Sweet Queen

by Luna Maye

  “So I won’t get too many stretch marks.” She answered his unasked question, sensing it in his gaze. He lingered in the room, watching her hands smooth over her stomach and fixating on her left ring finger, imaging what kind of ring might look at home there and wishing he already had one in place, marking her as his.

  Padding over to the closet, Shelly took out a pair of cropped stretchy black pants and a white tank top. She pulled a white chef’s coat off a hanger and slipped her feet into some sturdy black clogs.

  “Well, I’ll look the part even if I have no idea what I’m doing.” She sheepishly shrugged her shoulders, but he could tell her loss of memories was still bothering her more than she cared to admit. Anytime she talked about her life before or about her career in the valley, he could feel the tension in her stance. Stepping over to her, he gathered her up in a hug, trying the pour all of his energy, attention and affection into her through a simple touch.

  “Everything is going to be just fine, I know it. I’m gonna let you and Isabel do whatever it is she needs to help you with and I’ll go ahead and meet Victor at the shop. We need to get the smoker heating if everything is going to be done on time, but if you need anything at all before we meet back up, you call me alright?”

  Curling into him a little before pushing away, Shelli met his eyes,

  “Alright.”

  21

  Shelli

  Sweat trickled in a long, thin line down the seam of Shelli’s back as she faced the oven, brushing back wispy tendrils of hair into her French braid with the back of a plastic-gloved hand. She slid in a full, foil wrapped pan of asparagus and lifted the oven door halfway closed, using her hip to bump it the rest of the way shut.

  “Annnnnnnnd, done!” She threw her hands up and pretended to dust flecks of dirt off her shoulders. Soon after reaching the bakeshop she’d ditched her chef’s coat in favor of her tank top in the heat of the kitchen and she planned to put it back on for the trip across the valley to the lodge and for serving. Spinning around dramatically she surveyed her little kitchen.

  The area was a complete disaster zone with bowls stacked high in the sink, several work stations set up and utilized to varying degrees of success. Reina’s potato peeling station for the au gratin was pristine, her peelings bagged and put away neatly for the club’s compost pile, her knives cleaned, sharpened and relegated to their individual cases. The woman performed every task with a near militarized precision that surprised Shelli. The mechanic was extremely petite, with a smooth almost baby face and white-blonde hair but the outer package concealed an inner badass that she treated with more than a little respect.

  Isabel’s station for assembling the salad and mixing the dressings fittingly looked like it belonged to an artist. Splashes of bright vinaigrettes and passed over pieces of veggies littered the space. It was a bit like a Monet, messy and chaotic up close with a striking beauty to it from afar. Mina’s station on the other hand, had not necessarily been utilized to its full potential.

  “W-wait, you’re already done?” The normally bold, Honey’s club president stuttered sleepily as she pressed herself up from the prep-table she’d been using as a nap space the last two hours, lightly rubbing the large belly under her shirt which seemed to be growing daily. “I can’t believe I missed it. How’d you get it all done so fast?”

  Isabel came out of the cooler with two bottles of beer in her hands, passing one to Reina who clinked them together in a silly cheers before taking a long drink.

  “I’m pretty sure it’s all coming back to her bit by bit,” Isabel said, swinging herself up to sit on the one only clear spots on her stainless steel workstation. “She cooked up a storm and ordered us around the last two hours like you’d usually do, at least when you aren’t being all Sleepy Sally like you were this afternoon.”

  Reina snorted a little at that and shot a little spray of beer out of her nose mid drink.

  “Oh god, it burns.” She squeaked into the bathroom to grab a paper towel, holding it against her nose to stop the moisture. “Not fair. Warn a girl first, Isabel.” Her voice sounded like it was coming out the other end of a long tunnel thanks to her nose being bound up in the tissue, but Isabel wouldn’t have heard her anyway because she was cowering under Mina’s seething glare.

  “Alright there, sassy. You grow a four-pound monster baby in your belly and then tell me you don’t get the least bit nappy in the afternoons.”

