Chapter 33
thirty-three
DARCY
The female croupier looks up at me nervously through her glued-on eyelashes and flips the bottom card, showing a six of hearts to add to the four of diamonds. She slides the chips across the green felt toward me, her eyes darting back and forth to the heavily inked biker leaning on the table.
Farm Boy moves to stand with a shake of his head. “Should take you on the Vegas circuit.”
“Wait, that’s a thing?” I ask, interest piqued. I lean down to pet sweet Gris-Gris’ muscled torso. He’s sitting at my feet, watching every move of the people surrounding me, his blanket in his mouth like a paci. He’s been like Velcro, keeping himself as close to me as he can be.
I don’t care what the others say. He’s a damn good boy.
Dane’s confident voice rumbles from behind me as his hand comes to rest on my hip. “You would be causing mischief.”
I lean back into him, and crane my neck backward to kiss him hello. “I expected you to be gone longer.”
“Looks like I came back in the nick of time. Got a text from Farm Boy about possibly asking a patron to leave. Didn’t mention it’s my old lady.”
Farm Boy snickers, his tall body leaning against the table next to me, “Couldn’t wait for you to see it for yourself.”
“Okay, Darcy, time to go,” Dane informs me.
“But I wanna stay. Do you see how many chips I have?”
“I think we’ve had enough fun for tonight,” he says, hefting me over his shoulder in a fireman’s hold.
I squeal as he carries me through the crowded casino, garnering quite a bit of attention.
“We’re leaving Gris-Gris.”
“Couyon’s coming now to bring him to the compound.”
In the parking lot, Dane sits me down on both feet and folds his arms around his cut. “Alright, Sugar, ‘fess up. How’d you do it?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, if you were anybody else, you’d have been banned from the casino.”
I can’t hide the smile on my face as I lie. “Ever heard of beginners' luck?”
He lifts a dubious eyebrow in my direction. “At Blackjack?”
With a laugh, I confess. “A friend from another church taught me during a retreat. I showed Delia how to play, and we got kinda good.”
“But…Blackjack?”
“It’s not like there was a lot for us to do. Most television and books weren’t allowed, so we’d sneak off to play cards.”
He shakes his head, a grin on his face. “Any other hidden talents I should know about?”
“I’m pretty good at Gin Rummy too, and at finding secret hiding spots to read the books my parents banned.”
He makes a tsking sound, mischief dancing in his eyes as he retrieves my helmet. “Who would have thought my good girl was so naughty when she was growing up? Playing cards with childhood friends and reading.”
I take the protective headgear from his outstretched hand. “I guess it’s a good thing you weren’t here when my family moved to Parran. You wouldn’t have looked twice at me in my frumpy dress.”
“I would have felt the connection between us the minute you walked into a room and not stopped until you were mine. Besides, I would have had fun finding out what was underneath all that fabric.” Despite his light teasing, something dark crosses his face.
Dane climbs onto the Harley with ease, and offers a hand to help me before revving up the engine and taking off. There’s a tension in Dane’s body that slackens as we travel down the highway together. He truly was meant to be a biker. What the guys call “wind therapy” does its job with Dane’s sudden change in mood.
Despite what I said about him not noticing me if we’d met before, I’m certain that as much as he was born to ride, my place is behind him.
* * *
I feel freer than I ever have on the back of Dane’s bike. As it did the first time, and the second, terror turns to thrill as we fly down the interstate. His body blocks much of the wind from my eyes, but I can still feel its refreshing touch on my cheeks. I’m disappointed when he exits off the highway, our ride almost done. He stops at a red light and reaches back with his left hand, caressing my leg possessively. I lean into him, squeezing my arms around his ribs before we take off again, relishing in the sensory overload. White noise from the road beneath us, the smell of the grass, the vibrations from the engine.
Dane helps me off the bike when we reach the restaurant. As I’m pulling my helmet off, I realize it’s an exact copy of Dane’s, except my Odin’s knot is pink instead of white. Brushing back my hair, I try to inspect myself in the tiny rearview mirror as Dane shoves our helmets inside the locked saddle bags.
“You have fun?” he asks, coming to claim me before we walk into the chain steak house hand in hand.
“Yes, but I’m happy you’re the one driving,” I admit.
The hostesses' eyes go alert with recognition as we walk in, and we’re shown straight to a booth in a private corner. A basket of fluffy pumpernickel bread is on the table before I have a chance to glance at the menu.
“So how’s the wedding planning going?” Dane teases.
“Would you stop that,” I hiss.
He doesn’t even glance up from the menu to see my annoyed gaze, and in the most nonchalant voice, says, “Just let me know where to send the check for the deposit when you do.”
“Lucy,” I say pointedly. “Is getting married at the Catholic church in town. I have no doubt I won’t be able to bring you as my plus one because lightning will probably strike.”
He taps his fingers on the glossy booth top and dares to say, “You know, we can get married at the farm like my parents. Dad planted a small patch of giant sunflowers to serve as a backdrop. I’ll plant gardenia bushes for you.”
“That’s so sweet,” I gush.
He lifts my hand and brings it to his lips, kissing the palm. “There’s nothing I won’t do for you.”
For a brief second, Dane’s little plot works, and I imagine a white wedding with potted white gardenias lining the aisle. When I look up, I see the wolflike smile on Dane’s face. “You are an evil, evil man, you know that?”
After we’re full of delicious steaks and potatoes, we ride around on his motorcycle just for the hell of it. Dane makes a loop and turns back once I start getting tired.
It isn’t until he drives up the path to the clubhouse that I realize Dane’s shown me the entire way.
It feels special to be trusted with such a big secret.
After we’ve dimmed the lights in the cabin, Dane’s even hungrier than normal for my body. I’m so exhausted from making love that I go right back to sleep when I hear the cabin door open and close.