Inked Expressions

by Carrie Ann Ryan

  Chapter Eleven

  Even though Everly didn’t have a place to work, she still had bills to pay and forms to go over. The authorities hadn’t let her into Beneath the Cover yet, and she was getting antsy. They kept telling her they needed to collect more evidence and that their investigation wasn’t over. And while she wanted to get inside and start seeing what she could salvage, she also knew that this waiting time was good for her. Or at least that’s what she told herself since she knew that once she stepped inside her home away from home, she wouldn’t be able to pretend that everything was okay anymore.

  Because nothing would ever truly be okay again.

  The note that she’d gotten the evening of the fire kept coming back to her. If it hadn’t been postmarked, she might have thought it was connected to the fire, but the more she thought about it, the more she figured it had to be from Rachel. The other woman was the secret Jackson had been keeping from her, so the note could have been from her. Or it was just another skeleton in the closet the man she’d thought was her husband and love of her life had been keeping. It didn’t make sense to her that the note and the fire were related, not after finding out about Rachel.

  The fire was probably just some person who wanted to make things burn and had nothing to do with her or her store in particular.

  Everly sighed, annoyed with herself for going down yet another avenue of thought that led to the fire. The authorities weren’t telling her anything except that they were still looking, and all she could do was sit on her hands and pretend as if she knew what she was doing. Her sanctuary was gone, and nothing would bring it back. She could rebuild, but it wouldn’t be the same.

  Her phone rang, and she answered without bothering to look at the readout. It rang every thirty seconds it seemed these days, and she wanted to hide the darn thing in her desk.

  “Hello?”

  No answer.

  She frowned and looked at the readout again.

  “Unknown? Again?” she mumbled, her brain exhausted but remembering the other time she’d had a hang-up call.

  “Hello?”

  The call disconnected, and she set the phone down. She hoped whoever it was got over their fixation with calling her soon because this was getting freaking annoying. Hopefully, it was just a wrong number, but an uneasy feeling settled into her stomach. It was all just a little too much, and she was jumpy.

  She finished up her paperwork and set it in the drawer on her desk, shutting down her computer as she stood up to go check on the boys. They’d been playing with their blocks in their playroom for the past twenty minutes, and though she could see them on the monitor, that was more than enough time for them to get into trouble.

  As she made her way into the playroom, she looked down at her watch and held back a curse. She had less than an hour until Alex and Tabby came by to watch the boys. They’d volunteered tonight since Everly had plans.

  In fact, Everly had a date.

  With Storm.

  Their first date.

  She tried not to let the panic set in, but it wasn’t easy. Somehow, she’d gone from being Storm’s friend who always seemed to set him on edge, to a woman he’d made come on her dryer, to one he now wanted to date in public. She was so far out of her depth it wasn’t even funny.

  “Mommy!” Nathan said with a grin. “Blocks!”

  She smiled as she sat down between then. “Yes, blocks! Can you build me a tower?” Between the hospital visits and aftercare, they hadn’t been able to attend nursery school as regularly as she’d have liked lately, so she was doing her best to make sure she helped with their fine motor skills as much as possible. She ran her hand over James’s knee. “Can you build one together?”

  “Hmm,” James answered, his attention on the blocks in front of him. He studied them quietly before giving her a nod. Her boys took turns as to who would be the loud one for the day, and sometimes, the days overlapped and her ears would ring. They were becoming little men with unique personalities, and she couldn’t wait to see how they grew up. She’d taken what Storm had said a couple of nights before to heart, about how he and Wes had to become their own people as well as who they were as twins and family. She might be guilty of referring to her sons as “the twins” more often than not, but she also made sure to talk about their individual accomplishments and needs. And now that she was aware of it even more, she’d be sure to keep that up.

  They played with blocks until the doorbell rang, and she held back another curse when she looked at the clock. An hour had passed since she’d sat down, and now not only would her knees hate her for sitting in this position for so long, she wouldn’t have that much time to get ready for her date.

