15. Chapter 15
Chapter 15
Ginny
“Where are we going?” I ask when Joker hands me my bike helmet. Yes, mine. He had one made for me.
“It’s a surprise. You like to ride, enjoy it, and when we get there, we get there.”
“Fine.”
“Stop pouting.” He grins at me, leaning over to kiss my cheek. “I promise you’ll like it.”
He gets on the bike, helping me on behind him and wrapping my arms around his middle. I might love the ‘Tiny’ couch, as we all call it, but this is a close second. The best part is when he pulls me closer to him, ensuring I’m essentially enveloped around his body.
We take off down the highway headed south. We pass the farms on the way out of town, and I think of Trish taking baby Aaron to see her dad’s best friend and playing with the animals on their ranch. She’s asked me to go before and ride horses, but I always come up with a reason not to. Maybe we could go with Lottie, Elle, and a couple of my friends from the school. That would be a blast. Go me with the good ideas.
We ride through Rockton and a few other smaller towns without talking. It’s obviously impossible to really have a conversation, so all I can do is think. And all I can think about is that I had sex with Joker this morning. That he all but declared his love for me. That we’re an official us? Mind officially blown. I’m kind of still waiting to wake up from the best dream ever, if I’m being honest.
I also think about his recommendation that I talk to someone. I know Trish did when she went through all her shit, but it was someone she already knew and felt comfortable with. I don’t want to burden anyone I don’t know with all my baggage. I know it’s their job, but still. It makes me uncomfortable. Hell, I don’t like talking to the people who do know me about what’s going on in my head.
I’m so lost in my own head that when Joker stops the bike, the absence of the motor running between my thighs is the only reason I realize something’s changed. I look up and see a sight for my sore eyes. Sandy’s Diner.
“We’re in Briar Mountain?” I ask.
“We are.”
“At Sandy’s?”
“That’s what the sign says.”
“You brought me to Briar Mountain to eat at Sandy’s?”
“I did.”
“But…how?”
“I remember you said you loved their waffles.” He shrugs his shoulder. “It’s not that far away, so here we are.”
“You, sir, are a romantic, aren’t you?”
The tips of his ears turn pink, but he shakes his head. “I’m a very terrifying man, remember? I make people pee their pants with just one look.”
“Your secret is safe with me.” I place my hands on his chest for leverage to lift up for a kiss, which he obliges.
Why is kissing this man so magical? The zings that go through my body when his lips touch mine are nothing I’ve ever felt before.
“If you two don’t stop sucking face in my parking lot, I’ll have to call someone to break you up!” a female voice full of laughter chides us.
Breaking apart, I know my face is beet red, but Joker is laughing.
“Ms. Sandy, if you don’t stop giving me grief, I’ll have to go to Mable’s place back home and you’d miss me.”
“You wouldn’t.” The stink-eye this woman gives is enough to make me join in their laughter. “Now,” she turns toward me, “who is this gorgeous lady you have stuck to your lips?”
“Sandy, be nice,” Joker tells her without a hint of seriousness in his voice. “This is my girlfriend, Virginia Mills, but everyone calls her Ginny.”
“Well, let me get a good look at you, honey,” the woman says. “You know I have to approve of all my boys’ picks.”
She’s a beautiful, dark-skinned woman with her hair in long braids and a welcoming smile. She doesn’t look old enough to be a grandma, but I still bet she gives good grandma hugs.
“Where have you been hiding this beauty?” she finally asks after giving me a very solid once over.
“Remember Davis?” he asks.
“That guy that used to be with the FBI? Really good looking?”
“That’s him. This is his sister.”
“Yes, I can see it now. You’re much prettier than he is, sugar.” She smiles at me. “You’ve been here before, haven’t you?”
“I have.” I return her smile. “My friend used to go to school down here and worked for Abigail Thorpe.”
“That’s right! Trish. How’s she doing?”
“Well, she’s my sister-in-law now, and they just had a baby.”
“You tell that girl and that fine brother of yours that Mable will get over it if they visit. And I fully expect a visit.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“What are you two waiting for? Come on in. Let’s get you some food.”
Joker places his hand on my lower back, and I can feel myself melting into his touch. How long has it been since I’ve been on a date? Keith took me on a few when we first started seeing each other, but it quickly became only work functions. I can’t even tell you the last time we went out to dinner together. Or a movie. How stupid was I for putting up with that for so long?
