by Bex Dane
"Yeah. Yeah. Well shit." He slaps his knee and looks at the other two guys, who are still not paying attention. He makes eye contact with Cutter, but his scowl is deeper now that Mace and I are fully engaged in conversation.
"Anyway, I'm out of my alien stage now," I say to change the subject.
"You are?" he asks with childlike curiosity.
"Now I'm into ghosts. Do you believe in ghosts?" I ask him as I take a sip of tea and swallow the ibuprofen she brought me.
"I'm not sure. Sometimes I could swear I saw a ghost."
"Exactly. See, you're like me. Skeptical but also open to the possibilities."
"Yeah."
"You should come with me sometime. See if the spirits talk to you."
"Sure. Anytime you wanna go ghost hunting, I'm up for it." Mace smiles and his face gleams. He's such a handsome guy. There's also a hint of darkness in his eyes. If we were at a party or had more time, I'd ask him about it.
"Get out, Mace. You'll see her again at the fight."
Mace looks up at Cutter then back at me. "See you tonight, Cass. We'll talk some more about your Ghostbusters stories."
I like Mace's enthusiasm and positive vibe.
"I'm going back to LA, but I'll call if something comes up."
"Cool."
He stands up, gives Cutter another glance, and walks out. The other guys wave as they exit, leaving the room suddenly quiet.
Cutter turns to face me. "Watch out for Mace. He's wild."
"He's nice. All of them seem friendly. How come you're all so close in age?"
"Foster and Mila adopted us."
"All five of you?"
"Yeah. And three others."
"Eight?"
"And they have two bio kids together." He takes Mace's seat opposite me at the kitchen table, and his eyes soften. He seems less angry and jerky. He likes talking about his family. It's his comfort zone.
"Wow. And you all live here?"
"Right now all ten of us are living here. We're all free to come and go as we please." He sits back and spreads his massive thighs. I remember staring between his legs that night at the bar, and it's just as mesmerizing today.
"And, uh, what's this fight?"
"Marshawn's first fight. He'll face off against all of us."
"Will he get hurt?"
"Nah. We keep the punches light. He wears protective gear. He won't get hurt. It's good practice for him."
"I'm sorry I'm gonna miss it."
"You'll be here," he says with his authoritarian tone that grates on my last nerve.
"I need you to take me home. Give me my purse and take me home."
"I don't have time today before the fight. Plus, you're still recovering. Wanna make sure that drug is out of your system."
I blink and stare at him trying to figure him out. "I don't get it. Why do you want me to stay here?"
"I just told you. I can't take you home now so you stay. There's a barbeque after the fight. People come up from the town to watch. You stay for that too."
I can see I won't be winning this one so I give in. "Fine. I'd need some clothes."
"Mila will hook you up," he says casually. He's sure comfortable offering Mila's help to me.
"I don't get you, Cutter. Do you hate me or like me? Because you've called me stupid and yelled at me but you also went out of your way to protect me last night, and now you're forcing me to stay here when it's clear I'm fine."
He opens his mouth to speak but doesn't say anything. With his hair short and his beard gone, he has nothing to hide behind. His face reveals all his emotions, but the most dominant one is pain. His anger must come from some deep-rooted pain.
"And why were you pretending to be Neil Ainsman?"
He scratches his head and his hair gets all ruffled up. "I… I couldn't tell you."
"Why? Because you don't know yourself?"
He scrunches his eyebrows. "I wasn't yelling."
Nice try, Cutter. Changing the topic back to an old question so you don't have to answer the hard one.
"I know when someone is angry at me, and you were yelling. You made it very clear you thought I'm not worth your time."
"That's not true." His voice grows quiet.
"What is it then?"
He looks up at me with his sky-blue eyes and my insides warm. "Listen. I barely know you. You're a nice girl and you're obviously smoking hot."
I have to take a sip from my cup to hide my gasp. "I am?"
"Girl, you are banging. Told you that when I met you at the bar." His lips quirk on one side.
"I thought you were just saying that."
