Текст книги "Drawn Together"

Автор книги: Lauren Dane

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Текущая страница: 10 (всего у книги 17 страниц)

14

He woke up early, as he usually did, even on weekends. Decades of being up for 8 a.m. meetings had pretty much ruined his ability to really sleep late.

But she was there too. That’s what woke him. She stood in his doorway, hugging the doorjamb, looking hesitant.

He pulled his blankets back and she came to him. “Best wake-up I’ve had in ages,” he said as he snuggled her up against his body.

“Yeah?” She climbed atop, grinding her cunt against him.

“Well, I do like to say there’s always room for improvement. You’ve got a good start.” She was glorious in the morning. Her hair tousled and soft around her face. No makeup. She was warm and soft and goddamn, he wanted more.

The shadows from the night before were gone. He knew those memories took up a permanent place inside her, but he was glad she looked better.

“How’d you sleep?”

“Bed is very comfortable. It’s quiet. You have a great house. Thank you for . . . you know, everything.”

He cupped her neck. “Anytime.”

“Yeah?”

He tried to focus on the words, but hello, nearly naked woman grinding herself against his cock. “Careful there, missy, you’re playing with fire.”

She pulled her shirt up and over her head. “I am? Gosh, I sure wouldn’t want that.”

He rolled and she landed on his bed on her back. One quick movement and her pants and underwear were gone and she was gloriously naked on his sheets. Where she should be.

“Now then. Are you being deliberately provocative?” He tugged a nipple between his teeth and she moaned.

“What gave me away?”

He laughed, really liking this side of her.

“Don’t move.” He got out of bed and she watched him, a smile on her lips.

He went to his drawer, the one he’d begun to think of as Raven’s drawer. He kept his toys in it. Things he’d bought with her in mind. The chain he’d bought for her was there and he thought of a good use for it. Just not right then.

He saw what he was looking for and pulled it out, turning.

Her gaze went to the collar in his hand, one of those imperious brows of hers rising.

“Kneeling please.”

She did it immediately and he liked that more than he could put into words. Her hands went behind her back.

After he’d gotten her in bed the night before he’d stayed up very late thinking about the entire situation. Whether or not it was a good idea to continue with the D/s nature of their relationship. The last thing he wanted to do was harm her. Or push any of her buttons related to what he knew was a pretty fucked-up childhood.

But then he’d realized that if he had pushed buttons that way she would have told him. Probably not directly, but Raven Smith did not do things she didn’t want to do. And she got off on their relationship just as much as he did. It wasn’t therapy. It wasn’t a balm to her wounds. She liked it when he dominated her and he liked to do it. All the other stuff wasn’t a part of it. And if it ever became part of it, she’d call a halt to it.

“You see, I was thinking about you. As I often do. And I realized how much it would please me if you wore a collar. My collar. But you’re not a leather-collar type of woman. I wanted something that would be unique. Like you are. He held up the platinum choker.

“You want to collar me? Like a slave?”

He laughed. “No. I don’t want a slave, and if I did, you and I wouldn’t be together. I want you to be reminded of me; of the way you’re mine. All day. Every day. I don’t need the whole world to know it. Just you and me.”

Her eyes glittered. Not with anger. Not with fear.

“I’m not one to make a commitment.”

“Because none of the people before were right for you. I am. You know it or you’d have stormed out of here two minutes ago when I first held up the choker. You like it. When you get these fool ideas about how flighty you are, or how you don’t do monogamy, you can think about what you’re wearing around your neck and know you’re lying to yourself. You’re mine, Raven. Try to deny that. I dare you.”

She sucked in a breath, her mouth opening to speak. He waited.

“No one owns me,” she said at long last.

“No one but you. I said, I don’t want to own you. When I say you’re mine, you know exactly what I mean. And you’re scared. Scared I’ll fuck you over, or run away or whatever. I’m telling you right now that you’re here with me. Like I want. Like I’ve wanted since the first conversation we ever had. I get what I want and I want you. Not to own. Not to harm. But to cherish.”