  “Door!” Nathan yelled and got up quickly to run to the living room. He and James loved to get the door with her, but she didn’t want them to do it on their own.

  Thankfully, Everly was faster than they were and picked Nathan up with one arm before bending and picking up James with her other. Her biceps strained under their weight, and she held back a sigh. Her babies weren’t babies anymore, and lugging around twins kept getting harder as they grew up.

  Somehow, she held them and got the door open once she’d looked through the peephole to see her babysitters on the porch.

  “Alex!” James squealed.

  “Tabby!” Nathan shouted at the same time.

  Everly snorted at their delight and moved back to let the couple in. Alex reached for James, and Tabby reached for Nathan. Everly let the two take her twins and closed the door behind them.

  Her boys were so happy and giggly as they said their hellos to Tabby and Alex. They’d known Tabby since birth, and though Alex was relatively new to them, they’d clung on to him quickly. Everly figured it was because Alex looked so much like Storm, if a little more worn. Alex had gone through his own hell but had crawled his way out of it, and for that, Everly admired him.

  “You aren’t dressed,” Tabby teased as she set the boys down to play with Alex in the living room. They had to show him their toys one by one. Again.

  Everly looked down at her leggings and tunic and winced. “No, and I don’t have any makeup on either.” She blew out a breath and glanced at the boys.

  “Alexander, can you watch them for a minute? I’m going to help Everly.”

  Alex looked up and winked at his fiancée. “No problem, baby. We’ve got this. Don’t we, boys.” He flexed his very nicely muscled arm and growled. Everly held back a laugh as her boys mimicked him. They were all just so stinking cute.

  When she and Tabby walked into Everly’s bedroom, she noticed Tabby wiping a tear from her face and she frowned. “What’s wrong?”

  Tabby shook her head. “Nothing. Really.” She smiled, and there was real warmth behind it. “I just get emotional when I see Alexander with kids.” She didn’t elaborate, and Everly figured there was a private story there.

  Everly hugged her friend, leaning her head on the other woman’s shoulder. They’d been there for each other since they first met, and yet they each had secrets they hadn’t told the other. She hadn’t told Tabby about Rachel or Jackson’s other family and honestly had no idea how to bring it up. She knew she needed to share soon or it would rot within her, but for now, she needed to think about what she was going to do. Storm knew, she thought. Storm knew and would be there for her.

  She let out a breath.

  And tonight, they were going on a date.

  She still didn’t quite know how that had happened. It had come out almost casually that he wanted to take her to dinner so they could just breathe after their conversation on the couch that night. At first, she’d thought he meant her and the boys, but she saw the heat in his gaze. And while she knew for a fact that he’d welcome the twins if they went out to dinner, she also wanted tonight to be just about them.

  So here she was, totally not ready, and holding her best friend because she had no idea what she was doing.

  “This is your first date since Jackson, right?” T
abby asked, her voice careful.

  Everly held back the wince at his name. It hurt so much to think of him now, and not because of the pain of loss. How could she lose something that she evidently never had?

  “Yes, but it’s Storm.”

  “Yeah, it’s Storm.” Tabby blew out a breath. “Those Montgomerys just come at you full tilt, don’t they?”

  Everly rubbed her temples. “I don’t know how we got here, but now I have to find something to wear that isn’t for work or playing with the kids and do something with my hair.” She tugged on her ponytail. “I think I’ve forgotten how to use a curling iron.”

  Tabby rolled her eyes and tugged on the hairband in Everly’s hair. Her long, honey-blond hair was in need of a cut, but she just didn’t have time. She always wore it back. Sometimes, she died it darker using a home kit, but it faded after only a few short weeks.

  “Did you wash it this morning?” Tabby asked.

  Everly tried to think and came up blank.

  Her friend snorted. “Well, if you have to think about it that long, then probably not. Go take a shower and I’ll pick out an outfit for you.”

  “I don’t have that kind of time. It takes me forever to do my hair.”

