I want to continue whining about how I’ll never see her but now is not the time. I wouldn’t be a good friend if I gave her a guilt-trip during her party. Although it is a going-away party, there should be an exception to no guilt trips at going-away parties.
“Trouble, you made it!” Shelby shouts as she and Frankie join us.
“Stop calling me Trouble,” I order Shelby who merely winks in response. Guess I better get used to being called trouble.
“Oh no,” Frankie’s eyes widen as the door opens behind me. “I can’t believe you invited them.”
Them who? I laugh when I see Grandma walk in with her old-lady posse and Grandpa Bill trailing her.
“After you dragged me to Grandma’s for lunch last week, you can’t complain,” I point out.
Frankie sticks her tongue out at me before greeting her grandmother. “Hi, Grandma. The gang’s all here, huh.”
“Bailey said I could bring my friends. This is Rosemary, Eleanor, and Alma.”
Frankie shoots a quick glare at Bailey before smiling and giving out cheek kisses to her Grandma’s friends.
“How does anyone get a beer in this place?” Grandpa Bill asks Bailey. He points at her glass. “That looks like some fancy imported beer. Don’t you have any of the normal kind?”
“Come on, I’ll get you sorted.” Bailey leads him to the far end of the bar where there are indeed bottles of beer lined up next to the wine glasses.
“What are you doing?” Frankie screeches as Grandma grabs her glass of wine.
“Drinking is bad for the baby.” Grandma gulps Frankie’s wine before she has a chance to steal her glass back.
“Oh, are you with child, Francis? Congratulations,” Rosemary says.
“No, I am not with child.” Frankie glares at Grandma.
“But you will be,” Grandma practically sings. She has no idea Frankie and Brodie aren’t currently trying for a baby. We’ve all been sworn to strict secrecy to never, ever tell Grandma Frankie isn’t ready for children. I’m totally fine with not telling as it means Grandma continues to push Frankie about getting pregnant. Anything to keep me out of Grandma’s matchmaking crosshairs is A-Okay with me.
“Everything all right over here?” Brodie kisses his wife’s forehead before greeting Grandma with a kiss on the cheek. He nods to her posse. “Ladies.”
“Hey Short Stack.” Jackson doesn’t get a chance to kiss Shelby before she jumps him. He nearly topples over as she wraps herself around him. He chuckles and holds her close. What a difference between daytime Jackson and evening Jackson. Daytime Jackson is a slave driver. Evening Jackson is obviously in love with his fiancé and is as sweet as pie with her.
“What’s up?” Jackson asks Shelby.
“Grandma isn’t letting Frankie drink in case she’s pregnant.”
“You know what?” Grandma says as she snatches the wine glass from Shelby’s hand. “You probably shouldn’t drink now either. You’ll want to be getting pregnant soon as well. You’re not getting any younger.”
Shelby rolls her eyes as Jackson sets her down and puts his arm around her shoulder. “It doesn’t matter how old I am. Jackson and I aren’t having children.”
“Hogwash! Of course, you’ll have children.”
“No, Grandma. We won’t.” She raises her right arm, the one missing the forearm and hand. “This shit is genetic.”
Jackson spins her around and grasps her face between his hands. “There’s no guarantee our child would be missing a limb, baby. And I told you, I don’t care if she is,” he says before kissing her.
I have to look away from their tender moment. I know exactly how Shelby is feeling. Well, not exactly. I don’t have a hot man I love sipping at my lips, but I do know what she means about not having children.
Grandma frowns as she stares at the couple. After a moment, she shrugs and turns away to exclaim, “Let’s get this party started!” Guess she’s giving the couple a pass. At least, for now. I’m sure the subject will come up again. And again, and again. “I brought the karaoke machine. Bill,” she shouts as she walks off to find her husband, her old lady gang trailing her.
“Here we go,” Shelby, who has finally disconnected her lips from Jackson’s, says with a huge smile on her face.
“I didn’t realize you’re a karaoke fan.” Although I’m not surprised, the crazy woman is up for hijinks anytime.
“Not karaoke.” She shakes her head and points to the door. I don’t need to look. The glee on her face tells me everything I need to know about who’s coming through the door.
“I’m going to get a drink.” I don’t make it two steps before Luke’s there stopping me. I glare at his hand on my upper arm until he drops it. “I thought we agreed to avoid each other.” We didn’t agree to anything of the sort, but maybe if I say we did, he’ll believe me.
“We need to talk.”
Not this again. “I think I’ve said everything I want to say to you. I know I’ve definitely heard everything I ever want to hear from you.”
“If you’re avoiding me, why did you text me?”
I knew my text was going to come back to bite me in the ass. I’m impulsive the one time. “I was mad. I apologize.” And now there’s a bitter taste in my mouth. I need a drink – stat!
“I’m not letting you off so easy. Let’s talk outside.”
I glance around the room and notice everyone is staring at us. Someone even cut off the music. And then there’s Grandma and her cronies inching their way closer and closer to us. “Fine!” I say before twirling around and stomping to the door.
“Ten bucks says they end up playing release the kraken.” I switch directions, intent on slapping Shelby, but Luke grabs hold of my hand and drags me towards his motorcycle.
“Can’t we talk out here?” I ask as he places the helmet over my head. Luke nods towards the wine bar where everyone is now plastered against the window like they’re at a peeping tom convention. “Whatever,” I mumble as I watch Luke climb on his bike. I do my darndest not to stare at his muscular thighs straddling the engine. And I fail. Boy, do I fail.
I climb on behind Luke while trying to keep as much distance as possible. When we were dating back in the day, taking a ride on Luke’s bike was one of my absolute favorite things in the world. Plastered to his back, my breasts squished against him, the rumble of the pipes vibrating through my legs. Nothing could beat it. After we ended in a great big ball of flames, I couldn’t look at a motorcycle for months without crying.
Luke revs the engine and we shoot out of the parking lot. Contrary to what Shelby thinks I’m not trouble, but I am in trouble.
Chapter 10
I don’t ride a Harley because it makes women wet their pants, but if it happens, you can bet your ass I’ll be taking advantage. ~ Luke’s Secret Thoughts
I hate how cautious Violet is while sitting on the back of my bike. Her ass is practically resting on the back fender. I want to feel her arms wrapped around me and her legs plastered to mine. I’m disgusted I continue to have these feelings for the woman who betrayed me. I thought I was over her. I thought I had forgotten her. But one look at her and all the feelings and desire came rushing back.