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He passed through the business district and headed toward Valley Stream. He would check out the small town and then decide the best location to lie low while he did the job he was hired to do. He saw a place, right off the highway en route to the town. He could rent a hotel room and stay unnoticed. He planned on taking a ride through the town first thing in the morning. He pulled into the parking lot of the Days Inn prepared to make it his home for the next few weeks at least.

He requested a room on the far end of the building where he could park his car right in front of his hotel room door. He accepted the key from some wiseass punk clerk who was too busy flirting with the little bimbo instead of doing his job professionally. That was fine with the stranger as he politely left the office and headed toward his room. He didn’t have to worry about being identified by the punk kid if the cops got too close. Plus, he was wearing a disguise to ensure that he didn’t get caught. That way, if the urge got to be too much, he could sneak a little delicacy in through the back exit door late at night and no one would notice a thing. He sure did like the pretty little Texas accents women had. He’d find one. Maybe sooner rather than later to feed his hunger.

The stranger entered the room and began to settle in a little as he put each item in a specific location and left his clothes in his suitcase. He needed to stay organized and be able to leave in a hurry if necessary. Now all he had to do was wait for his new boss to call and plan his first attack. He looked forward to it and hoped the boss would change his mind about “nobody gets hurt.” What fun was that?

Chapter 6

“I saw you talking to Andrew and Charlie before. I guess he’s starting to act a little more friendly?” Michelle asked Lori.

“I wouldn’t say that considering he was rather rude and barked at me. I don’t know what his problem is,” Lori said as she looked toward Charlie. He was sitting at a table with her father and his father eating the delicious food.

“Don’t mind him, Lori, his bark is bigger than his bite. Charlie, Trevor, and Dante changed after serving in the military. They can be kind of abrupt and snappy. But they’re good men,” Michelle told them.

“They’re single?” Maggie asked, and Lori gave her a shocked expression.

“What? I can’t ask for you?” Maggie stated.

“For me? No, I’m not interested in dating at all. I’ve got too much going on. Too many plans. Maybe it’s you that’s interested?” Lori teased her sister back and Michelle laughed.

“Not for nothing, but I don’t think they’re interested in Maggie. Jasper on the other hand, maybe.” Michelle joined right in the teasing, and Lori laughed as her sister blushed and shyly lowered her head.

Michelle gave Lori a little nudge with her elbow. Lori looked at her.

“The three of them don’t date. They never bring any woman home and I mean ever.”

“Why don’t they?” Lori asked as she turned to look toward Charlie. Now Dante and Trevor were standing next to him and all three turned to look toward her. She nearly gasped at the power of their stare. One of them could send her heart pumping, just from their stare, but three at once? God help me.

“They’ve been more into the one-night stands, quick flings, and no strings attached. I guess it makes them feel in control. A lot of women want to date them but they don’t seem interested. It’s like they’re waiting for someone or they have such guards up over their emotions that they won’t risk letting go a little. I don’t know really. It’s just my observation over the last year or so. You know, those three do everything together. And I mean everything.” Michelle raised her eyebrows.

Lori didn’t get it.

“You know, while I was in town with Ben and Mom, I saw some couples walking around, but there were like two and three men with one woman. What’s that all about?” Maggie asked.

Lori swallowed hard. A quick glance around the yard and it didn’t take a genius to see that some rather unique relationships were publically accepted.

“Oh, you mean the ménage relationships? Yeah, that’s like a totally normal thing around these parts. Andrew’s best friend from medical school shares his wife Elizabeth with his two brothers. They’re so totally in love with her, too. We visited them last year. It was amazing to see,” Michelle told them.

“That’s just crazy,” Lori whispered then glanced back toward Charlie, Dante, and Trevor. They were big men. Strong and muscular and filled with so much attitude and testosterone it would take a saint of a woman to even deal with conversing with them. She shook her head and tu

rned away. What the hell am I even thinking about?

“You see that pretty little brunette over there in the white dress talking to the handsome fellow in the tight blue jeans? Her name is Missy and she was infatuated with Charlie. He showed no interest and now she’s engaged to the fellow she’s talking with.”

“Sometimes uncontrollable circumstances happen in life and they change a person. Other people around them might think it’s no big deal but for the person dealing with it it’s huge. Hopefully he’ll see someday that life only gets better if you make it happen,” Lori stated as she peeled another ear of corn.

“I never looked at it that way before, Lori. You’re such a nice person. I can tell you have a big heart. I guess that’s why we’ve gotten along so well so far.”

Lori smiled as she looked back at the table where Charlie was before. He was no longer there and suddenly Ben was pulling on her leg.

“Aunt Lori, that lady over there has been singing some songs to the kids. I told them you have a great voice and about the song you sing to me all the time about the spider and the boy. Can you come sing it to them? Please,” Ben asked as the children and a woman playing the guitar called her and Ben over.

Lori reluctantly followed Ben to the crowd of children.

Matt quickly pulled over another bucket, turning it upside down for her to use as a seat. He winked at her and she smiled. It appeared that Matt Henley was a flirt and then some.

Lori introduced herself to the woman playing the guitar who was glad that someone else was taking over. Lori borrowed her guitar and started fooling around playing some quick funny notes, talking to the children. It was a bit awkward with her cast on but she had plenty of practice, thanks to Ben.

“So who wants to hear about the spider and the boy?”