“Honey, it’s gonna be okay,” Honor soothed, frowning as she witnessed the very real agony on her sister’s face. “We’re gonna figure this out, Patience.”
“Animals fear me, Honor. They choose to either meet their Maker or make a run for it. What’s a kid gonna do?” Patience squawked. “There ain’t no Humane Society for children!” Patience railed, her breath coming in quick gasps as her fingers tightened not-a-small-bit desperately around Honor’s wrist. She didn’t even realize she was hyperventilating until Zeke shoved her head between her legs and demanded she breathe.
“Patience, you’ve gotta calm down, honey,” Honor murmured, rubbing her hand in circles over her sister’s back. “Just calm down and concentrate on breathing.”
Head resting on her knees, Patience couldn’t help laughing. “Calm is a thing of the past, Honor. Calm left the building around the seventh pregnancy test that I took. Calm is just a dim memory now,” she scoffed through her giggles.
Looking up at Zeke worriedly, Honor shook her head. “I think she mighta cracked.”
“No,” Patience denied. “I’m going to crack Abel Turner! Right upside his fool head for puttin’ me in this predicament. Better yet, I’m gonna punch the junk in his trunk so hard that he can never put a single other woman through this nightmare.”
“That’s the spirit,” Zeke agreed, nodding supportively even as he traded a worried look with Honor. “Channel the rage. Focus on the anger.”
Shooting Zeke a stern look of warning, Honor clenched her jaw. “Will you please hush?” she hissed at the lawman. “Those aren’t exactly the kind of words of wisdom you wanna offer a girl like my sister, Ezekiel. She might take those words as your express permission to maul Abel Turner to death. Then where will she be?”
“I’ll be in jail, that’s where! Pregnant and in jail,” she amended woefully. “It’ll be like winnin’ the white trash lottery! Can you even have a baby in jail? Isn’t that a violation of an infant’s civil liberties or somethin’?” Patience continued to babble, whimpering as she wiped at the tears on her cheeks that she didn’t realize she’d been shedding. “Christ, look at me,” she mumbled. “Barely pregnant and I’m a damn watering pot. This shit does not bode well for my future,” she surmised tiredly. “I’m not a damn crier. I cause the tears; I don’t shed them.”
“I’m sure you’ll be back to wreaking chaos in no time,” Honor soothed gently. “Until then, you wanna start by telling me how in the world this happened?” she asked, gesturing toward Patience’s stomach with a trembling hand.
“Well, that damn Abel used his special boy hose to water my secret garden and managed to flood the whole dang thing with his very special brand of fertilizer,” Patience wailed, pounding one of her throw pillows with an infuriated fist. “I can’t believe I let that bastard anywhere near my garden, Honor!”
Honor stared at Patience slack jawed for a long moment before running a hand down her face. “I’m not even gonna touch that analogy. I reckon what I shoulda asked is when it happened. Try to answer that one for me, okay? Preferably with as few words as possible,” she directed tiredly.
Shoving a rough hand through her unruly hair, Patience groaned. “Who knows?” she muttered tonelessly. “Coulda been that time in the shower. Or maybe when he got me on the kitchen counter,” she continued, her eyes gravitating toward that expanse of granite beside her microwave. “But, honestly, I’m willing to bet it was that time he pushed me against the headboard and got behind me. I knew that time felt different, but I just thought it was the depth of….”
“Stop talking!” Honor squeaked, her hand flying up in the air to ward off the onslaught of way too much information as she gaped at her older sister. “Why in God’s name did I ask the question? I knew she’d answer me, and I knew she’d answer me truthfully,” the younger woman mumbled to herself, still shaking her head in horror as she began to pace back and forth in front of the sofa.
Choking on his own laughter, Zeke stared at the floor.
“Well, you asked me when I thought….” Patience began irritably, glaring at her baby sister’s pale face.
