“It really is. And I think you’re totally right.” Haven held out her hand. “Well, hi there. I’m Kylie.”
Laughing, Cora played along and shook hands. “Hi, Kylie. I’m Cassidy, but everyone calls me Cass. Nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you, too,” Haven said, feeling lighter with the decision made—for both of them. “I think you and I are going to be good friends.”
Cora winked. “The best. Now, let’s go find Mr. Tall, Goth, and a Little Creepy and tell him who the hell we are.”
CHAPTER 24
“Hey, Bunny? You in here?” came a male voice from the kitchen doorway.
Haven looked up from where she and Cora were cutting a big tray of warm corn bread for dinner to see a Raven she wasn’t sure she’d met before standing there with two boys. “Uh, hi,” she said. “Bunny left a little while ago. Rodeo is sick, and she had to go get his prescription.”
“Shit,” the man said under his breath. With shoulder-length light brown hair, light hazel eyes, and a killer square jaw, the guy might’ve been handsome if those eyes didn’t look so utterly lifeless. And Haven thought she carried the weight of the world.
“That’s a quarter for the cuss jar, Dad,” the younger boy said, peering up at his father. Haven guessed he was maybe six or seven.
The man tousled the boy’s hair. “Sorry,” he said with a long sigh.
“Maybe we can help you? I’m Haven and this is Cora,” she said, a shot of nerves zinging through her belly at inserting herself where she hadn’t been invited. But the guy looked at his wit’s end. She finally noticed a name on his denim vest—Slider.
He dragged a hand through his hair. “I need a babysitter,” he said, looking from Haven to Cora. “I’m on call overnight and I have a tow I need to do as soon as I can. My regular lady’s not available, and Bunny sometimes helps me—”
“Dad,” the older one said, “we can just ride along with you.” Probably about ten, there was no denying that this boy was Slider’s son, because he was his father’s mirror image.
“Not on a school night, Sam. Besides, you know the company doesn’t like that.” Slider pulled out his cell.
“Oh, well,” Haven said, looking at her friend, who gave a nod. “Do you want to leave them with us? Whoever is around will be having dinner soon, and then the boys can hang out until you come back.”
“I appreciate that, but if it ends up busy, I don’t know what time that would be. And Ben can’t really sleep if he’s not in his own bed.” Slider gave the littler boy a squeeze on the shoulder, like he was letting him know he understood and it wasn’t a problem. In just that one gesture, Slider offered his son more love and affection than Haven had received from her father her whole life. And it made her want to help.
“So you need someone to spend the night at your place with them?” Haven asked.
“Yeah,” Slider said.
“Well, maybe we could do that, too.” She looked at Cora, not wanting to volunteer her friend for something she didn’t want to do.
“It’s not like we’re doing anything else,” Cora said. Haven smiled, knowing she’d be game for it. “Do you live nearby?”
“’Bout ten minutes from here,” Slider said, some of the concern bleeding from his expression.
Maverick came into the room behind Slider and the boys. “Yo, my main men,” Mav said, doing some kind of funny handshake with Ben, who gave him a big grin. He turned to Sam next and held out his hand. “Don’t hold out on me now.”
Sam did the handshake, too, although it was clear the kid was humoring him. Both boys looked at Maverick like they idolized him, and it made Haven realize what a community all these people were to each other. A community she would’ve loved to have been a part of.
“How you been, Slider?” Maverick asked, moving to the refrigerator and grabbing a bottle of water.
“Same old,” the other man said. His gaze shifted back to Haven. “So, uh, you two would really do this?”
Haven nodded. “If you’re comfortable with it, I’d be happy to. We’d just need to grab some stuff for the night.” Beside her, Cora nodded.
Maverick frowned. “Do what?”
“Watch the boys at my place tonight,” Slider said. “I’m in a jam.”
“Would that be okay?” Haven asked, looking at Maverick. “We won’t go anywhere else.” She knew the Ravens didn’t want her and Cora going out in public, but they would hardly be doing that staying at Slider’s house for a night.
“I don’t see why not,” Maverick said after a moment. “Let me just grab you some phone numbers in case you need any of us.” He leaned toward the counter and snagged a crumb of corn bread off the platter with a wink, and then he left.
Haven walked over to the boys. “I’m Haven. Do you guys like chili? Should I pack us up some dinner to take to your place?” She glanced up at their father, who was watching her with a strange expression on his face.
“I love chili,” Ben said, grinning up at her. “I’m Ben. I’m six.”
“I’m Sam,” the older boy said. “Chili would be great.”