Outrunning Her Past

Chapter 3

I stood in the entryway of the motel looking for a car to pull up. I nervously twisted the hem of my shirt through a belt loop on my jeans. Just when I was about to give up, I saw Nate's car pull up. Wyatt jumped out of the passenger's side and waved me out. Holding the building door open he said, "You look great. I hope you're hungry because we may have been a bit enthusiastic."

Nate had the door to the front seat open. "Oh, I can sit in the back. I don't want Wyatt's legs cramped."

They both chuckled, "No worries, he has plenty of room in the back," Nate said. I shrugged my shoulders and slid into the seat."

Once the car was moving I asked, "What did you mean enthusiastic?"

Nate snorted, "He means we didn't know if you wanted pork, beef, chicken, or shrimp, so we have all of it along with multiple types of peppers, onions, tomatoes, mushrooms, and more. Good thing there's seven of us to feed."

"Seven? Who else lives there?" I mused.

"Remember, I said we all lived together, so there's Dean, Talon, Leo, Nate, and myself. Dalton heard free food and came running, then add you, and that makes seven."

I facepalmed, "Oh duh. I swear my brain just takes timeouts all on its own sometimes." They both laughed in response. We made small chit-chat as we drove, but I fell silent as we pulled into their driveway. It was just outside of the city limits and surrounded by trees. The winding drive opened up to showcase a two-story home. It looked like something out of those old Southern Living magazines my mama used to read. A veranda-style porch wrapped around the first floor and I could see two small balconies off the upper level windows in the front. The porch had soft solar lights along the rafters letting me see the well-worn rockers and small tables. "Wow," I breathed, "It's beautiful."

Nate opened my door as Wyatt stood waiting for us. "Talon and Dean did most of the decorating. They tried to incorporate a bit of each of our styles."

"Hell, they should do this for a living," I said as we walked up the steps.

"They do," Wyatt added. "Dean still works on commission for paintings and such, but for a living, they do interior design - homes, offices, etc."

I started to respond, but the front door flew open and Dean grinned, "My ears were burning...what did they say?"

I laughed, "Well, I was complimenting this amazing home and they were telling me about your job. And here I thought you were just a waiter."

He narrowed his eyes, "Getting sassy already, beautiful? This could be a very interesting night." My mouth opened, but nothing came out in response to the innuendo. That, of course, had the three of them rolling with laughter.

"What did I miss? There's far too much laughter going on out here?" a voice said behind us. I turned to meet bright green eyes and the same curls I'd remembered from grade school. "Woah, Dani, what happened, you're still short?"

I growled, "Gee thanks, Leo."

"Did we get a cat?" a deep voice asked from the edge of the room. A tall man with dark eyes and short-cropped hair came up behind Leo. "Oh, hey, you must be the famous Dani I've been hearing about. I'm Dalton," he said and extended his hand over Leo's shoulder. "Pleasure to meet you."

Dean snorted, "Man, you just implied she was a cat, and now you're shaking her hand. Good grief."

"Who's a cat?" another voice asked. Talon's chocolate eyes landed on me and he grinned. "Hey, Kitten."

"I'm not a cat," I blurted. They all chuckled at my statement.

"Whatever you say, Kitten," Talon said as he grabbed my hand and led me to the kitchen. "Voila, dinner is ready." The countertops were lined with types of meats and veggies along with salsas and tortillas all in warmers. My mouth was already watering at the heavenly aromas. Someone put a plate in my hand and I followed Talon like a pet begging for food.