little Cajun pixie had no subtly as she craned her neck. She must’ve spotted the guys because she hopped down and rushed over.
“Nice! So glad you came even if you’re shunning us for hot men.” She sipped what looked like mini keg full of sweet tea with extra lemons floating in it.
“You’ve seen those men before. And I’m not shunning you. I just got bored at home. There was nothing from my headhunter. I was hoping for job prospects. Plus I wasn’t into the TV marathon I’d planned.” Zoe shrugged.
“I meant that it’s nice you’re going out with them. It’s not a secret, but going public and all… This is the perfect place! I’ll leave you guys alone.” Lizzie smiled widely and dashed back to the other table.
Zoe watched as everyone leaned in to listen to Lizzie. There was no doubt about the topic. Crystal glanced back with a grin, and Zoe wanted to crawl under the table. One man was normal; she had four. No one was judging or criticizing, but they thought it was more than just a casual relationship. What an odd judgment. She looked around and got nods and smiles from people in the town. It knotted her stomach.
Making a public statement about her relationship status hadn’t been the plan at all. Major mistake and now it was too late!
The guys came loaded with food, and Don had five mini keg drinks in his arms. All she saw was sweet tea and held onto that mistake. They didn’t know her as well as they thought.
He set them down and handed the teas to Cam, Owen and set one before himself. Then she spotted the Diet Cokes. One for her and one for Jar. Damn! They did know her well.
“Thanks. I might explode.” She tried to sound normal.
“We’re eating, too.” Cam popped a fried vegetable covered in ranch sauce into his mouth.
“Healthy.” She grabbed a Cajun spiced fry and stuffed it in her mouth. Suddenly, her stress level dropped a bit.
“We only eat like this during fests. And we’ll work it off later.” Owen slid a box labeled chicken poppers in front of her.
She tried one and grabbed another. The sweet and sour sauce with it perfectly tempered the spicy seasoning. “It’s great.”
“You okay?” Don asked.
She shivered and said the opposite of what was in her mind. “Fine. Just felt weird being at a big table alone.”
“Don’t worry. We won’t ever leave you alone for long.” Cam handed her some napkins.
“Thanks.” She glanced at Jar. He seemed totally at ease. Of course, he’d been hanging with these three men for over a month. Groups of men spending time together were nothing new. The factory had brought in plenty of men. Today, Zoe didn’t feel men in general looking at her as much.
Like it or not, she’d been claimed, and now, all of Lucky Springs knew who she slept with. The other men seemed to respect it like an old-fashioned code of chivalry. She belonged to these men now.
“Not hungry, Zoe? Don’t be shy.” Owen nudged a plate closer to her.
“We’ve got homemade cheesy potato soup for dinner,” Cam said.
Her stomach rumbled. Blocking out the crowds, especially when she caught Ash looking over, Zoe focused on sampling the food. She’d been over-thinking everything. Good men, good food, and later, great sex. What was there to complain about?
* * * *
With everyone stuffed, the soup was saved for another day. Luckily, Zoe didn’t insist on being returned to her house. They’d stayed late at the fest, and she claimed she didn’t want to wake her friends. Cam hoped she just wanted to be with them. Stepping out in public was a good sign, but it’d made her uneasy.
Yet here, she seemed quite at ease, stripping down to nothing and flopping into bed. Don and Owen followed her into the room, equally naked. Jar hung back and gave Cam an unsure look. Using sex as a crutch wasn’t a solution to the relationship hiccups, but until Zoe was ready to talk about the potential for the group, sex connected them.
Having sisters, Cam knew trying to get a
Penny Warner
Emily Ryan-Davis
Sarah Jio
Ann Radcliffe
Joey W. Hill
Dianne Touchell
Brian Keene, J.F. Gonzalez
Alison Kent
John Brandon
Evan Pickering