Sweet, Sweet Savannah

by HL Nighbor

  “You guys didn’t have to pick anything up, but thank you. Come on in. I know it’s small but it’s home,” I reply, completely bemused.

  I step back as the guys walk in like they own the place. Beck, Cooper, and Jackson head into the kitchen to unload their bags. Chris stands in front of me not saying anything, and yes, he’s holding a white teddy bear with a pink bow. He appears unsure and I find the situation adorable and completely out of character.

  “Uh, Chris, are you okay?” I ask as he continues staring at Mac without a word and when I gaze down at her in my arms, I find her staring back at him.

  “Oh, shit. I mean crud. Damn it. I’m fucking this up. Crap.” Chris’s completely pained tone causes me to giggle, and Chris throws a scowl in my direction.

  Deciding to ease his discomfort, I interrupt this train wreck. “Chris, this is my daughter, Mackenzie. Mac, this is Mama’s friend, Chris.”

  Mac glances up at me and then back at Chris. Noticing the bear in his hands, she reaches her little pudgy hands out. Chris hands her the little white bear and she snuggles it up to her chest, rubbing her face over its fuzzy head. What happens next shocks the shit out of me. Mac reaches out for Chris to hold her. His eyes meet mine, and I give him a little nod. He takes her from my hold and my angel cuddles him, laying her head on his shoulder.

  “Awe, she already has Chris wrapped around her finger.” Beck’s amused voice comes from behind me and the big, tough Chris rolls his eyes as he snuggles Mac closer. “Alright, Savannah. We’re your slaves for the day. Abuse us.”

  Leave it to Beck to lighten the mood.

  “Abuse you, huh?” I snicker. “You’ll be regretting the offer in about an hour.”

  I learned from working with them, when they decide on something they will not budge. They can out stubborn even me. It appears they’ll be keeping me company today regardless of what I say. Too tired to argue, I decide to go with it. Not like they’ll give me a choice otherwise.

  The rest of the morning flies by and is interesting, to say the least. After eating a breakfast of juice and pastries brought by the guys, I do as I’m told and work on homework while Jackson and Cooper finish cleaning my apartment which includes changing my and Mac’s bedding and scrubbing my bathroom and kitchen.

  Chris and Beck keep Mac entertained. Despite her fever, she appears to be enjoying the attention. Her sweet giggles bringing a smile to my face throughout the morning. I also find myself enjoying the two biggest guys down on the floor, interacting with my angel. It makes me adore them even more than I already do.

  Distracted by the action happening around me, I gather up my school books. I completely lost track of time and with it being after noon, I need to prepare lunch for Mac and get her ready for her nap. Suddenly, my front door flies open and Brittany comes frantically barreling into the apartment.

  I barely miss being hit by the door as I place my backpack in the front closet.

  “I’m sorry, Savannah. I wanted to be here earlier but I was sucked into a conversation with my professor and…” Brittany pauses when she notices the apartment full of guys.

  Laughing at the stunned expression on her face, I decide to help her out with introductions. “Brittany, the big guys playing on the floor with Mac are Chris and Beck. The gorgeous blond standing in my kitchen cooking is Jackson, and over there fondling my panties is Cooper. Guys this is my best friend, Brittany.”

  Cooper yells from in front of my dryer, snapping Brittany out of her daze, “I’m folding laundry, Savannah. Not manhandling your panties.”

  Cooper walks over and reaches his hand out for hers. When she puts hers in his, he lifts it and gives it a soft kiss, causing Brittany to blush a pretty shade of pink. “It’s nice to meet you. Savannah talks about you constantly.”

  Before Brittany can respond, I watch as Beck flies past me, pulls Brittany into a hug and yells, “I call dibs on this gorgeous creature.”

  With wide eyes, Brittany glances my way, stunned by the sudden contact, not sure how to react to Beck’s over the top declaration.

  “Beck, you can stop hugging the girl. Jeez. What’s wrong with you? Didn’t your mother teach you manners?” I smack him on the shoulder.

  Taking a hint, Beck slowly places Brittany back on her feet.

