Title: Determinations & Confusion
Series: Wind & Rain – Chapter XIX
Author: Barb Marx
Email: bmarx@shaw.ca
Characters: Ezra/OFC
Universe: ATF
Archive: http://het_oasis.tripod.com/hot4het.html (adult pages)
Found on the Adult pages (Authors note: OFCs' first names changed in Web version)
Summary: How can things go from bad to worse in the blink of an eye?
Open fandom: Yes. And, if you wish to discover another side of the story, read TJ's 'Aftermath…' 'First, you stumble…' and 'Then you fall…'
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: The M7 characters are owned by Trilogy, MGM and Mirisch, No copyright infringement
was intended. For sheer entertainment
Acknowledgement & Dedication: My Thanks, Sis, for everything!
Determination & Confusion
Adrian groaned and scowled at the ceiling, “Oh God, shoot me now… What the hell is he so happy about?” she muttered as she listened to Josiah sing the ‘Good Morning' song from 'Singing in the Rain'. His pleasant baritone was loud enough to rattle the walls.
Rolling over, the brunette pulled the comforter over her head and wished to die. Her head pounded and her stomach rolled as the consequences of the night before made itself known.
Adrian had just started to snooze again when a horrific cacophony blasted across her senses. Sitting upright in shock, Delaney cursed, “what the hell is he doing?” as she flopped back down, her heart beating double-time.
Through the pounding in her head, Adrian was eventually able to figure out what was going on. It seemed that Josiah had decided to test his equipment at… she rolled over to squint at the alarm clock. “Six a.m! What kind of fool tests a chainsaw at six o’clock in the bloody morning?”
The cheerful singing echoing from the garage gave her the answer. “Josiah Sanchez, I’m going to kill you,” the brunette muttered as she crawled out of bed.
Shuffling to the bathroom, Adrian quickly stripped and turned on the shower. Sighing as the hot water and steam cleared her head, Adrian reflected on the night before.
After Josiah had delivered her home, Delaney had curled up on the couch and slowly finished off the bottle of wine as she contemplated what had happened at the saloon. Acknowledging that she’d made a fool of herself, she wasn’t looking forward to seeing the members of Team Seven, specifically Chris and Ezra… of course for two different reasons.
Her warped sense of humour tripped on and she couldn’t stop the giggles that shook her. Remembering the looks on various members of the seven would feed her funny bone for weeks.
'Even a certain southerner?' a small voice asked.
Adrian ruthlessly ignored it, not wanting to think of Ezra P. Standish and the line he drew in the sand last night. It didn’t’ matter what the man said; Delaney was determined not to let him in.
Quickly finishing her shower, she towelled off and dressed in comfortable jeans and an oversized t-shirt. Slipping on socks and runners and she was ready to hunt down Sanchez and put him out of her misery.
Peeking into the garage she found no trace of the man. Oh he’d been there; there was no doubt of that. The workspace was filled with freshly sharpened and oiled garden tools. Two chainsaws were sitting at the ready, but no Josiah was present.
Sighing, she turned and headed up stairs. She couldn’t prevent a smile at the cheerful singing that wafted down from the kitchen. Walking into the inviting room, Adrian leaned against the jam and observed her friend. “What in the world are you doing?”
Josiah started at Adrian’s exclamation. The big man had what looked to be the entire contents of his fridge strewn over the kitchen table. “Good morning, Adrian! It’s a glorious day for a BBQ,” Sanchez stated with a toothy grin. He gathered the unresisting brunette to him and gave her a bone-crushing hug. “I’m just getting some of the food organized for today,” he gestured to the pot of chili on the stove and the packages of steaks on the table.
Adrian peered at the table, “you sure it wouldn’t have been easier to have just bought the whole cow?” she smirked as she took in the amount of beef.
“Don’t worry, it will all be eaten. Between Vin, Buck, and JD, you can rest assured that there won’t be any food leftover,” Josiah smiled serenely. Today was going to be a good day… even if he had to bust heads.
~~~~~~~~~~
Ezra rolled over and blinked as he stared at the clock on the mantel. He groaned, “Good lord!” registering just how early he was awake.