He held the choker closer to her and she examined it. But her hands were still clasped at her back.

“And if I wear it, what does that mean?”

“I told you what it means to me. What would it mean to you? Hm? That’s not something I want or even am prepared to tell you. You own your own feelings, your own reactions. When I put it on and you’re wearing a declaration of your connection and commitment to me, what would it mean to you?”

She took a slightly shaky breath.

“I don’t know.”

He smiled at her. She was scared and he didn’t blame her. “Yes, you do.”

He stroked a hand down her neck with the backs of his fingers. “Cosseted? Hm? Protected? Safe in the knowledge there’s someone out there who adores you, flaws and all? Confined, but in the best way? All these others who tolerated your refusal to commit, they were one thing. I’m another. We’re another and you know it. Will you wear it?”

She swallowed hard and then nodded.

He slid it on and it felt totally right as he secured the two clasps to hold it. It glittered against her skin, fitting perfectly. It was a lovely piece of jewelry. Something she could wear and no one would think twice over. But she’d know. And he would too.

“Beautiful.”

Her gaze dropped and he tipped her chin up. “Mmmm. Can’t deny it, gorgeous. Beautiful. And mine. Like I’m yours, and that’s good too. Makes me hard.”

“Would you like me to do something about that?”

She knew that he found her attractive, yes, but there was this way she had, she got right to him. It wasn’t coy, it wasn’t practiced, and though she certainly wasn’t innocent, the way she got to him was.

He shoved his pants down and off, kicking them to the side. “Now you can. Suck my cock.”

She gave him one last look. “Can I move my hands? This angle will make it hard to keep from falling off the bed.”

“Yes.”

She bent forward, kissing his belly and over to his hip bone before doing the same on the other side. He watched her back, the shock of how alluring she was ricocheting through him.

With one hand braced on the bed, she grabbed his cock at the root with the other and held him out so she could take him into her mouth. First she sucked slow, keeping him really wet. She licked around the crown, sucking hard and then soft, enough to bring a grunt and a flex of his hips, demanding more.

She slid her fist down, holding the skin taut as she followed, taking him deep. She stretched her fingers out to stroke his balls. Up and down. Over and over. It was so good he let it go longer than he should have. He was right up against climax when he put a restraining hand on her shoulder and stepped back.

He struggled for breath as he looked down at her.

She licked her lips and he grinned. “Goddamn. I’m going to fuck you.”

The choker was cool against the skin of her neck. It was wide enough that she knew it was there. It wasn’t a piece of jewelry she’d forget about, which she guessed was the point after all. It made her feel . . . it anchored her, the solid weight of it, the way it seemed to caress her throat the way he held her throat in his palm at times.

It made her pussy slick, hardened her nipples and her clit. She wanted him to fuck her so badly it had taken all her control not to beg him, to keep sucking his cock the way she knew he liked. Knowing he’d take care of her.

It was a big step and one that had scared her spitless. Trusting anyone else to put her needs first and foremost wasn’t something she did often. The number of people she trusted like that, she could count on one hand.

But this man, this reason she broke her rules, well, there seemed to be nothing else she could do. She was still scared enough to shake a little. But she was so sick of being scared and alone.

“I want you facedown on the bed. One leg bent, knee up. I want you open.”

She did it quickly. Placing her hands high, like she knew he’d tell her to.

He hummed his satisfaction and she knew she’d made the right choice.

One cuff slid over her hand and to her wrist where he tightened it. He hooked it to the strap on his bed. A few ticks later and she was stretched. Not painfully so, but certainly very aware she was giving over to him.

The other wrist, same movements, and she had to close her eyes against it. Nothing in her life had ever felt like this. She wasn’t even sure what this was. Only that it kept her from floating. His hands on her, his attention and focus made her feel beautiful and desired. Not as a thing. Not as some white-trash whore as she’d been regarded for many years. But as this man’s woman.