"I don't say things I don't mean." He levels both eyes on me and grins wide. His teeth are not sparkling white and certainly not straight, but he has the most captivating smile I've ever seen.
I return his smile and the subtle tight lines around his eyes fade. For a brief second, I connect with him. A shield has dropped. Boy, when Cutter lets down his guard, it's a treat. His eyes glow and his face lights up.
His grin fades and he looks down at his feet. "Get some rest then come on out for the fight."
"Okay." I have to smile because I've won something. He may be forcing me to stay, but I won a compliment and a smile. A small but meaningful victory for me.
Chapter 6 Riding Boots
"Go ahead and look in my closet. You can wear whatever you like."
I'm in Mila and Foster's room after an eye-opening tour of Twist Cabins where she introduced me to random members of her family as they prepared for tonight's fight. Tables, chairs, beer, basketballs, and swear words flew around, tussles broke out, the dog jumped in the lake. They teased me for being "Cutter's friend," but I didn't see Cutter anywhere. Amid the organized chaos, the profound love shined through everyone. They're a family unit and they enjoy being together. I felt like an outsider watching from a distance, but I can only imagine how wondrous and exciting daily life is in the Twist Family inner circle.
I walk into Mila's closet and turn on the light. Wow. It's a mashup of two different worlds. On one side, folded jeans, flannel shirts, and sweaters fill the racks. On the other, sparkling gowns and colorful dresses hang on pillowed hangers. "What an eclectic collection."
She stands in the closet doorway and leans her shoulder on the frame. "I'm from New York. You know what they say. You can take the girl out of the city, but she'll take all her clothes with her."
She's playing it down, but she has some really expensive-looking pieces in here. I'll ask her more about that later, but right now, I need to find something to wear to a fight in the mountains.
After looking and snooping around a little more, I find a gray camel-hair sweater with a deep V-neck that is totally cool. The gray fades from dark at the bottom to white up at the top.
"Can I wear this?" I hold up the sweater that has lost its shape over the years. She's probably given up on it, but she doesn't see the potential.
"That thing is so old. You sure?"
"Yes. It rocks. I just need two belts."
She hands me two black leather belts, and with a little wrangling, I have a killer off-the-shoulder sweater dress.
I find a pair of knee-high boots next to her dresser. "Those are my riding boots." She scrunches her nose like you can't wear riding boots for anything but riding horses. She's so wrong. Those silver accent buckles rock.
"Can I wear them?" I ask her.
"Sure. If they fit you."
The boots are a little big, but she gives me an extra pair of socks and it works.
In her bathroom, she pulls out a drool-worthy unopened case of Loreal cosmetics. I must look like a fangirl ogling her dresses and makeup kit.
Now what shall I do with my makeup? Inspired by the gray dress, I choose a silver palette and get to work. "I can't believe you're the mom to ten kids."
She smiles and crosses her arms. "Half of them are over eighteen now, so they help out with the younger ones."
"And how old are you?" She's so
young I'm sure it's okay to ask.
"Thirty-six."
"Wow."
"It all grew naturally. It started with Knox and his sister Sutton. She was only thirteen. Homeless." Her voice turns wistful as she reminisces.
"Oh my gosh, poor Sutton." I didn't get to meet her yet. "Did I meet Knox?"
"Cutter. Mace nicknamed him Cutter, and it stuck with everyone. But he came to us as Knox. Took me a few years to get used to using it." She presses her lips together like she wants to say more, but stops herself. "Anyway, Mace came with Remy since they already considered themselves brothers and then Blizzard needed a home. It just kept growing. Henry and Maisey came." She smiles and pauses. "Unplanned," she whispers.
"They were?" I'd met her adorable six-year-old boy and four-year-old girl during the tour.
She laughs. "Yep. While on birth control too. The Unstoppable Foster Twist has unstoppable sperm."
I laugh with her. I like her honesty. While we chatted, I created a silvery, smokey look inspired by the queen of glam, Debbie Harry. I teased my blonde hair out and voila, I have an eighties punk vibe going on and it's totally me.