He grinned as he realized what had woken him up. Once again, his rest was interrupted by the culmination of a mind-blowing erotic dream staring Adrian. Instead of being angry and depressed he was strangely energized. The southerner took it as a sign that Adrian was his destiny and it was now up to him to win her back.
He stretched groaning as a sofa spring dug into his back. Sitting up, he contemplated the comfort of the couch, yet again. No matter how comfortable it had seemed when he'd purchased the settee, it was never intended for seven consecutive nights of slumbering.
Ever since his deplorable indiscretion, the southerner hadn’t been able to sleep in his bedroom. Plagued by guilt he found it difficult to achieve any rest, let alone a good night’s rest. The only time he entered the room was to shower and dress.
In any other circumstances, he would find humour in the situation. This wasn’t the case however, since he was a star player in this particular drama. His only consolation was that he was still a member of Team Seven and he had a renewed determination to win back his love.
That fact firmly in his mind, Standish levered himself off the couch and headed for the bathroom and a cold shower.
Twenty minutes later, freshly showered and shaved, a towel wrapped around his waist, Ezra stood in his bedroom trying to figure out what to wear. Sighing, the green-eyed man lamented the fact that he couldn’t dress in his usual manner and dug into his dresser for a pair of old jeans. He smiled when he realised that the last time he'd worn them was the day he met his nymph. 'Another sign' he thought happily. With that in mind, he rifled his belongings until he found the forest green t-shirt and sweater he'd worn that day as well. Slipping them on, he grinned wolfishly, “It wouldn’t hurt to remind Adrian of better times,” he thought to himself.
Wandering into the kitchen the southerner started to make breakfast when he abruptly changed his mind. Why should he stay in his tomblike home, reading the paper, bored out of his mind, when instead he could go out to his favourite bakery for croissants and other delicacies and then spend the morning with Josiah and Adrian.
Green eyes twinkling, Ezra grabbed his jacket and slipped out the door.
By nine am, Standish pulled into Josiah’s driveway and parked. Thinking back to his rather one-sided conversation with Adrian, Ezra frowned. He knew that convincing his love to trust him wouldn’t be easy, but his future depended on it. He couldn’t see spending his life without Delaney. She meant everything to him. Without Adrian, he was incomplete. He had been dead serious when he'd told his associates that the game was afoot, but in reality, it was going to be more of an armed conflict. He had seriously hurt his lover and just hoped that he was strong enough to prove that he was worthy of her. Slowly making his way up the walk, Ezra plastered a smile on his face, determined to make the best of the day. Taking a couple of cleansing breaths, the southerner knocked on the door.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Josiah frowned when he heard someone announcing their arrival. He glanced at Adrian and shrugged, “I’m not expecting anyone for another hour.”
“Well you can’t leave them out there on the front steps,” Delaney chuckled as she continued cutting vegetables for later consumption.
“It’s probably Vin. The man’s an early riser,” Josiah stated as he headed to the front entrance. He should have been shocked to see Ezra standing on his front stoop, but oddly enough, wasn’t. “Eager to get to the yard work?” he teased his friend.
Of course Sanchez wasn’t expecting much from his southern friend. Knowing full well that Standish and heavy garden work didn’t mix. So if the man wasn’t here to cut down trees, then he was here to see his tenant, “Adrian is in the kitchen,” Josiah blandly stated, while fighting a grin.
“And a good morning to you too, Mr. Sanchez,” Ezra dimpled, deliberately ignoring the teasing taunt. “I’ve brought the paper and some comestibles to end your fast.”
“Thank you, son. I’ve just finished putting a fresh pot of coffee on. Hope you’ve brought some Danishes?” the profiler asked as he followed the cocky fellow inside.
~~~~~~~~~~
Adrian looked up from the cauliflower she was cutting and choked off her greeting of welcome. She swallowed and looked down as she continued ‘hacking’ at the hapless vegetable.
‘Damn the man!’ she thought to herself. 'Why did he have to wear those jeans?' The last time she'd seen them was on a certain beach… Delaney knew that Ezra had probably worn them on purpose and it annoyed the brunette no end. She hated being manipulated and if Ezra P. Standish thought she was going to swoon at his feet because he wore those sinfully sexy jeans, he had another thing coming.
