Picture this (Birds of a Feather Book 3)

by Lena North

“Okay,” she said and winked at me, “If you change your mind, then Dante is a fantastic listener.”

  I giggled, and to my surprise, so did she. Jinx had changed more than I’d realized and I wondered if I should ask her if I could come to Marshes for a visit once I’d graduated. I only had a few more weeks to go, if I got my assignments handed in on time and didn’t fail my final exams. The thought of spending part of the autumn in Marshes was so tempting and of its own accord, my mouth curved into a smile. I could easily apply for jobs from there, and a short break before I started working would be fantastic. I’d worked so hard to get my degree, and it would be great to have a decent salary, but the thought of staying in my small condo in the city didn’t exactly make me happy. Spending all my time restoring other artists’ work wasn’t something that made me happy either, although I pushed those thoughts to the back of my mind, knowing that a job like that would give me the stability I’d wanted for so long.

  Later, I could perhaps rent a small house in one of the villages close to Prosper, and commute, I though.

  Cha

  pter Three

  Little Miss Homemaker

  I started putting the plates in the dishwasher and Jinx was leaning against the wall. We spoke quietly about Marshes, and I’d just asked her if I could come for a visit when the door was flung open.

  “You’re in here again?” Kit asked, and he didn’t sound happy. “You don’t have to act like you’re the maid,” he added, which made me straighten and raise my brows because it didn’t sound very nice.

  Jinx made a choking sound, although I intervened before she started saying something that undoubtedly would be even less nice.

  “I don’t mind Kit,” I said cheerfully, and I didn’t. It would take me five minutes to put a few plates in the dishwasher, and I was spending time with my friend at the same time, so there was no need for him to be so upset.

  “I swear, little Miss Homemaker, half the time you act as if you wait tables for a living,” he said sourly, and since he knew well that I did just that, I thought it was rather rude of him.

  “Careful there, son,” Carson rumbled from the door.

  He carried the rest of the plates and one of the pans into the kitchen.

  “But Da, she does, and –”

  Kit’s voice had taken on a whiny tone, and Carson reacted immediately, interrupting him by slamming the pan down on the kitchen table loudly.

  “Boy, you’d do well to remember that I also wait tables for a living,” he barked. It wasn’t entirely true since he actually owned his own restaurant, of sorts, but it felt good to hear him defend me. Carson was in no way done scolding his son, and he sounded seriously pissed when he went on, “I thought you understood that this is what pays my bills and that helicopter I have which you all seem to regard as your private ambulance these days. I also thought I taught you to be a man and not the rude boy I have in front of me.”

  “Da…” Kit said, again in that whiny voice.

  “Son, go back to the others,” Carson muttered, pointing at the door. “Tonight we party, we can discuss this tomorrow, you and me.”

  Kit glared at his father, but since it was clear that the man was beyond unhappy, he turned and left, slamming the door as he did, which I thought was unlike him and to be honest, a little bit childish.

  “Carson, don’t be angry with him,” I pleaded. I didn’t want them to fight, not over such a stupid thing as me clearing a few plates away, so I tried to explain, “He’s not wrong because I am a homemaker. I like doing things for you all.”

  “He doesn’t understand,” Carson sighed.

  Jinx had clearly had enough, and muttered sourly, “He’s a stupid jackass who doesn’t appreciate how you take care of everyone, Mary.”

  “Please don’t be so angry, it’s not a big deal,” I said evenly, hoping to placate Jinx and comfort Carson.

  “He’s just young, he’ll get there,” Carson said, and I could hear that he had calmed down.

  “Yes, but I’m there now, and I don’t think I can wait for him,” I heard myself say, forgetting that I was talking was Kit’s dad. His face got such a sad look that I wanted to kick myself.

  “Yeah… we’ve seen it coming, Mary,” he said. “Let him down gently, will you?”

  “You know I will,” I replied.

  Before I could say anything else, he turned and walked away.

  “Well, shit,” I muttered.