A shiver ran through her as he ran covetous hands from her fingertips, down her arms and back. He stopped at her hips and held on, his fingers digging in.

“You’re so fucking beautiful. It drives me out of my mind to see you this way in my bed.”

She heard the condom wrapper tear and knew he’d be in her soon. Even so, she couldn’t help but arch as much as she could to take him deeper when he finally nudged her open with the head of his cock.

He swore under his breath and she loved it. His fingers tightened on her hips and she loved it. She did it again, taking him deep, and he let go, slapping one ass cheek so hard she could picture the red mark he would have left. It burned against the coolness of the room, burned against his skin when he adjusted, fucking her in earnest now.

His weight pressed her into the bed, limited her range of movement. And she loved that too.

“More,” she managed to gasp out.

He let go of her hip and she waited for the slap on her ass. But he slid a hand between her body and the bed and found her clit. He managed to squeeze her clit with the tips of his fingers as he continued to fuck her deep.

“You can’t come until I say so.”

She wanted to argue. It was ridiculous after all to order such a thing. She’d come when she wanted to, damn it. It wasn’t as if she was a yogi with that sort of mind/body control.

But she knew it would be a lie. Knew she’d do her damndest to make it happen however he wanted it to.

He kept thrusting and she sort of floated awhile, the pleasure flooding her system, lulling her even as it excited. She wanted to come. Wanted him to come. Wanted to please him.

She squeezed her inner muscles over and over and he hummed. “Well now, that’s quite lovely.” And then he growled as she kept it up. His fingers on her clit sped up a little, squeezed just a little harder. “I’m ready. Come around my cock.”

Like he hit a switch, orgasm burst through her with alarming speed. Brilliant. Sharp shards of pleasure seemed to slice through her as she heard him say her name, knew he was coming too.

It went on and on for some time until he pressed a kiss to her shoulder and pulled out gently. The bed moved as he got up, but she was content to keep lying there, her arms up above her head, wrists bound. On display.

All the noise quieted when he touched her. What all it meant she didn’t really know, only that it made things better.

“What’s your plan for the rest of the day?” He asked her this as they sat at a diner, their breakfasts piping hot on the table in front of them.

“I promised Erin I’d go out to Bainbridge to a Halloween party thing. They’re doing a costume parade and Miles—Gillian and Adrian’s son—his band is playing. I tried very hard to get out of it, but she guilted me.”

He smiled at her. “Why try to get out of it?”

“It’s exhausting trying to behave all the time.” She poured syrup on her stack of pancakes.

He laughed then. “Oh, gorgeous, you’re something else.”

“Hm.”

“Behave how?”

“They’re all so nice. Perky. Everyone loves everyone else and they’re close and blah. I go because Alexander will look adorable in his little costume and I’m sure Martine and Poppy will too. Rennie tells me she’s too old for that stuff, but she’s old enough to get a little giggly around Miles’s friends who, thankfully, are old enough to think she’s an annoying-little-sister type instead of make-out material.”

“I notice you’re talking about the kids and not the adults.”

“I like children better.” She chewed for a while, sipping her coffee, before she spoke again. “Though some adults do all right.”

“I never really pegged you for an earth-mother type.”

She laughed. “Stop, you’re going to make me choke. I’m not. Not in a million years. But I’m a decent aunt. And Alexander, Martine and Poppy are too young to judge me for anything but the quality of snacks in my cabinets and how many of those tiny board books I’m willing to read.”

“Just when I think I’m getting you figured out, you go and prove me wrong. Do you ever, you know, think about having a child of your own someday?”

“I’m getting older. I come from some fucked-up stock. My family was enough. What kind of person would I be to do that to a kid?”

“I had a child and my mother . . . well, you’ve met her.”