Ezra watched Adrian closely as he entered the room. He noted her welcoming smile change to a scowl. He also couldn’t keep the wicked grin from forming at the tell tale flush that spread over her skin, letting him know that his attire had registered with his reluctant lover. Just knowing that she was still attracted to him was enough to bolster his desire to make things right between them.
Moving to stand next to Adrian, Standish reached for a coffee cup, knowing that to do so he would have to brush against the object of his desire. “Excuse me,” he purred as he felt Delaney shudder and quickly step away.
Adrian’s hand shook as she felt Ezra’s body rub against her as he got himself a cup. Ignoring his insincere apology, she put down the knife and walked to the refrigerator. Burying herself in the fridge, under the pretext of hunting down some carrots, she took a couple of deep breaths only to snap upright when she heard a soft chuckle.
Turning, she zeroed in on the laughing culprit and shot Josiah a glare worthy of Team Seven’s leader. She was about to make a scathing comment to both men, when the doorbell rang.
“I’ll get it,” Adrian stated and rushed out the door.
Josiah couldn’t help chuckle again at Adrian’s quick departure. “Are you having fun yet?” he asked the southerner.
Ezra calmly poured himself a cup of coffee before looking at his friend. “Fun? I don’t really see this day as fun. More as a necessary first step in my campaign.”
“Driving her crazy, or making her so mad she belts you one?” the profiler questioned.
“Right now, either would be preferable to the cold shoulder,” the southerner confessed.
Meanwhile, Adrian opened the door only to be confronted by Chris Larabee carrying a large cooler.
Chris looked down at the brunette, a smile flitting across his lips, “morning, Adrian. Can I come in before I drop the beer?”
“Oh, of course. Josiah is in the kitchen.” Adrian quickly moved out of the way so the black clad man could enter. Delaney watched as Larabee walked away. She shook her head and smiled. Well if he was going to act like last night never happened, then far be it from her to complain.
Just as she was about to close the door, she heard another vehicle pulling into the driveway. She leaned against the door jam and observed Vin get out of his jeep and grab a couple of grocery bags full of junk food.
“Hey, Adrian, how are you?” the Texan asked as he leaned over and kissed Delaney’s cheek.
“I’m fine, Vin. How are you?” she responded as she took one of the bags away from Tanner.
“I’m great. Looking forward to doing some ‘damage’ to Josiah’s garden,” the laconic man said with a grin and a wink.
Adrian chuckled, then sobered, “Vin, about last night,” she trailed off unsure what else to say.
Tanner turned and grinned, “was an interesting time.”
“Interesting?” Delaney’s eyes widened in astonishment at the blatant understatement.
“Yup, the after dinner show was right entertaining,” the Texan winked at the brunette, then sauntered away leaving Adrian to stare at him.
“I don’t understand men at all,” she complained to the empty room, then followed Vin to the kitchen.
Deciding for sanities sake to ignore them all, Delaney returned to her task, letting the repetitive actions of slicing and dicing relax her. Unfortunately every time she reached for a bowl or plate Ezra was there passing it to her.
Josiah welcomed Chris and Vin, amused at the expressions on their faces as they saw Ezra sitting calmly at the kitchen table. Neither man teased the southerner verbally, but the knowing looks were enough to cause a sheepish grin to form on Ezra’s lips.
Feeling the need to keep to herself for a while, Delaney was content to let Rain and the men chat. Had she been in a better mood… and had Ezra not been there… she would have joined in and enjoyed herself. Instead, the less she had to interact with them, the better… at least that was Adrian’s reasoning.
Besides, it gave her a moment to attempt to dispel some confusion… Her radar had gone off, even before Kate had walked into the kitchen. She could tell that the blonde was angry and annoyed without having to turn around. The air fairly crackled with tension.
She'd waited to see what was going to happen and raised a surprised brow at Rain’s statement that Kate was here for Chris. She'd quickly glanced, first to Nathan, then to Ezra to see what his reaction would be. Adrian couldn’t fathom why, but obviously Nathan hadn’t told Rain that the two blondes’ were no longer seeing each other.
Looking at Ezra, Adrian had been puzzled to see that the southerner didn’t seem concerned, let alone cared about Mrs. Jackson’s comments. One would think that as her ‘lover’ he would take exception… wouldn’t you?