“What I meant to ask is when was this baby conceived?” Honor questioned with tight lips that barely moved as she spoke. “I did NOT want a litany of the locations and positions you used to create my future niece or nephew, Patience Orla McKinnon! There are some things that I do NOT wish to know! E-ver!! And honestly,” she blustered, “The kitchen counter? I cook food for you on that counter! Do you have any idea how completely unsanitary that is?” she grumbled with a glare toward the stove almost as if she could see germs hopping to and fro on the surface.
“Uhmmm,” Patience mumbled uncomfortably, her cheeks reddening as Zeke audibly snickered.
“Really, what is wrong with the bed, I ask you? First, Faith and Cain go at it like rabbits in my walk-in cooler downstairs in the cafe. Then, just last week, I catch Jake and Harmony in the restroom off the bar. And now, I hear about you and Abel doing what supposedly comes all natural-like on the kitchen counters! What’s next? One of y’all gonna get it on in the parking lot of the Church? Maybe skinny-dip in the baptismal pool? Honestly, when did it become acceptable behavior to fornicate on perfectly innocent surfaces that if they got a vote would prefer to remain clean and unsullied by naked asses engaged in coitus?” Honor continued to huff, pressing her lips together as she crossed her arms over her chest and continued to rant.
Clearing his throat, Zeke fought hard to keep a grin off his face as he looked between the two sisters and said, “Maybe we need to try to stay on topic here. I think you were gonna share when this little one was made, Patience?”
“Oh,” Patience returned weakly, biting her lip as she realized just how much she’d shared with her youngest sibling. While not quite innocent, Honor was extremely uncomfortable when it came to discussing sex. Given her history, she couldn’t blame her in the slightest. “Well, that would have been the night of Harmony’s engagement party. You know, the night Abel…”
“The night three months ago that Abel Turner threw you over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and carted you out of the café? Oh, yes, I recall that altercation,” Honor stated softly as turned to glare at where the Sheriff leaned against the side of the sofa. “As I recall, that’s the night I told Ezekiel, here, he should intervene on your behalf before something unwise happened. He ignored me. And guess what?” she snapped at the lawman. “Something not only unwise, but unholy happened! Are you happy now, Sheriff?”
Uh oh, Patience thought with an internal wince. She knew exactly what thought pattern her very logical younger sister had taken, and none of it would be good for poor Zeke. “Now, Honor,” Patience began, offering Zeke a quick look of remorse. “This isn’t Zeke’s fault. He’s not the man to blame here. Believe me.”
“He most certainly is to blame. In fact, by my math, it’s all his fault. Every little bit of it! If he’d simply listened to me and stopped Abel from doing his best impression of a caveman, you wouldn’t be in this position right now,” Honor argued, her eyes flashing as she glanced toward the nonchalant man leaning against the wall with one foot propped on the barstool in front of him.
Zeke shook his head, snorted and looked at his watch. “Thirty whole minutes. I’m impressed. That’s a new record for you, Kitten. And you owe me ten bucks,” he reminded Patience with a slow wink.
“Pardon me?” Honor snapped. “You bet on my reaction. That’s a sin, you son of a goat!”
“It was easy money.” Zeke shrugged with an unconcerned grin. “You managed to make it a whole half hour before layin’ the blame for this at my feet, Honor. Patience figured it would only take you about fifteen minutes to get good and huffy with me, but I know you, darlin’. You don’t have her quick trigger temper, and it always takes you a bit to build up a good head of steam and assign me my oh-so-rightful blame,” he replied evenly. “I feel at this juncture, however, I should take a moment to remind you that it was, indeed, Abel that got your s
ister in the family way. Not me. I think that, at least, ought to buy me just a little of your goodwill.”
“It might have if I had any goodwill left to spare. Sadly for you, I do not,” Honor retorted stiffly to Zeke before turning her attention back to Patience and pursing her lips. “You realize that I know for a fact that you know not only what a condom is for, but how to use one, too. Aunt Orla made all us girls practice for hours with those stupid bananas and rubbers for hours. That terrible afternoon is burned into my memory. It was a God awful experience, but quite effective. Even I could use a condom if I had to do it!”
