7. Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

E llie took the exit onto the highway and called Hennessy. She’d been in Wichita picking up some items they’d ordered for the gun store. The boys had been back at school and were almost at Christmas break, and she felt good about it. Beth Franks and Winnie Carter, two of the Franks sisters who ran the bail bonds company, had snuck into the school after hours and placed surveillance cameras in the halls, principal’s office, and a couple other places.

Her email had garnered a huge change. The school board president had taken her letter to an emergency meeting. The principal had been placed on leave pending an investigation. Since the school board president had been the previous principal, he was covering it until after the break. At least Ellie knew if something happened, she’d be able to know who was bothering the boys. But with the changes, she felt completely different about the school. Hennessy and his family had been texting the boys about Christmas break and some activities they were planning. Hennessy’s dad, Peck, had said he needed some help over Christmas break for something he was planning for New Year’s Day. He asked if the boys would be interested in helping. Ellie was looking forward to seeing if the boys wanted to spend time there.

Lyle and Richy had actually been almost different people, helping her after supper and cleaning up their stuff for the last week. Neither had called her a gash like her brother did since they’d been around the Nelsons. Them sitting down and talking through what they could do for an allowance had changed everything for them. They each had different jobs, but some of the jobs rotated each week, so no one had yucky jobs all the time. The boys’ words, not hers. She’d worked to not giggle when Lyle had told Richy if he didn’t make sure he wasn’t splashing pee on the bathroom floor, cleaning the toilets would be his job permanently. It had been a refreshing change. The boys had earned money and had gone with Winnie, Bear, and some of the other kids Christmas shopping in Dodge City on Sunday.

Ellie had got caught up on a little reading and enjoyed having the house to herself after all the excitement Willa brought to the MC. Ellie had to admit seeing Willa stand up to the man who had hurt her had been empowering. Ellie loved how all the women had come together. The boys had been gone for lunch and supper. Ellie had eaten caramel popcorn for lunch along with a couple pieces of cheese. It had been a wonderful break to not have to cook or think of a meal.

Ellie had to admit that she was sorry she hadn’t been at the field to welcome Willa because she’d been working. The women repeating how hot it had been watching Cruise toss her over his shoulder and smack her butt had Ellie wishing she were experiencing love like that. But then there was only one man who she could picture in that role.

She and Hennessy had been talking and texting every night. She loved talking with him. Even if nothing came of it, she’d still have his friendship. No, that wasn’t right. If nothing came of this, she’d be heartbroken, but she didn’t know how to tell him she was interested.

They’d discussed so many things that she knew him better than anyone else. Listening to Hennessy talk about growing up with his brothers and his cousins, with only their dads.

Hearing about how each of the group of cousins, born close together, had each set of three seeming to take on certain jobs. In Whiskey’s set, Whiskey was the leader, Crewe was the nurturer, and Dillon was the analytical one who weighed the costs of what they did. In Hennessy’s set, Hennessy was the nurturer, Halligan was the leader, and McClure was the analytical one. The youngest set was interesting. Schaefer was the analytical one and had turned his into a passion for security for all the companies and the cousins. Quinton was the nurturer. Gaines was the leader.

Growing up with just her brother, who wasn’t any of those things, had her loving not only being closer to Hennessy but also basking in how the cousins cared for each other and others in their group.

Hennessy nurturing as an adult had him working in the bar because he enjoyed making people happy. But it also ignited his protectiveness, which is why he had no problem throwing people out of the bar if they caused trouble.

When he’d shared how he’d started answering the phone with his “ Good morning, gorgeous. I’m wishing you a day full of beauty. Remember, you’ve got this,” and his evening greeting of “Good night, beautiful. May your dreams be as sweet as you are,” because he recognized some people were never wished good morning or good night, nor were they called beautiful or gorgeous. He couldn’t bear that there were people who needed that affirmation and didn’t get it. He decided he couldn’t change the world, but he could change his little part of it.

