Corn, Cows, and the Apocalypse

I Shaved my Legs for This

I couldn't help but feel giddy at going to the tournaments again. I blamed it on the excitement of August competing for her chance to win a spot in the finals with Haden and Devin, but it was clear that wasn't my only reason for enthusiasm when I arrived to the truck.

The snow had started to come down, but it wasn't nearly as cold as February usually was. However, that was still no excuse for me to be wearing a low-cut top and the tightest jeans I could find. I tried to hide it under my winter coat, but since I couldn't stand to zipper myself up in the claustrophobic straightjacket, I wasn't fooling anyone.

Even if my clothes had gone unnoticed, the makeup and carefully crafted up-do—with just enough tendrils hanging out to make it look thrown together—were a dead giveaway. I even took the trouble of donning some perfume, which in hindsight should have waited until we were at the tournament so I didn't suffocate my friends.

"Well, hello beautiful." Devin whistled from the truck cab as I came out of the house to join the others. "You're sitting next to me this trip."

Haden glared at me at first, but she seemed to lose the resolve in her anger and continued to strap down our supplies in back. August looked me over introspectively. When I reached the cab she touched my shoulder.

"Lenore..." The usual scolding question mark followed my name, but her eyes looked troubled. She must have figured out that I had slept with her brother. I wasn't sure why she would disapprove, but Garrett liked his privacy, so I never discussed it with her.

I waited for the inevitable conversation where she told me her concerns about getting attached to a man I'm only going to see three or four times a year, but it didn't come. She squeezed my shoulder and ushered me in the cab without a single overly protective mom statement.

I was a little disappointed, but before I could say anything, Devin reached over and closed the passenger side door behind me. He locked the automatic lock and latched the back window. I perked an eyebrow at him, but I suspected that he was just being playful.

He slid me over to him with far more ease than I would have preferred and put his arm around my neck. He rubbed his nose over my forehead as August and Haden clambered about outside trying to get in. They rebuked him and commented on the cold, but he ignored them.

"Is this for him?" he asked. I noted that he kept his lips almost motionless so Haden and August couldn't read his words.

"Maybe."

He took in a deep breath. "I don't approve," he said as if he felt begrudged to have to tell me. He must have expected me to simply give up Garrett just because he said it. "He's not the man for you."

"It's not a relationship, Devin. It's just sex."

"You have me for that."

I groaned. "Devin. I don't want that for us."

"I don't want that fucker touching you. I've seen the scars. All of them," he added in case I wouldn't understand what he was saying. My eyes widened mostly out of the shock that he had been peeping at me. "I don't want him getting pleasure from you after he's caused you so much pain."

I sighed. There was no way to make him understand. "Devin, we were alone in this house for three months. He didn't beat me up the entire time. He's a slow man to get to know, but he's not nearly as cold as he seems." Haden slammed her fist against the window and swore a list of profanities at Devin. He didn't even seem to notice, or he was just immune to her insults. "You know I wouldn't be who I am now if it weren't for what he did."

"Do you... love him?" He held his breath waiting for the painful answer to follow.

"No!" I laughed at him. "Right now I only love one man, and that's you."

His eyes danced over mine and he smiled, revealing how flattered he was. "You do, don't you?" He tipped my chin up with his finger and kissed me tenderly. "Alright, I'll back down on Garrett if you promise me that you won't let him harm you anymore." I was about to offer an amused "yes, dear," but he interrupted, already anticipating a sarcastic response. "I'm serious, Lenore. No more taking punches you don't have to. You're better than that now. Someone comes at you, you give them a reason to never do it again. Understand?"

I blinked away my shock at Devin being the forceful father figure to pair with August's motherly one. I nodded, unable to find a good balance between, "okay" and "yes, sir." He kissed me again, this time less chastely. When he pulled back he winked at me and looked me over. "Well, you may not want to sleep with me, but it doesn't mean you have to start thinking of me as your brother."

"I wouldn't dream of it."