Chapter Nine
Wren
Ihead up to my apartment to throw on some clothes for yoga and take a quick minute to freshen up after the earth-shattering O I experienced thanks to McSexy next door.
I have no fucking clue how we ended tangled up in each other when the man drives me nuts most of the time. Fine, if I”m being honest with myself, that”s a big fat lie. I”ve wanted Brooks since the moment he barged into me, but I never thought he”d want me the same way or that I”d give in to the magnetic effect he seems to have on me.
I take one more look in my bathroom mirror to make sure everything is as it should be. My space buns look a little rough but not so bad that I”d need to re-do them. They can wait until after yoga.
Grabbing my mat and a water bottle, I head downstairs to meet Meadow. She”s not waiting in the breakroom, but I see her talking to Chayse Fowler in the front of the shop.
”Hey, wench. To what do we owe this honor?” I tease Chayse as I round the counter to give her a quick squeeze.
”Hey, Wrenny.”
I roll my eyes at her nickname. She knows I hate it, but Penny loves it when she calls me that because then our names rhyme.
I lightly pinch the back of her arm, which makes her yelp and let go of me. Chayse sticks her tongue out at me, making me laugh. Some people, you just instantly click with; Chayse was one of those people for me.
”I”m out running some errands before having dinner with my sisters at The Tavern later. Cash and Reid have the kids. I needed a little mommy break. I missed your gorgeous faces, so I decided to pop in and say hi.”
”Awe, aren”t you sweet? I”m glad you did. I told Cash that we needed to get together soon. I”ve missed you too.”
”He told me, which is why I made sure to stop by. Between the kids and going back to work, it”s been a little crazy.”
”I can only imagine. I”ve been running around like a chicken with my head cut off for months. The girls and I are actually planning on doing dinner at The Tavern after Meadow and I get done with yoga. We need to talk shop for a little bit, but then it”s just girl time after that. Why don”t we snag a table together after a bit?”
”That would be great. I”m sure my sisters will be down.” Chayse smiles brightly at me.
”Perfect! We should probably head out, but we”ll see you in a little bit.”
”Me too. See you later, bitch!” Chayse yells and blows us a kiss, heading down the sidewalk in the opposite direction.
I”m not sure where the yoga studio is, so I follow Meadow down the sidewalk. I hate to admit that I haven”t socialized as much as I should have for how long we”ve been living in Sparrow Falls. I just get so caught up with the shop that I forget to slow down. That”s part of the reason why I want to go over our hours and free up more time for all of us. Then Meadow can have more time with River, and Daphne can have more time for her art. She”s so fucking talented. I”d hate for her to lose sight of her art because she”s too focused on our shop.
”So, how did things go with Brooks?” Meadow bumps into me wiggling her eyebrows up and down, making my giggle.
”They went fine. Neither of us caused the other any bodily injuries, and we actually had a decent conversation.”
”Oh, really? Are you sure about the no bodily harm? Brooks was looking pretty rumpled when I saw you. And you, my dear friend, were quite flush.”
”He carried over those heavy-ass boxes, so of course he was rumpled. And I was flush because that man is like a five-alarm fire when he”s not doing anything, let alone when he”s flexing those sexy arms.”
We reach the yoga studio, which is only a few blocks down from our shop, just as I finish dodging Meadow”s question. She lets it drop as we sign in and get our mats set up.
Piling her gorgeous main on top of her head, she gives me a scrutinizing look. Nobody has made me squirm since I was a surly teen and Lark would get on my case about being boy-crazy or whatever was bothering him at the time. But when Meadow turns her calm, calculating stare my way, my every instinct tells me to spill my guts or flee.
I”m saved by the yoga instructor. She looks to be around my age and exudes a very calming presence, which is exactly what I need tonight.
She starts out our flow nice and slow, and my body and mind finally relax in a way that only happens during yoga or when I have my sketch pad. I spend the next hour getting lost in the best possible way and feel more peace than I have in months.
Glancing over to Meadow at the end of class, I can”t help a slow smile. Meadow practices yoga every day and is a licensed instructor, but she knows I struggle losing myself to the practice if I”m in my everyday environment.
”Thanks for finding this place and bringing me along, Meadow. I needed it more than I realized.”
My best friend smiles sweetly at me as we both pick up our stuff and get our shoes on.
”Of course, babe. I could tell your chakras needed to be re-centered and knew this would be the best way. I”m glad you enjoyed the class. Does that mean we can make it a regular occurrence?”
”Absolutely. Did you bring a change of clothes with you, or do you need to head back to your house?”
”I brought clothes. They’re back at the shop.”
”Great. You can come get ready with me. I”m gonna take a quick shower when we get back—I know we didn”t do hot yoga tonight, but I still worked up a sweat.”
