Defending Bridget - P.J. Fiala Page 0,3

stepped out from behind Josh, laughing. He slapped Josh on the back and shook his head. "Had to do it, bro."

3

Bridget sat at a small table with two other women, Skye Winter, who was married to Lincoln, and Megan Montgomery, who was married to Ford and tried desperately to remember everyone's names. She'd been introduced and wonderfully welcomed by all of these women but meeting everyone all at once made it harder for her to remember their names.

Megan leaned forward and caught her attention.

"What do you do for a living, Bridget?"

Finally, she had a topic she could talk about. Though, it was often frowned upon.

"I own a shooting range. I mostly work with women, training them how to handle their weapons, clean them, take care of them but mostly how to shoot them precisely and safely."

"That is so cool. I'm envious of you. Maybe one day you'll help teach me how to shoot."

"I'd love to. What do you do for a living?"

Megan laughed and she found herself being the envious one. She was gorgeous with her perfect teeth and long, auburn hair. Her skin was flawless, and her eyes were the greenest eyes she'd ever seen.

"I used to be a nurse, now I'm a stay-at-home mom of an almost two-year-old daughter, Shelby, and as you already know Ford's wife. Since they're schedules..." She motioned around the room, but mostly toward Jax, who was sitting in a chair, looking very uncomfortable, "are so unpredictable, it's impossible for me to work outside of the house. I'd never know when I needed daycare and for how long."

"I can understand that. I have a son, Aidyn, who'll be five in a few months, and I had to set a regular schedule with my business so my mom, who watches him, could have a life, too."

Skye looked at her. "Do you have pictures of Aidyn?"

Bridget pulled her phone from her purse and scrolled to her pictures. Finding the photo file of Aidyn, she tapped the first one and turned her phone.

"Oh, he's a good-looking boy. He has the prettiest hazel eyes I've ever seen." Skye looked up at her and smiled. "Must take after his father."

Bridget swallowed. "Yes, he does."

Skye passed her phone to Megan, who had similar compliments and Bridget smiled at the praise. Megan handed her phone over, and Bridget asked, "Do you have pictures of Shelby?"

Megan smiled. "Of course, I do." And proceeded to pull her phone from her purse, tap and scroll.

"Oh, gosh, I get it now. "Shelby, Ford. Haha, that's great."

Megan laughed, "Ford also has a son named, get this, Falcon."

The women all laughed as the door swung open from the back of the room and their group of men, covered in paint of varying colors and hues, entered. The women all grew silent and stared at them.

Jax was the first one to speak. "What the hell have you been doing?"

"Playing paintball." a man about Jax's age, who looked remarkably like her, with an enormous smile answered.

Jax sat forward in her uncomfortable chair and looked the men over. Skye leaned forward and quietly said, "Uh-oh."

"I can see you back there, Sager."

A tall, blond man with broad shoulders stepped forward a sheepish smile on his face.

"Hey, Little Mama, how are you three doing?"

Jax looked him up and down; though he wasn't plastered in paint, his pants were dirty like he'd been playing in the mud and there were leaves hanging from the back of his t-shirt.

"Geeze, I don't even know what to say. You make me mad, sad and jealous all at the same time. You're taking your clothes to Mrs. James to clean that mess up.”

Dodge laughed and so did most of the other men, though they were trying to hide it.

Bridget leaned forward and asked quietly, “Who’s Mrs. James?”

Skye responded, “She works at the compound and does everyone’s laundry. At least those who live there, and I’m guessing, Dodge’s.”

The ladies at her table giggled and Bridget wondered not for the first time, what the compound was. Sophie had mentioned it before, too.

Sophie stood and walked over to a man, though he didn't have a ton of paint on him, had a few spots here and there. Taking him by the hand, she walked toward Bridget, Megan and Skye.

"Bridget, this is Gaige. Gaige, this is the infamous Bridget Barnes. Sharpshooter, entrepreneur and amazing mom."

Gaige had green eyes, a nice smile and he stood tall and proud. He held his hand out toward her and Bridget shook it.

"It's nice to finally