Delaney hadn't even pretended not to stare as she watched the interaction of the ‘lovers triangle’. She'd felt like a spectator at a tennis match, her head moving back and forth as if watching the ball. Though it was obvious that she didn’t understand the rules of the game. She winced when Chris and Kate had gone outside, relieved that the tension that had ratcheted up in the kitchen had dispelled the minute the door to the patio closed.
Rolling her head to relieve the tense muscles of her neck, she turned back to the vegetables and allowed herself to be drawn into a conversation with Rain.
A few minutes later, Buck and JD sauntered into the room. The boisterous duo greeted everyone, especially Wilmington. The rogue collected handshakes from the fellas and a hug and noisy kiss from Rain. Adrian was shocked when the big man came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, lifting her off her feet in a massive hug. He gave her a sloppy kiss on the cheek, “hey, darlin, you sure look beautiful today!”
“Buck, put me down,” Delaney gasped, but couldn’t hold back a giggle as his moustache tickled her ear.
“You ok, sweetheart?” he whispered as he set her down.
Not wanting to draw attention to why she wouldn’t be all right, Adrian just nodded and flashed him a smile.
“Fantastic!” the blue eyed man said as he stole a carrot and gave Adrian’s behind a friendly smack.
Buck laughed at the brunette when she yelped and glared, and then smirked when Ezra glared and growled at him. Wilmington raised an eyebrow at Standish, and then gave him a little boy grin, letting the man know that he meant no harm. Turning to Josiah, Buck frowned, “so I saw the truck, but not the man. Where’s Chris?”
“He’s out there with Kate,” JD piped up before Sanchez had a chance to reply. The computer expert plopped himself onto a kitchen chair and sighed. He had been surprised to see his boss and Lansky talking to each other, though even he could tell it wasn’t a pleasant discussion.
Buck looked out the window and sighed. Based on body language the two blondes weren’t having a cozy romantic conversation. Wilmington was thoroughly sick of the game Kate was playing. Why was she working so hard to push everyone away? Hopefully Chris would be able to break through Lansky’s walls and get their relationship back on track. That foremost in his mind, he plastered a smile on his face, "Come on. Let’s get this show on the road. We have a yard to clean up.” So saying, the rogue hauled JD to his feet and headed to the porch, motioning the other men to follow him.
Delaney had watched as everyone trooped outside, infinitely glad that she and Rain were left behind. The brunette took a deep breath and turned to face the other woman. “So what do you want to tackle?”
“I suppose we should marinate the steaks and get the potatoes ready,” the nurse replied with a cheerful grin.
Rain Jackson wasn’t a stupid woman; she knew that something was wrong with her friends. Oh sure, there was always tension between Kate and Chris, but it had never been this bad before. It was almost hostile. Then there were the vibes between Adrian and Ezra. For someone so in love with the man, Delaney was working awfully hard to ignore him. She was almost desperate.
Ezra on the other hand, seemed to hover around her. This was so unlike the suave man, it wasn’t funny. Of course, when she'd asked her husband was going on, Nathan hadn’t said ‘boo’. She understood his loyalty to his brothers, but she didn’t understand why he wouldn’t let her help fix whatever was wrong.
Last night was a prime example… Nathan had come home from the saloon puzzled and Rain would swear to it, guilty. In fact if she were to make a wager, her husband had either been hit on or found some woman very attractive. Not that she was worried. Rain knew that Nathan would never stray, but that didn’t mean the man wasn’t allowed to notice other women. After all, Rain made it a practice to ‘window shop’ all the time. Hell! The six men that Nathan worked with were amongst the sexiest men she’d ever met.
So anyway, last night Nathan came home with a case of the ‘guilts’, and instead of just spitting it out, he tried to act like nothing was wrong. “Silly man,” she muttered quietly. Rain decided to let him stew for a bit before ‘guilting’ it out of him.
Adrian was cautious around Rain. She wasn’t sure what Nathan had told his wife and wasn’t about to ask. Instead, the brunette kept the conversation light, all the while keeping her own counsel about what she'd observed earlier.
“Oh dear, what the heck is Kate doing now?” Rain said with an exasperated sigh, thus breaking Adrian’s solitary musing.
Looking up, Delaney turned to see what the mocha skinned woman was talking about. Eyes widening, then rolling, Adrian observed Kate work her way up the dead oak. “Show off,” she snorted derisively.