“You aren’t stupid,” Joker surprises me by whispering in my ear. “But I’m going to get a complex if everything I do that you enjoy gets compared to how much of a fuckup that loser is. Just admit I’m the better man and enjoy your time with me. Deal?”
“I wasn’t…” I start, but realize I can’t lie to this man. “I was. I’m sorry. I’ll try to not do that anymore. It’s exhausting in my head sometimes. You shouldn’t have to deal with that.”
“I don’t want your apology, Beautiful. I want an invite inside. Tell me your thoughts. Let’s work through them together. After you just realize I’m the best and that you love me more.”
“Of course I love you more. I never loved him at all.”
It’s not until I stop walking at our table that I realize what I just said.
“I didn’t mean…That’s not what…Fuck.”
Joker laughs, pulling me into his arms in front of everyone eating their meals, and plants a very not-safe-for-public kiss on my lips, only breaking away when Ms. Sandy clears her throat.
“Sorry,” I mouth to her. She just shakes her head, mumbling about crazy people kissing in her diner.
“I love you, too.” He grins at me, still not letting me go. “Now let’s eat. I’m starving and we have other plans.”
In a daze, Joker pushes me down to the seat, sliding me over and scooting in beside me. It’s only then I snap out of it.
“You can’t sit on this side, there’s not enough room!”
“There’s plenty of room, Ginny.”
The look he gives me calls out all my bullshit. It’s not quite the make-you-pee look, but it’s close.
“Don’t give me that look.”
“Don’t imply things that aren’t true. There’s plenty of room for both of us to sit on the same side together. Besides, I can do this.” He wraps his arm around my shoulder, pulling me even closer to his side. “Couldn’t do that if I were way over there.”
“Well, this is just adorable. Honey, you’re stunning, and those hips? Men’s kryptonite. Just ask my George,” she winks at me, “he’s been trying to get an eye full since you walked in. He’s got very good taste. He married me, after all!”
“Damn right I did!” an older man with a smile that lights up the room yells back from the counter. “And she’s a saint for putting up with me all these years, but I can’t help but look at a pretty girl.”
“Hey, that’s my girl you’re talking about, old man.” Joker laughs. “Keep your eyes to yourself.”
George laughs, full and loud, and turns back to his coffee. I’ve missed this place.
“Alright. Now that we’ve had our fun. Let’s see if I remember this.” Sandy takes out her order pad and squints her eyes at me. “One of you liked the turkey and one of you liked the waffles with extra butter.”
“That’s a really good memory,” I admit. “Extra butter for the extra—”
“Butter pockets!”
We share a smile and she writes down my order. When she turns to walk away, Joker stares at her.
“You didn’t take my order.”
“Batman, you’ve been coming in here for years and you order the same dang thing every single time. I don’t need to ask you for your order.”
It’s Joker’s turn to grin, his ears tinting pink, as Sandy pats his cheek.
“Your drinks will be right out.”
“She’s good,” I tell him once she’s walked away. He grins and kisses my cheek.
“What do we have here?” a new voice asks from the booth behind us.
“Looks like our boy is visiting with a woman,” another female says.
I look around and see two very attractive older women smiling at me. One has dark blonde hair, and the other is auburn with a touch of silver. “Hello?”
“Oh, hello! Is that Mr. Bennett you have sitting there next to you trying to shrink down in the booth?” the woman with blonde hair asks.
I look at Joker, who is indeed much shorter than he was a moment ago, his face buried in his chest.
“Yup.” I grin at them. “Can I help you?”
“Yes, actually, you can. Is your name Ginny?” the darker-haired woman asks.
“It is.”
“Oh, how wonderful. Joker! You turn around and look at us right now, young man.”
I hear an odd noise come out of Joker. You know that whiny groan when you really don’t want to do something, but you know you will because you’re still afraid your mom or dad is going to show up and embarrass or ground you? Yeah, that noise. I should know, I’ve made it quite a few times the last few months.
“Be right back,” I tell the women. Slinking down in the booth next to Joker, I whisper, “You alright?”
He nods his head.
“Do you know those women?”
He nods his head.
“Are you avoiding them for a reason?”
He nods his head.
“Want to tell me why?”