“Your mother loves you. She’s a hard-case bitch with her nose a little too high in the air, don’t get me wrong. But I can guarantee she never left you alone for ten minutes, much less dropped you off at the corner convenience store and didn’t come back for nearly two years.”

He blinked at her.

“I’m sorry. I . . . It’s like telling you stuff has loosened my tongue.”

He took her hand, his fingers tangling with hers. “Don’t apologize. I’m glad you’re sharing with me. I can’t get past that initial moment of rage when I hear how you were treated when you were at your most vulnerable.”

“So I come from a bunch of assholes. There are already a lot of assholes who had kids and fucked them up. I’m not sure I can overcome my DNA to not do the same. I mean, can you imagine me at a PTA meeting?”

He grinned. “I totally can.” He shrugged. “I’ve seen you when you talk about Alexander. I know you love him, and from what I understand, he loves you right back. Seems to me what your situation was had a lot more to do with how they acted, not their biology. Hell, Charlotte, my ex-wife, her parents were really involved when she and her siblings grew up. And she’s a terrible mother. It’s not always biology, Raven. Some people are just, as you so eloquently put it, assholes.”

“Anyway, I don’t know. I have a studio apartment and I like to travel. Having a baby isn’t in the cards for me.”

But he could see her holding a baby. Their baby. He didn’t say that out loud, not wanting to scare her away and also needing to process, yet again, how fast this was all moving. He wasn’t impulsive. He was the type of man who took forever just to decide what to order off a menu. But the way he felt for Raven was apparently outside all the rules in his life. The way he felt for her simply was. He knew it as sure as he knew gravity existed and that he had to pay his taxes.

“Do you . . .” She shook her head and went back to eating.

“What?”

“Never mind.”

“No way, you don’t get to do that. Do I what?”

“Do you want to go with me? To this Halloween thing tonight?”

It was the first time she’d done the asking, and he liked it.

“Yeah. I’d like that. I want to get to know your friends better. I’m sure Daisy and Levi will be there. I know Daisy and Gillian are close. She’s got pictures of Poppy and Miles all over her and Levi’s house.”

“Okay then. I need to go home for a while. I really need to exercise. I’ve done nothing but eat too much and drink a lot of beer since you came along. My clothes are going to get tight.”

“Want to go kayaking with me and my brother Eli?”

Warily she considered that. “I don’t know.”

“He’ll like you. I told him about you earlier this week. He’s sort of feral himself.”

“Don’t you want to do the brother thing? If you spend a lot of time with me, you’re going to figure out I’m sort of a bitch.”

He laughed, having to put down his cup of coffee before he started to choke.

“Gorgeous, I figured that out weeks ago. I’m still here.”

She pulled her phone out to check her calendar and noted she had several bookings starting in just a few hours and lasting until about an hour before the party. She frowned. She’d told Maggie, the woman who ran the shop, that it was all right to give her appointments, so it wasn’t like anyone had done anything wrong. The business was good. She liked having money in savings. But, she had to admit she liked the idea of spending time with Jonah and meeting his brother.

She looked up from the phone and shrugged. “Apparently I’m going to be inking people for many hours today. I’m sorry. I love to kayak though, so if you want to in the future and feel up to having me along, I’d go.”

“That’s a deal.”

15

“Nope. Wait.” He gave an imperious look her way before he got out and walked around to her side to open her door and give her a hand out.

Then he kept her hand and she didn’t quite know what to do, so she let him.

The place was awash in kids and it made her smile.

Erin was out on the large lawn with them and she looked up, waving. Alexander looked to see what his mother was doing and caught sight of Raven, his little face lighting up.

She let go of Jonah’s hand and bent to grab Alexander up into a hug when he came running her way.

“You’re here, Auntie!”

“Of course I am.” She kissed his cheeks, hugging him again.

“I missed you. We have candy.”

“Dude, candy? I’m really glad I came now. Would you like to meet a new friend?”

“Sure!”

She turned to face Jonah. “Alexander, this is my friend Jonah. He’s Levi’s big brother.”

