The only acceptable compromise they could come up with in Deacon and Reese’s case was for the couple to continue to divide their time between the farm and nearby Mansfield. Deacon kept the bunkhouse apartment, so the couple could spend weekends on the farm, and weeknights at her house, so she’d be near her law practice. Deacon didn’t mind the twenty-minute drive during the week to spend the night with his ol’ lady.
Reilly’s gaze swung between the two men. “Does Reese know about this?”
“Yeah. She’s in full agreement with the plan since you’ll be puttin’ your degree to better use and eventually makin’ a shitload more money if you make that business a success. She’s already workin’ on the paperwork to establish the business name, get the licenses, and all of that shit, plus draftin’ the contracts you’ll use for the rentals. Red’s gonna do the books for you, too, so you won’t have to worry ‘bout that.”
Holy shit!
“So, you onboard?” Trip asked.
“Hell yes!” she yelled, jumping to her feet. She barely managed to stop herself from dancing across the room. “I freaking love this idea!”
Should she hug them? She wanted to squeeze them both!
“And if the prospects give you any shit you can’t deal with, you know to come to us,” Deacon reminded her.
“I can handle a couple of prospects,” she told them with confidence.
“Figured that,” Trip said with a grin. “If anyone can snag them by the balls and keep ‘em in line, it’s you.”
“I can snag them but I just can’t suck them, right?” she teased the Fury president.
Trip dropped his head to stare at the table and shook it. When he finally lifted it, he said, “Make a deal with you. You convince Reese to take you off the list, we’ll take you off the list. But don’t want you causin’ any fuckin’ drama in the club ‘cause one of ‘em is bonin’ you one night and bonin’ someone else the next. The second you cause that drama, you’re back on that list,” Trip warned her. “You got me?”
She smiled. “I got you.”
“But ’til Reese gives the okay, you’re still stuck on it,” Deacon reminded her. “Don’t get a brother fucked up ‘cause you want to take a spin on his dick.”
She rolled her lips under and nodded.
“Good fuckin’ luck with your sister,” Trip said.
Unfortunately, she would need it.
But even so, this conversation had given her a lot of hope and a much brighter future.
Chapter Seventeen
Rev paused with a beer to his lips as Reilly came out of The Barn and practically bounced across the courtyard. Her movements looked like she had done a few lines of coke followed by a hit of acid.
What the actual fuck.
No one ever said she was graceful. Because she sure as fuck wasn’t.
In fact, his heart caught in his throat as she stumbled and almost face-planted halfway to the pavilion.
“Jesus fuck,” he muttered before taking a long draw on the can to keep from rushing over to her. When he was done swallowing his beer along with his instinct to protect her, he realized he’d almost crushed the can within his fingers.
Maybe he needed to switch over to the hard stuff.
Yeah, that woman was enough to make anyone drink. Especially him.
While he was relieved to see her so happy, it bugged the shit out of him that he didn’t know why. If Trip and Deacon had grilled her about where she’d been and what she’d been doing for the last week—and with who—he doubted she’d be wearing that huge-ass smile. It only made him more curious about why Trip and Deacon hauled her, and no one else, inside and upstairs.
He’d have to pull her aside and find out. Right now, the courtyard was packed, and it would be for hours yet. He glanced around to find he wasn’t the only one who noticed she was beaming and excited. It also bugged him that he wasn’t the only one with a functioning dick watching her closely. He was damn sure Reilly was spank bank material for some of his club brothers.
But she was also hard to ignore since Cujo was snarling and snapping at her heels like the asshole Chihuahua he was.
Between the two of them, it was comic entertainment.
Rook yelled for Cujo, but the dog ignored him. Jet rushed over to scoop up the tiny terror so he didn’t trip Reilly as she finished heading over to the pavilion where the ladies gathered.
Yeah, now was not the time to get her attention since she was surrounded by nosy eyes and ears. As soon as the sun went down, he’d have to catch her somewhere no one else would see or hear them.
It wasn’t like everyone wasn’t used to seeing Reilly flitting around the parties and pig roasts being over-friendly and social, but if Rev got her aside, he was going to have a hard time not touching her.
And that could cause a problem.
Not could. Would.
Because his urge to touch her involved a lot more than a friendly hug or handshake. Or casual flirting. So, it would be safer if he had an opportunity to get her somewhere private. And not in his room.
He was surprised how fast he’d gotten comfortable with her sharing his bed and sleeping by his side while in Coatesville. The best part of the trip was being able to simply roll over and slide right between her thighs whenever he wanted.
He had to turn away from watching her now because he was starting to get a semi. He needed to focus on anything other than her. Across the open courtyard, he spotted his sister talking with Chelle’s daughters, Maddie and Josie.
He hadn’t had a chance to tell Saylor that their “father” was dead yet. He was sure the news would put her in a better mood than she already was. She might even start bouncing around the courtyard like Reilly.
Fuck it, there was no better time like the present. Hopefully that conversation would help get his mind off the blonde now sitting under the pavilion laughing and drinking with the rest of the women.
With a few interested eyes, not only the ones in his own head, turned her way.
Reilly peered over the lip of her wine-filled Solo cup as she watched Rev swagger across the courtyard in the direction of Saylor, Maddie and Josie. When he got to the girls, he stood chatting with them, a relaxed smile on his handsome face as he sipped a beer held in one hand and occasionally took a drag on a hand-rolled held in the other.
When Saylor held out her hand for the cigarette, Reilly realized it wasn’t tobacco but something stronger.
“Funny how you disappeared at the same time as Rev did,” Autumn murmured. Her hazel eyes were also glued with interest to Rev across the courtyard.
Chelle’s daughters appeared to be playfully flirting with him while Saylor took a couple of long hits off the joint. Suddenly the smoke shot out both her nose and mouth as she doubled over in laughter at whatever had been said.
After seeing the nightmare in Coatesville, she was glad Rev’s baby sister was happy for the most part and could laugh. It was amazing what support and a loving family could do for someone.
Reilly included.
“And magically reappeared at the same time, too,” Autumn finished softly.
Reilly pulled her gaze from the small group and glanced over at Reese to see if her sister had heard Red.