Page 21 of DFF: Delicate Freakin’ Flower (Family Ties #5)

Chapter Sixteen

Gabby

T he morning air was warm and heavy with moisture and thick with the scent of grass and the wilderness of the bayou.

The dew hadn't thoroughly dried yet, and it clung to my skin as I moved through slow stretches on a flat patch of grass near the edge of the clearing.

Birds chirped lazily from the trees, and the world felt quiet in that sacred early-morning way.

I shifted into a downward dog, breathing deeply and letting the tension roll out of my spine. Every muscle in my body ached from this morning, but not in a bad way, in a very good way. I smiled to myself, moving into a low lunge, grounding my fingertips into the damp earth.

I was just settling into pigeon pose when I heard the crunch of boots on the grass behind me.

"You're up early," came Eddie’s voice—easy and casual—followed by the quiet rustle of him sitting down cross-legged on the grass beside me.

I glanced over my shoulder. “Didn’t peg you as the sun yoga type.”

He smirked and eased into the same stretch I was in with way more grace than I expected.

“Darlin, no one pegs me.” Ignoring me choking on air, he continued, “My sister runs a horse sanctuary out in Oklahoma. She teaches yoga to the staff, which helps alleviate the stiffness caused by riding and mucking out stalls. I go sometimes when my back’s tight or when I need to get my head on straight. ”

“Seriously?”

He nodded, settling into the stretch like it was second nature. “Yep, it works.”

We moved in silence for a while, side by side on the grass, surrounded by trees and the hum of morning insects. It was peaceful, almost meditative. Until Eddie glanced over at me with that look that said I’ve got something to say, and it’s going to make you blush.

“I was doing a perimeter check early this morning,” he said, casually wiping his palms on his thighs.

I stayed quiet and cautious. “Yeah?”

“I heard something, some noises coming from the house. I thought maybe you were being attacked or needed help or something.”

My stomach dropped, the dread crawling in.

He smirked. “Got closer and realized real fast that wasn’t the kind of help you needed.”

Heat flooded my face instantly, and I stared at the grass like it might swallow me whole.

“I didn’t look,” he added, hands raised in mock innocence. “Just turned right the hell around.”

“God,” I groaned, dragging a hand down my face. “You would be the one to hear.”

He bumped my shoulder with his. “Relax, I’m glad. Webb’s a good man. He deserves someone who makes him sound like that.”

I snorted and shook my head. “He’s amazing and not really my usual type.”

That caught his attention. “No?”

I could already see the gears turning in his head.

“Let me guess,” he began, his face breaking out in a huge grin. “You go for the pretty-boy types. Clean-cut with a military fade, who wear button-down shirts and khaki pants.”

“Basically,” I shrugged. “Teachers, paramedics, and accountants mainly. Guys who look like they’d file their taxes early.”

Eddie laughed, tipping his head back. “And now here you are, sleeping with a guy covered in tattoos, who has gauges and wears boots that could kill a man.”

I grinned. “Yeah, and it all works on him. Weird, right?”

He gave me a pointed look. “You’ve got tattoos.”

“Mmhmm.”

“And I count five piercings in your ears.”

“Six,” I corrected, smiling as I twisted to show one hidden behind a curl. “There’s a sneaky one.”

“So, what you’re saying is, you’re just as chaotic.”

“Exactly. I never claimed to make sense.”

We sat there, the sun rising higher, with the golden light dappling the grass between us.

Then, completely out of nowhere, Eddie tilted his head and asked, voice full of curiosity, “Do you ever worry about poking your finger through the hole in Webb’s gauges while you’re kissing? Or, you know… having sex?”

I turned to him in slow motion, eyes wide. “What the hell, Eddie?” He was already grinning, clearly proud of himself. “Why would you put that in my head? You know what happens when you put shit like that out into the world, right? It makes it happen.”

He laughed so hard he nearly toppled backward onto the grass. “It’s a valid concern!”

“No, it’s not!” I snapped, feeling flustered now and covering my face. “At least, it wasn’t until now.”

“Well, now you’ll be careful,” he wheezed between chuckles.

I stared at him in horror, then snapped, “You are the worst.”

Still laughing, he leaned back on his hands, eyes twinkling as he looked up at the canopy. “Yeah, but I’m memorable.”

I leaned in toward Eddie and hissed, “You’ve ruined it. It’s all ruined now.”

He was still chuckling, breathless from his own joke. “C’mon, don’t be dramatic.”