“Good to know,” Zeke murmured, his eyebrows lifting in surprise even as his eyes twinkled.
Steadfastly ignoring the Sheriff, Honor forged ahead. “And, as I recall, you were an expert. You and Harmony would have the blasted banana suited up while Faith and I were still wrestling with opening those stupid little foil packets. I find it a-freakin’-mazing that it was both you AND Harmony that have now had unexpected pregnancies!”
“You know that you’re just jealous, Honor. Unfortunately for you, you still can’t look at the fruit to this day without blushing,” Patience teased, exchanging an amused look with Zeke.
“That really isn’t the point, now is it?”
Patience giggled as she heard Honor’s hissed response. “I guess not. Let’s just say that I didn’t use anything to shield Abel’s banana and leave it at that,” she admitted reluctantly, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. Seeing her sister’s unhappy frown, she bit her lip. “I thought I had the situation covered in another way, sis, but our local friendly sheriff pointed out that the effectiveness of my birth control pills was tampered with by those pesky antibiotics I was taking after I got shot.”
Honor’s eyes darkened dangerously at that latest bit of information. “Well, aren’t you helpful, Zeke?” Honor shot over her shoulder at the man currently eyeing her with amusement. “Why, it’s yet another thing we have to thank Tanner Suarez and Esteban Fuentes for, isn’t it?” she muttered unhappily, her shoulders stiffening at the mention of Patience’s ordeal at Harmony’s ex-husband’s hands. “I hope to God that Diego wreaks bloody vengeance over his daddy’s worthless carcass. At least Tanner can’t hurt us anymore.”
Leaning forward, Patience grabbed Honor’s hand and pulled it between both of hers. “Don’t go there, baby sister. It won’t do either one of us one single bit of good. Tanner was an asshole who is now dead and gone. And Esteban Fuentes will get what he’s due. Just wait and see. Diego and Jake are gonna make sure of it. It’s just… Zeke explained why my pills failed me; that’s all.” She certainly didn’t want Honor dwelling on thoughts of the man who had raped and terrorized her. Suarez had already left Honor with enough scars to deal with since dying. Before his soul had finally departed for hell, he’d managed to get one last jab in and traumatize the youngest McKinnon all over again, indicating that the two remaining men that had raped her sister were closer than any of them could imagine, watching and waiting for a chance to hurt Honor again. And Esteban and the whole drug cartel mess was hanging over all their heads since the drug kingpin had hoped to use McKinnon land to base his Southern operations. Ever since all this had transpired, Honor had lived on caffeine and nerves, afraid of her own shadow. It was almost like those terrible days just after they’d gotten her back, but this time, at least, she was still talking. Not much, but anything was better than those long silent days and nights where her sister had simply stared into space, locked in her own mind. If they could just get her to sleep at night, things might be better. Patience knew for a fact, though, that on a good night, Honor might sleep for three hours. And nobody could survive on that little rest indefinitely.
If nothing else, maybe her own pregnancy predicament would give Honor something else to focus on. Every cloud had a silver lining, right? “Don’t you dare give those bastards any more space in your mind, Honor. Instead, focus on thinkin’ of a way to help me dispose of Abel Turner’s worthless carcass after I finish killin’ him. After all, he’s ultimately to blame for all of this,” she declared firmly, glancing over at where Zeke now stood tensely behind the couch, watching Honor closely. She knew the older man loved her sister more than his own life, and seeing Honor sitting so still and pale beside her was wreaking havoc with his vaunted control. Everybody knew that when Zeke finally found the two remaining men that had hurt her sister, there wouldn’t be enough of those assholes left to fill a salt shaker.
Visibly shaken, Honor forced a tight smile to her face as she lifted her eyes to Patience’s. “You need to ask your guest to leave,” she murmured, jerking her head in the sheriff’s direction.
