I don’t care that it’s dysfunctional. He’s eating, so I count it as a win.
I hate that she still puts her elbow in front of her plate, as if she’s expecting someone is going to come up and snatch her meal from her. That might take some time to groom out of her, but I look forward to the day when I can take my girlfriend out on a proper date, and we talk about glorious nothings.
Her cell phone chirps, alerting her to the fact that her meal is coming to a premature end. “Can you finish the rest, Gray? I need to go let Sloan in.” She turns and pecks my lips. “Pax, could you hit the gong? Everyone will want to see this.”
“Sure thing.” I have no intention of ending my meal early, so I bring my plate with me, grabbing up the mallet that’s in the far corner of the long tent. I give the gong a whack, and everyone goes silent.
Arlanna stands up on the table, allowing Gray to use his hands to steady her, though she doesn’t actually need the support. She grants everyone a passive smile that tells me she’s nervous at putting herself on the spot. She was just filled with lively energy, but in the midst of the people who taunted her and hurt her for so long, she’s more closed off.
I don’t blame her.
“Just one minute while the stragglers come in.” Her hands go to her stomach, straightening her cropped sweater and poising her body to appear more confident, though it’s clear she doesn’t feel it.
Gray stands near her with his feet on the grass, like he’s readying to catch her, in case she takes a tumble. It’s sweet, if not a little manic. Though, he’s interacting at least, so I don’t complain. He gives Everly Ann a short whistle, letting her know now is not the time for her yipping.
When the minute of wait time is up, the mess hall is silent. I can see Cassia and Charlotte holding hands near one of the tent’s corners.
Arlanna’s voice carries throughout the tent while Everly Ann whines that her mum is so precariously perched. “I just wanted to say how much I appreciate everyone being such a good sport about the tent situation. I know this isn’t what you all were planning on when we escaped. I’ve watched you all take turns with the showers, too. There’s so much of a family feel to this place; I’m humbled that I get to be part of it.” She pauses, and I watch her thumb twitch against her leg. She wants to fiddle with her sleeve, I can tell, but she maintains her composure. “Sloan and I have been working hard to make this place more livable for everyone. I didn’t want to say anything until it was a done deal, but I finally have more good news to share with you all.”
She’s stunning up there, standing on the table with her long chocolate hair twirled up in a ballerina bun. She’s always commanded my attention, but more often than not these days, she commands hundreds, who are happy to do whatever it is she asks.
“A generous donor stepped in to help us with more permanent housing.” Ripples of gasps spread throughout the tent, but no one dares speak to interrupt her. “The owner of a trailer park sold his land recently, and decided to give us the vacant trailers at cost. Some of them need some love and attention, but if we can pitch in and fix them up, there will be enough for every group of four here. I’ve been plotting out the land for days, and if we are able to move a few trees, our land will soon have its own beautiful neighborhood.”
The land is not ours. This land is hers, and she’s sharing it with nearly five hundred ex-cons. But at no point does she ever speak like that. She’s generous because that’s who she is, and everyone loves her for it. She went from the reason the world was broken to becoming their saving grace.
A smile breaks out on her composed face when a few squeals of delight echo up. “Cass, can you form teams and appoint team leaders for the tasks on this list?” She pulls a piece of paper from her pocket and hands it to Gray, who passes it off to Cassia. “Sloan is on his way in with the first fleet of houses. It’s going to be a big day, people. I need everyone to do me a favor and keep up that team spirit that’s made my heart swell so much these past two weeks. I’m proud of each and every one of you for sharing the resources and doing what you can to make this a place where we’re all grateful to live.”
My brows raise as several people leap up to volunteer. I can’t believe how closely she plays her hand to the vest. I had no idea this was all in the works. I mean, I knew she was working on finding more weatherproof housing for the rest of the inmates, but I had no idea the details were already finessed and taken care of.
I would have helped her. Why doesn’t she let anyone but Sloan help her?
Gray looks like he’s just about had it with her so precariously perched atop the table. “Down you get,” he urges, reaching up to help her off.
How he thinks he’ll be able to leave her side to return to a pack is beyond me. One day he’ll realize we are his pack—the five of us.
Arlanna folds easily into his arms as I trot over to where he’s corralling her, which is outside of the tent. He doesn’t like it when she’s stampeded. Once Arlanna is out in the sunshine, everyone focuses on Cassia, crowding her to offer what expertise they might have.
Of course, Cassia handles it all like the boss she is. I can already hear her doling out roles and picking point people so she can get everything properly delegated.
She’s a natural.
I join Gray and Arlanna, and the three of us trot toward the entrance to the property, leaving the friendly chaos behind us. “You sure kept that a surprise.”
Arlanna offers me an impish grin. “I like keeping you on your toes. I’m excited to…” But her phone rings, cutting her off. She’s the only one with a cell phone in the whole place, other than Nurse Jen, and it’s almost always glued to her face. “Hello?”
Her brows knit, so Gray and I lean in, picking out her father’s voice the further we get from the din. Arlanna hasn’t spoken to her father since he demanded a strand of her hair the night we escaped from prison. Her ability to enhance other people’s magic was brought to light by my own father, but it was her dad who found a way to manipulate her so he could capitalize on it.
They’ve been ignoring each other ever since her father demanded the token of a single hair from her in exchange for getting the police to let us live here, unbothered. He used his heightened persuasive magic to send away anyone who came to take us back to prison. Then he got the cabinet to officially set us free.
It was a good idea, really, but with the infamous Conan Valentine, there are always deadly strings attached to everything. I highly doubt he’ll confine his enhanced power of persuasion to altruistic endeavors.
“How are the houses, dear?” I hear him ask his daughter.
Arlanna holds the phone away from her ear so Gray and I can listen in. “Everything’s going well. Sloan mentioned he’s bringing the first fleet of mobile homes onto the property in a minute or so.”
“I’m glad I could help.”
Arlanna freezes. “You didn’t help. Sloan and I negotiated the whole thing.”
Conan Valentine chortles, and I suddenly want to choke him. “That’s right. You sure did. Funny how the landowner just so happened to want to sell you every mobile home at well below cost.”
“You’re not supposed to use your gift to hurt anyone. Bankrupting someone is hurting them. What did you do?”