“I’m serious. I’m going to panic about that every time now. Like, what if I slip? What if I poke the gauge, and he flinches and breaks his nose on my face?”

Eddie let out another laugh snort, clutching his side. “You’re picturing it clearly now, aren’t you?”

I glared at him. “I don't like you.”

That’s when we heard the low crunch of boots through the grass again. Webb stepped into the clearing, looking relaxed and unfairly attractive in a plain black T-shirt and loose joggers. His hair was still damp from his shower, and the sight made me forget my own name for a second.

“What’s got you laughing like a lunatic?” he asked Eddie, his brow raised.

Before I could stop myself, my eyes locked onto the black gauges in his ears, and my mouth betrayed me.

“Me accidentally fingering your holes.”

There was complete silence. Webb just blinked, and then his mouth dropped open, but no sound came out.

Eddie rolled onto his back in the grass, howling so loud the birds scattered from the nearby trees.

His face turned red, and I saw actual tears slip from the corners of his eyes as he gasped for air.

I, on the other hand, considered digging a shallow grave for myself right there. I had two options: live a brave life in the bayou while suffering endless teasing for the rest of my life, or embrace the chaos and join the trainwreck.

I sighed and gave in—doubling over with laughter until my stomach hurt.

Eddie was wheezing like he might never recover, and I was wiping tears from my face when I felt Webb behind me.

He dropped down onto the grass and settled behind me, legs bracketing mine, his chest pressed flush to my back.

His arms didn’t wrap around me, but his hands rested lightly on his thighs, his presence warm and grounding.

“I leave for five minutes,” he muttered into my ear, “and you’re out here telling people you’re fingering my holes.”

That set Eddie off again. He pointed between us, completely unhelpful. “I like this. This is good. Real couple vibes.”

Webb cleared his throat, probably to suppress a laugh. “All right, focus time. This is not the morning briefing I had in mind.”

Eddie sobered, still grinning but more grounded now. “I hit town this morning. Nobody’s seen the strangers, but I got a few kids hanging around near the edge of town, eyes open for anyone unfamiliar. They’ll text if they spot something.”

Webb nodded, jaw tight. “I don’t like that they’ve gone dark. They could be anywhere.”

“Yeah, they're too quiet,” Eddie agreed. “They’re either waiting for something or looking for a weakness.”

Webb ran a hand through his hair. “Let’s get a drone up. Say we’re nature freaks doing a little eco-watch for the bayou or something. They won’t think twice if we’re casual enough about it.”

I jumped to my feet. “I’ll grab my wig and cap.”

Webb looked up at me. “Put the wig in a bun this time, under the cap. Sunglasses, too.”

“Yes, boss man,” I saluted with mock seriousness, already jogging toward the house.

“Make it tight,” Eddie called after me. “Last time, it looked like you were hiding a family of possums under that thing.”

I flipped him off over my shoulder and disappeared inside. When I returned—wig twisted into a neat bun, black cap low over my brow, and my oversized round sunglasses in place—Webb and Eddie both turned to look at me.

Webb gave a low nod of approval, but Eddie stood slowly, brushing off his jeans. “You feel it?”

Webb’s eyes were scanning the trees now. “Yeah.”

I stilled and focused on what they were talking about. I could feel it—there was something in the air. Something tight and quiet. Like the whole bayou was holding its breath. And whatever it was, it was coming.

The midday sun had climbed high by the time we got everything ready.

The drone case was slung over Webb’s shoulder, and Eddie had packed a pair of binoculars and some snacks into a battered canvas satchel like he was prepping for a nature walk.

We set out through the woods, following an overgrown trail that ran along the edge of the bayou, all of us quiet and alert.

Birds chirped in the trees, and frogs croaked in the reeds, but underneath it, all was that same tension we’d all felt earlier—something wrong was humming low under the surface.

“This the spot?” I asked as we broke through the brush into a small clearing dotted with cypress knees and old mossy logs.

“High ground,” Webb said, already pulling out the drone and setting it on a dry patch of dirt. “Gives us enough range to cover the ridge line, the water, and the east edge of town.”

Eddie stood a few feet back, scanning the horizon through his binoculars. At the same time, I dropped down next to Webb and watched him power everything on.

“You’ve done this before?”

“Plenty.” He handed me the controller without looking. “You’re flying.”

My brows shot up behind my sunglasses. “Oh?”

“You’re the only one here who spent six months obsessively watching aerial footage of mountain ranges on YouTube,” he explained, smirking just enough to make my stomach twist in a good way.

“Touché,” I muttered, adjusting the thumb sticks.