  “Not with the hair dryer I brought. It does it in like three minutes. It’s the glory of hair dryers.”

  Everly raised her brows. “Tell me you didn’t buy the Dyson.”

  Tabby reached into the satchel she wore that Everly had thought was just a large purse. “I bought the Dyson.”

  Everly swore she heard angels sing as her friend pulled out the very expensive yet amazing hair dryer. It was on her wish list for when she made a million dollars—not that it cost that much, but it sure seemed like it.

  “Alex got it for me as a gift.” Tabby blushed. “His latest commission did really well, and I think he was tired of me complaining about my hair. Now I will let you use it tonight so you can have wonderful hair for your date. You won’t even need to straighten it or anything if you use the attachments.” Everly must have looked skeptical because Tabby beamed. “I’ll even help. I promise. Now get going, woman.”

  Everly scampered to the shower and tossed off her clothes, trusting Tabby to figure out something for her to wear. It was nice having girlfriends and feeling like a woman for once—not just a mom or a business owner. It had been far too long since she’d felt anything like that.

  She soaped, washed, shaved, and did her best not to slip and fall since she was working fast, and got out of the shower in record time. She ran a comb through her hair, slapped on some product, and started rubbing lotion her skin with her favorite orange blossom scent. Hopefully, Storm would like it.

  She paused.

  She’d shaved and was now worrying about the scent of her skin.

  She was going to have sex with Storm Montgomery tonight.

  Very dirty and very steamy sex from the glimpse she’d gotten from their tryst in her laundry room.

  She blew out a breath and ignored the butterflies in her stomach. She could do this. This was Storm. He wasn’t someone new, he was someone she trusted and cared for. And that was totally the problem.

  “Stop thinking so hard,” Tabby said as she walked into the master bath. “I set out that blue dress with the black shrug you had in the back of your closet. You don’t need hose or anything since it’s hot as heck right now and I’m letting you borrow my open-toed wedges. The blue dress swings out so you’re going to look adorable. Now let’s get your hair done and then we can pick jewelry while you’re doing your makeup.”

  “You sound like a drill sergeant.”

  “Thanks,” Tabby said with a wink. “Now, hand me your brush and let me show you the glory that is Dyson. Not just the Dyson, but actually Dyson. He’s been named.”

  In less than ten minutes, Everly had her hair blown out, her makeup on, and was putting on her shoes when Tabby walked back in with a grin.

  “Amazing, right?” Tabby asked. “The hairdryer. I mean, you look…oh my God, so hot right now, and Storm is going to pass out when he sees you, but I was talking about my hair dryer.”

  Everly laughed, feeling a little more at ease with Tabby’s love for an inanimate object. “If I weren’t sure you could take me since you’re taking boxing lessons from Alex, I’d fight you for it.”

  Tabby narrowed her eyes, though her lips twitched. “I’d win, Everly. Don’t fight me for Dyson.”

  “I think she’d pick him over me,” Alex said from the doorway.

  Tabby blew him a kiss. “It would be a tough choice, that’s for sure.”

  Alex put his hand over his heart and took a step back. “Ouch, baby.”

  Everly smiled for a moment before frowning and picking up her bag. “Wait. Where are the boys?”

  “I let them play outside with the chainsaw. Is that bad?”

  She let out a mock growl. “Alex Montgomery.”

  He held up his hands, a smile playing on his face. It was so good to see since he hadn’t smiled much until he found Tabby. “Storm knocked instead of ringing the doorbell, so he’s letting James and Nathan show him their blocks again.”

  Everly froze. “Storm’s here?”

  Alex nodded. “Yeah, and you’re going to knock him dead, Everly. You look hot.”

  “If I weren’t so secure in our relationship and if I didn’t agree with you, I’d hit you right now,” Tabby said with a mock scowl.

  Everly’s heart thudded, but she wasn’t sure if it was because of how they acted, or the fact that Storm was in her house.

  “Go get your man,” Tabby said. “He’s waiting.”

