Without Law 9, page 15
Tara led Bailey to the couch then went to the laundry room and returned with a huge tray of ribs. Merideth came out behind her with a large bowl of mashed potatoes and another full of green beans.
“Wow,” Bailey laughed. “That looks amazing.”
“It really does,” I agreed.
Paige reached for a rib, but Tara swatted her hand away.
“Bailey gets first pick,” the platinum blonde said.
“Is that barbecue sauce?” Bailey asked.
“Yeah,” Briar said. “My home recipe.”
“It looks great,” Bailey told the old man.
It seemed everyone had come together to make a fun night for Bailey. She was the most compassionate and sweetest of my lovers, and while everyone got along, Bailey had made friends with everyone and always went out of her way to make others feel welcome. It was nice to see that favor reciprocated for her.
Tara made Bailey fix her plate first, then everyone else passed around the ribs, mashed potatoes, and green beans. The ribs were cooked to perfection and practically fell off the bone, and the sauce that Briar had made was tangy and sweet all at once.
I wasn’t sure what had made Tara decide to make Bailey ribs for dinner, but I couldn’t complain.
Winchester sat at Bailey’s feet and chewed on his own plain ribs.
“That was delicious,” Bailey said as she licked her fingers clean.
“I remember you saying you missed ribs when you were a vegan,” Tara said. “So I figured I’d make you some.”
“I was wondering why ribs,” I chuckled.
“I can’t believe you remembered that,” Bailey said, and her mouth parted in shock.
“Of course,” the platinum blonde said with a shrug. “You’re my friend.”
“Awww,” Anna teased.
“Oh hush,” Paige said through a mouthful of food. “You’re her friend, too.”
“Anna’s more of a frenemy,” Tara said, but I saw her wink at the redhead.
“Paige,” Anna said. “Are you even breathing?”
“What?” Paige asked as she looked up from her plate. Her face and hands were covered in barbecue sauce, and she looked absolutely adorable.
“Leave her alone,” Bailey laughed.
“She’s a messier eater than Anthony,” Anna said, and we looked over to see the infant covered in barbecue sauce as well.
The whole group got a good laugh out of the comparison, even Paige. It wouldn’t be easy to embarrass that girl into putting down some ribs.
After everyone had finished eating Tara passed out more booze and I went upstairs to check on Marla and the boys. I hadn’t seen them downstairs, and I figured she had offered to stay on guard duty.
“Hey,” I said as I rapped lightly on the door of the small dorm room that overlooked the road.
“Come on in,” Marla said.
“Where are the boys?” I asked.
“They’re in their room playing,” she said.
“You can go join the party if you’d like,” I said. “I’ll stay on guard duty for a while.”
“No, it’s okay,” Marla said. “I’d rather stay here if that’s alright.”
“Okay,” I agreed. “Is there anything you wanted to talk about?”
“I’m not sure,” the woman sighed.
“Is it about your house?” I asked with a soft voice.
“I don’t think we can ever stay there again,” Marla said with a downcast look.
“I’m sorry,” I said as I set a hand on her shoulder.
“I know we’ll still need it for harvesting,” she said. “But I don’t want to see the house again.”
“You’re always welcome to stay here during the summer,” I said. “Nobody has to leave.”
“I know,” she said with a soft smile. “Thank you. Betty also offered to have us there.”
“Whatever you want to do, I’ll help however I can,” I said.
“Thank you,” Marla said. “I’ve still got to figure out what to do with the house.”
“Don’t worry,” I said. “Take your time.”
“I appreciate it,” she said, then she flashed me a wide grin. “Now get back down to the party and have fun.”
“Alright,” I chuckled. “Let me know if you need anything.”
“Go have fun,” Marla said, so I nodded and headed back downstairs.
The party was in full swing by the time I got back to the common room. People had split off into groups and were chatting and laughing.
“Hey,” Anna said as she came up to me and handed me a drink. “Where’d you go?”
“I went to check in on Marla,” I said. “I figured she was on guard duty.”
