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“Hart is going to dump me and marry you.”

I laughed again. These women were good for my soul. Miss Laverne and I had only taken small pieces to taste-test, so there was plenty left. Well, maybe not plenty, considering how big Graham, Hart, Roan, Brent, and Simon were.

“I’ll take out the cake. You can get the drinks, glasses, plates, and forks.” I nodded to the girls.

“On it.”

We had everything set out in the dining room in a quick minute.

“Hart, Joy baked a dark chocolate cake. You might want to come in here before we eat it all,” Roxie hollered.

I didn’t hear the thud of boots. Instead, Miss Laverne came into the dining room. “Those boys went out to the porch to talk. Apparently, they didn’t want a little old lady to hear what they had to say,” she grumbled. “Where’s the milk? You can’t serve dark chocolate sour cream cake without milk.”

“You’re right.” Ava hustled back to the kitchen.

“I’ll go get the men,” I said.

“I think you should leave them alone right now, sugar. They seem pretty intent on working some things out, and if I were you, I’d let them be.”

I pulled out Miss Laverne’s chair, and she sat down. Roxie cut her a thin slice of cake.

“That’s perfect, honey.” Miss Laverne patted her hand.

Ava came back with a gallon of milk. She immediately poured Miss Laverne a glass. “What did I miss?”

“I was just telling Joy to leave the boys alone for the time being. They need to figure out how they think they can protect her best. It will make them feel better.”

“It won’t just make them feel better,” Roxie shook her head. “Graham, Roan, and Simon were served. Then Graham and Simon were special forces. I’d trust all three of them with my life,” Roxie said.

“That’s bullshit,” Ava said without heat. “You know damn well that Hart and Brent might not have been in the service, but if it came down to it, they could be just as deadly.”

Roxie tilted her head, then nodded. “You’re right.” She turned back to me. “Suffice it to say, you’re in good hands, Joy.”

“Why don’t we all sit down and have a piece of cake while we wait for the young men?”

“Sounds like a good idea.” Ava held out a plate to Roxie. “Cut me a slice twice as large as the one you cut Miss Laverne.”

“Coming right up. What about you, Joy?”

“The same.”

Roxie cut three pieces the same size, and two of us sat down with glasses of water while Roxie poured herself a glass of milk. If I’d known they were coming, I would have had a bottle of wine waiting for them.

Miss Laverne took a delicate bite of her cake and set down her fork. “Girls, I need to catch you up on something important.”

Ava looked up from her cake. “What's going on?”

“Joy never told her family about what happened in London three years ago,” Miss Laverne said. “Not a single soul back home knows she was stabbed.”

Roxie's fork clattered against her plate. “Are you fu— uhm, serious?” She glared at me.

“Kind of,” I mumbled around a mouthful of cake.

“Joy.” Ava's voice carried that same tone as when she found out I’d been giving all my extra cash to the same guy at the freeway entrance day after day. She told me if I felt a need to donate, I should give to the local food pantry instead. “You were fucking stabbed?!” She looked over at Miss Laverne. “Pardon my French.” She looked back at me. “But seriously, Joy, what were you thinking, not telling your family?”

“I wasn't thinking straight, okay? I had a concussion too, so I was totally out of it for the first two days, and by the time I was thinking straight, I knew they would be horrified and descend on me like a cloud of locusts and eat me alive.”

“You were in the hospital two days?” Roxie leaned forward.