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Authors: Diane Moody
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height, a good four or five inches taller than Alex.
“Hmm?”
Alex inhaled and slowly let it out,
trying to control her temper. “I mean it, Deacon. GET.
OUT.”
He laughed. Tracey couldn’t believe
it. The man actually threw his head back and laughed.
Tracey blocked Alex just as she
reached out to shove him.
They turned at the sound of footsteps
behind them. Noah, Gristle, Stump, Lester the quiet one, and even
Hank the redhead gathered slowly around them. Tracey noted the
glint in Noah’s eyes, but he didn’t say a word.
“ Well, well,” Deacon said,
his tone once again laced with sweetness. “I see we have us a party
here.”
None of the Elders said a word. They
just stared at him, their message unmistakable.
“ I see then, well, I’ll be
on my way,” Deacon said, turning to leave. “Miss Collins, you just
let me know if there’s any way we can be of service—” He stopped
as he opened the door, glancing over his shoulder “—With whatever
it is you all are up to here.” His mustached smile didn’t quite
reach the disdain in his eyes. He turned and made his way out the
door and down the steps.
Alex let out a long,
graveled groan. “I mean to tell you, if that man —”
“ Alex, what’s going on?”
Noah asked.
Tracey answered before Alex could.
“Just an old bully flexing his muscles. Nothing new about
that.”
Alex let her head drop back, her eyes
closed. “I can’t tell you how badly I wanted to smack that fat
gnarly mole right off his face.”
A snort sounded behind them. They all
turned to find Lester snickering with a crooked smile. A
split-second later they all broke into laughter.
Everyone except Alex. “No, I can’t
laugh. I won’t. There’s nothing funny about that jerk.
Nothing.”
As their laughter settled, Tracey put
her arm around her sister. “Oh, c’mon, Sis. You can’t let him get
to you. That’s exactly what he wants. But you know
what?”
Alex huffed and tossed her a glare.
“What?”
“ I think he just met his
match,” she said, nodding her head at the guys around
them.
They looked at each other as if
considering the idea.
“ You want me to go slash
his tires, Miss Alex?” Stump asked, completely serious.
“ No, how ‘bout I go teach
him a thang or two about manners?” Gristle gestured with great flair. “That dude
think he all that. And I’m tellin’ you right now, he ain’t. ”
Tracey looked at Alex. “Y’know, I have
to agree. Don’t you?”
They all laughed, then Noah planted
his hands on his hips and shook his head. “That may be, guys, but
you don’t want to cross him.”
“ Ah, c’mon, now!” Gristle
cried. “Where’s the fun in that ?”
“ Noah’s right.” Stump
folded his arms across his massive chest. “You can’t let him scare
ya away, but you sure don’t wanna get him all hot ‘n bothered. Just
let it go so as he’ll leave you alone, Miss Alex.”
“ Easier said than done,
Stump. I’ve still got battle scars from that one.”
He stepped closer to her, rested his
hand on her shoulder as an easy expression warmed his bearded face.
“Well, don’t you worry yourself none. We gotcha
covered.”
Alex exhaled, relieved, and looked up
at him. “Good to know. Thanks, Stump.”
Tracey looked at him, this tall, tall
man, and decided beneath all that hair and height and breadth was a
big soft heart. The thought eased her own tension.
“ Okay, show’s over, let’s
get back to work,” Alex said, clapping her hands.
The men stood there, not
moving.
“ What?”
“ Nothin’, Miss Alex,
’ceptin’ we only came in fo’ a cup of coffee,” Gristle mumbled.
“That okay wid’ you?”
Chapter 7
While Buddy and Noah
rigged up additional temporary lighting, the girls told him about
Deacon’s visit. He assured them he would handle the permits and Deacon Stone. Tracey
could see the immediate relief in her sister’s face. She reminded
herself to ask Alex sometime about the whole
height, a good four or five inches taller than Alex.
“Hmm?”
Alex inhaled and slowly let it out,
trying to control her temper. “I mean it, Deacon. GET.
OUT.”
He laughed. Tracey couldn’t believe
it. The man actually threw his head back and laughed.
Tracey blocked Alex just as she
reached out to shove him.
They turned at the sound of footsteps
behind them. Noah, Gristle, Stump, Lester the quiet one, and even
Hank the redhead gathered slowly around them. Tracey noted the
glint in Noah’s eyes, but he didn’t say a word.
“ Well, well,” Deacon said,
his tone once again laced with sweetness. “I see we have us a party
here.”
None of the Elders said a word. They
just stared at him, their message unmistakable.
“ I see then, well, I’ll be
on my way,” Deacon said, turning to leave. “Miss Collins, you just
let me know if there’s any way we can be of service—” He stopped
as he opened the door, glancing over his shoulder “—With whatever
it is you all are up to here.” His mustached smile didn’t quite
reach the disdain in his eyes. He turned and made his way out the
door and down the steps.
Alex let out a long,
graveled groan. “I mean to tell you, if that man —”
“ Alex, what’s going on?”
Noah asked.
Tracey answered before Alex could.
“Just an old bully flexing his muscles. Nothing new about
that.”
Alex let her head drop back, her eyes
closed. “I can’t tell you how badly I wanted to smack that fat
gnarly mole right off his face.”
A snort sounded behind them. They all
turned to find Lester snickering with a crooked smile. A
split-second later they all broke into laughter.
Everyone except Alex. “No, I can’t
laugh. I won’t. There’s nothing funny about that jerk.
Nothing.”
As their laughter settled, Tracey put
her arm around her sister. “Oh, c’mon, Sis. You can’t let him get
to you. That’s exactly what he wants. But you know
what?”
Alex huffed and tossed her a glare.
“What?”
“ I think he just met his
match,” she said, nodding her head at the guys around
them.
They looked at each other as if
considering the idea.
“ You want me to go slash
his tires, Miss Alex?” Stump asked, completely serious.
“ No, how ‘bout I go teach
him a thang or two about manners?” Gristle gestured with great flair. “That dude
think he all that. And I’m tellin’ you right now, he ain’t. ”
Tracey looked at Alex. “Y’know, I have
to agree. Don’t you?”
They all laughed, then Noah planted
his hands on his hips and shook his head. “That may be, guys, but
you don’t want to cross him.”
“ Ah, c’mon, now!” Gristle
cried. “Where’s the fun in that ?”
“ Noah’s right.” Stump
folded his arms across his massive chest. “You can’t let him scare
ya away, but you sure don’t wanna get him all hot ‘n bothered. Just
let it go so as he’ll leave you alone, Miss Alex.”
“ Easier said than done,
Stump. I’ve still got battle scars from that one.”
He stepped closer to her, rested his
hand on her shoulder as an easy expression warmed his bearded face.
“Well, don’t you worry yourself none. We gotcha
covered.”
Alex exhaled, relieved, and looked up
at him. “Good to know. Thanks, Stump.”
Tracey looked at him, this tall, tall
man, and decided beneath all that hair and height and breadth was a
big soft heart. The thought eased her own tension.
“ Okay, show’s over, let’s
get back to work,” Alex said, clapping her hands.
The men stood there, not
moving.
“ What?”
“ Nothin’, Miss Alex,
’ceptin’ we only came in fo’ a cup of coffee,” Gristle mumbled.
“That okay wid’ you?”
Chapter 7
While Buddy and Noah
rigged up additional temporary lighting, the girls told him about
Deacon’s visit. He assured them he would handle the permits and Deacon Stone. Tracey
could see the immediate relief in her sister’s face. She reminded
herself to ask Alex sometime about the whole
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