"Wow. You look fabulous. You have to teach me how to do that makeup," she says.
"What time's the fight?" I ask her.
She looks at her watch. "It starts in half an hour."
"Sit down and I'll glam you up. Foster will love it."
She tilts her head and thinks about it. "Okay. I haven't done anything different in a long time."
I tap the bathroom counter for her to hop up on it and she does. She's naturally pretty with high cheeks and big eyes, but I'm going to add the glam to highlight it all and bring them out even more.
"Do you miss the city?" I ask her as I pat some foundation on her lids.
"I thought I would. I thought my connections and my family back home was so important, but I was wrong. Foster wanted this for me. He helped me envision a life outside my bubble. Now I know the secret. Life's about true love connecting with people, nothing else."
I pull back and look into her eyes. "Exactly. Me too. That's why I like doing makeup so much. It's not about makeup. It's about getting to know what makes someone tick and bringing out their inner diva to make the look work. They have to feel it inside and make it happen."
As I get to work on her lashes, she keeps talking. "Same with sports therapy. I can heal their injury, but they have to do the mental work and believe in themselves. I try to connect and bring that out in them."
"We have a lot in common then." I finish her up and point to the mirror.
A slow, wicked grin blooms on her glossy lips. She loves it. We hook her up with a pair of ripped jeans, ankle boots, and a tangerine sequined top that hangs loose like a T-shirt, but the neckline is low, showing off some damn beautiful cleavage.
"You look awesome."
"Thank you. This was fun." She smiles and packs up her makeup. "Let's go check if everything is set up. I want to see Foster's eyes when he sees me like this."
Ooh, that means I'll get to see Cutter again. Not sure why my belly does a little tumble. Maybe it was that hint of a smile he gave me. It was a surprise gift and an invitation. He was saying, keep trying. I want to let you in. I'm probably reading way too much into that. Guys smile all the time. Doesn't mean he's inviting you into his life.
I'm looking forward to seeing Mace too. He was the nicest to me. Really, I shouldn't be excited to see any of the Twists. I'm a visitor to their world, and I'll be gone tomorrow after Cutter takes me home.
Cutter may be one of the sexiest men I've ever met, but I'm not going to entertain any fantasies about sleeping with him. Those days are over. Chastity vow is sternly in place. It's kept me safe since the last time, and I'm not giving up now that he's in my orbit again.
Every time I sleep with a guy, I end up giving him a piece of my heart. I don't intend to do it, but when someone is kissing you and touching you, it feels like love. When I find out it isn't, I'm always hurt. I learned that from Dayton and all the other guys before him. They make me feel like I'm everything my mom said I was.
My spine tingles and my heart beats out an excited rhythm as we walk out to the center of the yard. The cool air hitches in my throat when I see Cutter slam a long wooden axe into a stump of wood. The pieces split off and drop to the ground. He stacks them in a pyramid in a fire pit the size of a jacuzzi.
He sets up another piece, and he's about to swing at it when he glances at us. His arms and the axe freeze above his head as he stares at me with his searing gaze. With his stubble starting to grow back, the faded blue jeans he's wearing, and the dirt on his face, he's shockingly beautiful in a rugged mountain-man sort of way.
His eyes flare and turn hot as he stares at the exposed patches of skin on my thighs between the hem and the top of the boots. This dress is kinda weird for the mountains and maybe Mila is right; you can't wear riding boots as a statement piece. My hands nervously tug at the bottom of the sweater. It is a little short for an October night, even in California.
He moves his eyes to Mila and she's smirking. They're having some kind of silent family communication.
"Those your riding boots, Mom?" he asks with a teasing tone. Good. At least he's not angry.
"Hmm, yes. They look good on her. Don't you think?" she asks back, just as snarky.
He turns and violently swings the axe into a chunk of wood and it cracks before toppling to the ground in two pieces. "Trying to keep her out of trouble," he says to Mila in a low, intimate voice.
