Part 38 (2/2)
”Nothing more today.” A glance at the time on her phone told her she needed to get home and get ready.
”Well, if you need me, just let me know.”
She smiled at Stack.
”Same here,” Armie said.
Marveling at their generosity, Yvette nodded. ”You're all...wonderful.”
”It's how it works,” Armie told her. ”Cannon's saved my a.s.s more times than I can count.”
”Me, too,” Stack said.
”I know about you,” Rissy told Stack before she turned to Armie. ”What'd he do for you?”
”Not your business, Stretch.” He pulled on his s.h.i.+rt. ”Let's just say we're family, okay?”
”Not you and me,” Rissy said.
He scowled at her. ”I was talking about Cannon and me.”
”I'm his sister.”
”Is that a news flash?”
Speaking over them, Stack said, ”They squabble like siblings, don't they?” With an arm around Yvette, he said, ”If we're all done here, I need to get back to the rec center.”
Armie said, ”Merissa is heading that way. She can take you and I'll go with Yvette.”
Merissa opened her mouth to argue, but must have changed her mind. ”Sure. Come on, Stack. We'll talk. About things.” She shot a look at Armie so he'd know exactly what she wanted to discuss.
Smirking, Stack murmured, ”Oh, the stories I can tell... .”
As they disappeared out the door, Yvette expected Armie to blow, but instead he laughed.
”You aren't worried?” Turning out lights, then digging the keys from her purse, Yvette rejoined him.
”No.” He took the keys from her and, after they stepped out, locked up everything. ”Stack enjoys needling me, but he'd never tell anything he shouldn't. He's as dependable as they come.”
”Such a big secret,” Yvette mused. ”Now I'm dying of curiosity.”
Not taking the bait, he opened the truck door for her. ”Gotta know, huh?”
”Oh.” Surprised at how he'd said that, she shook her head. ”No, I was just-” He closed her door and walked around to the driver's side.
”You realize what a great guy Cannon is, right?”
”Absolutely.” Reaching out, Yvette put her hand on his forearm. ”But, Armie, really, I wasn't prying. It was a bad joke.”
”It's all right.” He started the truck, but didn't yet pull away. Staring straight ahead, he said, ”I was once accused of something...pretty bad. The sort of thing no up-front guy wants to be accused of.”
Feeling his emotional distance, Yvette retreated. ”I'm sorry,” she said again.
He chewed his lip, then shook his head and put the truck in gear. After a quick glance at the road, he pulled away from the curb. ”I hadn't done it, just so you know.”
She had no idea what ”it” might be, but she nodded. ”Okay.”
”Cannon knew it, too. No questions asked. No doubt. He believed in me one hundred percent.”
Sounded like Cannon. He was a man of very strong convictions, and obviously a great judge of character. ”I'm glad he was there for you.”
”If he hadn't been... I dunno. It would have gotten pretty ugly. But Cannon did what he always does. He got involved. Found the right people who could clear me, stood up for me even when others didn't.” He flexed his shoulders, cracking his neck. ”Feel free to ask him about it if you want.”
”I don't need to.” She could tell it was a very private, still-painful incident for him. ”I trust Cannon, and if he trusts you, that's good enough for me.”
Armie relaxed enough to wink at her. ”See, this is why you fit right in.”
Did she? She hoped so. Around Cannon's friends, she felt more at home than she had since moving to California. ”The thing is, that's between you and Cannon. It doesn't obligate you to me by extension.”
”Sure, it does.”
”No-”
”If Rissy needed something, you'd try to help her out, right?”
Without thinking about it, she said, ”Of course.”
Satisfaction curled his mouth. ”Because she's Cannon's baby sis, and you care about Cannon.”
G.o.d help her, she loved Cannon. Always had and probably always would. There wasn't much she wouldn't do for him.
Clearing the melon-size lump out of her throat, she squeaked, ”Yes.”
”There you go. Accept the helping hand when any of us offers, okay? We'll be offended otherwise. And seriously, we're all annoying as s.h.i.+t when we're offended.”
He spoke of ”us” and ”we” as if the fighters who utilized the rec center were always of one mind. And maybe, when it came to certain things-like Cannon- they were. She didn't really know what to say, so she said simply, ”It's very much appreciated.”
”And fun, right? Everyone enjoys hanging out together. It's not as though hanging a door or moving a few boxes takes all that much effort.”
”I had fun.”
”Good.”
He turned down the street toward her house. They saw that the door was up, and it looked terrific. Better than the old door. Probably more secure, as well.
”Dirtbag.”
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