Chapter Seventeen #2
“I’ve never taken the easy route in my life, and I’m not about to start.” She put her plate down next to Gus, who immediately leaned over to inspect it.
“You got corn bread,” he said approvingly.
“I always get corn bread.” She ruffled his hair.
“She’s emotionally attached to it,” Cowboy joked.
“You say that like it’s bad,” Birdie said. “Think of all the other things I could be emotionally attached to.”
“I’d rather not.” Cowboy slid an arm around Sully and kissed her cheek. “I’m emotionally attached to you, darlin’.”
They’d been together for three years, and they were still in that new-love honeymoon stage.
“You two are sickeningly sweet,” Birdie teased.
“Jealous?” Doc teased.
She looked around the table. Ezra was whispering something to Sasha that had her leaning into him, and as if on cue, just to torture Birdie, Doc reached over and squeezed Juliette’s hand.
“Massively,” she admitted, and headed over to see Hazel, sneaking a glance across the room at Crew, wishing, absurdly, that he could sit at their table, too.
“Up. Up. Up.” Hazel kicked her feet and stretched her hands toward Birdie.
“At least someone’s emotionally attached to me,” Birdie said as she lifted Hazel into her arms.
“We’re all emotionally attached to you,” Juliette said. “Where have you been? You’re usually here more often.”
Desperately trying not to think about that gorgeous man across the room.
“I’ve been around.” She nuzzled Hazel’s cheek, giving her several quick kisses. Hazel’s giggles floated around them, earning smiles from everyone.
“So you just breeze in here like a human tornado and don’t want to tell us what you’ve been up to?” Doc asked.
Birdie shrugged. “I like to keep my life mysterious.”
“And dramatic,” Cowboy said.
“Don’t forget food-adjacent,” Ezra teased.
“A girl has to have priorities,” Birdie said.
Sully and Sasha laughed.
Hazel tucked her face against Birdie’s collarbone. Birdie bounced her gently.
“Dare said you blew out of the Roadhouse last week,” Cowboy said.
Birdie rolled her eyes. “And you think I’m dramatic? He was off his rocker and taking it out on me. Where is he, anyway?”
The table went quiet.
Too quiet.
“Uncle Dare yelled at Crew during dinner,” Gus exclaimed.
Ezra winced. “Shh. Not so loud, buddy.”
Birdie’s stomach dipped, her gaze shooting across the room to Crew at the buffet. She hoped he hadn’t heard Gus. “That doesn’t sound very nice.”
“He wasn’t nice,” Gus said. “But Sugar said Uncle Dare was just confiscated.”
“Conflicted,” Sasha corrected him. “He was conflicted.”
“Oh, yeah,” Gus said. “Conflicted, ’cause he was sad about Billie getting hit by Crew’s car.”
Birdie swallowed hard and looked at Cowboy. “What’s going on with all that?”
Cowboy set his fork down and said, “He and Billie are sitting this one out. Waiting for the storm to pass.”
“The storm? How exactly will this pass?” Birdie asked angrily, wanting to say, Crew’s here to make amends. How can he do that if Dare won’t hear him out?
“They’re dealing with a lot of feelings right now,” Ezra said.
“We all are,” Sasha said softly. “I’m still not sure how to handle it.”
“I’m sure Crew feels the same way,” Birdie said. “I feel bad for him.”
Sasha’s brows knitted. “You feel bad for him? What about Dare and Billie? They’re the ones who almost…” A troubled look washed over her, and she glanced at Gus. “Never mind. Hey, Gusto, what do you say we check out the desserts?”
Gus jumped to his feet, and Sasha led him away from the table.
“Sorry, Ezra. I didn’t mean to start anything,” Birdie said.
“That’s all right,” he said. “Sasha’s conflicted, too.”
“Confiscated,” Birdie teased, trying to lighten the mood.
“For what it’s worth, Crew’s a good worker, and he’s…trying,” Cowboy said, clearly choosing his words carefully.
“What does that mean?” Birdie asked.
