by Cara Carnes
“They didn’t come?” Jesse asked.
“Oh, they came. Then Ellie yelled at them. They left and returned with the right stuff. Everything is already set up and ready to go.” Zoey opted for the good news first.
“Seriously?” Dallas asked.
“Yep. Ellie was a bit of a drill sergeant.”
“Ellie?” Jesse asked. His gaze slid toward the door, but tension corded his muscles.
“Promise me you won’t get pissed. Or if you do, you hide it. She meant well. And honestly, everything she has done makes sense and will help your mom. Look at it from Momma’s perspective. Think about her recovery from this.” She chewed on her lip. “Please.”
The men looked at one another but grunted. She took that for as close to an agreement as she was going to get. The herd of protective sons entered their family home.
And froze.
Zoey scooted past them and into the room. Mary and Kamren were already at their men and whispering gently—likely delivering similar thoughts as the ones Zoey had already shared.
They moved as a silent herd, much like large animals sweeping their territory. They noted the grip bars strategically placed as part of the decor along the side of the recliner and sofas. They angled left and froze at the makeshift wall of photos, aka the partitions. A wall had been there when they’d last left the house.
“The bed’s only temporary,” Ellie said. “Once she gets her hip replacement done, she’ll be zooming up the stairs in no time. There’s a treadmill and a couple other pieces of equipment on order. Logan said we could install them in the part of the medical wing we aren’t using yet. He said there’s a heated pool. That’ll work really well for her physical therapy. I have a list of some possible therapists to bring on full-time. He said they could be used in the Warrior’s Path, too.”
Jesse was the first to enter the area that’d once been the dining room. His steps were methodical, cautious, as if he expected the area to swallow him whole. He rubbed his chest the entire time, as if easing an ache only he felt.
Except it swept through the room in a silent tension. Marshall froze at the empty plant beds along the back wall.
“Those were Bubba’s idea. He brought lunch and saw what we were doing,” Riley said.
“She’ll love it,” Dallas said. “We’ll have to find out what flowers will grow well indoors.”
“He’s bringing some by in the morning,” Kamren said.
“Chad said they could turn this room into a sunroom easily enough if you didn’t mind losing part of the porch. But he said you could take the back wall here out easier and add one on,” Ellie said. “I told him you could decide that.”
“Looks like you made a lot of changes,” Nolan commented. The statement wasn’t angry or accusatory. “The bed wasn’t what I expected.”
“Hospital beds feed worries. They make the person think like an invalid. This will help her be more independent. With practice she can pull herself up by the grips, once her collarbone is healed. Until she can, this will help us women get her up and down easily.”
Jesse glowered.
“Don’t give me that look,” Ellie said. “You six are not hauling her around this house like a sack of potatoes. You are sure as hell not showering her or taking her to the bathroom.”
“She’ll need us to for a while,” Marshall said quietly.
“No. She won’t.” Riley moved and stood in front of her brothers. “What Ellie’s done here gives her the freedom to be independent. And what she does need help with will be something I and the other women can do.”
“She wouldn’t want you all seeing her weak,” Mary whispered as she wrapped her arms around Dylan.
Zoey blinked past tears as she watched the moment unfold. The men before her weren’t the strong, badass commandos who led the fiercest operatives in existence into battle. They were sons utterly lost because their mom was coming home hurt.
By the time they’d toured all the changes upstairs, they were solidly onboard and had discussed a few enhancements, including a wheelchair lift on the stairwell—an addition they could add so Danny could stay in the guest bedroom.
Everyone sat in the living room and ate the tasty meatloaf and mashed potato dinner Ellie, Riley, and Kamren had made. The men devoured their food and fought over the last of the homemade rolls.
Jesse ate in the corner, his gaze landing on Ellie more than anyone else.
It was after a dessert of chocolate-and-peanut-butter cake that Zoey sensed a shift in the focus. The women all looked at one another. Eyes wide, they motioned Bree forward with their eyes.
“Oh! Right. It’s time,” she said. “Okay, erm, you want to help me with this, Ram?”
Gage tightened beside Zoey as Ramon stood. No one had questioned why he and the other two operatives were present. They’d helped get the house set to rights. It only made sense they’d eat a meal in return.
