She didn’t do self-pity. At least not usually.
“Exactly.” Dave drew her into his arms and surrounded her in a warm embrace. “And that’s what we’re going to do. You and me and…”
He trailed off then, peeking over her head at Devon, James, and Neil. Just because they’d always been best friends didn’t mean that she expected them to sacrifice their careers and their futures for her dream. Not even Dave could, or should, make them promise more than they were willing to give on their own.
This, Bare Natural, had been the only thing holding Dave, Kayla, and the rest of the crew in their hometown. With the developments cropping up in Middletown, maybe they would see this as an omen, the push they needed to make a permanent change.
Kayla wouldn’t blame them one bit if they decided this was where their paths diverged.
Devon stepped forward then ducked under Dave’s arm, so he was hugging them both. Devon might be petite, but she was fierce and determined as hell. Whatever she committed to, her guys would go along with it. Hell, more like they’d likely feel the same. The three of them were so close, it was hard to separate them sometimes. “’Kay, come on. You know we’re here for you. For as long as you need, we’ll stay. We’ll work. We’ll make this right again.”
“No, not just that. But better than before.” James swooped in closer and put his hand on Kayla’s back, rubbing lightly.
Neil squeezed Dave’s shoulder. “You’re not alone. None of us is ever alone when we’re part of the crew. Even if we’re spread out right now, that hasn’t changed.”
Kayla melted in Dave’s arms, going lax in his hold as their reassurances sank in. Then and only then, did she start to cry again. This time out of relief.
“You’re breaking my heart,” Dave murmured to her.
But when she sniffled and raised her head, there was a fire at least as bright as the one that had razed the land now burning in her core. “You’re right. All of you. I’m not a quitter. I’m not giving up on this place or this dream. This is my whole life. I can do this…if you’ll help me.”
“We will. Of course we will.” Dave leaned his forehead on hers and smiled softly. “This is the woman I love. My partner. And as long as we have each other, nothing is impossible. You brought me back from the brink of death, held my hand as I learned to walk again. And now, maybe, I can repay you a little.”
“I love you,” she whispered because anything else seemed too frivolous for the emotions charging through her.
“I love you too.” He sealed the promise with a kiss.
Devon, James, and Neil surrounded them in a group hug, and Kayla began to believe there was a way forward for them all. Together.
2
They’d stayed for a while longer, documenting the damage with pictures and videos from all angles to share with the insurance company and their friends in Middletown. Every time Kayla clicked the shutter button she tried to imagine what had been there before and how she would not only put it back but enhance it.
It took a lot of emotional energy, though, and before too long she was exhausted and ready to go…well, where she wasn’t sure, since home was out of the question.
She ambled over to the van they’d ridden in together from Middletown, where they’d gotten the terrible news before the ass crack of dawn. Devon must be even more wiped than she was. They hadn’t gotten a lot of sleep the night before and she’d driven the whole way, most of it in the dark.
Devon turned her head and stifled a yawn with the back of her hand. Kayla felt it straight to her soul. “We can get out of here. There’s nothing else I can do right now and I’m sure you’d like to take a nap.”
“You guys staying with us or what?” Devon asked Kayla and Dave.
“Honestly, I hadn’t even thought that far ahead.” Kayla looked into the backseat of the van at the tiny black rolling suitcase she’d packed for their weekend getaway. “That’s all we own. Wow. I guess…”
Still numb, she looked over at Dave, and he nodded. “Thanks. Yeah. It’ll be nice to be somewhere familiar while we get this figured out. And if you get tired of us long-term, feel free to kick us out at any point.”
“I doubt that’s going to happen.” Neil snorted. “I mean, let’s set a goal to make Mike, Kate, Joe, and Morgan as jealous of us as I am of them. Maybe we can start some kind of sex tournament.”
The crew was divided, but at least no one was alone.
“I see where you’re going. Two teams. Of course, we have an advantage with five people to their four…” James was already sketching out the rules for their sexual Olympics as he hopped into the passenger seat. Whether he was indulging Neil’s somewhat immature and always funny side in the hopes of distracting them from the shit sandwich they’d been served or he really thought it was a good idea, he ran with the idea while Devon and Neil joined him in the van.
Dave’s big hands encircled Kayla’s waist. He boosted her into the vehicle, where she sat between him and Neil. The heat from their bodies, which bracketed her, soothed her as they rolled carefully out of their long driveway and then down the mountain.
Eventually dead earth gave way to golden grasses and then the wildflowers of late summer lower in the valley near town, where Devon, Neil, and James lived. Kayla leaned on Dave, her head resting on his shoulder as she let her friends’ brainstorming and laughter swirl around her. She couldn’t have repeated a single thing they said, but it felt nice for at least one thing to be normal.
And when they pulled into their driveway, Kayla considered lying down on the bench seat of the van rather than wasting effort on walking into the house. Exhaustion made her bones feel four times as heavy as usual.
“Come on.” Dave took her hand and eased her to the doorway before lifting her into his arms. He didn’t do that often given that she was the tallest and heaviest of the Powertools women—hell, she probably weighed more than James—and his balance wasn’t always terrific.
“Thanks, but I can walk.” She squirmed until he put her down, stealing a quick kiss almost as a reflex. He looped his arm around her waist and supported her until they’d made it inside and she’d kicked off her dirty sneakers.
She oozed onto Devon’s couch and wondered if she could camp out there until the insurance company opened the next morning. She was going to need every bit of energy she could muster to sort through this mess.
“I’m going to cook us something,” James said as he headed for the kitchen. “Anyone have a preference?”
“Don’t worry about me.” Kayla waved him off. It would be a miracle if she could swallow around the lump in her throat.
“Oh, I’m plenty concerned.” James blew her a kiss. “I’m going to make grilled cheese and tomato soup.”
“I’m not sick.” She couldn’t help but smile a bit at his kindness. They all knew it was her favorite when she was under the weather.
“Nope, you’re sad and that’s even harder to watch. So you’re going to eat my damn sandwich and act like you like it.”
Kayla laughed. “Okay, fine.”