Steele (Arizona Vengeance 9)

Lastly, Brooke has to make an actual introduction to Nora Hall, the beautiful wife to Tacker. Their relationship started professionally and moved to personal, but this was around the time I was sort of fading back from team events. I’d not had the pleasure of meeting her, but Jim told me more about her yesterday while we laid in bed and talked.

She and Tacker might be my favorite story of all because Tacker was more damaged than anyone should ever have to be. He carried immense guilt for the plane crash that killed his fiancée because he had been piloting, even though the crash was due to mechanical failure. At any rate, Tacker was reclusive and ornery on his best days. He got into some trouble, and he was close to losing his position on the team when he was ordered to see a therapist.

Enter Nora Hall, a gorgeous counselor who owns an equine therapy ranch on the outskirts of Phoenix. Tacker had to attend counseling if he wanted to stay on the team. While Jim was incredibly light on the details of how they fell in love, they did indeed fall hard, and Tacker has essentially become a new man.

“It’s a real pleasure to meet you,” Nora says—not with a handshake—but a hug. My mimosa glass is empty and she doesn’t have a beverage, so it’s a tighter-than-normal hug.

“Likewise,” I assure her as we pull apart. “And congratulations on your marriage to Tacker. I missed a lot this summer.”

Nora’s eyes are warm and understanding. We may have never met before, but I’m sure she knows Jim and I have been separated. It’s not a secret at all.

“Well…” Nora laughs lightly. “You’ll get caught up by the end of this brunch, I guarantee you. Want a word of advice?”

I blink. “Um… sure.”

“Don’t even bother trying to hold back with any of these women.” Her gaze is direct, and it seems to be filled with sage wisdom. “They will hound you to open up your soul to them. They are relentless, and they will strip you bare. Trust me… I know this from personal experience.”

I’m not sure what my expression says, but it must mirror the slight fear those words instill. Nora recognizes it, shaking her head as if to diminish some of the weight. “What I mean is that these women care deeply. Doesn’t matter that you and Jim are separated or that you’re trying to work things out, and even that might be an unknown. The mere fact you were invited here tells me these women already care about you. Anything they do to push you to share your burdens with them is done out of love.”

“That’s… sweet,” is all I can think to say. Still a bit scary, but mainly… sweet.

A shrill whistle pierces the air, and we all look to the source. It’s Pepper with a goofy grin on her face. “Okay, everyone… stop yammering for a minute and sit so we can order our food.”

Nora sweeps her hand toward the table, then follows me. She takes the chair to my right. Clarke slides into the one on my left, giving me a cheeky grin. She’s the one I feel the most affinity with since her fall into love with Aaron was apparently filled with fear and mistrust. We have that in common.

A waitress appears and makes her way around the table, taking drink orders. The one mimosa was enough. I ask for coffee, as do most of the women except the very pregnant Blue, who requests water.

We all pick up our menus, perusing them while talking. Mollie, who will soon be marrying Kane and sits almost opposite, says, “I don’t know how you girls put up with the constant barrage of women who want a crack at your man. Especially when you’re out together somewhere. They just come right up and start fawning and sometimes even pawing. It’s outrageous.”

Mollie is the newest one in this group to fall in love with a professional hockey player, and puck bunnies can be a problem. Some of the ladies start offering advice. Pepper says she turns threatening if a woman doesn’t get the hint, while Regan says she doesn’t like confrontation, but Dax is good at putting them off.

“What about you, Ella?” Blue asks from my left.

My eyebrows rise, and my cheeks turn a bit pink to be in the spotlight of this new group of friends. “What about me?”

“You’re the veteran wife here,” she replies breezily. “You’ve been married the longest. You came into the league with Jim. You should know more about how to deal with this than we do.”

I laugh lightly, now understanding why they are all looking at me eagerly as if I’m about to dispense the most important piece of advice.

“Well,” I drawl, pulling my coffee cup a little nearer to me. “You first need to discuss it with your guy. How does it make you feel? If it’s a bother, he’s your first line of protection when you’re out and about. He has to set the tone according to your needs.”