“So, I’d had a shit plan last week,” Bree said, “then I ran into Ram at the hospital and he asked for my help with something. When I realized what he’d done, I took the baton and got to work. It took a lot of pushing, prodding, and work, but I found someone in San Antonio who could do what we needed. They worked all week.”
Bree stepped forward and pulled a box from beneath the coffee table. She set it before Zoey. Tears glistened from the blonde’s eyes.
Zoey set the box in her lap and tried to ignore that everyone in the room was watching. Waiting. Expecting. She opened the box and shifted the tissue paper aside. Shock stilled her movements.
“There’s a woman in San Antonio. She and several other volunteers make wigs with donated hair. At first she refused to help on the accelerated time table I asked for, but when I told her some of what’d happened, she jumped at the chance to help.”
Zoey reached down and touched the pink and purple hair. She swallowed as a lump formed in her throat. “This is mine? My hair?”
“Not yet, but eventually, yes. It takes quite a bit of hair to get a full wig constructed. We’ll get there though.” Bree punched Ram in the stomach. The man grinned down at the woman.
“But she has my hair? How?”
“I took it. Most of it,” Ram said.
“And she has mine,” Bree said. She reached up and…
Removed her hair.
A wig?
Wait, what? Zoey blinked as the shock of seeing her friend’s bald head settled in. Holy shit. She’d shaved her head. Tears spilled out of her eyes.
“I was gonna do it anyway. Twin cue-balls and all that. Two peas in the hairless pod. We’ll rock the do-rags and fake wigs until our hair grows back.” Bree knelt down beside Zoey. “You’re like the sister I never had. We’re gonna get through this.”
“Holy crap, you’re a little crazy.” Zoey blinked as the shock wore off enough for her to reach out and run her hand along Bree’s bald head.
“When the hell did you shave your head?” Addy asked. Her mouth was slack with shock, as was most everyone else’s. Jud put a hand over his face to suppress a grin, but his shoulders shook.
“Last night. She shouldn’t be the only woman walking around with no hair. We’re a team. Team Geek.”
“You’re nuts,” Dallas muttered.
“I think it’s sweet,” Kamren said. “What are the requirements? Ten to twelve inches, right? I could do that.”
Dallas growled. Kamren glared.
“Let’s hold off on any more sheering, please. My system’s in enough shock as it is,” Zoey admitted. “I love you, you crazy nut. I can’t believe you did this.”
“She sent a temporary when she sent me this one,” Bree said. “I didn’t open it. I sent her that pic of us from when we went to the Sip and Spin. She tried to find a good match. They don’t normally die the hair like that, but she said she’d do what she could.”
Zoey pulled the wig out and gasped. It was shorter than her long locks had been but was a cute bob that tumbled to just past her ears. Gage helped her get it on. Love s
hown on his face as he cupped her face.
“You’re gorgeous no matter what, Little Bit. I love you,” he whispered.
“I love you, too.” She kissed him softly, then set the box aside and hugged her friend and Ramon.
“Thank you both. This is perfect.”
“I didn’t know you were against wigs,” Bree whispered.
“I’m not, honestly. I just hadn’t gotten that far down the decision road about them. This is the perfect solution. Thank you.” She hugged her friend again. “And thank you for being in the pod with me.”
No friend had ever gone to such lengths for her. They had all gone beyond the call of friendship. She hadn’t ever expected her intervention for Fallon’s team that fateful day would lead to such an amazing group of friends. There was no doubt in her mind they’d do anything for her, and she them.
Family.
She’d come to The Arsenal alone and had somehow ended up with a large family almost as crazy as her. She laughed and hugged Gage tight. “I think I’m ready for that hug test now.”
~THE END~
About the Author
Born in small-town Texas, Cara Carnes was a princess, a pirate, fashion model, actress, rock star and Jon Bon Jovi’s wife all before the age of 13.
In reality, her fascination for enthralling worlds took seed somewhere amidst a somewhat dull day job and a wonderful life filled with family and friends. When she’s not cemented to her chair, Cara loves travelling, photography and reading.
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THE ARSENAL SERIES
Jagged Edge
Sight Lines
Blood Vows
Zero Trace
Battle Scars – February 2019
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