“Yo, Jonah!”

Jonah grinned; all that imperious masterful Dom stuff had melted away in the face of this little boy. “Yo, Alexander. Raven told me all about you. I have to admit I ate some of your Goldfish. I promise to replace them before you come over again, though.”

Alexander, in a very fine Brown imitation, narrowed his eyes for a moment before he stuck his hand out. “Okay.”

Erin approached, holding Poppy, who clapped when she saw Raven.

“Hello, there, Jonah.”

Poppy leaned out, toward Raven.

“Hang on a minute, baby girl. Alexander is with Raven, then it’s your turn, all right?”

Poppy frowned but seemed satisfied for the time being.

“Dang, you’re like the Pied Piper.” Jonah winked and Alexander laughed.

“I’m glad you brought Jonah. Levi is around here somewhere. Mary and Damien got here a few minutes ago so Gillian is out back with them.”

Alexander was done being held so Raven put him down and he tore off. “Pop!” Ben and Todd came around the corner. “Daddy!”

“Yeah, poor kid, no one loves him.” Erin turned back to Raven before she pulled her into a hug, Poppy still in her arms. “Hello you. I called you twice yesterday.”

“I was really busy. Loooong day, and not now, I’ll tell you later. Now give me that baby before she jumps from your arms.”

Poppy squealed, tipping her head back, utterly confident that Raven wouldn’t drop her. That meant everything to Raven.

Erin took up next to Raven. “Let’s go around to the back. Martine has her tricycle and is riding all over the place so watch your toes.”

Jonah put an arm around her shoulders as they walked and Erin shot her a look, waggling her brows at the choker Poppy was eagerly trying to grab.

“Not for you. That’s my pretty. Don’t break it.” Poppy frowned. “I know, it’s super hard to be you.”

Then she grinned, clapping her chubby little hands.

“The jig is up, sweet girl. Auntie Raven knows your game.” She kissed Poppy’s nose. “It’ll be our secret.”

Out back, the vista overlooked the water in a sweeping and rather breathtaking view. Adrian had designed the house for Gillian as a wedding present. It made it more difficult to think he was an uptight asshole when he was so good to his wife and children.

Gillian turned, a huge smile on her face when she caught sight of Raven.

“I have no idea why she likes me so much,” she said in an undertone to Jonah, who snorted.

“Because people can see past your crusty exterior and know there’s a big heart in there.”

Emotion swept through her like wildfire as she tried to hold it together.

Erin squeezed her arm, leaning close to speak quietly. “You and I totally need to catch up. Don’t even try to get away without it. I’m glad you’re here and I’m glad you brought him. Also? Nice necklace.”

Poppy loved Raven, but she adored her mother and at the sight of her, she reached out to Gillian, who caught her up with a smile. “Hello, darling. Have you brought Raven to us? Nicely done.” She gave Raven a quick hug and looked to Jonah. “Hello you. Your brother is just over there. There’s cider of the mulled and child-friendly variety.”

Jonah kissed her so quickly she didn’t have the time to be stern. Instead she smooched him back, blushing.

“Would you like a glass?” He was so gentlemanly. She never knew how to deal with it, but it made her belly all fluttery.

She nodded.

“Be back in a few then. Good to see you, Gillian.”

The three women watched him amble over to the group of men Levi was part of.

“Well now.” Gillian clucked her tongue, amusement on her face.

Raven rolled her eyes.

“So things are serious now. I knew you’d been seeing him, but you brought a date to a family party. That’s special. I quite like that. Come over this week. Adrian is off to Los Angeles and he’s taking Miles. It’s just me and Poppy and we’d love to have you for dinner and some gossip. Mary brought enough food to feed me for months.”

“Let me see what my week looks like. Brody is down a few people at the shop. I’m helping out there and then I have an evening appointment on Thursday. I’ll call you. I promise.”

Levi looked him up and down as Jonah eased into a chair near the cider.

