Page 22 of Tangled Threats on the Nomad Highway
“Is it too soon for me to get in on this?”Vanna and Sharon squeezed tighter around Marian, and with a groan,she looked up to see Gunny had wrapped himself around all of them.“Shit, sorry, honey. It was a bonding moment, and I didn’t thinkabout your ribs. Still, I’m a proud brother all over again.”
Laughter was a great tension eraser, and asthe group hug fell apart, they were all laughing so loudly a coupleof men nearby called out in irritation that they weren’t in on thejoke, whatever it was. Their complaints only made Marian laughlonger, each round of rising sound met by one from Sharon orVanna.
“Time to start lunch,” Vanna declared,stepping towards the door. “I’ll take any helpers you can find forme, Lane.”
“You got it, Vanna Mom.” Gunny turned with awink. “You wanna eat, you gonna help cook.” Leaning against theporch railing, he bellowed the instructions out across the crowd,and Marian was shocked to see friendly waves returned to him, alongwith a general movement towards the house.
“There’s not that many men. I can take careof lunch if you want.”
Vanna’s head was shaking as she entered thehouse. “Any help they offer is accepted, always. As is your offer.”The call over her shoulder was accompanied by a come-on motion ofher hand. “Let’s get things started and see where it goes.”
A couple of hours later, Marian’s stomachwas still complaining about the quantity of food she’d eaten, andlike many of the group, she had found a comfortable positionlounging in a chair. She was in the kitchen, which was where thewomen and older men seemed to cluster. The younger men and kids allgravitated to the living room, where someone had put on an animatedmovie. She’d expected objections from the men, but everyone seemedengrossed in the cartoony drama, with Sharon’s and Gunny’skids—Cade, Kitten, and Josh—perched on various laps around theroom.
She heard something and cocked her headslightly, listening closely. Another bike was approaching. Lookingat Truck, she saw he’d heard it too, an anticipatory expression onhis face. He stood and angled to look out a window, then calledout, “They’re here.”
It took her a moment longer than the otherpeople in the kitchen to understand what he meant, so she wasbehind the first flood of people exiting the house. Still in timeto see Bane assist Myrt off the motorcycle, watching as hersister’s face beamed a smile. Luke and Thad encircled her, and whenMarian reached them, they immediately pulled her into theembrace.
“You’re here.” Luke’s whisper communicatedhe’d been worried without saying anything, and Marian felt a pangof guilt at not reassuring him better. “All of us together.Here.It’s so good here, Myrtie. Everybody is nice. Truckshowed me how to help him change his oil, and never once did I messup. I did it right from the beginning. I never had that. It’s sogood.”
Thad snuffled wetly and pressed his headagainst Marian’s shoulder. “I’m glad to have you here with us.Lukie’s right. It’s good here. Can we stay? Do we get to stayhere?” He angled his head to look up at Marian, tears streaking hisface. “We don’t gotta leave, do we?”
“No.” Myrtle’s reply was immediate and firm,convinced in her response. “We live here now. Nobody’s going tomake us leave, Thad. We live here now.”
Staring at her sister, the lines in Myrt’sface making her seem older than her years, Marian was struck by thereversal of their roles. Myrt had suddenly become the sister withall the answers, the leader of their little family. She felt aweight fall away, a burden she didn’t even know she’d been carryingleaving her reeling a little as it began to disappear.
“Vanna said we’d have a place as long as wewanted.” Marian threw her tiny reassurance into the mix alongsideMyrt’s confidence. “Gunny said we’re part of his found family. Idon’t think he’ll let anything happen to us ever again.”
“And Bane is the same.” Myrt returnedMarian’s glance with a shy grin. “I’m with him.”
“Like Bane’s your boyfriend?” Thadstraightened as his expression threatened to turn from happinessinto a glower. “Is he good enough? Man’s got to be good to be goodenough for my sister. When did that happen? Is that why you didn’tcome with us? Wanted to be alone with him?”
Marian froze and waited to see how Myrtwould react to the rapid-fire questions their brother had lobbed ather.
Myrt lifted her hands and cupped Thad’scheeks, pulling him in so she could kiss his forehead. “Bane’s agood, good man. I love him.” He deflated a little, the protectorfleeing as hope returned to his features.
I shouldn’t have worried.
“Gunny’s good, too.” Luke’s interjection hadMarian laughing aloud. “What? He is.”
“Gunny’s also married.” Marian stepped back,grasping Myrt’s hand in hers. “Let’s get inside. You’ve been on theroad for a while.” Myrt rolled her eyes and then froze in placewith a groan.
“Get me a chair with a pillow? I want tohear everything, but my bottom hurts like the devil.”
“You heard her.” She tapped Luke’s shoulderand gave Thad a tiny shove in the direction of the house. “Get acushion for one of the kitchen chairs.” The boys rattled up thesteps and through the door as Marian turned back to her sister,giving her hand a tug. “Come on, you can lean on me.”
They’d gotten to the top of the steps whenLuke gave a cry. Myrt squeezed her hand before dropping their hold.“Go see what happened.”
Marian left her behind and entered theliving room. Luke held a bare pillow, the covering in Thad’s hands.“Boys.” The grin on her face belied the attempt at scolding, andthey both knew it. She took the pillow and case, reassembling it asshe made her way to the kitchen.
The next hours flew by, talk interspersedwith laughter followed by more food. Marian made herself usefulwhen she could, keeping an eye on Myrt where she sat at the table,surrounded by women who’d ridden in with their men. The names weretoo many for Marian to keep track of, so she didn’t try, except forthose Sharon specifically introduced her to, like Peaches, who wasmarried to Blackie, who was Bane’s boss. Then the house was filledto the brim with men as they finished whatever business they’d hadoutside.
When the cacophony of noise became too much,Marian would go upstairs to the room allotted her and the boys.Just having a closed door between her and the rest of the peoplehelped, and she was never alone long. Sharon and Gunny took turnscoming up to keep her company, their quiet acceptance of howoverwhelmed she felt a solace in itself.
One trip upstairs had Vanna come to findher, and they sat, listening to the shouts and laughter fromdownstairs.
“It’ll be loud here all night.” Vanna’ssmile said she didn’t mind, and Marian steeled herself to be okaywith it too. “Truck owns the house just down the road. It’s beenwaiting for a family to claim it. I thought it might be Sharon andGunny, but she’s found a bigger place just behind ours. Adjoiningproperty lines. Bane’s moving down here to be with Myrt, and wesent them over to the empty house a while ago.”
“I didn’t get to say goodnight.” Marian’sbreathing grew choppy. “I’m sorry I haven’t been more help, VannaMom.”
