Lookin' 'round the crowded room, I'm right glad that
Ez thought ta remove all the breakable objects ta a
safer location. Not that anyone is deliberately
tryin' ta knock anythin' over, but with this many
people driftin' between the kitchen an' the livin'
room, it tends ta get a bit nuts. I wouldn't have it
any other way, though, so I just snuggle down further
inta the oversized armchair I claimed early in the
evenin' an' watch 'em all make fools of themselves. I
didn't think that this many of 'em would show up fer a
movie night, but here they all are.
Nate is sittin' closest ta me, sharin' the couch with
Rain an' Mary. His deep, boomin' voice is easily loud
enough ta carry over the noise of the rest of the
room, an' I chuckle as the outrageous story he's
tellin' the two women comes ta an end. He flashes me
a quick smile then launches inta another outlandish
tale. Never knew Nate was so full'a funny stories.
Nate has been stickin' close lately, ever since I
freaked out a couple of weeks ago, an' I'm real
thankful fer his steady presence. Everyone in the
room, actually, has been underfoot in one form or
fashion these last days, an' I've never been more
grateful fer any group of friends 'fore. But
surprisingly enough, Nate has been the biggest help ta
Ez in getting' me through whatever it was. I'm still
not sure what happened. Anyway, I thought the
constant hoverin' would get annoyin', but Nate always
seems ta know when ta back off 'fore it gets ta that
point. I don't know if it's his own common sense or
if he an' Ez have some kinda signal between them, but
either way, I'm glad he's here tonight.
On the loveseat across from the couch, Josiah is
charmin' Nettie while Casey has made herself
comfortable on the floor at their feet. Casey
insisted on choosin' the movie fer tonight's viewin',
which is why we're all currently waiting fer her
tape'a "The Princess Bride" ta rewind. I ain't seen
it, but those who have seem ta think it's funny.
We'll see.
Chris has pulled a chair outta the kitchen an' is
sittin' astride it, his bottle'a beer casually
balanced on the back. Every now an' then, he'll lean
over an' say somethin' ta Mary, but fer the most part,
he's been content ta watch the antics of the Terror
Triplets – Buck, JD, an' Billy. It's nice ta see
Chris so relaxed. He has a nasty tendency ta get so
caught up in work or memories that it sometimes takes
days fer him ta unwind, an' that's with me an' Buck
naggin' at him. But whenever Billy is around, it's
like watchin' the sun come out from behind the clouds.
We all revel in this lighter side'a our quiet,
broodin' leader. It's jist too bad we don't get ta
see it more often.
The TT's are carryin' about with their usual
overabundance'a energy. Normally, I'd be right down
there with them, drivin' all the serious-minded
members'a our little group batty. Tonight, though, I'm
happy jist ta laugh an' shake my head at 'em like all
the other "adults" in the room. It's kinda strange ta
be on this side'a the mayhem, but kinda nice, too.
Not nice enough ta stay permanently on this side,
though. Next time we all get together I know I'll be
right in the thick'a things. Me an' Ez both, if I
have anythin' ta say 'bout it. But this is good
enough fer now.
Speakin' of Ez, here he comes now, precariously
balancin' two overflowing bowls'a popcorn an' three
cans'a soda an' making it look simple. He threads his
way through all the bodies between the kitchen an' my
chair, the look'a concentration on his face belied by
the easy way he answers the catcalls tossed his way.
How does he do that?
Finally he clears the last'a the obstacles an' leans
over me ta the end table between the chair an' the
couch ta set all the stuff down. Though I don't
really need ta, I catch his hips with both hands ta
hold him steady. He smiles down at me with a knowin'
grin, an' I jist can't resist. With a tug an' a
twist, I pull him inta my lap. He lands with a small
"oomph" but he don't protest at all. He jist wriggles
a bit ta make himself comfortable an' leans back inta
the arm I've wrapped around his shoulders.
He laughs a bit, his nose an' eyes crinklin' in that
adorable way he has, an' again I am helpless ta
resist. Closin' the distance between our faces, I
brush a light kiss against his mouth. The kiss
quickly becomes less than light when Ez opens his lips
an' lets my tongue steal inside. I vaguely feel his
arms come up 'round my neck, fingers fannin' inta my
hair ta hold me in place, but I'm so totally lost in
his kiss that he coulda set my hair on fire an' I
wouldn't'a cared.
Instead'a my hair, though, it's my heart he sets on
fire, an' I never want this blaze ta ever go out. As
if sensin' the direction'a my thoughts, Ez pulls back
slightly an' murmurs "Never, Vin, you're stuck with me
forever, my love."
"Suits me," I whisper back an' crush him gently ta my
chest. "Love ya."
The moment is broken by JD's shout of "Get a room!" I
feel the swoosh of somethin' comin' close ta our heads
then Nate's boomin' voice calls out "Kid, if'n ya try
that one more time, you'll have me ta deal with!" inna
tone that sounds teasin' but is actually a deadly
serious warnin'. Never figgered Nate ta be our
protector, but man, am I glad he's on our side.
Ez an' I look up ta see Nate brandishin' a pillow JD
musta thrown at us, an' JD – crazy feller – is
stickin' his tongue out at Nate. It all goes ta hell
'bout two seconds after that, but Ez an' I don't care.
This is the family we signed up fer, an' this is the
family we'd fight fer, an' this is the family we know
beyond any doubt we're accepted in. Sparin' a grin
an' a chuckle fer the room at large, we let 'em have
their fun. Curlin' back up 'round each other, I swoop
down fer another kiss, an' soon the two of us are lost
again in our own little world, surrounded by laughter
an' love inside an' out.
Sorry, Casey, guess we'll jist have ta watch that
movie some other night.
The End
Continues in Piece of Cake