  A growl from across the room draws my attention, and I catch a glimpse of Chris with a narrow eyed scowl on his face. Unsure as to whether Beck’s enthusiastic greeting or Brittany’s appearance causes Chris’s rude behavior, I choose not to say anything in the moment but make a mental note to ask him about it later.

  Not wanting to be left out, Mac toddles over to Brittany and grabs her pants, screaming, “Bit Bit. Bit Bit. Up.”

  “Awe, I could never forget about you, chunky monkey,” Brittany softly says to Mac as she lifts her and blows raspberries into her chubby neck.

  Jackson leaves the kitchen and comes to stand with the rest of us, except for Chris who still sits on the living room floor. “It’s nice to meet you, Brittany. You have perfect timing. Lunch is ready.”

  Deciding to join us, Brittany takes Mac and places her in her high chair. Since everyone can’t fit at my small dining table, Jackson insists Brittany and I sit. Before any of the other guys can occupy the remaining two chairs, Chris pushes past Beck to take the seat right next to Mac’s high chair – to my amusement.

  The taco salad Jackson prepared for lunch smells delicious as he meticulously places tiny, cut up pieces onto Mac’s tray. With these four in her life, Mac will know what it’s like to be loved and doted on by men. They will serve as an excellent example of how she should be treated by the opposite sex. Brittany’s dad acts as her only example right now but he travels for work and doesn’t get to spend a lot of time with my daughter.

  The conversation flows easily during lunch, and I spend most of the time laughing at Chris and Brittany. I warned him last night they would be like fire and dynamite and they proved me correct. Chris’s overprotective demeanor and gruff attitude pushes her buttons and she responds as I expected. Brittany may be shy but she doesn’t put up with shit and she will call you out. Watching a huge, bad-ass get put in his place by a tiny, sprite of a girl entertained the rest of us.

  After lunch, Brittany leaves to get to her job at the coffee shop on campus and the guys and I clean up the kitchen. I lay Mac down for her nap and Cooper suggests watching a movie while she sleeps. Since the testosterone outranks the estrogen, I let them choose something they want to watch.

  To my surprise, they select a comedy instead of something action packed.

  We settle in my living room, and I sit on the couch sandwiched between Jackson and Cooper while Beck sits in the recliner; leaving Chris to sit on the floor. Surrounded by these new-found friends, I allow myself to relax for the first time in ages.

  About a half hour into the movie, Cooper heads into the kitchen. He returns to the living room with his arms loaded with snacks and drinks and empties the contents of his haul onto the coffee table. He reclaims his spot on the couch next to me with a bag full of M&M’s in his hands and holds it up in a silent offering. I reach in and grab a handful. Staring at the candies in my hand, I recall my favorite memory surrounding this delicious treat.

  “Savannah, sit down already.” Bas grabs my arm and pulls me onto the couch next to him in the little living room area of the suite, ready to watch our movie selection for the evening.

  “Yeah, woman,” Austin says with a smirk on his face. “We don’t want Bas to get his panties in a twist. Also, fair warning – don’t talk during the movie or Anal Annie over there will lose it.”

  This comment causes Finn and me to laugh hysterically. Bas stands up ready to pummel Austin. Using me as a shield, Austin picks me up and places me in his lap. Bas rolls his eyes and sits back down as Finn pushes play on the movie.

  I don’t know exactly how it began, but a contest to decide who can toss the most M&M’s in the air and catch them in their mouths begins, movie forgotten. Little candies li
tter the floor and furniture, proving we suck at this game. The more we miss, the harder we laugh and the game shifts into throwing candies at each other.

  After being ganged up on, I decide to launch a handful of candies at Finn figuring a couple will hit him since my aim sucks. When multiple candies ricochet off his face, his eyes get huge like he can’t believe what I did and a mischievous smirk appears on his lips. I go to get up and make a run for it, but find myself unable to move when Bas grabs my arms and Austin grabs my feet pinning me to the couch.

  “Oh, trouble, trouble.” Finn approaches me slowly. “That wasn’t nice and now you must pay.”

  Finn lunges at me and tickles my sides. I squirm and squeal trying to stop the attack.

  Through my laughter, I yell at Finn, “Stop. Stop. Please no more.”

