"More peach cobbler, Kay?"
Kayla shook her head regretfully. "No thank you, Ellie. It's delicious but I'm so stuffed already, I can't eat another bite."
Ellie smiled in apparent satisfaction and turned to Steve. "How about you Bill?"
Steve smiled and nodded. "Sure. I could have one more piece. Y'all sure make a good meal."
Kayla looked down at her plate and tried to stifle a smile. They had only been around the Deakins for a few hours and her husband was already sounding like a member of the family.
She couldn't really blame him though. Since their arrival at the lodge, the Deakins family had made them feel like . . . well, family. After leaving Steve by the fire, Kayla had been escorted to the kitchen where she had been regaled with stories of past family meals as the women prepared a vast array of food.
The meal itself had included venison, various game birds, fish, and even squirrel. Those meats were accompanied by numerous side dishes including macaroni and cheese, baked beans, creamed spinach, collard greens, sauteed okra, and fried green tomatoes. That, in turn, had been followed by a series of desserts - buttermilk pie, pecan pie, sweet potato pie, chocolate cake - culminating in the peach cobbler that Steve was now enjoying.
Throughout the meal, the many members of the Deakins clan had taken turns telling stories, usually involving some embarrassing moment for another member of the clan. Kayla had laughed along, feeling very much at home. There might be a few more of them, but a Deakins family gathering had a lot in common with a Brady family dinner.
She and Steve had been seated in the center of a long table with Ellie and her husband Fred to Kayla's immediate left, Jethro and his wife to Steve's right, and Roy Deakins and his wife directly across. Kayla could not help but notice that Roy Deakins had said little during the meal.
"So, Bill," Fred said, leaning back in his chair. "We know y'all's missus is a nurse, but what about you? What do y'all do for a living?"
Kayla turned to Steve. She did not miss how his eye widened in surprise at the question, but he quickly recovered. She also did not miss the warning look that Deakins gave Steve.
"Well, Fred, I guess you could say I'm between jobs at the moment." Steve's words were slow and natural. "But I used to be a cop."
"Used ta be?" Fred asked with a raised brow.
"I got hurt on the job," Steve replied with a casual shrug. "I'm not sure when or if I'll be reinstated."
Steve's ability to tell a believable story would never cease to amaze her, Kayla thought silently. He was the master of taking a piece of the truth and making it fit any situation. As much as that talent was serving him now, and had served them in sticky situations in the past, it was very much a double-edge sword.
"You don't look hurt?" Aunt Patty said in her usual blunt tone. "An' you said that pirate look was from a long time ago."
Kayla could see synchronized eye rolls from several family members. "Don't mind her," Ellie said, throwing a look at Aunt Patty. "It's none of our business."
Steve chuckled, but Kayla could seen him exchange another wary glance with Deakins. "It's all right," he finally said. "I had some pretty bad injuries from the on-the-job incident, but I'm pretty much recovered now."
"Was ya caught in some shootout or somethin'?" Bubba asked from the end of the table.
"Not exactly," Steve replied, shaking his head. "More like an explosion."
As the Deakins gasped in surprise and peppered Steve with more questions, Kayla just stared at her hands. She knew Steve was just trying to satisfy their curiosity, but she hated reliving the nightmare of the boat explosion and its aftermath.
After a few moments, Kayla looked up, realizing the conversation had moved on to a comparison of "battle wounds" among the men, most of whom seemed to have served in the military at one point or another.
As she looked up, Kayla caught the eyes of Deakins' wife, Lily. Something in Lily's look seemed to mirror Kayla's feelings and she smiled sympathetically. Lily nodded and returned the smile.
"That's enough of that talk," Ellie announced, apparently seeing both Kayla and Lily's reactions. "You boys can compare your battle scars another time."
"Yes, ma'am," was the immediate and joint response. Kayla could not help but smile at how easily these big men were cowed by Ellie.
As the conversation ended, the clearing of the tables began. Kayla attempted to help but, in a tone that brooked no argument, was told that she was a guest and was not allowed. Stifling a yawn, she sat back down as Steve put his arm around the back of her chair.
"Tired, baby?" he said in a low voice.
Kayla nodded. "It's been a busy couple of days, I guess."
Steve smiled and stood from his chair, pulling Kayla up with him. Turning to Fred and Ellie, he said, "Thank you so much for allowing us to join you for dinner. But I think it's time to take my missus back to the cabin. She's all tuckered out."
Kayla smacked his arm and rolled her eyes a bit as the others chuckled.
At the far end of the table, Bubba said. "I heard y'all got the 'Quail Master.' Nice cabin." He said that with a sidelong glance at the cousin with the pompadour. Kayla had noticed that he had remained pretty much silent for the entire dinner. A couple of the other men tried to stifle laughter.
"Well, we'd better be going," Steve said, and a long round of goodbyes followed as they began to make their way to the door.
"Don't forget our huntin' trip tomorrow," Deakins said as he shook Steve's hand.
"Uhh, right," Steve replied, one hand adjusting his patch. "What time are we going?"
"I'll pick y'all up at your cabin at 4:30 sharp." Kayla didn't miss the slight gleam of amusement in Deakins' eyes.
"4:30 . . . right. I'll be ready."
Kayla hugged Ellie and promised to stop by the lodge in the morning while the boys were hunting. Then she and Steve headed back to their cabin.
Steve was silent during the walk back, but Kayla knew that wouldn't last. No sooner had they entered the cabin and he shut the door behind him when the outburst began.
"I can't believe you told them I was a hunter, Kayla? You know I don't hunt."
Kayla laughed at the exasperation in Steve's voice. "What else was I supposed to say? We're at a hunting camp, surrounded by men who hunt. I didn't think they'd buy that we came all the way from up north just to enjoy the scenery."
Steve rolled his eye. "I suppose. I'm just trying to figure out how I'm not going to make a fool of myself tomorrow."
"You don't think Deakins really wants to go hunting do you?" Kayla said. "It's probably just a way to get you away from camp so you two can talk."
"Probably," Steve admitted. "But I'm not sure that's much better. I don't think he's too happy with me."
Kayla was a little concerned by Steve's response. "You don't think he'd try to do anything do you?"
Steve seemed to contemplate the question for a moment, then shook his head. "No. He's a soldier and a good one. He might be mad at me, but he won't hurt me."
Kayla smiled with relief. "Good." Walking over, she took his hand and began leading him towards the french doors at the back of the cabin.
Steve smiled a sexy smile and offered little resistance. "Where we going, Sweetness?"
Kayla just raised her brow. "I think you know."
"You wouldn't be planning on trying to get me into that hot tub out there and then seduce me, would you?" Steve asked as he pulled Kayla to him and nuzzled her neck.
"Maybe," Kayla replied, working the buttons on Steve's shirt. "Is that a problem?"
"No problem at all," Steve growled. "Just remember, I have to get up early in the morning."
"Well then," Kayla said as she removed Steve's shirt. "We better not waste any more time talking about it."
"Oh baby." Steve leaned down and swept Kayla into his arms and began carrying her out the doors. "I love the way you think."