  “You’re breaking up with Kit?” Jinx asked, and continued before I could reply, “I really thought you’d be perfect together, but you’re not. You’re both such nice people, but when I see you together…” she trailed off, and I waited while she gathered her thoughts. “I don’t know how to explain, Mary. It’s like it’s almost perfect, almost right, but something is always just slightly off, which makes it not right at all.”

  “I’m such an idiot,” I mumbled because I knew exactly what she was saying much better than she did herself. “Don’t worry, I won’t talk to him tonight. I’ll wait until we’re back in Prosper.”

  “You’ll talk to him when you need to talk to him. We love you both and nothing will change that,” she said.

  “This is a novelty. Jinx Sweetwater discussing relationships and feelings,” I said, trying desperately to change the topic, and also genuinely surprised about how she expressed herself.

  “Yeah, yeah,” she grinned. “Dante is rubbing off on me.”

  I giggled at the thought of calm, cool and collected Dante pouring his heart out.

  “He does, you know,” she whispered. “Tells me he loves me every day…” she hesitated and then she lowered her voice even further. “He cried in the hospital, that day they… when I almost drowned.” I opened my mouth, but she kept talking, “That’s what I want for you.”

  “A man that cries?” I asked stupidly.

  “A man who thinks you’re his whole world,” she clarified. “I have that, and so does Wilder. I want it for you too, and if that’s not what you’ll have with Kit then end it. He’s a great guy, but if he isn’t great for you, then you should tell him to remove his toothbrush and shaving kit from your bathroom.”

  I blinked, and it took a second for me to get what she implied.

  “Um, Jinx, we don’t. I mean he doesn’t have…”

  “You’ve been dating for months, and you’re not…” she trailed off, but I knew what she meant so I shook my head. I really didn’t want to talk more about me, Kit, or his nonexistent toiletries, so I gave her a half hug, leaning my head on her strong shoulder for a second. Then I steered us back into the living room, and it was just in time to see Kit lower the volume and hear him clear his throat. Oh, crap, I thought. What now?

  “I have a thing to tell you,” he started and the way he said it got everyone’s attention.

  “Shoot,” Mac said and put his hand up in the universal sign for a pistol. He flicked his thumb, and added, “Boom.”

  Olly burst out laughing, and Wilder started giggling, but Hawker leaned over and slapped Mac at the back of his head.

  “Boy. Get a grip,” he rumbled, although his mouth curved and the skin around his eyes crinkled a little.

  “Can we be serious please?” Kit asked without even smiling a little at their antics.

  I wondered what the hell he was doing, talking about serious stuff when we were having a party.

  “I’m starting a company,” he announced and brows went up all around the room.

  “Okay,” Hawker said finally.

  “We’ve been working on it for a while, two of my buddies from the army and I. We’ll do security, mostly technical solutions, though we’ll tailor what we do to our clients, so it’ll probably be surveillance and some personal protection too.”

  There was a long silence, and when it stretched out into the uncomfortable zone I thought someone needed to say something, so I murmured, “Personal protection?”

  “Bodyguards,” Miller said qu
ietly, and I smiled at him.

  I’d understood that, and he seemed to know it because he smiled back at me and winked. Kit acted as if he hadn’t heard, and went on to explain their set up, and the clients they already started contract negotiations with. My brows went up again then because I recognized some of the names, both from government circles and the entertainment business.

  “That sounds pretty high profile,” Hawker said slowly.

  “I won’t use the bird, Hawker. I won’t risk anything, and you’ll still be able to count on me. I’ll just need to plan a little, that’s all.”

  “Huh,” Hawker grunted, and that monosyllabic response communicated clearly how he felt about the whole plan.

  “What’s wrong with wanting to make my own mark?” Kit asked angrily, immediately going on the defense. “You’re all successful,” he added and looked around the room.

  “Nothing wrong with that, son,” Carson said calmly, and added, “Just make sure your ambitions don’t have a too high price tag.”

  “What?” Kit snapped sourly.