“Yeah,” Anna said. “How is she doing?”
“She’s okay,” I said. “She’s decided she doesn’t want to keep the house though.”
“I would feel the same way,” Anna said with a frown.
“I told her that she’s always welcome here,” I said. “And she said Betty offered for her to stay at their place during the summer.”
“That was nice of Betty,” the redhead said. “Still though, I feel bad this happened and now she doesn’t even want to go home.”
“Well,” I said. “I feel bad too, but if she didn’t feel at home here, she probably wouldn’t give up her old home.”
“I guess that’s true,” Anna said with a smile.
“So how’s the party going?” I asked.
“Seems to be going well,” the redhead chuckled. “Tara is feeding Bailey drinks.”
“Of course she is,” I laughed.
“Hey,” Paige greeted us. “I think it’s almost time for cake.”
“You would be worried about the cake,” Anna teased.
“Damn right,” the brunette retorted. “Betty made a chocolate cake.”
“Ugh,” Anna said. “I do seriously love chocolate cake.”
“I saw it earlier,” Paige whispered. “It looks like that cake that little kid ate in Matilda.”
“Are you serious?” Anna asked. “That’s like the epitome of the best chocolate cake ever.”
“Dead serious,” Paige said.
I looked at the two women as they continued to converse about cake and I couldn’t help but laugh.
“What?” Paige turned to glare at me.
“I’m sorry,” I chuckled. “You two are just getting really intense about this cake.”
“It’s an intense situation,” Anna said.
“Hey,” Tara called, and she waved us over.
“What’s up?” I asked as we made our way toward the two blonds.
“It’s almost time for cake,” Tara said.
“Mmm,” Bailey said. “I’m so excited.”
“Seems like everyone is,” I chuckled.
“Alright,” Tara said. “Stay with Bailey, I’m going to go get the cake.”
“Why do we need to stay with her?” Paige asked.
“How drunk have you gotten her?” Anna asked, but Tara ignored her and walked into the laundry room, so the redhead turned to Bailey. “How drunk are you?”
“I am fairly tipsy,” Bailey said, and she rocked back and forth a little bit.
“You’ll be okay,” I laughed and put my arm around her waist to steady her.
“Tara does realize we have to ride bikes tomorrow, right?” Anna asked with a raised brow.
“I’m pretty sure she doesn’t care,” Paige chuckled. “She’s just having fun.”
“We’ll be alright,” I said. “It’s still pretty early. Betty had the right idea to get this started early in the day.”
“She’s a smart lady,” Rolly said as he came up to us.
“Hey, old timer,” I greeted him with a grin. “How are you enjoying the party?”
“I don’t think anybody is enjoying it as much as Tara,” Rolly laughed. “But it’s nice.”
“I’m having a lovely time,” Bailey said, and her eyelids stayed half closed.
“Someone has to cut Bailey off,” Rolly said. “And by that I mean cut Tara off from giving her any more drinks.”
“I’m on it,” I laughed.
“Happy birthday to you!” Tara sang as she came out of the laundry room carrying a large cake.
Everyone joined in and Tara brought the cake over to Bailey so she could blow out the makeshift candles made out of paper.
Bailey gave the candles a shaky and somewhat spitty blow, and everyone laughed and clapped.
“Who wants cake?” Betty asked as she started to cut the massive sheet cake.
Everyone raised their hands, and Bailey almost fell over when she tried to raise hers, but I caught her and sat her back on the arm of the couch.
I finished my drink and took a piece of cake when one came my way. All four girls already had a piece and they sat and moaned with their eyes closed as they devoured the mass of chocolate in front of them.
I chuckled to myself, but took a bite of my own piece and immediately understood. I didn’t know how Betty continued to make such delicious treats with our limited ingredients, but the cake was decadent, rich, and moist. It tasted like heaven in your mouth and even I moaned a bit when the first bite hit my tongue.
