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“This is Jasmine, Mikel and Bently’s sister, and her adorable daughter, Zoey.” Remy opened her arm to welcome the other woman over.
“Hi.” Jasmine waved, a little more reserved than the rest of the group.
“The two lovebirds in the house are Mia, whom you rescued, and Andre, my brother,” Remy finished.
“I’ll admit, I’m terrible at names, so please forgive me if I don’t remember them all.” Belle smiled and they all laughed.
“I know it’s a lot to take in. Can I get you something to drink? Food is almost ready.”
“Sure, cider would be nice.”
Jasmine and Belle made small talk as TJ joined a game with Bently, Mikel, and Lyra. The easy way TJ interacted with Bently gave her the feeling that the two had grown closer than either of them had let on. Why would TJ keep this from me?
“Belle?” The accent in the voice made her name sound more like “Bella.”
She turned as the familiar face of Mia came into view. Blue yoga pants hugged her curves, and she wore a gray hoodie that said “Shattered Cove, N.H.”
“Yes? Mia, right?”
The man she’d come to know as Andre stood by her side, his arm protectively wrapped around her as he watched the other guys play.
“I am. And I just wanted to thank you for, well, saving my life.” Mia smiled.
“No need to thank me. Really, I’m just glad you’re okay.”
“Dinner!” Remy called.
They all filed into Remy’s house. The natural wood flooring added to the warm and inviting atmosphere. They turned left into the dining room with a long table set with various savory dishes. The smell of the delicacies made her stomach grumble with hunger. She’d only had time for a quick smoothie for lunch today.
“Mia, you sit here, and TJ will sit on the other side,” Remy directed them. “Bently you’re here.”
“Since when do we have assigned seating?” Mikel asked as Bently took the empty chair beside Belle. She inhaled slowly, taking in the hints of oak, campfire, and him.
Remy cut her husband a look that had him changing the subject. “How’s the studio, Mia?”
“Oh, it’s great. My classes are so full, I’ve had to add an extra one on the weekends,” she answered.
“Do you do yoga, Belle?” Remy asked.
“I’ve never tried.”
“It’s really fun. We girls should get together and have a class sometime,” Remy suggested.
Belle nodded. She’d never really had friends before, but it seemed that was possible in Shattered Cove.
Bently handed her a platter of vegetables and she served herself some before passing it on to TJ as everyone made polite conversation. She’d never seen so much food at one table in her life. Once everyone was served, Mikel lifted his glass of what looked to be hot cider. “To family and friends.”
The group of adults lifted their own cups and repeated the sentiment before taking a sip. Belle glanced at Bently’s plate, at the similar array of vegetables and seafood before she tucked into her own. Flavors exploded in her mouth, rich and savory. “This is fantastic.” She nearly moaned. Bently seemed to sit a little straighter next to her, his jaw tense.
“So, how did you two meet?” Mia asked, motioning between her and Bently.
“I thought they met because of you,” Remy said, narrowing her eyes at him. Belle didn’t like being the center of attention. She glanced at Bently nervously, pleading with him to answer.
“Yeah, I’d like to know too,” Andre said, eyeing TJ.
“I gave TJ a ride home. His bike had flat tires. Belle was there when we got to his house,” Bently answered.
“And?” Remy prodded.
