Page 27 of Protecting Vera

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Vera threw back her head, laughter spilling out so hard she almost couldn’t breathe. Remi had said something so funny they were all having issues catching their breaths.

“Wait,” Wren said. “You mean the guy actually threw a taco at you?”

Remi nodded. “Yes. And he didn’t even know I was the creator of Pecky. He just got angry because I wasn’t paying attention to him, and I had my headphones in.”

Ellis held onto her sides, tears leaking down her cheeks as she snorted out another laugh. “I can’t imagine what you thought as the taco flew at you.”

Remi shook her head. “Tacos aren’t really that aerodynamic. The lettuce flew off before the shell and meat crashed to the ground about two feet from me.” She shrugged. “At least he missed.”

“And they banned him, right?” Vera asked.

“Oh yeah. He can’t get tacos from the shop down the street. They have a photo of him up behind the register telling their employees not to serve him.”

Ellis stood and headed over to the kitchen to pour up more wine. “Can you imagine being so mad at a stranger for not centering you in their life?”

Remi shrugged. “Right. Few people recognize me because I look nothing like Pecky, so I’m not used to people wanting to talk to me in public.”

That really tickled Ellis, and she had to sit at the kitchen table as laughter spilled out. Vera stepped into the kitchen and emptied the bottle of wine into her glass. “Looks like we took down one bottle.”

Wren stepped in and filled her glass with water. “Thank you for hosting us here.”

Vera nodded. “Of course.”

Wren flashed a quick smile. “After what happened, I’m glad we are locked in your house, and we’re all spending the night.”

Remi came over to Wren and gave her a hug. “We look after each other. This is nicer than sitting at a bar. I mean, I like going out sometimes, but I really like this. We can dance around, and no one hits on us.”

Vera nodded. “Yeah, I like that part. After Logan, I didn’t think I would ever date again.”

Ellis’s eyebrows shot up. “So, are you and Hop really together now?”

Vera shrugged. “I mean, yeah.”

All the women smiled like they knew some secret, and she guessed they did. She’d never been with a guy who knew his way around her body as well as Hop knew. Maybe SEALs got secret training in everything.

Laughter bubbled up at that thought. That wasn’t a thing, but she was glad Hop had learned from someone how to move and touch so it brought her pleasure.

Ellis drank most of her glass of wine and tried to stand then plopped back down on the chair. “I need to lie down.”

“You and Wren can take the bed in the guest room,” Remi said.

“Are you sure?” Wren asked.

Remi nodded. “Yes. I’m not tired yet.”

Wren yawned. “I’m exhausted. I didn’t sleep well last night.”

“We’ll be quiet out here,” Vera said as she helped Ellis to the bathroom. It was funny to her that she used to sleep in what was now the guest room. She was secure in her relationship with Ben, though they’d both decided to wait to tell Frizz when she came for a visit next month.

It took Ellis and Wren about fifteen minutes to get to bed. She was almost ready for sleep when Remi stretched and yawned. Their eyes met, and they both giggled quietly. Maybe it was the wine or the fact they were both in basically the same situation. Their men were gone for some random amount of time, and they had no idea where they were headed.

Vera had to ask. “How are you with Kevlar being gone?”

Remi shrugged. “He’s smart and strong, and I know he can handle really bad situations. Have you heard how we met?”

Vera shook her head. “No, I don’t think so.”

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