I had one more drink after cake, but everyone had begun to disperse at that point and soon it was only the girls and me in the common room. Anna and Paige ate leftover cake, Tara sipped on a drink, and Bailey was asleep against my shoulder.
Thanks to Betty’s smart thinking it was only around nine o’clock in the evening or so, which was nice considering we had an early morning.
“I think it’s time to get her to bed,” I said as I looked down at the pretty blonde leaning up against me.
“I think you’re right,” Paige chuckled.
“Do you think she had fun?” Tara asked, and she smiled at Bailey’s sleeping form.
“I’m sure she did,” I said. “Thank you for planning this for her.”
“Alright,” Tara said. “I’ll help you get her to bed.”
“That’s alright,” I said. “I got it.”
I patted Winchester so he would stand up and get off of Bailey’s feet, and then I pulled the blonde into my chest so I could carry her easily.
I made my way up to our room and gently laid her down on the bed, removed her shoes, and covered her with a blanket. She didn’t stir, only pulled the blanket up to her chin and snuggled against her pillow. I stripped down and climbed into bed next to the blonde to hold her small body against mine. She was warm and smelled of sweat and the woods from our horse run earlier. I breathed her in and relaxed a bit.
The other girls joined us soon thereafter and we all snuggled together in our large makeshift bed that we had slept in for over a year.
It had been a good night filled with friends, laughter, booze, and cake. The girls were obviously tired, they fell asleep quickly and their even breaths calmed me as I drifted off next to them.
I woke the next morning feeling refreshed and chipper. The dawn had just begun and a deep blue light shone through the window.
“Hey,” I whispered. “Time to get up.”
“Mmm.” Anna stretched and gave me a grin. “I’m ready.”
“Me too,” Paige said as she sat up, yawned, and reached for her glasses.
“Good morning,” Bailey said as she stretched out and yawned.
“I’m surprised you’re still breathing,” Anna teased.
“I feel great,” the blonde said.
“Don’t rub it in,” Tara grumbled.
“Aw,” Paige laughed. “Are you not feeling good, Tara?”
“That’s an understatement,” the platinum blonde mumbled against her pillow.
“I’ll make some coffee for you,” Bailey said, and she stood up and looked down at herself. “Why am I still wearing my jeans?”
“Because I carried you to bed last night,” I chuckled.
“Oh, yeah,” the blonde said with a blush. “Thanks, Tav.”
“Hey, wait,” Paige said. “I’ll come with you.”
Paige got dressed quickly and both girls headed downstairs.
“Hey,” I said as I stroked Tara’s hair. “Anything I can do for you?”
“No,” Tara sighed. “I just need to get up.”
“Alright,” I said. “I’ll leave you to it.”
Anna and I got dressed and headed downstairs. We found Bailey and Paige in the laundry room along with Betty, Rolly, and Winchester.
“Hey,” I chuckled. “Didn’t figure you two would be up.”
“Somebody has to make the coffee,” Rolly said with a grin.
“And the breakfast,” Betty chuckled.
“Well, thank you both,” I said.
“Oh, no worries dear,” Betty said. “We figured Bailey could use some caffeine and breakfast, but it seems she’s feeling just fine.”
“I feel great,” Bailey said with a smile.
“I remember when I was twenty one,” Rolly laughed. “The days of no hangovers.”
“Ain’t that the truth,” Betty chuckled.
“Tara’s the one who’s not feeling good,” Anna said.
“I’m not surprised,” Betty said.
“We’ll get some coffee in her and she’ll be fine,” Rolly said.
“You’re probably right,” Paige said.
“How is that coffee coming?” I asked. “It smells good.”
“It’ll be done in just a minute,” the old man said.
“And breakfast will be done shortly after that,” Betty added.
“You didn’t happen to make more hoe cakes, did you?” Paige asked with a hopeful smile.
“No,” Betty chuckled. “But I could whip some up for you for the road.”
“No, no,” Paige said with a shake of her head. “That’s totally fine. You’re really sweet to offer, though.”