Rain raised an eyebrow at the hostile tone in Delaney’s voice. “Oh, not really. I don’t think Kate means it like that. It’s just her way, silly thing. I sometimes wonder if she even knows how to be a woman?” she had to laugh as she remembered the last time she dragged Kate shopping. It had been a disaster.
Adrian bit her lip and frowned. From what she observed, Kate knew how to be a woman. After all, she had the art of stealing a man down to an art form. Sighing, the brunette knew she had to clamp down on her attitude before she said or did something not only stupid but embarrassing. She’d already done enough to sully the way she was regarded. Delaney didn’t want to cause any more trouble than she already had.
Instead of discussing topics guaranteed to annoy her, Adrian brought up the charity ball. As Rain enthused over the dress she’d found, the brunette found herself relaxing and enjoying herself. Mrs. Jackson was a funny, smart, and enthusiastic woman, and Adrian found that they had much in common.
An hour later Delaney was happy to realize that she may have made a new friend. It was nice to finally have another woman to talk to; someone to gossip and shop with. Adrian hadn’t realized that she missed the companionship of another woman. At one point she thought she’d had a friend in Kate, but that proved to be erroneous.
The occasional lull in the conversation found Adrian staring out the window watching the men and lone woman work. Josiah had done a good job of assigning man to job, though there were a few things that puzzled her.
First of all, Chris was practically hovering around Kate, while Ezra was doing his level best to not only ignore the blonde but also physically place himself as far away from her as possible. It frustrated the brunette that there seemed to be a few pieces of this puzzle missing. She felt as if she were watching a foreign film in which someone had switched subtitles on.
It didn’t make sense unless she was wrong about what was going on between Ezra, Chris and Kate. But she knew what she had seen… didn’t she?
If she was wrong, did that make a difference in the long run? Did it change anything?
Adrian’s circular thinking was beginning to make her head hurt and she gladly allowed Rain to draw her attention to something else.
“Adrian, it’s almost noon. We should get Josiah to call everyone in for lunch.” The nurse had noticed Delaney’s distraction and for the most part ignored it. She could feel the tension radiating off Adrian whenever she mentioned Kate and wisely ignored that as well. There was a story there and she decided that tonight, she’d make Nathan tell her… enough was enough.
Startled, Delaney looked at the clock above the kitchen table and nodded. “You’re right. They’ve got to be hungry by now. I’ll flag Josiah.” That said, Adrian stepped onto the porch and quickly managed to garner Sanchez’ attention.
She left the big man to his tasks and went back inside to get out the paper bowls.
It hadn't been long before everyone had trooped in to grab bowls and help themselves to the chili, buns and cut veggies, and Adrian had made sure to stay out of their way, though couldn’t resist trading teasing insults with Buck and JD, and knowing looks with Tanner, all the wile studiously ignoring Kate and Ezra.
She'd had to smile at her friend as Rain enthusiastically raved about their dinner preparations. Delaney found it hard to be sullen around such joi de vive, it just wasn’t in her nature so she joined in on the gushing reviews.
Since dinner was under control and there was very little left to do inside, Adrian felt that she should help in the cleanup.
“We’re just about done,” Delaney smiled at Josiah. “I want to come down and help in the garden.”
“Yeah,” Mrs. Jackson reiterated the statement. “Kate’s not the only woman around here who can contribute.”
“Hey, my stomach is already drooling over that steak. That’s plenty of contribution in my book!” Buck enthused as he got up for another bun.
Following Wilmington with his empty bowl, Vin had to concur. “I’m looking forward to it, ladies… but in the meantime….”
Rolling her eyes at Buck’s comment she smiled at Vin as he gave her a wink. Her cheerful demeanour quickly faded as soon as Kate opened her mouth.
Adrian snorted as the blonde started to give Chris a hard time. Mumbling a disparaging comment under her breath, Adrian quickly made her way to the kitchen. She had no desire to listen to Lansky’s self-absorbed rant, and couldn’t believe that the blonde had the nerve to spout off like that. Obviously Kate wasn’t at all embarrassed by her behaviour, but one couldn’t say the same about the others.