“Wasn’t expecting to see you.”

“My lady brought me along. I figured you’d be here with yours.”

“Indeed. Couldn’t stop her if I wanted to. She’s helping Miles with something or other. I just bring her and she squeals and giggles and runs off. Like I’m going to complain?”

Jonah snorted. Raven wasn’t giggle-and-squeal material. But he sure did like that she’d invited him along.

“I’ve got three messages from Mother. I went kayaking with Eli earlier and she’d called there looking for me too.” He’d wanted Raven along but she’d had to work.

“She called me a few times too. I’m going to guess she got wind of what happened with Raven, Daisy, Mal and Gwen last night.”

Brody, who’d been sitting across from them with Adrian, leaned in. “What happened?”

If Jonah meant to make a relationship with Raven, he knew he had to deal with Brody as well.

He gave them a brief overview.

Brody sat back, shaking his head. “She’s lucky Raven didn’t pop her one. You know she does kickboxing, right? Four days a week. She’s really strong.”

He didn’t actually. He knew she worked out, but not more than that.

“She tried very hard not to make a scene. But she defended Daisy. Daisy would take a bullet for her for that.” Levi shrugged. “So of course I would too.”

Adrian didn’t say much as Jonah had spoken. “So what are you going to do? Seems to me Raven probably told you she wasn’t the society type. Gillian loves her; I don’t want to see her hurt.”

Jonah took Adrian in. “It’s been handled. My mother and Raven had a”—he paused, trying to remember how Raven put it—“a come-to-Jesus. My mother was rude. Raven put her in her place. I think this situation is going to be more about my brother and his wife and their marriage than Raven.”

“There were cracks before, but I think this might really be a point of no return for them. I don’t know.” Levi nodded. “Anyway, we’re on Raven’s side here. I promise you. Even if I wasn’t on my own, Daisy would never let me touch her boobs again if I didn’t back her up.”

Both Brown brothers nodded, easing back.

He wouldn’t tell her about this conversation. She’d be uncomfortable and that’s not what she needed. He grabbed two mugs and stood. “If you’ll excuse me, I promised Raven some cider.”

Levi stood as well. “I’ll come along with you.”

She smiled as she saw him approach and give her the cider. “That hits the spot, thanks. I’m just about to go in and help Alexander get his costume on. I’ll be out in a few.”

“What’s he going to be?”

“That’s a surprise, Jonah. Sheesh.” She turned to Levi. “Hey, Levi.”

Levi tipped his chin at her. “Hey, Raven, nice to see you.”

She went into the house after a quick kiss from Jonah and his brother gave him the eye. “So you’re not limping. Is that necklace the collar you mentioned?”

Jonah nodded. “Yesterday . . . last night . . . all of it. A lot of emotions. We talked for hours. It felt right this morning and it was.”

“Okay then. She’s okay then? I could tell how tense she was, though she was pretty good at dinner. I guess I just misjudged her, thinking she was sort of bitchy. But she protected Daisy and I owe her. You love her too, so I can admit I was wrong.”

“Oh, she can be bitchy. But people take one look and make up their minds. She’s a lot more than you see at first glance. She had a hard time, but she’s resilient. I’m ass over teakettle with that prickly woman.” He shrugged. He usually shared most everything with his brother, but he knew how difficult it had been for her to trust him and he didn’t ever want her to regret it.

“I get it. If you need to talk about it more, you know I won’t tell tales out of school.”

“Appreciate that.”

“Do you want me to do a background check on her? I mean, you’re getting serious about this woman and you don’t know much about her. It might be better to be safe than sorry. You’ve got a trust fund and a big bank account. Attractive to some women. We know she hasn’t been very constant in the past.”

Of course it was then that Erin Brown came at them from the left. She must have been walking around the porch. Her eyes were on fire and he flinched at the rage in them.

She pushed him away from the steps and Levi hurried to catch up.