  Everly let out a breath. “Okay, then.”

  She moved past the couple and made her way into the living room, praying she didn’t fall in her heels. The wedges made it easier to walk, but it had been a while since she’d been in anything but flats.

  Storm looked up when she walked into the living room and froze. He wore a coal-grey shirt and even darker pants. He hadn’t worn a tie or jacket, but that was just fine. He looked edible. Lickable. So freaking sexy.

  And he was hers—if only for the night.

  Storm stood slowly, his gaze going over her body. “You look amazing.” His voice had gone husky, and she almost pressed her legs together to keep the throbbing at bay.

  “I was thinking the same thing about you.”

  “Mommy’s pretty,” James said with a grin.

  Nathan blushed and came over to pet the bottom of her skirt. “Blue.”

  She squatted down to hug them both. “Thank you, boys. You have no idea how much I love hearing that.” She loved them so much and would do anything for them, but tonight was about her and Storm. She could do this. She just had to take that chance.

  Storm held out a hand to help her up, and she blew out a breath. “Ready to go?”

  She nodded. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

  He snorted but squeezed her hand. “Sounds about right.” They said their goodbyes, and she ignored the knowing looks from the other adults in the room as they made their way to Storm’s truck.

  “Let me help you up,” he said as he went to her side.

  “What about your back?”

  He shrugged. “As long as you help me, we’re good. I probably won’t be carrying you too much since I don’t want to hurt us both.”

  She frowned as he helped her into the cab of the truck. “You picked me up on the day of the fire.”

  His face went serious, and he cupped her cheek. “You were hurt. I’d have done anything for you.”

  She swallowed hard, her hands shaking. We’re going on a date, she told herself again. This was Storm. Her Storm. Though when he’d become hers, she didn’t know. She’d just have to live in the moment, just this once.

  Just this once.

  They’d gone to a steakhouse they both loved, ate far too much and laughed during their meal. She hadn’t thought it was possible to feel so relaxed around him, but once they’d gotten over the initi
al awkwardness that came from the fact that it was their first date, it had been wonderful.

  Now they were on their way back to his place so she could meet the puppy. And while that was a legitimate excuse, it was also just that, an excuse.

  They were going to his place to make love, have sex, do very dirty things. They both knew it, though they hadn’t said it. And though she was nervous, she couldn’t wait.

  He pulled into the driveway and turned off the engine. “You ready to meet Randy? He’s in his crate, but I’m pretty sure that thing is bigger than my bed.”

  She let out a light laugh. “I love puppies. I want to get one for the boys, but I just don’t have that kind of time.”

  Storm nodded and got out of the truck, and she did the same, just slower, and they met in front of the grill. He took her hand, and she squeezed his back. “They are time-consuming. Once he’s a little bigger, I’m taking him in to work with me. He’s just in the yipping phase that will annoy the clients to no end right now. I wouldn’t really care if they were annoyed, but Wes and Tabby would, so we’re waiting.” He opened the house door and let her in. From where they stood, she could hear the loud yipping, and Storm rolled his eyes. “His bark will get lower as he gets bigger and older. It’s not as bad as it was, so I’ll probably take him in this week anyway. I hate leaving him here.”

  She leaned into his arm for a moment as they walked to the back. She’d been to his place before, though it had been years, so he didn’t need to give her a tour. They had so much history, and yet it wasn’t the same now as it had once been. Nothing was.

  “You’re a good guy, Storm Montgomery.”

  He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head. “If you say so. Now, be ready to be attacked and kissed.” He winked. “Not by me. Yet.”

  He opened the crate, and Randy bounded out, his ears and feet far too big for his body.

  “Sit, Randy,” Storm said, his voice that low command that made Everly want to perk up.

  The puppy sat down quickly but wiggled so much in excitement that he fell over. She saw Storm’s mouth twitch, but he didn’t grin. Randy was in training after all, so she put her hand over her mouth so she wouldn’t end up laughing at how adorable the two of them were.