Delaney huffed at the thought, acknowledging the hypocrisy of the situation. After all, didn’t she throw the snit of all snits just last week? The main difference was that Adrian was sure that Kate knew exactly what she was doing, whereas she had blown up in a fit of uncontrolled anger.
Adrian wanted to growl in frustration. The more she observed the less she understood. Was Chris that desperate for a woman that he’d now try to steal Kate back from Ezra? If that was the case, why wasn’t the southerner doing anything about it?
Then there was the confrontation of last night. If Ezra wasn’t going to fight for Kate, then was he truly serious about trying to win Adrian back?
Delaney’s thoughts swirled around her. The brunette was agitated and ill at ease. It only got worse when she turned to collect the garbage, only to find herself face to face with Ezra. Exasperated, Delaney snapped, “Why can’t you leave me alone? Shouldn’t you be out there with her?”
Ezra had fled the uncomfortable atmosphere that had formed with Kate’s rant. Not only did he not want to get involved with Kate and Chris’ conversation, he wanted to spend more time with Adrian.
Acknowledging that he was going to have quite the job winning Adrian back, the southerner was relieved that he didn’t have Mr. Larabee’s task. Still kicking himself for having bedded Ms. Lansky, Standish hoped that he was going to have an easier time convincing Adrian that his affections and intentions were real.
To that end, Ezra was determined to be around the brunette as much as possible. To wear her down enough so that she would not only listen, but also believe.
So when Adrian had disappeared inside during Kate’s tirade, Ezra followed as opposed to going downstairs to the yard. He'd gathered some of the paper plates and bowls when he noted Adrian rummaging under the sink for a trash bag, all the while admiring the enticing view of a jean clad behind. He grinned at the look on Delaney’s face when she realized he was there, only to fade when Adrian had snapped and snarled at him.
“Why can’t you leave me alone? Shouldn’t you be out there with her?”
“No, darlin, I’m right where I belong,” Standish softly replied.
“Why are you doing this?” Adrian hissed at the southerner. Her confusion rapidly morphing to that of anger, “why won’t you just leave me alone?”
“As I told you last night, I aim to get you back. To prove to you that I love you and that you are mine.” Ezra was going to stay calm. It wouldn’t do to push too much today seeing that they weren’t alone. Besides, there was already one scene playing out, they didn’t need another.
Adrian didn’t now what to say to the man without getting really angry and mouthing off again… two in one month was more than enough, thank you very much. Though that didn’t prevent her from throwing a glare worthy of Chris, Ezra’s way.
Standish couldn’t help chuckling at the look levelled at him. His love definitely had an Irish temper. He had to admit that he loved the fire that flashed in Adrian’s eyes and the high colour that dusted her cheeks.
He was about to say more, when Vin walked into the room.
Tanner shook his head. First Chris pissing Kate off and now Ezra getting to Adrian… He sure hoped that both men knew what they were doing, 'cause he sure would hate to have Nathan fix up the fool who got their head staved in by a shovel-wielding female on a tear.
Not able to suppress his grin, Vin sauntered up to Adrian and Ezra. Slapping the southerner on the shoulder as he deposited his bowl in the trash, he threw a wink at Adrian, “come on, Ez, there’s a wheelbarrow with your name on it waiting downstairs.” With that the Texan steered Standish away before he could mount a protest.
Delaney sighed with relief as Vin and Ezra left. She busied herself tidying up until Rain entered the kitchen from where she’d been chatting with Nathan.
“I was just coming to help,” Mrs. Jackson said with a cheery grin. “But since you’ve taken care of everything, why don’t we head downstairs?” Rain was looking forward to getting out of the kitchen and getting some air.
Looking up, Adrian nodded. “Sounds like a plan,” she said as she loosely tied the garbage bag. “Let’s go see what we can do.”
As they descended the stairs, Josiah noticed and smiled, “Welcome ladies, what tasks would you like to take on?”
Glancing at the placement of the others, Adrian grinned as she spied a job that nobody had tackled as yet. “I would like to deal with the blackberry patch, if that’s all right.” Grabbing the machete that Sanchez had provided for the job, she gave him a maniacal grin and sauntered off, swinging the blade in a swashbuckling style.
JD’s eyes widened as he watched Adrian march to the blackberries. He looked over at Josiah, “you think it’s wise for her to have that machete?”