  “Success makes you do things,” Bo cut in. “When I started up Crazy’s, I went to bed with many I wouldn’t touch with a purple spatula today.”

  When he mentioned his successful department stores, and what he’d apparently done to get them started, Kit’s eyes widened, which pissed Bo off.

  “Figuratively, son,” he barked angrily. “Get your mind out of the gutter.”

  “I’m not all that successful, though. At least not in the way you mean,” Miller drawled, and Bo leaned back in his chair again.

  “Neither am I,” said Mac.

  They were right, in a way, although being veterinarians and secret vigilantes, with what appeared like no financial problems whatsoever seemed successful enough to me.

  “You could be if you wanted to,” Kit said immediately.

  “Fair enough,” Miller conceded after a short pause. “Guess neither of us wants it.”

  “At all,” Mac added lazily, but that set Kit off in a way that changed the atmosphere in the room from tense to ugly.

  “That’s easy to say when you have a huge ranch as your playground,” he snapped at Mac.

  “Excuse me?” Wilder barked, and Hawker straightened.

  Mac didn’t move, and the stone cold look on his usually so happy face was frightening. Nobody moved except Carson who slowly put his hand on top of Bo’s and squeezed.

  “What did you just say to me?” Mac rumbled.

  Kit seemed to finally understand what his mouth had blurted out and took a small step back.

  “Shit. I didn’t mean it the way it sounded, Mac,” he muttered.

  “Care to explain exactly what you meant?” Mac asked.

  Then he suddenly got up and started toward Kit, and the whole room exploded in a flurry of movements and loud voices. Hawker moved to stand next to Mac, and so did Wilder. Carson put himself next to his son, both Dante and Jinx tried to get everyone to back away from each other, and Bo started moving toward Kit. Then Hawker took a step forward.

  “Get out,” he said, and when it seemed like Kit was about to protest, he calmly moved Carson to the side, and started pushing Kit backward. “You’re saying things you don’t mean, and you know it. Now you will step outside and calm down. If you feel like apologizing, then come back in again. If you can’t do that and do it honestly, then get in your car and drive away for a while. We’ll clear out, and that’ll be that.”

  “What?” Kit breathed.

  “You stepped way over a line just now. Deal with it like a man, buddy,” Olly said from the side, calmly but not in any way friendly.

  I suddenly noticed how he clenched his hands so hard his knuckles were white and realized that his calm demeanor was only a thin veneer. Jinx must have seen it too because she moved to Olly’s side and took one of his hands in his.

  “Go,” she said to Kit, and that single word was so full of disdain Kit reared back.

  Then Jinx pulled Olly with her toward the back porch. After a few seconds of uncomfortable silence, Bo put a hand on his stepson's shoulder and turned him toward the front door.

  “Olly wasn’t wrong, son,” he said with so much sadness in his voice I felt like crying.

  When Kit had left, we stood there, shell-shocked. This was all wrong, I thought. They were a unit, a family, and we’d had such a good time, laughing and dancing.

  “He was wrong to say what he did,” I said and squeezed Mac’s arm until he looked at me. “He didn’t mean it, and he will apologize,” I added.

  “The little weasel,” Mac growled.

  “I know, honey,” I said. “But you will have to forgive him when he apologizes. You all know where this is coming from. You all know that Kit always felt like the least crucial member of your group.”

  “What the hell are you talking about?” Hawker barked and glared angrily at me, but this was important, so I straightened my back and glared right back.

  “You and Miller are the leaders, Wilder is next in line, Mac’s the sniper and Olly is known as the friggin’ Reaper of all things,” I snapped. “And Kit is good at the technical stuff, but certainly not as good as you,” I said and pointed at Jinx, before concluding, “And most of the time not even as good as Byrd who was a damned army intelligence General.”

  They all stared at me, and I didn’t know what else to say to make them understand. Then Carson walked over and put an arm around me, pulling me close to his side.

  “Thank you for seeing that, and for telling them,” he murmured in my ear.

