Page 21 of Joy’s Homecoming

“Here you go.”

This did not sound like anybody breaking and entering.

I looked out my window, but it looked out over the backyard, so I didn’t see anything. I needed to get my ass out of bed and look out the front.

Usually, I would just walk out of my bedroom door in my sleep shirt since it was just Miss Laverne and me, but since we had company, I threw on pajama shorts, a mandatory bra, then grabbed a tank top since it was already getting hot.

Shuffling out of my bedroom, I headed to the kitchen.

Miss Laverne was at the stove making pancakes. She always cooked breakfast for me, even though I told her every day she didn’t have to. But since she watched me swallow down everything she put in front of me like it was my last meal, she continued to feed me.

“What’s going on?” I mumbled.

“Graham brought some boys from the neighborhood to paint the house. Isn’t that sweet?” She leaned into me, and I gave her a squeeze around the waist. “I have raspberry syrup for your pancakes. I bought it at the farmer’s market.”

Blinking slowly, I tried to take in what she was saying.

Painting.

Raspberry syrup.

Graham.

Got it.

“How many boys are here?”

“I think at least six. You could have knocked me over with a feather when I saw them all. I offered to feed them breakfast, but they refused. I know it’s early for you, but I was hoping you could bake them muffins or scones or something.”

Dammit, she was using puppy dog eyes, just like my dad.

“I told them to start at the front of the house so as not to wake you, honey. But they are awfully loud,” she admitted. Then she poured more batter into the pan.

The smell of pancakes and bacon frying was turning my frown upside down.

“Why don’t you pour yourself a cup of coffee, honey? I don’t think you’ll be able to sleep until they leave.”

“What time are they leaving?” I asked hopefully.

“Some of them are leaving early, depending on their schedules. Dave Draper has to leave the soonest to open up the hardware store.”

“Dave’s here?” I hadn’t seen him in forever.

“A lot of the guys from Onyx Security are here. Roan, Simon, Jase, and that nice young man Nolan O’Rourke. You probably wouldn’t remember him, he was a few years older than you. He lived over at Blue Ash Village. After having that mother of his, it’s a miracle that he became such a hero.”

I blinked slowly, searching my memory banks but coming up empty. “No, I don’t remember a Nolan O’Rourke. What about the others? I’ve never heard of them.”

Miss Laverne dropped another pancake onto my plate. “The one that had the loudest voice out there is Jase Drakos. He’s even bigger than Graham. He talks a lot and makes me laugh. He comes from the largest family I ever did hear about.”

“Larger than the Ayers?”

“Yep, he has sixteen brothers and sisters.”

I took a large sip of the hot black coffee that I hadn’t had a chance to doctor up, hoping it would help me keep up with Miss Laverne’s info dump.

“Roan and Simon run the safety company. I heard tell that people outside of Tennessee ask them to come and help them. They are very good at what they do.” She smiled as she plopped a fifth pancake on my plate. My God, just how much did she think I could eat?

Another thud hit the house as I was pouring a shit-ton of creamer into my coffee. I’d already thrown in four teaspoons of sugar. All things considered, I deserved it.