She felt her heart race and tears fill her eyes. Was he serious? Was it just a line? She couldn’t tell and that frustrated her. Her father, Bentley, the whole situation hurt her so badly she couldn’t even tell if Leo was lying or not.
“I’m sorry. God, I’m making a mess of things. I just don’t know what to believe. I can’t even trust my own gut instincts or feelings. I question everything because of them. Because of what happened. God, I’m so sorry, I’m so confused.” She wanted to pull away but Will hugged her from behind more snuggly.
“Shhh, don’t overthink this. Let’s just relax and enjoy the day.” He kissed her shoulder and Leo cupped her cheek. He looked at her with an expression of sincerity and care.
“We can be friends first. If that’s what it takes to gain your trust and for you to see we’re the real deal, then so be it.”
“Hey, are you guys going to come play or what?” Mercedes called out to them.
“Let’s have some fun,” Will said and they headed over toward the others to join the game. Her heart was heavy, her mind overloaded with the problems ahead of her, but then she forgot all of them for the time being and enjoyed the day with all her friends, and two new ones, Will and Leo.
* * * *
Leo sat on the blanket next to Will and Adel as the fire burned and the soft sound of a guitar echoed through the evening air. It was a clear, warm, beautiful night. Kurt Dawn strummed the guitar and everyone gathered around.
Steve and his brothers left after they finally seemed to get the hint that they didn’t have a chance with Adel. Leo hoped it didn’t cause any problems at work, but considering that if all went well, Leo and his brothers would be dating Adel, their personal assistant, a lot of gossip and changes were coming. He felt that uneasy feeling in his gut. They needed to talk to Hank and get him on board. He was resistant to change and to trusting anyone but the two of them. Once they told him about today, and what happened, hopefully he would let that guard down a little and learn to trust.
What really concerned Leo was the guy who was bothering Adel, and who he was and why she hadn’t sought out help? Was it an ex-boyfriend? Did he live nearby? Would he come find her and hurt her? He didn’t know and the not knowing was driving him crazy.
He glanced at her, absorbed the scent of her shampoo, the fragility and femininity she seemed to emit. It made him feel protective, and if he weren’t careful he might say something or do something to offend her or scare her because of this other guy. It was like walking on eggshells but not knowing why. He had to force his thoughts away from that and focus on being with Adel and letting her get used to him and his brothers being close. After all, she wasn’t swatting them away or verbally telling them to take a hike. He would take his chances.
He placed his arm behind Adel’s shoulders and she leaned back against him. That little show of acceptance brought his arousal higher and damn it his possessive protective meter up a notch. She would be theirs. He was hopeful.
Will placed his hand on her thigh as they sat in front of the fire just listening to music. Some of the others were talking in low voices. Monroe was kissing Alicia’s neck as Caldwell held her hand on his lap.
Danny held Marlena on his lap as Mike and Jack spoke softly to Mercedes and Taylor. It was peaceful and one of the reasons why he and his brothers enjoyed living in Chance. These were all good friends. They would do anything for them. He wondered if Adel’s friends knew about the guy bothering her or even the sheriff.
His concern for her well-being was making him antsy. He turned toward her as the others started talking about calling it a night. That was fine with him. Some alone time at Adel’s place would be perfect.
He leaned closer and kissed her cheek then whispered into her ear.
“Everyone is starting to pack up. We’ll give you a ride back to your place, then we can talk some more.”
She nodded her head and he winked at Will, who got up then offered a hand to Adel. She took it and when Will pulled her up he wrapped her in his arms and kissed her softly on the lips. It was a quick kiss but at least Adel didn’t pull away.
Everyone said good night, and Mercedes asked if Adel was okay with Leo and Will driving her home, and they assured her they would take care of her. As everyone said good-bye and hugged, kissed, talked about doing this again, Leo felt content. These were the kinds of things Will, Leo and Hank wanted to do all the time.
They had been so wrapped up in themselves, and more recently, trying to get Adel out of their heads, that they missed out on some good times with friends. Hopefully this was the beginning of more good times.