Page 22 of Cowboy

“Are you fucking with me right now?”

“I wish I were, brother. We let the local sheriff know what was happening but didn’t divulge that we have Autumn. We only said she was somewhere safe.”

“I’m ready,” she said, walking out. They all turned with fake smiles, and she knew something was up. She also knew they probably wouldn’t tell her.

The rain was annoyingly light. It wasn’t a sprinkle, but it wasn’t a full-blown downpour, either. It was enough to get you wet and make the humidity rise by a thousand percent. It was miserable. Walking into the auditorium, she shook off the raindrops and then looked up in surprise. Autumn was shocked at the number of people.

“Wow,” she whispered.

“Yea, this is the whole family,” smiled Cowboy.

People came forward, hugging, kissing, and slapping his back as he introduced Autumn to everyone. Along the wall was a long buffet line where everyone was filling their plates. She stared at the line as three men who appeared to be nearly seven-feet tall argued over how many biscuits they could eat.

“I’m tellin’ ‘ya, I’ve eaten a dozen in one sitting,” said Tailor.

“You’re lying. Let’s test it here,” said Alec. “Each one of us grabs a dozen. First man done with all of them wins.”

“Eating contests are juvenile,” said Noah. “Besides, we all know that Brit can outeat everyone.” Brit nudged the big man, then put four biscuits on her plate, already piled high with food.

“How about you boys save some for the rest of us,” said Baptiste. They all looked at him, frowning with a look that would make others melt. “I’m telling Mama.”

The men laughed, and Autumn felt a wave of relief run through her. She would not want to make those men angry.

“I say let our guest go first,” said Trak. The entire line jumped from the rumbling sound of the bass voice. Autumn stared at the man, then smiled, nodding her thanks.

“That’s very kind of you, but I’m good with a little coffee and some fruit,” she said.

“Nonsense!” said Zeke. “The food here is worth every calorie. You have to try the cinnamon rolls. They’re a favorite for everyone.”

Every time Autumn tried to leave the line, someone placed another spoonful of something on her plate. By the time she sat down, she was embarrassed at the amount of food before her.

“Don’t worry about it,” said a beautiful indigenous woman, “they’re always like this. I’m Tila. I’m married to Kevin, right over there.”

“It’s nice to meet you. I’m Autumn.”

“I’m relatively new here, although honestly, you can’t say that after just a few days. It seems everyone embraces you, and suddenly, it feels as though you’ve been here for years.”

“Yes, I’m getting that vibe,” she smiled.

“You’ll be just fine. All of these men and women are incredibly capable and brave. They won’t let anything happen to you.” Tila stood with her plate and moved back to sit near Kev, allowing Cowboy to take her place.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“Yes. Just a little overwhelmed, I suppose. Everyone is wonderful. It’s just a lot coming at me at one time.”

“It will get better. I promise.” He kissed her, then heard someone clear their throat at the front of the room.

“Good morning,” said Hex. A chorus response followed, and Autumn couldn’t help but smile. “Autumn, welcome to our family. I’m Hex. This is Luke, Cam, and Eric. We’re the leadership team, generation 2.0. The original team is in the back. Nine, Gaspar, Ian, and Ghost.”

She turned and smiled up at the men, giving a small wave. The men, who would have been intimidating any other time, gave a smile to the young woman, waving at her.

“I’m sure that Cowboy has already told you that we can’t allow others to know where we are or who we are.” She nodded again. “Good. When you’re ready, we’d like to hear your story from the beginning.”

Standing, she moved to the front of the room. Nervousness began to take hold, and she wiped her hands on her jeans. This was reminiscent of her college speech class. The one she hated.

“Hello, everyone. Thank you for making me feel so welcome.” Ace adjusted the microphone on her shirt, then pointed to the stool where she could sit. “Thank you.”

“Any time.”

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