“It means he’s pitching in, doing all the right things, and he tried to apologize, but Dare isn’t having it,” Doc said.
Birdie’s chest constricted.
Juliette tapped her arm, pointing out that Hazel had fallen asleep. “Why don’t you give her to me, so you can eat?”
Birdie kissed Hazel’s forehead and handed her over. As she sat down, she said, “I don’t get it. Dare’s a therapist. Shouldn’t he know better than to go off in front of everyone? Poor Gus must think Crew’s a bad person. How embarrassing for Crew.”
“Gus doesn’t think that,” Ezra reassured her. “We made sure of it.”
“Good.” Birdie’s gaze drifted back to Crew, and her chest ached even more with a quiet warning that siding with him would come at a cost. One she wasn’t ready to face. But her heart seemed to be moving toward it anyway.
AFTER DINNER, BIRDIE promised Gus she’d see him soon, and as she said goodbye to everyone, she noticed Crew was already gone. Disappointment flickered inside her as she headed out to her car.
“Hey, Trouble.”
Her heart leapt, and she spun around, her entire body lighting up at the sight of him standing a few feet away. “Ragnar.” She wanted to run to him, to throw her arms around him and tell him he wasn’t alone in his plight to make amends.
But she didn’t dare. Her father had a sixth sense, and she’d already come too close to ruining things for Crew.
“How are you?” he asked, scanning their surroundings.
“Surviving. Missing my Viking like a neurotic squirrel missing its nuts.”
An amused smile curved his lips.
“I’m sorry for making things uncomfortable in there,” she said. “I wasn’t thinking.”
“It’s all right. I like it when you touch me.”
A little thrill ran through her. “Are you flirting with me, Ragnar?”
“I didn’t intend to, but when you look at me like that…”
She tilted her head innocently, though she cast her most seductive gaze on him. “And how’s that?”
“Shit.” He chuckled and shook his head. “You’re going to get me in trouble.”
“Getting you into Trouble with a capital T sounds good to me.”
“Christ, woman. Stop talking, and don’t look at me like that. I’m trying to offer my help.”
“If it’s the kind of help I’m asking for, I accept!”
He took a step forward, laughing. “You’re killing me.”
She stepped closer and whispered, “Don’t die yet. I promise it’ll be worth it.”
“Birdie,” he said in a rough warning. “I’m trying to do the right thing.”
“Maybe I am the right thing.”
His jaw tightened. “I heard you talking to Sasha about work. I can help you with anything finance related.”
Her pulse kicked up. “Really?”
He nodded. “Numbers are my chocolate.”
I want to be your chocolate. “I remember how much you like chocolate.”
A slow grin spread across his face, sending more thrills racing through her. He scrubbed a hand down his face, checking their surroundings again, and his expression turned serious.
It was a good reminder that this wasn’t a game. This was his life, and she needed to stop playing around. “If you’re serious, I’d love your help. But if we’re going to be tutoring buddies, we should probably exchange numbers.” She pulled out her phone.
With a nod, he rattled off his number, and she quickly thumbed out a text—Thank you. I promise to try to behave. She added an angel emoji and sent it to him. His phone chimed. “Now you have my number, too. Let me know what time works for you.”
“Tomorrow evening around eight?” he asked. “Unless you have another date? I can help you any evening, except Mondays.”
“Tomorrow’s good. But FYI, I swore off regular guys after the last bad date. Now, Vikings? They’re definitely on my to-do list.” She spun on her heel and headed to her car.
“Birdie, we can’t—”
“A girl can dream,” she called over her shoulder, and climbed into her car before she got them in trouble, a giddy little squeal sneaking out. When she looked up, he was gone, leaving her to wonder if she’d dreamed up the encounter.
As she set her phone in the holder, a text rolled in.
Ragnar: Drive safe and be careful with that lead foot. That car’s a beast.
She did an excited little shoulder wiggle. “You’re totally into me,” she said as she thumbed out a response.
Birdie: I like my cars how I like my men.
She added a devil emoji and sent it off, anxiously awaiting tomorrow evening.