he?"
"Gathering in the others."
"Others?" Lily's head spun from the turn of events and names she couldn't begin to recognize.
"Our team. Spoon, Night, and Loco."
"But how?" A knock at the front door interrupted her.
Cale walked over, opening the door wide, gesturing in three men. Lily stood in amazement. All three stood around the same height, big, strong, and full of muscles. Two had short hair in varying shades of brown with chocolate irises. The third sported blue-black hair, hanging past his shoulders, flying free. Deep blue eyes made for a striking contrast. Native American heritage shouted loudly from his coloring and facial features.
Just like when Carson and Cale stood over Dillon, Lily felt dwarfed, like a wallaby amongst its cousins, the kangaroos. "Oh, boy. Let me guess. None of you had any difficulty climbing that wall in basic training." Lily muttered as she tilted her head back to look up at them.
The lot chuckled. "No ma'am."
Cale pulled her against his side. "This is our team. Loco. Spoon. And, the boss, Night. This is Lily, Dillon's nurse, babysitter, maid."
Each man gave a brief nod in turn, their predatory appearance diminished only slightly by the happy expressions on their faces.
She elbowed Cale in the side while Dillon snorted.
"Damn, Bugle. Heard you were hit." The one introduced as Loco asked.
Dillon nodded. "Yeah, but I'm on the mend. Been holing up for a few days with nothing to do but take meds and eat."
"Good to know."
"Lansing?" Dillon asked, his question directed at the three newcomers.
Spoon explained. "Yeah. Seems he and his goons arrived Tuesday, looking for first the doctor, then for Lily. They managed to track you guys down that far."
Cale tensed next to her, pulling her flush with his body.
Night took up the tale. "Daughter of the doctor's receptionist owns the diner."
"Lisa?" Lily asked.
He nodded.
"Lisa is in the National Guard. She's sharp and capable." Lily quickly informed them, boasting the assets of her friend.
The sandy haired man stepped forward. "Seems she got a bad feeling when these guys started asking about you and the doc. So, she called her mother, who called the doc. Good old Mayberry pulled some strings, but finally found the person to make contact with Night. He thought you guys could take care of yourselves and anyone else, but decided back up couldn't hurt."
"How close?" Dillon eased to one of the kitchen chairs, lines of pain crossing his face.
"Caught up with them on the side road, about a mile away. Armed to the gill, but what else would you expect of that son of a bitch? Tango Uniform now."
She didn't understand any of their terminology, but figured everything was on the up and up or they wouldn't be standing in her living room making introductions. "I didn't hear anything." If they were that close, I would have heart gunshots, right?
"You wouldn't have." Cale gave her a squeeze.
"Clean up?"
"Done." Spoon answered in a low tone.
"I owe you." Sincerity filled Cale's words.
The guys shrugged it off. "You would have done the same for us." Loco slapped Cale on the back.
Silence filled the room. Night tilted his head toward the door. "We should be off." The other men lined up, preparing to leave.
"Wait!" Lily reached out to stop them.
They turned in unison.
"Please. Don't go. I'm fixing Thanksgiving lunch and assuming it's edible… there should be plenty. I would like for you to stay and eat with us. Please? It's the least I can do for what you've done."
Night glanced toward Cale who shrugged. The others waited in silence.
"Did I mention I have homemade bread and cinnamon rolls?" She crossed her fingers, hoping the lure of the baked goods would tilt the scale in her favor.
Each man shared a look before smiling. "I think we can do that."
* * * *
A few hours later, her kitchen bustled with activity. Even the newest guests refused to allow her to do most of the work, claiming they couldn't sit on their rears and allow her to work
"Gathering in the others."
"Others?" Lily's head spun from the turn of events and names she couldn't begin to recognize.
"Our team. Spoon, Night, and Loco."
"But how?" A knock at the front door interrupted her.
Cale walked over, opening the door wide, gesturing in three men. Lily stood in amazement. All three stood around the same height, big, strong, and full of muscles. Two had short hair in varying shades of brown with chocolate irises. The third sported blue-black hair, hanging past his shoulders, flying free. Deep blue eyes made for a striking contrast. Native American heritage shouted loudly from his coloring and facial features.
Just like when Carson and Cale stood over Dillon, Lily felt dwarfed, like a wallaby amongst its cousins, the kangaroos. "Oh, boy. Let me guess. None of you had any difficulty climbing that wall in basic training." Lily muttered as she tilted her head back to look up at them.
The lot chuckled. "No ma'am."
Cale pulled her against his side. "This is our team. Loco. Spoon. And, the boss, Night. This is Lily, Dillon's nurse, babysitter, maid."
Each man gave a brief nod in turn, their predatory appearance diminished only slightly by the happy expressions on their faces.
She elbowed Cale in the side while Dillon snorted.
"Damn, Bugle. Heard you were hit." The one introduced as Loco asked.
Dillon nodded. "Yeah, but I'm on the mend. Been holing up for a few days with nothing to do but take meds and eat."
"Good to know."
"Lansing?" Dillon asked, his question directed at the three newcomers.
Spoon explained. "Yeah. Seems he and his goons arrived Tuesday, looking for first the doctor, then for Lily. They managed to track you guys down that far."
Cale tensed next to her, pulling her flush with his body.
Night took up the tale. "Daughter of the doctor's receptionist owns the diner."
"Lisa?" Lily asked.
He nodded.
"Lisa is in the National Guard. She's sharp and capable." Lily quickly informed them, boasting the assets of her friend.
The sandy haired man stepped forward. "Seems she got a bad feeling when these guys started asking about you and the doc. So, she called her mother, who called the doc. Good old Mayberry pulled some strings, but finally found the person to make contact with Night. He thought you guys could take care of yourselves and anyone else, but decided back up couldn't hurt."
"How close?" Dillon eased to one of the kitchen chairs, lines of pain crossing his face.
"Caught up with them on the side road, about a mile away. Armed to the gill, but what else would you expect of that son of a bitch? Tango Uniform now."
She didn't understand any of their terminology, but figured everything was on the up and up or they wouldn't be standing in her living room making introductions. "I didn't hear anything." If they were that close, I would have heart gunshots, right?
"You wouldn't have." Cale gave her a squeeze.
"Clean up?"
"Done." Spoon answered in a low tone.
"I owe you." Sincerity filled Cale's words.
The guys shrugged it off. "You would have done the same for us." Loco slapped Cale on the back.
Silence filled the room. Night tilted his head toward the door. "We should be off." The other men lined up, preparing to leave.
"Wait!" Lily reached out to stop them.
They turned in unison.
"Please. Don't go. I'm fixing Thanksgiving lunch and assuming it's edible… there should be plenty. I would like for you to stay and eat with us. Please? It's the least I can do for what you've done."
Night glanced toward Cale who shrugged. The others waited in silence.
"Did I mention I have homemade bread and cinnamon rolls?" She crossed her fingers, hoping the lure of the baked goods would tilt the scale in her favor.
Each man shared a look before smiling. "I think we can do that."
* * * *
A few hours later, her kitchen bustled with activity. Even the newest guests refused to allow her to do most of the work, claiming they couldn't sit on their rears and allow her to work
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