“You can’t be mad at me for offerin’ Patience a simple science lesson, Honor,” Zeke returned on a sigh, reaching out to squeeze Honor’s shoulder. “She’d have figured out soon enough how this baby got made when she visited with the doctor. I was just givin’ her a heads-up, honey.”
“Did you not hear my sister earlier, Ezekiel?” Honor asked over her shoulder. “We need to plot the perfect crime and I’d prefer not to do it in the presence of local law enforcement. You know you’re a stickler for things like law and order and those are two things I doubt Patience will bother considering as she plans her next move. We’re fine here. Really. You can feel free to scoot right on out the door.”
“Don’t worry, sis. Zeke already offered to fire a kill shot for me if need be. I’m pretty certain he’s on my side,” Patience chuckled as she defended the sheriff.
“You know I am,” Zeke returned evenly, settling a hand over the nape of Honor’s neck. “Your side, too, Hard Head,” he growled against Honor’s ear.
“Hmmmffff,” Honor snorted, rising from her seat as Zeke’s hand fell away from her. Crossing the room to Patience’s untidy kitchen, the younger sister drew in a deep breath as she scrunched her nose and glared at the counter. Reaching for the faucet, she began to fill the sink with hot water. “Since Zeke is - at the very least - indirectly responsible for this whole situation, it’s the least he could do,” she began, dumping dirty dishes into the water and adding bright green dish soap, “I still don’t understand how this happened, though. Weren’t you and Abel supposed to be mortal enemies, bent on each other’s destruction? How did you go from wanting to see his body roasted over an open flame to…well, this?”
“Abel can be very…persuasive when he wants something, and for exactly one night, the thing he wanted was me,” Patience replied guiltily, privately remembering that he hadn’t exactly had to coerce her too avidly. Especially after that first time he’d had her. After that, she’d been given a preview of just exactly how talented he was below the belt when his mind, spirit and body were in perfect accord. “Besides, he used that voice on me, Hon. You know the tone… the one that could convince an Eskimo that buying ice from Antarctica was a good idea.”
“She’d better not know anything about that tone,” Zeke threatened darkly under his breath as his angular jaw tightened. “Abel Turner is living on severely borrowed time if Honor’s ever heard that voice directed anywhere toward her.”
“Clearly, he used something mighty powerful on you. I’m just glad to hear it wasn’t some kind of mind altering drug and only the power of his charismatic voice,” Honor muttered drolly, not paying any attention to Zeke’s muttering as she scrubbed vigorously at a dirty plate that appeared to be covered in congealed eggs. “And I believe the good attorney has now sampled your wares for two nights in your short life and he’s wanted you for a good deal longer than that. At least be honest with yourself about that if you won’t be honest with me, Patience. I believe you’ve been the one avoiding him, not vice versa.” Looking at her sister over her shoulder and noticing the glare focused on her, Honor shrugged. “Hey if you wanted a sister that’s gonna sugarcoat things for you, then Faith would have been your best bet, sweetie.”
Leave it to Honor to call her out, Patience thought with grudging respect. “Faith woulda made me wax poetic abou
t my feelings and you know it. At least you don’t force me to psychoanalyze myself. I swear, she’s gets a couple of psych classes under her belt and she thinks she’s Freud’s long lost cousin or somethin’. As for Abel’s interest, maybe for the first couple of weeks after we were together, he was interested. Possibly. I think we can both agree that currently his mind has been a little preoccupied with the past,” Patience grumbled unhappily, exchanging another look with Zeke before getting to her feet and joining Honor at the sink. Grabbing a drying towel from where it hung on the oven, she reached for the plate Honor had just rinsed in clean water. “Now that Angie’s back on the scene…” she trailed off, wiping the towel over the damp dish.
“Angie is Abel’s past, Patience. He’s working with her. That’s all,” Honor reminded her older sister quietly. “After what she put him through, he’s not foolish enough to go down that road a second time. Give the man a little credit; he’s not exactly stupid,” she chided softly.
Ready, Willing and Abel (Passion in Paradise: The Men of the McKinnon Sisters Book 3) Page 10