A Reborn Bride Pearl Emerging from Dust by Sally Garcia

"You guys go ahead and eat here. We'll take care of this ourselves," someone said, waving a hand dismissively.

"Yeah, let a couple people stay with Callie and Silas, and the rest of us will go talk things out with the folks from Ivory Town," another chimed in.

Everyone was talking at once, but they hadn't forgotten to look after Calliope and Silas.

Calliope was already on her feet. "Well, if that's the case, I'm coming too. Jacob's hurt, isn't he? I should check his wound."

"No way," Ryan said quickly. "What if things get heated and you get hurt?"

Calliope just shrugged, but Silas spoke up, "She'll be fine. I'll look out for her." He turned to the group, "So where's all this going down? We'll come along."

Ryan shot Silas a skeptical look.

Silas grinned. "Hey, the guys I brought with me are way tougher than this Kyle you keep mentioning."

"Come on, Neil," Calliope called. "Let's sort this out."

Neil looked apologetic, glancing at the half-eaten plates of burgers and fries. "I feel terrible, making you guys get involved before you've even finished dinner. Callie, Silas, I'm sorry we're such lousy hosts."

"Oh, come on. Family's family-your problem is our problem," Silas said with a lopsided smile. "Besides, I did get that wedding gift from you all. Gotta earn my son-in-law stripes somehow, right?"

felt a warm glow inside at Silas's

way, the group headed toward the

pulled out his phone, called his crew, and gave them the

called out as they approached. "Things are getting

a group from

already hurt. Are you really going to let this get any uglier?" someone

gets seriously hurt, you think

the Ivory Town group, but they

care what happens. If we're going down, you are

if you want your guy back, you'd better

a fair share, or

stepped forward, Calliope and Silas

tight. "Come on, our towns are practically neighbors hell, we're almost

want to

were we supposed to know this whole thing would actually make money?

we get a

the ones who did the work to

them in.