’s hotter than hell, and they’ll be cooking on it like the old days.”
“So, are all of them my dad’s sisters?”
“Yes, plus his brothers and their wives will also come early. It wouldn’t surprise me if they didn’t start showing up tomorrow. Now that Steel has met you, they’ll call him tonight to see what he thought. Don’t forget that everyone on the mountain thought you were strange because you wore a hoodie in the summertime. Plus, you had these fake traps all over the property.”
“They probably think I’m crazy. So I’ll make sure they all know I’m a normal person. I promise not to cry. I’ll just act like them.”
“They’ll all love you. So, stop worrying. Now tell me, why are you on the pill?”
“After Jackie died, I started having headaches. The doctor prescribed the pill, and he said that would keep the headaches away.”
“Do the pills keep them away?”
“Not at first, but they eventually went away.”
“Have you thought that maybe they went away on their own?”
“Yes, I was going to stop taking the pill, but now I’m glad I didn’t.”
“I’m going to run and pick up more clothes. Do you want to go with me?”
“No, I think I’ll get ready for bed. This has been a very exciting day.”
“I’ll be back in an hour. I’ll take your house key, and you lock the door behind me.”
“Okay, I will.”
10
Bailey
It was six in the morning, with very little light as we made our way to Levi’s house. I turned to Cole and asked, “Should I call Levi by his name or Steel, his Marine name?” We were walking on the trail that led to Steel’s home.
Cole pondered, “Which name do you prefer for him?”
I grinned, “I like his name, Levi, but he reminds me of Steel like he would never yield if he believed he was right.”
“That’s him, alright. That’s how he earned the name Steel. We all have names that mirror our personalities.”
“So, do they call you Viper because you strike swiftly before the other person can react?” I said, looking at the handsome man whose hair obscured his eyes. I reached up and brushed the hair away from his beautiful eyes.
He reached for me and kissed me, and my heart raced, as it always did when he touched me. I began to worry that I was developing deep feelings for Cole. And I couldn’t allow that to happen.
“Yeah, I guess that’s how I was back then. I’m not as reckless as I used to be.”
“Is it because you spent four years locked up in a cell?”
“No, I had the name before the prison. You might meet some relatives while we are at Steels today because they are always popping in and out around here,” I noticed he changed the subject.
“I’m looking forward to meeting some of my relatives today; that way, I won’t have to meet all of them on Saturday,” I said.
As Cole’s house came into view, I saw him drinking coffee on the front porch with two older men. I handed Cole the coffee cakes I had made this morning.