  “I’ll go outside and talk to him,” I said.

  “Let him down gently,” Carson murmured.

  I hadn’t exactly planned to add to Kit’s difficulties by breaking up with him, although I wasn’t going to discuss that in front of everyone, so I moved toward the door instead. As I left the room, I snapped at Wilder over my shoulder, “Get everyone to calm the hell down while I’m gone.”

  Kit sat on the steps leading down to the parking lot in front of the house, and I sat down next to him.

  “I expected you to support me,” he said calmly.

  I actually had, but he didn’t know that, and if he thought I’d condone his incredibly offensive comment that Mac was living off Wilder’s money, he needed to think again.

  “What are you going to do?” I asked.

  “Apologize,” he said immediately, and I exhaled.

  “Good,” I murmured.

  “I can’t believe I said that, and right now, I have no words to erase it. I don’t think for a second that Mac is…” He was silent for a while, and then he muttered, “Crap.”

  “Yeah,” I said.

  “I’ll make this right,” he said. “Don’t know how, but I will.”

  “Yeah,” I repeated.

  “It’ll all be great once we start up the business, you’ll see,” he continued. “We’ll travel all over, and with the high-profile clients the boys and I are getting onboard, we’ll be invited to every event worth going to in Prosper. It’ll be sparkling wine and designer clothes all the time for us, Mary.”

  I turned my head slowly to look at him, and my heart sank, but he didn’t look at me when he continued to describe a life I had no desire at all to live.

  “Kit,” I interrupted him quietly, understanding what Carson had meant. He’d realized exactly what Kit aimed to get, and he knew me well enough to know that I wouldn’t want it.

  “What?” Kit said and turned to me, finally. “What’s wrong?” he asked when he saw my face.

  “Don’t you know me, even a little?” I asked, and when he kept looking at me, I laid it out. “I’m a small-town girl, Kit. I like backyard barbecues and gatherings with people I know and care about. I like to dance to back-country music, and you called me a homemaker before…” I trailed off, and he made a sound, so I raised my hand a little. “You meant it as an insult, but I didn’t take it as one.”

  “M
ary,” he started.

  “This won’t work, Kit, and I think you know that,” I said gently.

  He clenched his jaws and turned away from me, staring straight ahead into the dark night. I remained silent, letting both him and me think things through.

  “Well, shit,” he whispered.

  “You don’t love me,” I said.

  “I could,” he replied immediately.

  “Maybe,” I said, “but right now it’s the picture of me that you dream about. You need to open your eyes Kit, and see who I really am.”

  When he didn’t reply, I squeezed his arm until he turned to me.

  “You need to see the real me,” I said.

  Our gazes held and then he sighed.

  “Yeah,” he said.

  “I still have my things in my car, so when you’ve said what you need to say, just tell the others that I’ve left, will you?” I said.

  “You don’t have to go,” he protested. “It’s late, and you’ve been drinking, Mary. You can stay here.”

  “I only had a couple of beers, and that was a while ago,” I told him. “I’m good to drive.”

  At least, I thought I was, and I was absolutely not going to stay. Kit must have seen that in my eyes because he got to his feet, pulling me with him and into his arms. We stood there in silence for a long time, and then he walked inside without saying a word.

  I sat down again and stared at the night just as Kit had done. I tried to feel sad about what had just happened, but I mostly felt relief that it was over. Then I got up and walked to my car.

  “Hey,” a voice said out of the darkness as I was about to open the door. “You’re leaving.”

  “Yes,” I replied as Miller stepped out of the shadows.

  “Carson sent me out here to make sure you’re okay,” he said quietly.

  “I’m good,” I said.

  I knew I had to explain why I was leaving and cursed Carson for sending someone to check on me.

  “I’m good,” I repeated, and added, “Go inside and take care of your family, Miller.”

  “They can take care of themselves,” he replied and put his hand on the door, effectively blocking me from opening it. “Why are you leaving?” he asked.