  “Jeez, someone cannot take a joke.” Isabel rolled her eyes behind Mina’s back and wisely shifted her expression to look a little more respectful as she whirled around to face her.

  “Alright chicas, settle down. We’ve only got about thirty minutes before we need to start loading up and heading to the lodge,” Rita said as she came through the doors from the front of the shop into the kitchen. “Shelli, Marta called me and said she would meet us there with the flowers she grew for the centerpieces. My sons are taking over the girls you picked as servers now, so almost everything should be taken care of.”

  Shelli blew out a deep breath and feeling her shoulders return to their normal height and nervous flutters in her stomach settle down to more manageable levels. When Cal told her to picture everything they did today as a labor of love, he’d been absolutely right. Growing up, Shelli’s dad was careless and distracted at his best; at his worst, he was downright cruel. A wide wave of nannies and housekeepers tried to fill the missing maternal role in her life over the years to no avail after her mother passed when she was only two. It wasn’t something she’d ever acknowledged she needed or wanted until she’d experienced the absolute acceptance and nurturing that came naturally as part of being with the Honeys.

  Earlier in the day when Cal called Mina, she’d set up everything necessary to make the day a success, going into the shop early while Isabel was braiding Shelli’s hair and laying out the stations, digging out old recipes and assigning tasks to each of the girls. Isabel finished her hair and gave her a ride to the shop where Reina had already arrived and peeled five bags of potatoes. Rita was the real star of the show, making cupcakes and cookies faster than she’d ever witnessed anyone in her life. When Shelli had frustrating recipe questions and couldn’t read her own handwriting or forgot the difference between teaspoons and tablespoons, Rita took it all in her graceful stride, gently calling her mija and making sure she had plenty of rest throughout the day while she was at it. Now, she stepped toward the older woman, who held her arms out wide to her for an embrace.

  “Thank you, tia Rita. I couldn’t have done all of this today without your help. I would have confused the salt and sugar at least a dozen times.”

  “Oh no, mija, I’m sure you would have noticed after the first two or three.” The older woman smiled down at her softly, squeezing her up tight as they spoke. It truly felt like a hug from a mother or an aunt, and she relished the close contact. “You seem to be feeling better. You’ve got your pregnancy glow back and your head looks like it’s beginning to heal.”

  Victor had brought the supplies with him that morning to clean up her bandages and he sat her in a chair in Isabel’s shop while he removed her gauze and tidied up her still slightly bruised temple before putting a few butterfly bandages over the wound.

  “I do feel a lot better. Things are starting to feel more familiar, especially after today. I feel much more in control than I did in the hospital.”

  “Getting some of your memories back isn’t the only reason you’re feeling better, though. Is it, Shelli?” Isabel smiled smugly at her from where she was downing the last of her beer across the room, her heavy black boots dangling over the side of the table.

  “What are you even talking about now, Isabel?” Mina rolled her eyes at her friend. The two women looked similar with their almond shaped eyes and thick dark hair. While Isabel’s was straight and Mina’s curly, the two could pass for sisters in both their looks and their constant good-natured snarky comments to one another.

  “I’m talking about all the moan
ing I heard coming from the bathroom this morning before I knocked on the door and broke it up.”

  “Cal did look a little extra happy today when he brought those pans back earlier,” Reina not so helpfully pointed out.

  “Ugh, they were making eyes at each other and I missed it? The baby and I love that sappy shit.” Mina frowned as she tried to heft herself off the table, only to be thwarted when Victor came in the back door.

  “Whoa whoa whoa. What have we talked about? You know you need help for stuff like this now. How’d you get up there, anyway?”

  “I’m going to plead the fifth on that one. I did have a nice nap though, you’d be proud of me, you’re always trying to get me to nap.” She winked saucily at him as he wrapped his hands around her hips and pulled her carefully down to the ground.

  “Not that kind of nap, baby.”