“Alright,” Betty said with a smile. “I promise to make some when you get back.”
“I’ll take that deal.” Paige grinned.
“Is coffee ready?” Tara groaned from the doorway. It was the first time I had seen her not put together like usual. She had dark circles under her eyes, and her hair was a mess, but her perfect lips were pouty and pink, and she still looked like a supermodel. A tired supermodel, but a supermodel nonetheless.
“Just about,” Rolly chuckled, and he poured cups and passed one to the platinum blonde first.
“Thank you,” Tara said, and she sat against the wall and sipped her coffee.
“Poor thing,” Betty laughed.
“Hey,” Tara said with narrowed eyes.
“Sorry, honey,” Betty said. “But as an old woman I get to laugh at your youthful exploits.”
“I suppose that’s fair,” Tara chuckled.
“Besides,” Betty continued. “I’m making you breakfast.”
“Oh, that sounds amazing,” the platinum blonde said.
“It’ll be ready in just a minute,” the old woman said.
“I think I’ll go make sure everything is packed,” I said.
“I’ll help,” Anna offered.
“Hurry back,” Betty said. “Breakfast is almost done cooking.”
“We won’t take long,” I said as we headed out the door.
“Everything is in the gym with the bikes,” Anna said.
“Right,” I agreed.
I stepped out into the cool morning and breathed in the fresh air. It smelled like dew and I could hear the birds in the trees as they woke for the morning and began to chirp.
“It’s gonna’ be a nice day,” Anna said as we walked across the courtyard.
“I think you’re right,” I said.
We made our way into the gym and lit some lanterns to look around. The redhead and I made sure that we had everything packed and ready to go and that all the tires on the bikes had air. The supplies were split up among the bikes so that nobody had an excess of weight to carry, and once I was satisfied that we were prepared I led us back outside.
“I’m really excited about this trip,” Anna said with a grin.
“Why is that?” I asked.
“It will be nice to get away and also I love biking so I just think it will be fun,” the redhead replied.
“Biking can be fun,” I agreed. “But we’re going a long way.”
“I know,” Anna sighed. “I’m sure not everyone will have fun, but I love the burn you get after a good workout.”
“It’s a good feeling, isn’t it?” I asked with a grin.
“The best,” the redhead replied.
We made our way back inside and found everyone eating quietly.
“Mmm,” Betty said, and she pointed. “I made you two plates.”
“Thanks,” I chuckled.
Betty had made eggs, biscuits, and some meat flavored with maple syrup. Her meals were always delicious, and this one was no exception.
“Thank you so much for breakfast,” I said after everyone had finished.
“I feel a million times better,” Tara said. “Could I get another cup of coffee though, please?”
“Of course,” Rolly chuckled and poured her another cup.
“It’s time to get going,” I announced as I stood up.
“You all be careful out there,” Betty said.
“Always,” I said. “Girls, let’s go get kitted out.”
I headed upstairs with the girls behind me and made my way to my old dorm room. I threw on some camo pants, a long sleeve under armour shirt, a short sleeve T-shirt, and my combat boots. I also grabbed a sweater in case I got cold on the road. I knew we had jackets with our supplies, so I didn’t bother bringing my large winter jacket. With how much we would be cycling I didn’t figure I would want it anyways.
I left the girls to get dressed and headed downstairs where I put on my vest, helmet, and weaponry, then I went to the gym to pull the bikes out and get them ready to go.
“Need any help?” Anna asked as I pulled the first bike out. She looked like a total badass in tight black running pants that showed off her apple shaped ass and a skin tight black athletic hoodie under her vest. She had her helmet on, and her long braid hung almost to her waist.
“I’ll take some help,” I said with a smile. “Where are the other girls?”
“They’ll be out in a second,” the redhead said.
We had just pulled the last of the bikes out when the girls came out of the dorm building.
Paige wore black leggings, hiking boots, and a tight gray hoodie under her vest. Her helmet wouldn’t allow her usual messy bun, so her long brown locks hung around her shoulders freely.