  The tickling doesn’t cease and I manage to kick my feet free from Austin’s hold. Finn notices and jumps onto the couch to straddle my legs and continue his assault. At this point, I laugh so hard tears stream down my face and I can’t catch my breath.

  “Finn, please,” I squeak out through the laughter. “I’m going to pee. Please stop. Please.”

  Through his own laughter, Austin knocks Finn off my lap and tells Bas, “Let her up. We can’t have her pissing herself. She’ll leave and never come back.”

  Once Bas releases his hold on my hands, I jump up and sprint into the bathroom. While washing my hands, I notice my glossy eyes and red cheeks in the mirror. Missing for quite some time now, I need more fun in my life. In the moment, I decide to roll with the punches and embrace the weekend with open arms despite only knowing these guys for a few hours.

  On my return to the living area of the suite, I overhear a conversation between the three guys that stops me in my tracks.

  “Are you sure this is a good idea, guys?” Austin asks. “She’s going to ruin us. I can feel it already and we’ve only known her a few hours.”

  “Is it a good idea? Probably not. But I’m going to enjoy every moment anyway. She’s so sweet and funny. Add in her being fucking gorgeous and her smoking hot body, I’m sunk. She’s the total package,” Bas replies passionately. “I know nothing can come of this but, damn, I’m not passing this up.”

  “I agree with Bas, Austin,” Finn adds. “Consequences be damned.”

  I find it ironic earlier today my mother criticized my choices in tattoos, piercings, hair color, and overall style and now I have not one, but three, hot guys vying for my attention. I guess some guys appreciate me as I am, curves and all.

  More importantly, I realize Bas, Austin, and Finn came to the same conclusion I did in the bathroom only moments ago. We’re all in this together despite the inevitable heartbreak to come.

  The movie ends bringing me out of my daydream.

  The rest of the day with Jackson, Cooper, Beck, and Chris continues full of laughter and games since there’s nothing left to be completed. The guys treat Mac like a little princess – as they nicknamed her. They prove to be a huge help and I admit the extra company eases my loneliness and guilt concerning Mac’s lack of positive male interaction.

  “Alright, Savannah, we need to head out to get to the bar,” Beck says as he and the other guys put on their jackets. “We’ll call later to check in with you. Don’t worry about tonight. Chandra offered to cover your shift when you left last night.”

  With Mac sitting nicely on the floor playing with her toys, I walk the boys over to the door to say our goodbyes. “Thanks for everything today, guys. I can’t thank you enough for your help and company.”

  Jackson leans over and gives me a kiss on the forehead. “Darlin,’ it’s no problem. We could help, so we did. No thanks needed. We enjoyed spending time with you and the little princess.”

  A tug on my pants causes me to glance down into Mac’s brown eyes, brimming with tears and notice her bottom lip in a pout warning me of the waterworks about to flow. I lift her into my arms, and she turns launching herself at Chris with huge crocodile tears now running down her chubby cheeks.

  Once in Chris’s hold, she tightens her arms around his neck and the through sobs mutters, “No buh byes, Ka Ka. No. No.”

  I watch as Chris’s face goes soft and he pulls Mac into a tight hug. “Awe, princess. You’re breaking my heart. I will come back to play soon. Okay?” He continues to hold onto her while brushing his fingers through her hair and whispering soothing comments in her ear.

  Now tears freely flow from my eyes as I watch this precious interaction. Beck, Jackson, and Cooper observe Mac with various degrees of emotions of their own.

  Each guy takes their turn with her, showering her with tons of kisses and hugs.

  With Mac calmed, the four guys head out with the promise to check in later. This day, particularly the interaction in the last few minutes, solidifies the fact Jackson, Cooper, Beck, and Chris will be important in my life and Mac has found herself four new uncles who would do anything for her.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  The next few months fly by in a blink of an eye - school, work, and Mac keeping me busy.

  Summer quickly approaches, with spring quarter coming to an end in two weeks. I decide against taking classes summer quarter, wanting to spend time enjoying my eighteen-month-old daughter. When I return to the University of Washington in the fall, I’ll only have two quarters left before I obtain my degree at the end of winter quarter.

