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“Perhaps. Does heaven come with French toast casserole?” I asked him, thankful I was no longer alone with Ben.
“Oh, now I know you’re teasing me.” Aiden winked.
“I smell bacon and coffee,” Lucas announced, entering the room with a scowl.
“Help yourself to the coffee. Breakfast should be ready soon.”
“Don’t mind Lucas. He had one too many last night since he got shot down at the club.” James said, entering on his heels.
“Don’t be jealous that Venus preferred me over you, dude,” Lucas said, accepting a coffee mug from Ben, who was pouring everyone a cup.
“I’m not jealous. I had an exceptional time with Cherry. She was just as sweet as her name implies.” Aiden toasted him with a lewd grin.
“You do realize you’re acting like they won’t do the same to some other poor schmucks tonight,” I said, pulling the casserole out of the oven.
“Oh, so that’s how it is?” Lucas asked, getting laughs out of the others.
“I call it like I see, and I’ve been in this business for a long time.” I drizzled cream cheese frosting over the casserole. “Now, if one of y’all could take this over to the table so I can finish up the eggs, I’d be mighty grateful.”
“I’ve got it.” James stepped in. He was always helpful with hisawe, shucks, ma’amattitude. Why couldn’t my libido have chosen him instead of the brooding, taciturn man who scowled at me most of the time? And I’ll tell you why—because my libido is a big, fat ho.
“Just set it on the trivet in the center there so it doesn’t burn my table.”
“Yes, ma’am.” James hoisted the hot dish with potholders, carrying it over to the table
Wyatt strolled in, quiet as ever. “We appreciate you making us breakfast and for letting us stay. We owe you.”
“It’s been my pleasure, guys,” I said, moving the scrambled eggs into a dish and carting it with the bacon to the table.
“Sit. Eat up.”
It took a few minutes to get everyone settled with a full plate. I sat at the head of the table with Ben at the opposite end. “You know, whenever Evan visited, he’d tell me about some of your missions.”
“He shouldn’t have told you. Those are classified.” Wyatt said with a serious frown.
“But he did. And really, who was I going to tell? I knew it was him just needing to get things off his chest. You guys don’t owe me a thing for staying here. I can’t imagine what it’s like, doing the job you do because it’s so foreign from anything I’ve known, but I know I have the life I do, the one I’ve built because of what you guys do. So, what I mean to say, and have done so badly, is that I’m happy to put you guys up whenever you’re in town. We’re connected because of Evan, and I don’t take that connection lightly. So don’t be strangers.”
Wyatt, James, Aiden, and Lucas all smiled and nodded. “We appreciate it.”
“Especially when the food is this spectacular,” Lucas murmured before hoisting a huge bite of French toast casserole into his mouth.
“You’ve got our numbers too. You know we’ll be here for you if you need it,” Aiden stated.
I glanced at the men at my table. They were ultimate badasses, each and every one. “Where are you headed next?”
“To freeze our damn asses off,” Lucas muttered.
“We’re heading to Bangor, Maine,” Wyatt said. “And then it’s off to St. Louis after that.”
“Let me pack you guys some food for the road.” I rose from the table. The others were involved in the meal, but I felt Ben’s gaze on me. I shot him a quizzical stare, daring him to say something to spoil the morning.
But he just stared back with an unreadable expression in those artic-blue depths.
While they finished breakfast, I listened to their easy camaraderie and put together some turkey sandwiches, bananas, chips, and the rest of the peanut butter cookies I made earlier in the week. I had to go grocery shopping tomorrow morning anyhow. I liked to go while the church crowd was at mass.
The guys demolished breakfast. It amazed me how much food they could put away in a single sitting. But it made me happy too. Because I knew that they’d been to hell and back more times than I could count, but they hadn’t lost that spark of humanity. In fact, I think they were more authentic than most people. Because they knew how fragile life truly was, how it could be over in an instant. And they lived larger, more authentic lives because of it. They didn’t shy away from the hard stuff but faced it head-on with a devil-may-care gleam in their eyes.
After breakfast, the four of them packed up, taking the lunches I prepared with a hug and a promise to check in on me. But what really struck me was watching Ben say goodbye. It was poignant. And I’d bet the tips I would make tonight that the man didn’t even realize it. The bond between them was palpable.