  “Ahhh, mijos. You girls need to slow down, I can only make all of these wedding dresses and baby outfits so fast.” Rita smiled dreamily as Mina and Victor, before pinning Isabel with a light glare. “Except for you, mija. You’re welcome to pick up the pace any time. I’ve had your dress ready for years.”

  Isabel ducked her head, caught off guard by Rita’s quick shift. She rallied herself, straightening out her shoulders and looking up as if she didn’t have a care in the world. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “Mhhmm sure ya don’t,” Reina said over her shoulder.

  “Oh now, not you too, I thought we were friends!”

  “Alright everyone time to load up,” Cal called as he came through the back door, lugging a large plastic warmer behind him. He propped open the lid before coming over to Shelli’s oven to retrieve the pans of side dishes she’d left warming. “How’d everything go in here today?”

  He leaned around Shelli to open the oven, brushing a soft kiss against her cheek and wrapping her in a quick hug from behind as he reached for some potholders she left lying on top of the ovens. His whiskers were rough against her cheek and the feel of them sent a little shiver down her spine. Apparently all the other women in the room were similarly affected, and she heard several soft sighs behind her as she turned to face them. Four raised eyebrows and a bemused Victor greeted her as she turned around.

  “Mhhmm, I see what you were saying now, Isabel.” Reina sighed dreamily as Cal, oblivious to the host of moon-eyed women behind him, began loading up the warmer box. His soft t-shirt stretched over his pectorals and biceps, the worn-in light patches on his sturdy jeans hugging and highlighting his ass. Shelli eyed him appreciatively, neither confirming nor denying her friends’ suspicions that the mountain man was the source of her new lease on life beyond the accident. In truth, she would be absolutely lost without him.

  “Alright, that’s enough everybody. Start loading up.” Isabel and Reina hopped up, grabbing the cold goods out of the walk-in and piling the salad, dressings and extras in crates to be packed into Cal’s jeep and Victor’s truck. With Shelli’s SUV out of commission there wasn’t enough room in any one vehicle. Victor lifted Mina up, carrying her out and setting her in the passenger seat of his truck. Shelli guessed that was technically following directions, although it wasn’t exactly what she meant. Rita already had all of the desserts boxed up in fresh white pastry boxes and she helped her settle them into the back of the Jeep while Victor helped Cal load the heavy warmers in the bed of the truck.

  Everything was coming together with around two hours until show time. Shelli still needed to check on the tables the servers had already set at the venue, as well as placing the flowers but the most work-intensive part of the day was done thanks to the help of her friends.

  “I think that’s about everything,” Cal said behind her as she started to lock the front door to the bakeshop. She turned to thank him, only to be pressed up against the door, his lips coming down to claim hers in a heated unexpected kiss. She opened to him with the relief of a cactus blossom after the rain, unfolding and letting him step closer against her, his soft lips and coarse beard a perfect dichotomy against her skin. Her mind went completely blank, just soaking him up and savoring his attention, at least until a loud wolf whistle broke the silence.

  Isabel leaned out of Victor’s back driver’s side window, waving wildly and calling out. “Come on you guys we’re gonna be late if you keep sucking face like a couple of teenagers.”

  Cal chuckled and leaned his forehead against Shelli’s, his warm sweet breath caressing over her eyelashes in a delicate breeze.

  “Labor of love, huh?” Shelli asked, her hands tracing up his chest to settle gently around his neck. He laughed softly and gave her one more kiss, just a light brush across the tip of her nose.

  “Abso-fucking-lutely a labor of love, baby girl.”

  22

  Cal

  Standing side by side at the wide, wood double doors leading in to the resort’s event space, Mina and Cal peered through the edges of the stained glass windows, watching as the bride and groom pulled Shelli into a conversation.

  “What do you think they’re saying?” Mina whispered quietly, despite their distance from the couple in the deserted hallway.

