“I’m sorry. I wish you weren’t dealing with this on top of everything else,” I tell her, not having a clue how to make her feel better right now.

“I’ll be okay. As long as my girls are happy, nothing else really matters.”

“Still, you know I’m always here if you need to talk, and I’ll always have your back.”

“I know.” She leans forward to hug me. “I don’t know what I or the girls would do without you.”

“I love you.”

“I love you too.” She lets me go then stands. “I’m going to go wash my face and get dressed.”

“Sure.” I watch her walk off then go to the kitchen to start breakfast, since Talon and Chaz are still outside, with Mom probably hiding in the room, waiting for someone to check on her.

With pancakes on the stove and bacon cooking in the oven, I look to the backdoor when it’s opened and meet Talon’s gaze. “I was just coming in to start breakfast.” He walks toward me, and I shrug.

“I needed something to do, and I didn’t know how long you’d be out with Chaz, since he doesn’t have his shop to hide in. I figured he might keep you occupied awhile.

“His shop?” He fits himself against my back, wrapping his arms around my middle.

“He makes birdhouses when he’s working through whatever he’s feeling. At his and Mom’s house, there are thousands of birdhouses all over the yard.” I smile when he chuckles, then ask, “Is he okay though?”

“Yeah, just worried about your sister. He knows she’s dealing with a lot, and now with the break-in and Winston showing up, he doesn’t know what to think.” He sighs. “How’s your sister?”

“She’s upset, but she’ll be okay.” I turn in his arms so that we’re standing front-to-front. “Thank you for looking after her. I know I said that already, but I want you to understand how much that means to not only her but to me.” I lean up on my tiptoes and press my mouth to his then fall back to flat-footed. “Do you mind taking over here so I can get dressed?”

“Yeah, baby, go on.”

“Thanks,” I say when he takes the spatula out of my hand and starts to place the pancakes I flipped a minute ago on a plate. As I head for his room, I stop at the edge of the hall, knowing it’s now or never. “And Talon?”

“Yeah, baby?” He looks at me over his shoulder.

“I love you too,” I admit, watching his eyes warm and his features soften.

“You better get your ass back here and kiss me,” he growls, and I laugh as I run to him and jump into his embrace. With his hands under my ass and my arms around his neck, I kiss him until we’re both breathless.

CHAPTER 16

Mia

“CECE, ARE YOU ready to go?” I shout as I tie my shoes, something that isn’t easy to do with four curious kittens attacking the strings.

“Yep.” She comes around the corner with her overnight bag over her shoulder. “Do you think we should call mom and Chaz to make sure they found the rental okay?” she asks as I grab Talon’s Jeep keys off the table near the door.

“I think they’re completely capable of calling us if they need help.” We walk outside, making sure the kittens don’t escape before locking the door. During breakfast, Bax showed up and Talon decided to ride with him to Cece’s so they could get started on clean up. And since my parents told us they wanted to find a place to rent for the week, Talon insisted I stay behind to help them and to drive his jeep over when I was ready.

“How long do you think Mom is going to be upset for?” Cece asks as I pull out onto the main road.

“Until you’re honest,” I say quietly, then add, “You have to admit you’ve kept a lot to yourself and that hurts especially when all we want to do is help.”

I glance over at her when she doesn’t respond and notice her gazing out the window. Not wanting to upset her, I drive the rest of the way to her place in silence, then park on the street because the driveway is filled with three trucks and a large dumpster. After I shut down the engine, I step out and know she climbs out with me because I hear her door slam. As soon as I make it inside, I go in search of Talon and find him in the kitchen, working on removing the counters.

“Hey baby.” He stops what he’s doing to greet me with a kiss. “Did your parents find a place?”

“They did. They’re going over there now then to the store.” I look around. “You guys have gotten a lot done.” The front of the cabinets are gone, the broken dishes and stuff is cleaned up, and the appliances, which had been dented, are no longer around.

“There’s still a lot to do, but we’ll get it done.” He gives my hip a squeeze as Cece comes around the corner followed by Sophie, November, April, Nalia, and Willow.

“Just who we we’re looking for.” Sophie grabs my hand, tugging me away from her son.

“Mom.” He shakes his head, sighing and I wonder what’s going on as she drags me out of the kitchen toward the back door, which November opens up.

“Don’t worry honey, we’ll take good care of her.”

“Right, like I believe that.” I hear him mutter as I’m pulled outside.

“Shouldn’t we be inside helping clean up?” Cece asks as Talon’s sister Willow pushes her down into a seat on the deck under a large umbrella that’s been opened up.

“No,” his cousin April states, as she pulls a bottle of expensive tequila from her purse.

“We’d just be in the way,” Sophie mutters, taking a seat next to me and patting my thigh.

“Exactly,” November agrees, “and how many times do you want to be told ‘don’t lift that,’ ‘be careful,’ ‘wait for me and my big, strong muscles to help you’?”

“Which is why—” His sister Nalia laughs, pulling out a stack of hot pink plastic shot glasses from her bag. “—rather than becoming annoyed with men who believe we are incapable of helping, we’re going to drink until we are incapable of helping.”

“I don’t know,” Cece says, looking at me seeming unsure, and I shrug because I have a feeling they aren’t wrong.

“Trust us.” November hands her a shot. “We’ve been dealing with these guys forever if you go back in there you’re just going to be standing around because they won’t let you do anything.”

“Okay!” She gives in.

“What are we drinking to?” Nalia asks, holding up her glass, and we all follow her lead, lifting ours.

“To badass women who have the ability to take care of everything but more importantly, take care of each other.” April shoots back her shot, and everyone else does the same. Knowing this is going to burn, I squeeze my eyes closed and shoot back the shot, gasping for air after I swallow.

“So,” Sophie says, focusing on me as April starts to fill everyone’s glass again. “Where are your parents today?”

“They’ve found a temporary rental in town, so they’re going to the grocery store to pick up some stuff then take it over there and have a look around.” I leave out what happened this morning and that I’m also sure they need some time alone to talk about it and hopefully get over it.