”That works for me. I posted on all of our socials that we were closing early tonight. Hopefully, Daphne”s all done with her client so we can head to The Tavern. I”m starving.”
”Perfect.”
We get back to the apartment to clean up after yoga. My hair looks decent enough, so I take a quick shower to wash my body and slide into my favorite pair of cut-off jean shorts, my Chucks, and an old band tee I stole from Lark eons ago. It”s comfy and perfect for a night out with my girls.
Daphne was finishing up with her client when we got back, so by the time we make it back down to the shop, she”s ready to go. Realizing it”s been a minute since we”ve gone out, I make them both pose with me and snap a shot of us in front of our shop, with the neon sign glowing in the twilight. I”ll post it on my socials for the shop at some point, but I also love capturing these moments together.
It still never ceases to amaze me how different looks-wise the three of us are but how much Daphne and Meadow are my soul sisters to the core. I love them as if they were my real sisters, and I remind myself every single day how lucky I am that they”re in my life and we”re able to live out our dreams together.
On the way to The Tavern, Meadow and I gush to Daph about the new yoga studio she found. Before long, we”re inside, with a table and a picture of Maverick”s summer brew—a light, crisp lemon beer that is delicious. It”s busy, but Mav runs this place like a well-oiled machine, so it”s not long before we have our food too.
”So, what did you want to talk about regarding the shop?” Daphne picks at her fried hot cheese balls.
”Well, the main thing is that we need to adjust our hours. When we originally opened, I was so worried about making a profit and having our regular clients come to us that I didn”t really think about how long our days would be. I don”t have anything outside of the shop, but you both do. I don”t want to steal your time from River, Mead. And the art you”ve been painting recently is out of this world, Daph. I want you to have the time to keep painting and maybe let me talk you into displaying your pieces somewhere.”
”All that sounds reasonable to me, except for displaying my art. You know how I feel about that.” Daphne plays anxiously with her napkin.
I don”t think I”ll ever get past what big assholes her parents are for making her feel like her paintings are insignificant and that it”s a frivolous hobby that will never amount to anything for her.
”I agree that we need to cut back our hours, but that includes you too, Wren.” Meadow narrows her eyes at me before crossing her arms.
”I”m cutting back too. Promise. The other thing I wanted to talk about is officially hiring River and giving her some responsibilities around the shop.” Turning towards Daphne, I mainly address her. ”Meadow and I talked about this a little bit already, but I wanted to run it by you too, Daph.”
”I think that”s a great idea. You know I love having her around and being an auntie. It will be fun having her be our co-worker too. I know she”d love having the extra cash for some of her science-y stuff.”
”Great, then that”s all I have for business stuff. We can sit down tomorrow maybe, and figure out what our new hours will be and when we want River to work.”
”Sounds good. Now, wanna tell Daphne and me what happened between you and Brooks earlier today?”
Eyes wide, Daphne looks back and forth between Meadow and me as she realizes she missed something. Meadow is smiling innocently as I give her my fiercest glare.
”Nothing happened, other than McSexy and me finally having a civil conversation.”
”Oh, he”s totally a McSexy. That”s such a great nickname for him. But if I”m being honest, I”m more partial to McSteamy.”
Daphne blushes as Meadow and I giggle. The girl can read the dirtiest, smuttiest sex scenes with a straight face, but when it comes to talking about her preferences or sex life, her cheeks immediately flush red.
”Don”t let her fool you, Daph. When I went into the shop, Wren”s shirt was askew and Brooks”s hair was messy as if some little hussy had latched onto it as he rocked her world. Unfortunately, said hussy won”t spill the beans.” Meadow pouts, making me laugh some more.
I know I should give in and tell her because I”m dying to and need both of my friends” advice, but it”s also fun leaving her hanging.
”Do you seriously think they were up to no good? He”s so not Wren”s type.” Daphne turns towards Meadow.
”Of course I think they were all up in each other”s business, but I”m not sure how far it went. Technically, they were both fully clothed when I found them in the back of the store. But both of them were rocking a post-orgasm glow if I ever saw one. I don”t think they had sex, but I could be wrong.”
”Why don”t you think they did it?” Daphne rests her chin in her hand and looks between Meadow and me.
”Seriously, you two?”
”What?” Meadow asks innocently. ”You could silence this topic a lot quicker if you just told us what happened between you and Brooks, ya know.”
”She”s right. You know Meadow won”t stop until you tell her what she wants to hear. And you know you can”t lie because she”ll know if you do.”
Letting out an exasperated sigh, I drop my shoulders and bury my face in my hands. I”m not sure why I”m struggling so much to talk to them about this.
I finally spit it out.