  Cal watched as the bride spoke animatedly, the glass warping some of her facial expressions and the groom stood by, holding on to his new wife as she exclaimed over the catering. He knew whatever she was saying, it had to be good. Shelli stepped into her role as caterer with ease once she arrived at the venue, directing the staff like a cool, competent sergeant. It was a side of her he hadn’t seen before, even prior to the accident, and he was glad to see her moving forward so easily.

  “I’m sure she’s telling her that everything was perfect and she appreciates a job well done. That’s the only thing she could be saying because it went flawlessly.” Cal didn’t look down at Mina as he spoke; she was too engrossed in the scene playing out in front of them. When the bride reached out to wrap Shelli up into a happy hug and she slowly accepted the other woman’s affection, he smiled. But when the groom stepped forward for a hug as well, he couldn’t help the gruff sound escaping his mouth.

  Mina’s body jumped back and her head swiveled to meet his gaze, her expression quickly turning from surprise to warmth as she saw his jaw tight with controlled jealousy.

  “You guys seem to be doing better. How’s she holding up? Does she remember anything at all?”

  Cal sighed, unsure of how much to share with Mina, but also knowing she was Shelli’s best friend and she could probably help if he gave her enough information.

  “I think we’re doing pretty good. Last night she found a journal she’d kept over the last year and it was detailed enough for her to remember most of our time together, to know I’m the baby’s father and for her to want trust me and be together as a couple again.” He looked up at Mina earnestly, wanting to be sure she understood what he would say next. “If that’s all I ever get, if she never remembers anything more, I’ll still be happy. I’ll love her fully and care for her every day for the rest of my life, regardless of what happens next. I haven’t told her yet because I don’t want to rush or pressure her, but I know without a shadow of a doubt that I love her, will continue to love her, forever.”

  Mina’s eyes got a little misty as she listened to him, a tear shining down her cheek. She laughed lightly and batted the drop away with a swipe of her hand.

  “Ugh, stupid pregnancy hormones get me when I least expect it.” She wiped her eyes with the tail of her shirt and pulled herself back together to study Cal with an intent gaze.

  “I wasn’t sure if I should tell you about this or not, because Shelli asked me to never bring any of it up again, but I feel these are extenuating circumstances.” She moved past him to sit on a soft, padded bench in the hallway, resting her hands lightly on her stomach before motioning for him to join her. He sat warily; unsure of what she could share with him that would be so personal Shelli wanted to avoid hearing about it ever again.

  “When Shelli was with the Hades’ Heathens, she also kep
t a journal of sorts. It’s not as nice as the ones she keeps now and the subject matter is definitely difficult, especially since she initially started it to have evidence of her abduction for court.” She shifted a little in her seat trying to get comfortable and Cal scooted over a bit so she could have more of the bench in case she needed it.

  “When we first came to the valley she asked me to burn it, but it was six years worth of writing about her life. She wrote an entry every single day, and I couldn’t just let that go, so I kept it.”

  Cal sucked in a deep breath. Almost all of the memories Shelli was missing wrapped up and ready for her on a silver platter? What was wrong with the journal that had Mina holding it back, that would make Shelli want to burn it? He narrowed his eyes shrewdly and asked her head on.

  “If you’ve got it and didn’t already give it to her, what’s wrong with it?”

  “Well, for starters, it’s not in order. The people who abducted and kept her didn’t exactly provide office supplies so it’s written on whatever scrap of paper she could find that day, with all of them bound up in a loose-leaf notebook. But even out of order I would have probably still given it to her if the memories were something I thought she needed or wanted to know. But I think mostly, they’re so traumatizing that it could set her backward instead of forward. That’s why I didn’t mention it before now.”

  Maybe it was selfish of him, or overly optimistic about the true nature of the things Shelli went through in her previous life, but Cal wanted the opportunity to share the journal with her, to swoop in and hand her memories back to her like an overly zealous child. A niggling voice of doubt in the back of his brain told him that if Mina, beautiful, strong, deadly Mina, couldn’t stomach pieces of Shelli’s story then he should be concerned, but he ignored that feeling entirely.