  Life couldn’t get any better with Mac thriving, acing my classes, and loving my job at the pub. Outside of work, I spend a lot of time with the guys and we grow closer each day. Mac loves her honorary uncles and they absolutely adore her and spoil her rotten. The biggest surprise of the bunch would be Chris. While he’s super protective of Mac and becomes unreasonably growly where she’s concerned at times, one glance into my daughter’s large, brown eyes turns him into the biggest marshmallow.

  “Hey, Savannah” Beck yells over the music from behind the bar as I approach for my Friday night shift.

  I walk behind the bar, and he grabs me in a massive hug. Of the four guys, Beck, by far, possesses the most playful and fun side. He’s also the biggest flirt.

  The most levelheaded of the bunch, Jackson holds the title of the biggest sweetheart. Being the sweet, sensitive one, Cooper always offers a helping hand and watches out for everyone around him.

  Chris, I don’t know whether to hug him or strangle him on most days. He’s a royal pain in my ass but I love him regardless.

  The biggest complaint regarding these guys occurs when they insist of vetting each guy who approaches me, and they put a kibosh on any dating plans. Don’t get me wrong. I know they don’t want to date me. We will always be only friends. However, they insist. Thanks to Mac, I need to be extra picky and my standards must remain high. I don’t hold a high interest in dating, but I do enjoy the attention from time to time. What woman doesn’t?

  “Hey there, Beck. It’s shaping up to be another busy tonight. Where are the other stooges hiding?”

  “You know Chris hates it when you call him that – be sure he overhears you next time,” he replies with a snicker. “Cooper plans on stopping in later and the other two should be on the floor somewhere.”

  “Where do you want me tonight?” I ask even though I know the answer already.

  “You’re working the right side of the floor tonight. Chandra will be on the left,” he replies, confirming my earlier assumption.

  I swear they do this on purpose. The busiest section due to the stage and dance floor, the right side of the floor features mostly two-top tables crowded with large groups taking advantage of the proximity to dancing or the live bands – standing room only on most nights. One night in a discussion about my situation with Mac, my family, and school, I mentioned to them every penny counts since I receive no outside financial support. Ever since, I always happen to find myself scheduled on the right of the floor. Being completely grateful of their need to watch out for me, I will never complain.

  Something else I noticed quick
ly when I started, I’m the baby of the Still Water Pub family by quite a few years. The next closest in age at twenty-eight, is Tyler. When I asked them once about it, Cooper said they never intended to hire someone so young but when they interviewed me, I possessed something they liked. I guess when Jackson went to gather up the other guys; he told them they would be hiring me even before they asked me a single question because he had a feeling about me.

  I grab my apron from behind the counter with my order book and pen - exhausted already although my shifts barely begun. With Mac cutting a new tooth and up the entire night fussing, a good night’s sleep stayed out of reach. Add a grueling week at school and I’m ready to drop. I take a quick peek at my phone to make sure no messages appear from Jenna regarding my crabby angel. Relieved when none show up on my screen, I set forth to tackle my shift with the aid of several cups of coffee.

  An hour later, with my tables cleared and customers’ orders filled, I prepare to make my rounds again.

  Suddenly grabbed from behind and spun in a circle, I already know whose arms hold me when I screech, “Put me down, Jackson. You know I hate it when you do that. It scares the shit out of me each time, yet you still find it funny.”

  “Come on, darlin.’ I’m having a little fun. Forgive me?”

  As I spin around, Jackson stands there with his classic pouty lip trying to appear as pathetic as possible. “I always do. Don’t know why, but I can’t stay mad at you long.”

  Jackson leans in and gives me a quick peck on the cheek, and while walking away, he says, “It’s because no female can resist my charms or this attractive face.”

  I chuckle to myself. Jackson’s charming and always holds his pick of ladies. The women throw themselves at him but he always leaves alone. I asked him about it once and he told me he wanted to wait for something special – too old to waste time on a quick fling. I don’t know what he’s waiting for specifically but I hope he finds it. Everyone deserves love, even me, though sometimes I wonder if I lost my chance when three hot as hell Navy Seals walked out of my life.