He was such a good man. The fact that his eyes made her want to melt into a puddle of goo at his feet—and that was before she even got to his smile, his beard, and his tattoos. It was getting harder and harder to keep him in the friend zone when everything inside her screamed for something more. She’d never really fantasized about sex with someone. She’d used her vibrator and imagined a man, but he’d always been faceless or whatever hot movie star came to mind. But now, the only man she could imagine giving herself to was Hennessy.

She wished she was braver with relationships. Her lack of experience, along with her worry about being rejected, had her holding back. In her work, she knew exactly what to do and quickly accomplished her tasks. She worked best getting things done quickly. Her mind got bored easily, so she liked to accomplish stuff and then move on. But it also meant she had plenty of time to think of Hennessy and constantly overthink the situation.

But she couldn’t miss her call with him. Hearing his voice made her happy.

“Call Hennessy,” she said.

“Good evening, my Lovely.”

His deep, rich voice had strange feelings running through her that no man had ever incited before.

“Good evening, Hennessy,” she said, wishing she could think of something special to call him. He had changed his greeting for her to my Lovely three days ago. Each time he called her his Lovely, it made her smile.

“How’s the trip?” he asked.

“I got the stuff we needed, but the stores are crazy with everyone trying to get their Christmas shopping done. Besides the gun store items, I had quite the list of other items when everyone heard I was going to Wichita.”

Hennessy chuckled. Oh, the things his laugh did to her. Who was she kidding? His laugh, his smile, his tattoos, his beard, and those eyes all had her insides swirling.

“Are you doing the special thing the MC does Christmas Eve this year?” Ellie asked.

She hadn’t been around last Christmas Eve, and Regina had told her there was something special that part of them participated in. Ellie and the boys were welcome, but Ellie was hoping she and the boys might be with Hennessy’s family.

“No. I participated last year, so I’ll stay home this year. Are you planning on participating?” Hennessy asked.

If Ellie didn’t know better, she’d think that Hennessy was worried about her answer. Did he want to be with her as much as she wanted to be with him?

“I wasn’t sure.” She didn’t know what else to say. She hadn’t grown up hoping and dreaming. She also didn’t know how to ask for what she wanted. Disappointment had taught her that sometimes she asked for too much.

“Ellie, I’d love to spend Christmas with you and the boys, either here in Dodge City or in Bluff Creek. If I’m there, I’d be coming late after the bar closed. But make no mistake, I want to be where you are. Christmas this year wouldn’t be Christmas without you,” Hennessy said.

What did she say to this? She wanted to be with him too, but how? Was he saying as friends or more? She couldn’t take misconstruing what he meant and having her heart broken.

“Hennessy, I don’t have much experience with relationships. I may have been an FBI agent and was trained in figuring out what suspects were saying, but in my personal life, all the training goes out the window because I don’t get the social cues.”

It was quiet for a minute, and she could hear Hennessy breathing. What was he thinking?

“I love our talks when we chat until all hours on the phone. I look forward to your texts because they make me smile, but I’m just going to put it all out there. If you don’t feel the same way, then I’ll still be your friend. There’s something about you that calls to me, Ellie. It’s like I’d been searching my whole life, and then you walked in. I know we’re not doing things in order, but then I come from a very unusual family. Spend Christmas with me, you and the boys. Spend the rest of your life with me if this goes where I want it to go. I know your job is in Bluff Creek and I’m an hour and a half away, but nothing is impossible. Give me a chance. Give us a chance, Ellie.”

Ellie didn’t know whether to scream or cry. She’d hoped, but she’d never really believed that Hennessy could want her as much as she wanted him. Was she ready to trust that no matter what, he’d be in her life? Until Bluff Creek, she’d had so few people to count on. They hadn’t even kissed because they’d been friends. What if she sucked at it with him or they didn’t have chemistry? Oh, who was she kidding? Just talking to him had her wanting to climb him like a tree and lick every inch on the way down.

“Okay,” she whispered. She wanted to tell him she couldn’t imagine a life where he wasn’t in it. But she was so scared to believe.

