convicted.
Fuck.
“What fire damage?” Evelyn’s voice is soft, but cautious. She pulls her hand out of mine and clasps her fingers together in her lap. The whites of her knuckles show and I place my hand over hers in silent support.
“The fire burned for five days. It destroyed a lot of land and spilled into the valley. My mother’s cottage survived, but there’s damage we need to fix.”
“Is that all?”
“No. We lost several acres in the fire before we could put it out.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I was more concerned about you, to be honest.” She needs to know what’s important. Land and buildings mean nothing in the grand scheme of things. I’m not ready to express everything I’m feeling just yet. We’re still getting to know each other. Case in point, my failure to mention my brothers and the subsequent shenanigans they pulled on her this morning.
To them, it is all in good fun. How many times have we played that prank on the girls we’ve brought home growing up, or the times we switched mid-date. It’s one of the reasons Mom is so pissed at Brody and Cage. We broke a lot of hearts in our youth and weren’t exactly respectful of the girls we fucked.
And I do mean to say fucked. I’m the only one to ever have a steady girlfriend. All the others were nothing more than conquests, something to pass the time. I’m not proud of this, but it’s the truth.
18
Evelyn
If I thought the bar was overwhelming, it doesn’t hold a candle to sitting down and having breakfast with Asher’s family.
Our relationship is what I’d call a whirlwind. We’ve skipped a lot and covered impressive ground.
Abbie La Rouge is a blast. I mean that in the best of ways, but it’s a bit too soon to lower my guard and relax. Yet, that’s exactly what happens.
She sent her boys to wash and drew the most embarrassing moment of my life from my lips, commiserated with me, then smoothed all the jagged edges as if they never existed. All before Asher, Brody, and Cage could dry their hands.
The woman is amazing.
We’re beyond all of that now and gather around, passing bacon, pancakes, and eggs down the table.
Like this is a normal occurrence.
But it’s not. I pass the bacon. Share the syrup. They treat me as one of their own, but I’m an outsider. Abbie refuses to allow me to feel that way. She’s already welcomed me into the fold, but she has no reason to do so. I’m a stranger, but to look at her, it’s as if I’m the long-lost daughter she’s always wanted.
Talk about big shoes to fill.
I’m drowning.
Asher piles his plate full with a stack of pancakes then sandwiches bacon slices between them.
“What are you doing?” My brows pinch together as I watch the carb overload and artery clogging event.
His cocky grin is back. “It’s more efficient.”
“More efficient how?” Healthy how?
“All the good bites in one.” He looks at my plate where I’ve barely touched the one piece of bacon and the small scoop of scrambled eggs I placed there. “Not hungry?”
I place a hand over my belly. Whether it’s nerves or something else, the thought of food is unappealing.
“Maybe later.” The food looks amazing, but there’s no way I’m getting any of it to stay down. Not only am I sitting across the table from his brothers, each of whom I’ve felt up, but his mother sits at the head of the table.
This is so far out of my comfort zone, I want to scream.
“You should eat, Evelyn.” His mother looks at my plate and shakes her head. “You’re practically skin and bones.”
I’m skin and bones because I watch what I eat.
“Yes, ma’am.”
Brody snickers across the table and Cage rolls his eyes. Asher places a hand on my leg as his mother gives me a look.
“Evelyn, and I mean this in the nicest way, please call me Mom or Abbie, but I prefer we stay away from ma’am. I’m not that formal and I hope you understand why that may be.”
Shit. Way to put my foot in my mouth. “I’m sorry, Abbie.” She smiles as I relent. “It’s just how I was raised. I mean no disrespect.”
“None taken, my dear. I appreciate the lessons your parents taught you, and I don’t mean to overstep, or diminish them, but I prefer to keep things more casual.”
“Abbie it is.” I give her a soft smile, letting her know