“I can’t believe you!” She kept her voice down but the rage radiated off her in waves.

Jonah put his hands up. “I was going to say no.”

“You are the first person she’s let into her life this way other than me and Brody. She’s not some whore you fuck and throw away because you’re worried she’s going to steal from you. She never, ever took money from me, and I can guarantee I’ve got more than you. You asshole.”

He took her hands. “Erin, I don’t think that about her. I swear to you. I love Raven. She’s independent and strong and the last thing I’d believe about her is that she was using me.”

Levi put himself in the line of fire. “Christ, it was all me. I’m so sorry, Erin. I didn’t mean it as an insult. I want to protect my brother. But it was my suggestion, not his. I’m protective of him and my family.”

Erin rounded on Levi and Jonah felt sorry for him. “Protective? You mean how she was of your family last night? You think I haven’t heard how your sister-in-law acted? How your mother acted? You think you’re so much better than her? She’s not constant? Fuck you. She’s in there helping my little boy change into his Halloween costume. One she made for him. He wanted to be the Doctor from Doctor Who. But the one with the scarf, Tom what’s-his-name. She knows his name and he does too because she watches the show with him. No matter where she’s been or what she’s doing she will always be back here for his birthday. Don’t you fucking talk to me about constant. That woman is my best friend and no one is more constant than she is.”

Levi lost the tension in his spine and he shook his head. “I’m sorry. I was wrong. But it’s me, not Jonah. Don’t hang him with something I did. He had nothing to do with it.”

“Erin?” Raven called out from the back porch and Erin tossed such a look of malice over her shoulder that Levi flinched.

“On my way.” She turned and walked away without another word.

“Holy shit. Do you think she’s going to tell Raven? Oh my god, I’m so sorry, Jonah. Jesus. I would never want to hurt her. I swear to you. After Charlotte . . . I’m sorry.”

Jonah felt sick, but he understood where Levi was coming from and he also knew his brother got how wrong he’d been.

“All I can do is hope she won’t say anything. If for no other reason than to spare Raven’s feelings.

“Everything okay?” Raven asked Erin when she came back from the yard.

“Yes. Fine. What’s up?” Erin’s smile was brittle at the edges.

“I’ve known you an assload of years, Erin. What’s wrong?”

Erin sighed. “Nothing. I was just thinking about stupid stuff that got me wound up. I’m fine.”

Raven looked her over carefully but let it go. “If you say so. I’m looking for the hat. Have you seen it?”

“Oh crap. I left it in the car. I’ll be right back.” She raced out the front and Raven went back to the room where the littlest ones were getting ready.

“Your momma is going to get the hat and then you’re ready to rock.”

Alexander did a little fist pump.

Martine was dressed as a pirate ballerina. She’d wanted both so Elise had just gone with it. She wore an eye patch and a tutu and it worked.

Ben’s brother Cope and his wife Ella’s daughter Maddie was a princess, complete with one of those pointed hats with the tulle on it. As Cope treated his daughter like the sun rose and set with her, it fit. Ella, who’d always been sort of sweet and shy, had come out of her shell as a mother. Raven had watched confidence take hold as she poured her love and attention into the job. It was a good thing to see.

Poppy was a ladybug. She had a headband with little antennae and a red and black bodysuit.

Rennie had two friends along; one of them, Nina, was Arvin and Maggie’s daughter. Both parents worked at the shop with Raven and Brody.

The girls had said they were too old to dress up, but since they were there and all, they’d do it for the little kids. Raven had kept a straight face and nodded, thanking them for being so cool about it.

Miles, of course, was sixteen and totally not interested in anything but his band.

Erin came in with the hat and Raven plopped it on Alexander’s head, standing back. She’d spent months putting the costume together after Alexander had said he wanted to be the “scarf Doctor” for Halloween. Finding the right vest, hat and scarf for a nearly four-year-old took time. But she’d done it, though she had to cut the scarf and the blazer down some.