She laughs, but I don't get the joke. How is he trying to keep me out of trouble and why?
"Let's go." She walks me over to a big guy with long black hair standing by an industrial-size barbeque.
Behind us, tall flames burst out of the pit and light up Cutter's face. He glances from the raging fire to me and catches me watching him in the light of the flames. We both look away.
I have to shake my head to clear the sexy vision from my dirty mind.
Cutter Twist.
Freaking incredible, but testing the conviction of my chastity vow.
Chapter 7 Bucket List
"This is Blackie. He's the caterer," Mila says as she points to the big guy at the grill. "He owns a gourmet deli in town. He brings us delicious steaks and juicy ribs for our Sunday night barbeques."
"Hi, Blackie. Nice to meet you."
"Cutter used to work for him," Mila adds.
This intrigues me for two reasons. One, Cutter used to work in a deli, a place with big knives. And two, Mila spilled something personal about him when she made it clear earlier she was respecting his privacy.
"He also…" She doesn't finish her sentence because she's distracted by a huge truck pulling up into the driveway. "People are starting to arrive."
He also what? I want to say it but keep it to myself.
Five girls pile out of the truck. They're wearing short party dresses, heels, long curly hair, and lots of jewelry. What is up with that? "I guess I'm not overdressed," I say to Mila.
"Nope. Not at all."
A Maserati pulls up and one girl gets out. She's wearing a cute blue and white striped dress with a red headband. She reminds me of Mila. Classy and refined compared to the other girls here.
As people grab drinks and take seats, I notice Cutter and the rest of the family aren't there.
"Where is everybody?" I ask Mila.
"Getting ready. They'll do a demo first. Then each family member will fight Marshawn. These girls come to watch. It's quite the show."
"These girls all come up here to watch your family fight?"
She nods and guides me to a seat in the second row of chairs in front of a boxing ring made of wooden posts. "I have to go get some stuff ready." She hugs me. "Thanks for the talk and the makeover."
I hold her close and extend the hug. "Thank you for the riding boots, the clothes, and everything else."
As some guys show up, the place transforms into a relaxed party atmosphere. People exch
ange hugs and smiles.
Two girls from the first truck sit to my right, and the girl from the Maserati comes and quietly sits to my left.
The girl to my right bounces in her seat. "I'm so excited to see Mace fight. Aren't you?" she asks me. The shy girl sitting next to me tilts her head and stares at this stranger who is talking to us.
We both smile politely at her. "Sure," I say, humoring her, but not really understanding where she's coming from.
"I'm Taryn. This is Brooke." She points to her friend. They're both super friendly.
"I'm Cass…" I lean back and motion to the girl next to me, trying to include her in the conversation because she seemed interested.
She hesitates but she replies, "Loralei."
"Mace is on the top of my bucket list," Taryn blurts out. Why is she sharing so much information with us?
"Bucket list? Like guys you want to be with before you die?" Loralei asks.
"Yep. Mace is my number one bucket-list brother," Taryn replies.
"You said you already crossed him off," Brooke says to her.
"Oh. Well, I did, but I added him back to the top. He was that good." She sounds like she's lying.
Loralei stiffens and sits back in her chair. "Bucket lists are a farce."
"I'm here for Cutter," Brooke chimes in like we're at a bachelor auction, and they're placing their bids before it starts. She's here for Cutter?
Brooke and Taryn's friendliness is making sense now. They aren't trying to make friends. They're scoping out the competition and staking an early claim.
The green-eyed monster within me growls at the idea of these girls who have lists with my secret mountain men's names on it!
If I had a bucket-list, Cutter Twist would be right at the top and no one else's name would even be in the running. Well, Mace would be a contender for number two, but I'm sure if I slept with Cutter, I wouldn't be interested in anyone else.
Darnit, Cass. Stop thinking that way. There is nothing between me and Cutter. Well, except a really hot makeout session on his bike and crazy chemistry when we look at each other, but okay. No list for me. Chastity vow.
"I heard Mace is taken," Loralei says with a hint of an offended tone.