He vehemently shakes his head no.
“Hmm.” I sit back up in the booth and turn to face the ladies again. “Can I ask who you are? And maybe how you know my name?”
“Oh, silly us. We feel like we already know you. I’m Claire Goode.” The blonde points to herself. “And this is my best friend, Gloria Thorpe.”
The darker-haired woman waves.
“Wait a minute. Thorpe. Do you know Abigail?”
“That’s my daughter! And her daughter-in-law!” the women reply together.
“You’re Noah’s mom?” I ask the blonde. She nods in confirmation. “And how do you know Joker?”
“Oh. I work with his company. I’m a therapist,” Claire tells me.
“And you are also a therapist,” I point to Gloria. “I remember you now. You talked to Trish after everything happened.”
“I did.” She smiles at me. “You’re her best friend, right?”
“And Davis’s sister.”
“Your brother sure is a good-looking fella. I met him when he was working down here. I can see the family resemblance.”
“Joker, why are you hiding?” Claire asks, laughter in her voice.
“I’m not,” he calls out over his shoulder, still hunkered down in the booth.
“What are you afraid of?”
“Nothing.”
All three of us roll our eyes. Sandy stops to drop our drinks off. “He hiding?” she asks.
“Yup,” Claire answers.
“Am not,” Joker says like a petulant child.
“Are you scared we might tell Ginny here everything we already know?”
My eyebrows shoot up as I look between the two women. “You know about me?”
“Has that man told you he loves you yet?” Claire asks.
My cheeks heat up at this question, and I look at the top of Joker’s head. “Hang on,” I tell them, sliding back down again. “Joker?” I ask once I’m level with him.
“Hmm?” he asks, turning his face in my direction.
“I need to ask you something,” I whisper.
“What’s that?”
“What do these women know about me?”
“They, um, might know how I feel about you.”
“Another question. How do they know how you feel about me?”
“The guys I work with have big fucking mouths and can’t keep anything to themselves?” he ends on a question, like he’s not totally sure that’s the right answer.
“You haven’t been spilling my secrets in your sessions?”
“No. Only mine. But everyone has a complete lack of filter around her. It’s like a magic superpower or something.”
“Last question.”
“Yes?”
“And that would be how exactly do you feel about me?” I smile, my whisper loud enough for the women to hear me now.
“You know how I feel about you.” He returns my smile. "I already told you."
“Do I?” The grin on my face is so wide my cheeks are starting to hurt. “Do I really?”
“Sandy would kick us out if I showed you exactly how much I feel about you.”
“Damn right I would. Everyone has to keep their clothes on in my establishment!” Sandy yells.
“Party pooper,” George grouses.
“What have we talked about?” Claire asks. “The shell has to crack sometimes. And if you can’t do it now, when can you?”
“I love you, woman!” he yells, popping up and pulling me up in his arms. In front of the whole diner.
Gloria and Claire high-five. Sandy kisses George on the cheek. The other patrons clap.
“The kiss when we got here wasn’t a big enough clue?” he asks. “And the words I already said?”
I shake my head, my smile still plastered on my face.
“I.” He kisses my forehead. “Love.” He kisses the tip of my nose. “You.” He kisses my lips. Sweetly.
“And I have your food. Now stop making a spectacle in my place and eat up.” Sandy carries our dishes to the table, but she can’t hide her grin, either.
Joker turns to the women behind us. “Happy now? Was that big enough for you?”
“Extremely. Give her our cards,” Claire tells him. Turning to me, she sobers. “If you ever need someone to talk to, you call us. Both of us are well equipped to deal with what you’ve been through, and we like to listen.”
“Thank you,” I tell both of them.
“We’ll leave you alone now. Joker? I’ll see you next week. Enjoy your meals.” Claire gives me one more smile and the two women stand up and leave us to our own devices.
“Well, that was something.” I blow out a breath and Joker returns to his seat next to me. “Any of your other friends going to ambush us while we’re here?”
He chuckles, picking up a fry and dipping it into his chocolate shake. “Nope, but we might run into a couple of them at the next stop.”
“Which is where? I’m not sure I can go in blind anymore today.”
“The gun range,” he states before popping a fry into his mouth.
“Why are we going to the gun range?”
“Because you need to learn to shoot. And I’m an excellent teacher.”