CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

"Shelby, you have beautiful hair," said Keegan.

"Thank you, although I'm seeing a few grays popping up now and then, and that definitely doesn't make me happy."

"Honey, that's why they make hair color. As women, we have a choice. We can go gray gracefully, we can fight it, or we can manage it until we're ready. You only have a little, but I can cover that up with a few highlights if you like."

"Do you think I need it?" she frowned, staring in the mirror. "I mean, I kind of like being the natural girl. I don't like a lot of makeup, and I don't like to spend a lot of time on my hair."

"Red doesn't seem to mind," smirked Hannah.

"He's such a gentleman. I don't think he'd tell me even if he did mind," said Shelby. "I guess that means it's not my hair he's attracted to."

"No, he's not attracted to your hair," said Mary. "He's attracted to you. The woman that you are. Your honesty, sweetness, intelligence. That's what he likes."

"What about all of you? I mean, you all look so beautiful. And the men. Lord, the men look like they've stepped off the covers of fitness magazines. All of them. I was looking at your husband, Angel. You have triplets who all have triplets. I'm doing the math in my head, and it does not add up." Mary laughed, shaking her head.

"Thank you. We are very fortunate to have a lot of, um, natural remedies here on the property. Angel is very special and has always been a beautiful man. Almost too beautiful," she laughed.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, people either thought he was stuck on himself because he worked out all the time or that he was gay because he cared about his appearance. It was so silly. He's just a man that takes care of himself, mostly because of the jobs they have.

"I admit that even I was intimidated by him when we met. I'm about seven years older than him, and I knew that we would never click. He came into a children's clothing store I owned at the time. He was looking for gifts for Trak and Lauren's twins. God. I could hardly breathe when I saw him."

"I can imagine," smirked Shelby. "He is a pretty man."

"He is. But he was even prettier on the inside, Shelby. He asked me for coffee and wouldn't take no for an answer. Then he walked down the street with his hand on my back. He was on the street side of the sidewalk. No man had ever done that for me before. I found out that he wasn't just good-looking, he was brilliant. Degrees in math, a former SEAL. Whooo."

The women all chuckled, staring at Mary as she told her story.

"He immediately said we're going to meet my friends for dinner. I was self-conscious about my weight. I'm only five-six, but I have the weight of someone much taller," she smirked.

"I think you're stunning," said Shelby. Mary looked at the young woman with a smile. "I mean it. You're beautiful. All of you."

"Luckily, my husband felt the same way," said Mary. "He protected me, saved me. He got that scar on his face because of a man coming after me. He has never left my side, never disappointed me, never done one thing that made me feel as though he didn't love me."

"I love my big brother," smiled Hannah.

"Oh, now that makes sense," she smiled. "You do look like your brother."

"Yep, he's a wonderful big brother. We have two other sisters still living in the Baltimore area, but Luke and I have always been close."

"Luke?"

"Oh, that's his real name, but his call name was Angel."

"Why did the senior team members form Gray Wolf?" asked Shelby.

"Well, for one, it was time," said Mary. "They were working themselves to the bone, not realizing that the younger guys were more than willing to take everything on. Plus, someone forced their hand and forced them to appear in public. The minute that happened, they knew they had to find a way to stay out of sight for a while.

"We all moved out to the other island, but the guys were really getting bored. All of the wives decided that Gray Wolf would be a good alternative to the terrorist threats and fears of war breaking out."

"Now they just help out people who have been swindled on dating sites," smirked Shelby.

"That and other things," said Mary. She looked at her hands, smiling up at Winter. "Winter, you do such a beautiful job. I love this color!"

"You have great hands," smiled Winter. "That always helps to make a manicure look good."

While Shelby's hair was beneath the dryer, several other wives came in, chatting and spending time together. Shelby learned of how Erin met Nine and the start of REAPER. Then she heard about Trak and Lauren, Sara and Wilson, and the rest of the team. They were all such lovely women. Open, honest, and truly caring for one another. It was unlike anything she'd ever encountered before.

"You know, I've always had trouble making girlfriends," Shelby said to the room. "I think girls are this mash of insecurity, competitiveness, sweetness, and meanness. I just hated it. I didn't want to compete with anyone. I just wanted to be friends. I wasn't the skinniest, or the prettiest, or the smartest. I was just me. And yet, there were girls throughout my life who found a reason to not be friends with me. None of you have that issue."

"No, we definitely don't," smiled Lauren. "We cheer for one another when we succeed. We cry with one another when we're in pain. We lend a hand when we need it. Our husbands' lives depend on teamwork, and in some ways, so do ours. If we don't operate as a team, if one woman isn't melding well with the others, it's felt."

"Has that happened?" she frowned.

"First of all," said Mary, "you have nothing to worry about. You're melding with us beautifully. Second, I don't think it's ever really happened here. Any guys that dated someone they were unsure of usually asked for a double date and second opinion. The cool thing is, they always listened."

"Well, whatever you have here should be bottled and put out into the world. It might be a better place." Hannah nodded at the other woman.

"Amen to that, honey."

It was nearly four-thirty by the time Shelby's hair and nails were done. She felt like a new woman and couldn't wait to see Red for dinner. As she reached her cottage door, she had a smile on her face. Racing inside, she took out a small notebook and started writing.

Just letting you know how much our time together means to me. I will always treasure our dinners and conversations.

Racing back across the path, she slid it beneath the door and ran inside. Nervously, she watched to see when he came home. She saw him and several other men walking toward their cottages. Red stepped quickly up to the porch, opening his door. He saw the piece of paper and lifted it, reading it carefully. A huge smile filled his face as he held the paper to his face, inhaling. Carefully, he folded the paper and slid it into his shirt pocket. This was not getting tossed.

Ever.