Caden sneered at him, but Hallie laughed, exactly the reaction Garrett had been hoping for. In truth, the bag was light as a feather. A quick peek inside told him it was filled with several boxes of graham crackers, chocolate bars, and a bag of marshmallows. The gang had decided to make s’mores tonight, and Caden and Hallie had volunteered to bring the supplies.
It felt good to see his friends laughing and smiling again. They’d gone through hell not too long ago and it had definitely taken them a while to come back to a place of semi-normalcy.
Hallie wore jean shorts and a floral tank top, leaving the scars from Vivian’s stabbings on her legs and arms easily visible. This was the first time he’d seen her wearing anything this revealing since the incident. He hoped it meant she was working her way through the trauma she’d endured.
Blake O’Connell and his girlfriend Skyla Madigan arrived then, bringing the meat Garrett knew would soon be landing on his grill. Skyla usually brought the booze, but Garrett had plentystashed up from their last gathering to hold them over for at least another two get-togethers.
“Hey,” Garrett said, giving Skyla a quick hug. “How’s the morning sickness?”
“Ever present,” she grumbled. “But don’t worry, I’ll be fine. Just keep that grill far away from me.”
Garrett chuckled, which earned him a meaningful glare from Skyla and a playful punch in the arm from Blake. “She’s not kidding,” his friend said, giving him a quick hug and slap on the back. “Her sense of smell is seriously heightened right now, and it’s not to her benefit.”
“I’ll be fine,” Skyla reiterated. “I just might leave a little early.”
Garrett eyed his friend, but waited for Skyla to move out of earshot with Hallie before saying, “are you sure she should be at a barbeque if the smell of cooking meat is going to bother her?”
Blake shrugged. “I offered to stay home with her, but you know how she gets when she wants something.”
Yeah, he knew. Skyla was one of the toughest and strongest women he’d ever met, but he hated the idea of her being uncomfortable around him and her friends.
“Don’t worry,” Blake said. “I’ll take her home whenever she needs me to. I think she just didn’t want to miss seeing all our friends. Even if it was for a short while.”
“I’m glad she’s here,” Garrett said.
Blake joined Caden at the large picnic table where all the food was being set out. Without even thinking about it, Garrett’s gaze went to his guest house. The white barn that he’d converted into a comfortable living space had stood empty for nearly six months after it was finished. Garrett had loved building out the space during his free time, but after it was done, he hadn’t been sure what to do with it. He considered renting it out, but he didn’t like the idea of having a stranger living on his property.He was starting to think he’d just wasted a bunch of time and money, and then Reese came into his life.
She hardly ever came outside when he was home, but he hadn’t missed the small garden she’d cultivated on the opposite side of the yard near the property line. Little bushels of strawberries, a few potato and cherry tomato plants, and a vine that he thought might be cucumbers now occupied a space in his yard that he hadn’t really given much thought to before. He also noticed the area under the swing he’d hung last summer was trimmed and cleared of weeds and overgrown grass.
He’d told her on more than one occasion that she didn’t have to do any of those things, but Reese had just given him a shy smile and a quick nod. He just wished she’d come out of the guest house when he was home so he could get to know her a little better, maybe even ask her some things about Russell. He’d even dared to hope that today would be the day when she came out and met his friends, but the small corner of the curtain that had been pulled aside when he first got out of the water was now back in its place.
He’d felt the moment Reese’s gaze left him, and he’d instantly missed it. It was uncanny how often Garrett thought about his guest, considering he barely knew her aside from what was in her very thin file that just included her name, birthday, last known address, and the fact that she was an accomplished artist. He thought that last part was pretty cool, having never met a celebrity before. He also knew she enjoyed reading, particularly his science magazines that he’d been subscribed to since he was a kid. Getting to share them with her somehow made her feel less like a stranger and more like a guest.
A guest that preferred to be left alone.
A part of him wanted to go knock on her door again and insist she come out and officially meet his friends, but his thoughts were interrupted by Orly. “Hey, Garrett. I brought theplates and cups, but I totally forgot to pick up some plastic silverware. I’m sorry. I can run back to the store and -“
“Don’t worry about it,” Garrett smiled, opening his arms to hug his friend’s wife. “Where’s your other half?” Garrett asked, noticing Luke wasn’t on her heels. The man hardly left her side unless one of them was at work.
“He got called in right before we left, but he promised he’d make it before the s’mores.”
Garrett scoffed in jest. “Oh sure, he’ll come for dessert, but he’s willing to miss out on the best part?”
Orly laughed. “We’ll have to be sure and save him some of the good stuff.” Her gaze caught on something over his shoulder, and if Garrett didn’t know exactly what she was looking at, he would’ve turned to see for himself. “Is she going to join us today?”
Garrett shook his head. Of course, Orly was asking about Reese. The two women hadn’t even met yet, but Orly was always asking about her, worrying that whatever she’d been through was too much for the woman to handle on her own. Garrett hated to admit that Orly was probably right. But he hesitated to bring a stranger into Reese’s life when the woman wouldn’t even look at him these days, much less talk to him other than a polite “hi,” “bye,” and “thank you.”
“Maybe I should go knock on her door,” Orly suggested. “I know she hasn’t been very forthcoming with you, but maybe I’ll be less intimidating.”
Garrett mockingly dropped his jaw. “Are you suggesting I’m intimidating?” Sure, he played up his height, large build, and overpowering presence at work, but at home, with his friends, and when he was with Reese, he did his best to soften his demeanor.
“Not to me,” Orly quickly defended. “But to someone who doesn’t know you…” She shrugged. “Do you think maybe she’ll talk to me?”
He hated to say no, but he didn’t want to risk spooking Reese. Or exposing Orly to her just yet. He just didn’t know Reese well enough, and the way she avoided him and his friends, definitely raised some red flags. “I know you connected with her in the past, but I don’t think it’s a good idea right now. Not yet. Give me a little more time with her, and I promise, as soon as I think she’s ready, you’ll be my first call.”
Orly nodded and was promptly whisked away by Hallie before she could say anything else on the subject.
Garrett’s gaze drifted back to the guest house. He was being ridiculously overprotective of Reese, and he knew it. Maybe talking to Orly would help her. But he selfishly just wasn’t ready to share her with anyone yet. It made absolutely no sense. He had no claim on the woman. But at the same time, he couldn’t help wondering what Reese was doing right now. Had she read through the last science magazine he’d given her last night? Was she bored or lonely hearing all his friends, but too scared or nervous to join in on the fun? He didn’t like the idea of her hiding out, but the woman was still such a mystery.