“Oh, she’ll be fine,” Sanchez said placidly. He grinned as the brunette started to hack at the brambles. He thought it would be good therapy for Delaney, a way to vent her anger and frustration.
“I’m not worried about her ‘siah, I’m worried about us. She looks rather dangerous,” Dunne admitted. He winced as she let fly the blade on a branch. “I still don’t think it’s such a good idea that they both have such sharp tools,” he waved at the two ladies armed with objects of maiming and destruction. “It just ain’t right,” he muttered as he headed back to the woodpile.
Chuckling at the younger man’s reaction, Josiah shook his head and headed off to grab a second machete. It seemed like a good idea to tackle the patch from the opposite direction… as far away from Adrian as possible while still helping tackle the brambles.
Ezra sighed as he looked at the damnable wheelbarrow. Knowing that he couldn’t avoid getting his hands dirty, he turned to the table and spied a pair of work gloves, all the while wrinkling his nose in distaste. Ready to lend a hand, the southerner headed towards Adrian, knowing that he wasn’t going to be welcome, but deciding to aid his love any way he could.
Adrian was very aware of Ezra’s presence, which annoyed her to no end. Every time he approached her she savagely hacked at another branch. Not realizing that in her desire to avoid the man, she was making her way further into the bramble patch. Delaney would breath a sigh of relief every time Standish left with a full wheelbarrow only to stiffen up when she heard Kate callout a warning to those below. She giggled once at Buck’s lament that the blonde was out to get him, knowing that it could very well be true.
Adrian ignored the scratches marring her arm as she worked. She continued to clear the bramble patch, resolutely ignoring Ezra’s entreaties to rest or consume water. All she could think of as yet another red line laced her forearm was that this was going to be a long afternoon.
Adrian sighed as she headed back towards the house. She was pleased with her work. Between her and Josiah, they'd managed to dispose of the entire bramble patch.
She was also grateful to Rain for running back and forth into the kitchen to put the potatoes on and heat up the BBQ. That was one less task for her to take on before she stopped for the night.
Anger draining as exhaustion claimed the brunette, she tiredly climbed the steps only to be confronted by Nathan Jackson, Ezra hovering in the background. “Adrian, I want to have a look at those scratches,” the medic demanded, his first aid kit firmly in hand.
Tempted to argue, the brunette took a deep breath then let it out with a hiss and nodded, “all right, Nathan. Just let me check with Rain that she doesn’t need my help.” Before she could get too far into the kitchen, the nurse spoke up.
“Everything is under control, Adrian,” Rain said with a smile, “you let Nate take care of you.”
Rolling her eyes, she allowed herself to be led off by Jackson. The medic sat her by the kitchen window so that he could get a good look at her arms using the natural light shining in.
As he worked, Delaney looked out onto the patio. She smiled fondly at Josiah. The profiler was manning the BBQ like the lord of the manor he was, all the while chatting with JD, and Rain handing him some sliced onions to grill.
Adrian noted that Vin, Chris, and Buck were all relaxing around the table drinking and talking. From the expressions on their faces and the odd nudge, the men were enjoying themselves.
She frowned as she noted Kate sitting off in a corner sucking back yet another beer. The previous 'dead soldiers' littering the deck around her, evidence of the snit she was indulging. The blonde looked like a four-year-old ready to throw a tantrum. Her mood was enough to keep everyone away and it was Adrian’s supposition that that was how Lansky wanted it.
Then there was Ezra, he was hovering around the doorway waiting for Nathan to finish tending the brunette. For his part Standish was pleased that Adrian was sensible enough to allow Jackson to care for the scratches marring the satiny skin of her forearms. The southerner knew that they weren’t at all life threatening, but that didn’t prevent him from worrying about them. He made sure to stay close to Delaney and the medic, just in case he was needed. He sighed in relief when the team caretaker announced that his love would be just fine.
As Nathan cleaned up his supplies, Josiah announced dinner was ready. Adrian got up and helped Rain set out the utensils and baked potatoes. Soon everyone was quietly eating; content to enjoy the hearty meal.