“That’s my Lovely. Whiskey’s yelling he needs something. Are you okay to drive home? It’s getting late. Have you been getting enough sleep that you won’t fall asleep at the wheel?” Hennessy asked.

This man was so caring. She sniffed, holding back tears.

“Ellie?”

“I’m good. I think I’ll call and chat with Beth. She said she’d be around if I needed to talk to someone on the long drive.”

Hennessy had chatted with her long enough; she was making the turn onto Highway 160 at Wellington. Two and a half hours to home.

“Okay, if you want to call later, I’ll be around. If you don’t call, text me so I know you got home, okay?” Hennessy asked.

“Okay,” she said, hearing Whiskey yelling for Hennessy through the phone. “You better go. He sounds a little frantic.”

Hennessy chuckled. “He’ll get over it. Good night, beautiful!”

She hung up, smiling. Even though he called her his Lovely, she still liked when he used his signature good night and good morning too. She didn’t jump up and down because she was driving, but did that really just happen? She had to tell someone.

“Call Beth,” she said.

The phone rang, and then Beth answered, “Everything is fine, and the boys and I made cookies, and then Scoop picked them up to go to the gym.”

Not that she wasn’t happy about that but, “Hennessy said something in me calls to him and wants me to spend the rest of my life with him if it works out!” Ellie screamed.

“Yay! I’m glad he pulled his head out of his butt and told you. I was getting ready for an intervention if he hadn’t done something by the new year. It was excruciating watching you two dancing around each other,” Beth said.

“You knew?”

“Ellie, everyone could see you guys are perfect for each other clear back on Halloween. But it was that sweet kind of perfect that was waiting to unfold. So what’s the plan? What’s your next move?” Beth asked.

“He said he’d love to have us together for Christmas, but he does have to work. He offered to come here, but he’d be driving late. I know I’ll miss the special thing with the MC, but I want to experience Christmas there. They already had a tree up when I stayed overnight. I want to see him Christmas Eve and Christmas morning. We’d still drive back for the wedding. I wouldn’t want to miss it,” Ellie said.

“Aww, don’t feel guilty about missing the special thing. You can participate next year. You need to focus on you and the boys. Did you get the rest of their Christmas?”

“Yes. I hope they like everything. I also got Hennessy something,” Ellie whispered.

“I’m sure he’ll love it. Ellie, I’m really happy for you. You can trust Hennessy. Remember, you’re a strong, fierce, badass woman who deserves a man who gives her love and an amazing life,” Beth said.

“Thanks, Beth,” Ellie said softly. Beth had welcomed her from the first, and whenever Ellie doubted herself, Beth had reminded Ellie that she was a badass. If Ellie didn’t have the two boys, she would have traveled with Beth for her surveillance. Beth made her laugh with how sarcastic she was. Ellie had never known friendships existed in real life like she’d found at Bluff Creek. She loved all the women because someone was always around to help with things and do things together. But it was the comradery that she loved. No one was excluded. There wasn’t an in clique. It was refreshing.

“I am going to remind you of something. If you look at everyone who has fallen in love with their one, they don’t always have everything easy. Sometimes love means you have to fight for your happily ever after. If you start to doubt, you call me and I’ll talk you down. Or if I’m unavailable, you know any one of the other women will. You deserve love. You’re like a sister I got to choose. There are a lot of us that love you, Ellie, and want to see you happy. And if you need some time alone with Hennessy, I’m happy to take the boys to go do something fun.”

“Ditto, Beth. You’ve been a friend since I came to Bluff Creek. I will be forever grateful you and Winnie offered me a job but gave me a sisterhood too. Thank you for everything.”

Ellie hung up and thought about what Beth had said. She was a strong, fierce, badass woman. At least she’d become stronger here. If she had to fight for her happily ever after, she would. She didn’t know what would be required, but there were a lot of women at Bluff Creek ready to help her. Maybe she should invite Meg, Clara, Regina, and Stella for coffee sometime.