Page 126 of Riding the Pine

“Wait.” Pen holds up her hand. “That sounds way kinkier than I meant it to.”

I can’t stop the lurch in my gut. “Yeah. Let’s not call him Daddy anything.”

There’s a ripple of giggling around the room, myself included.

The doorbell chimes, and Eloise makes her way to pick up our food. Or round one of our meal at least. We opted to order three courses, but from different places. Living on the edge.

Penelope sits next to me on my living room floor, she nudges me with her shoulder. “Thanks for inviting me over.”

“Yeah, me too,” Tori adds, reaching over the arm of the couch to pick up the paper plates she brought with her.

“Definitely fun,” Vannah gives me that best friend look. You know, the one that saysI told you so,without actually saying the words out loud.

I roll my eyes back at her, and she laughs.

“My therapist said I need to stop pushing everyone away and start letting people in.” I regard the amazing women scattered around my personal space.

I don’t hate it.

“I couldn’t think of better people to let in than you guys.” I swallow down the lump of emotion making my eyes well up with unshed tears. “We’re family, right?” My voice cracks on the word ‘family’ just as Eloise returns with two bags of food.

“We are family. Have been for a while.” She smiles, and it’s not as shy as it used to be. It’s like Ares somehow helped her find her inner strength and now she shines with it every day.

Just like Scott is helping me figure my way out of my old restrictive self, too. I press my hand to my chest. My Scottie, his patience with me lately is endless.

“What are you thinking about?” Penelope side-eyes me. “It’s Scott, isn’t it? Those are the same floaty hearts Tori gets when she thinks about Raffi.”

I shake my head, but don’t deny it because the heat in my cheeks make it obvious that she’s not wrong.

When Tori laughs, my eyes catch on the tattoo on her inner forearm. “Is that new?”

She nods. “Raffi got one the day after we met. I figured it was time to get one as well.”

“Huh.” I stare at it for an uncomfortably long time.

“What, huh?” Savannah starts dishing out the appetizers. “I know that face. What are you thinking about, Hen? You want to get some ink?”

I’m slipping my phone back out of my butt pocket and pushing buttons before Savannah gives me my fried pickles.

“Athena, my beautiful cousin. Been a while, gorgeous. You doing okay? I heard what happened. Need a clean-up crew?” My cousin Santiago de la Peña, he’s older, and has used his family money to develop the greyer kind of contacts than I have.

“Hola Santi. Todo está bien. Well, as good as can be expected. Trying to get those bastards thrown behind bars on a permanent basis is taking longer than I’d like but no, no clean-up necessary.”

“At least not yet,” Eloise mutters under her breath, which makes Santi snort.

“Then what can I do for you?” He tells someone near him that he’ll be a couple minutes and not to wait for him.

“I need the number of your tattoo artist here in Cedar Rapids. He does house calls, right?”

Santiago lets out a low whistle. “Joining us in the skin decoration club? I’ll shoot you his digits. Tell him I sent you; he’ll give you the family discount.”

He doesn’t wait for a goodbye, but the second after I hang up there’s contact information on my screen.

“Oh my god, are you really bringing a tattoo artist here? Like, now?” Penelope looks at me with hopeful eyes.

“Why? You want one, too?”

She shrugs. “May as well make his trip worthwhile?”

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