Adrian was pleased at the speed in which she and Rain cleaned up. It worked well with Rain gathering the dishes and Adrian loading the dishwasher. She snickered at her friend’s antics. Each trip was accompanied by a brief 'snog' with Nathan. As the last dish was put away, Adrian agreed with Buck, it was time to send the lovers home. She had just been about to mention it when Chris had spoken first.
Delaney had been surprised when Larabee had told the medic to take Rain home and that he’d drive Kate back to her apartment.
Nathan’s eyes had widened but he nodded his agreement. Clearly, the medic didn’t think it was a good idea, but he was smart enough not to argue with his friend and boss. Grabbing Rain’s hand the two quickly bid their goodbyes and hurried out of the house.
Delaney smiled as the lovers left and then looked around the kitchen. She had expected Kate to complain about that pronouncement but realised that the blonde wasn’t in the room. 'Oh that won’t be good' the brunette thought to herself.
That proved to be prophetic as Lansky returned to the kitchen only to discover that her ride had left… without her. Upon hearing that Chris was going to take her home, the blonde had groused and complained about the situation while everyone else had ignored her.
As the blonde bitched, Adrian slipped out of the kitchen and down to her apartment. She needed an aspirin and a few minutes by herself. This day was proving to be too much for the brunette. There were too many questions left unanswered, and Delaney wasn’t sure she really wanted to hear the explanations anyway.
As she sat curled up on the couch, her conscience got the better of her and she started feeling guilty about leaving Josiah upstairs to deal with the remaining cleanup. Not to mention that she’d taken the cowards way out and ran away to lick her wounds in the quiet of her own apartment.
With a great sigh, the brunette slunk upstairs only to witness Buck and JD getting ready to go. She could hear Josiah commenting from the living room that he’d put their coolers in the back of the truck. Looking around the kitchen, she noted that Chris and Kate had left and that Ezra was nowhere to be seen.
The kitchen had already been straightened up and Delaney decided that is would be all right to go back downstairs when she remembered the bon fire still cheerfully burning outside. Shaking her head, the brunette slipped out the kitchen door and down the stairs to the yard. She breathed in the scent of burning brush and smiled, enjoying the smoky smell and the sound of the fire crackling and popping. Quickly and efficiently, Adrian began to damp down the fire. Spreading the coals so that they could burn down enough, that she could bank them, thus preventing the fire from spreading.
For a few minutes the brunette stood watching the flames dance and skip. She wrapped her arms around her torso and sighed. Adrian felt very alone and confused as she tried to figure out what exactly had happened today. Not able to come up with any answers, the brunette continued to watch the fire in silence.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Josiah sighed happily as he sat down at the kitchen table, sipping a glass of ice tea. He was very pleased with how the day had gone. Not only did his yard get cleaned up and ready for winter, his brothers and sisters were able to gather and strengthen their bonds.
Of course there were some snags, but that was to be expected with this particular group of individuals. The profiler in him loved the dynamics and Sanchez was never bored as he tried to understand the people who were most important to him.
Taking a deep breath, Josiah stood and stretched. He was about to the turn out the light in the kitchen and head downstairs to finish banking the bonfire when he noticed that someone was leaning against the railing overlooking the yard. He stepped out onto the deck and smiled gently when he realized it was Ezra. “I didn’t realize you were still here,” Josiah said quietly as he stood behind him. He followed Ezra’s gaze and nodded to himself.
Standish hadn’t noticed that he was no longer alone. His attention had been entirely focused on the solitary figure before the bon fire. He was mesmerized as the fading light and glowing flames created a shining halo around Adrian, casting her in a mystical shadow. Taking a deep breath and releasing it in a great sigh, “do you think she’ll ever forgive me?” Ezra whispered, not wanting to break the spell,
The longing, remorse, and sorrow whispered by the southerner almost broke Josiah’s heart. He tilted his head and thought about the question. “I know she loves you. Is it enough to forgive you? I think so, but you’re going to have to work hard." He paused thoughtfully for a moment before speaking again. "Do you remember that young gelding Chris bought last year? You know, the one that was beaten and broken by its previous owner? Well… Adrian is much like that. You’re going to have to earn her trust one day at a time. Only you can say if it’s worth the time and effort it will take?” With that the profiler patted Ezra on the shoulder and headed back inside, leaving the southerner with a hard decision to make.
TBC
Like
it? Hate it? Let me know. Email Me