”Everything was going fine. We were getting along and having a normal conversation. When I went to leave, I tripped. Brooks lunged for me, catching me, before we both crashed to the floor, with him breaking the fall. He was very sweet, making sure I wasn”t hurt as I did the same to him. Next thing I know, my hands are in his hair and my lips are on his. It was hot as fuck and turned heated quickly. Before I could stop myself, I was writhing on him as we dry humped each other until I had one of the best orgasms I”ve had in months. Then we heard the front door and righted ourselves before Meadow found us.”
”I knew it! You two were acting too strange when I saw you, and you both had that glow. Wait, did he come too?” Meadow bounces in her seat, anxiously awaiting my answer.
I nibble my lip as I decide whether to tell them or not. Most guys would probably find it embarrassing, but for some reason, I don”t think Brooks would if I told them. Sure, he didn”t want Meadow to see the evidence on his jeans, but I don”t really blame him there.
”From the way she”s hesitating, my guess is that he did,” Daphne interjects.
”That was my guess too. Wren was standing in front of him almost as if she were shielding him. At the time, I didn”t really think anything of it, but now, I”d say there was something neither of them wanted me to see.” Meadow waggles her brows, making me groan out a chuckle.
”I”d say that”s confirmation enough. So, what does that mean for you two now?” Daph questions with a thoughtful expression.
”Honestly, I”m not sure. It”s not like we really talked about it. I left pretty quickly after Meadow so I could get ready for yoga. I suppose I”ll just have to wait and see.”
”Oh, I have a feeling we”ll all be seeing a lot more of McSexy around. Did you get a chance to snoop on the books more?” Meadow works her way through her veggie burger.
”Oh shit, I almost forgot. I didn”t get to look through them, but Brooks asked if I wanted to host a romance book club at the shop.”
”No way! That would be so much fun. I love discussing books with you and Meadow, but it would be nice to make some more friends here. And who makes better friends than book friends?”
”I love this idea. Do we get to pick what we read?”
”I”d assume so. We didn”t really get down to details. He was more gauging my reaction. I told him yes, but I hope you ladies will help me with it.”
”Absolutely. This is going to be so much fun.” Daphne smiles her full, bright smile that she rarely lets show. It lights up her face, which lets me know doing this book club is the right call.
We finish up our meals and discuss which book would be best to kick off our book club with, going back and forth with some playful debating. We”re still talking about books when the Wilson sisters make their way to our table.
”What”s got you three so animated over here?” Chayse teases.
”Oh, you know… Books.”
”Oh, I just read a great one by Jenna Lockwood the other day,” Spencer chimes in.
”Oh, I adore her books,” Daphne replies with a smile.
”Me too.” Meadow smiles back at Daph before turning to Chayse, Spencer, and Emerson. ”Brooks asked Wren to host a romance book club at the store once it”s opened.”
”Fuck, that”s awesome! I”m down if you”re willing to have me,” Chayse exclaims excitedly.
”Who”s Brooks, and what store?” Emerson”s brow furrows as she looks around our group.
”Brooks is renovating the bookstore next to our shop,” I tell her.
”Yeah, Em. Maybe if you left your shop or quit screwing your husband for five minutes, you”d know who he is,” Chayse teases.
Emerson flips her off good-naturedly.
”The man would barely touch me for months because he was afraid of hurting me. I”m making up for lost time. Besides, he”s hot as fuck, and I know you are both just as bad with your husbands.”
As if they know we are talking about them, Cash and Axle walk through the door. Maverick brings another round of drinks to our table as Chayse stares lasers at her husband.
”Why is he here, and where the hell are our kids?”
”Easy, tiger.” Maverick gives Chayse a noogie, then pulls his hand away when she elbows him in the gut. ”Cash”s mom and dad came over to watch them. He wanted to make sure you stayed out of trouble after I sent him a picture of all you ladies together.”
”What the heck, babe?” Spencer scolds Maverick, and I can”t help but laugh at his contrite expression.
”I didn”t tell them to come. I just wanted them to see how much fun you ladies were having. You deserve it.” Maverick leans down and places a sweet kiss on her forehead. Even my tough-as-nails heart swoons a bit seeing this badass biker dude melting for his sweet-as-pie, kindergarten-teacher wife.
”Whatever,” Chayse huffs out with a roll of her eyes. ”But tell my husband that if he wants sex any time in the near future, his ass will stay on the other side of the bar unless I approach him.”
Maverick raises his hands in surrender as he steps back. ”I have no plans on ruining your girls’ night out.”
”Good. Then be a good big brother and bring us some tequila, limes, and salt.” Emerson smiles sweetly up at him before winking.
Maverick chuckles, ruffling Emerson”s hair, and spins to head towards the bar. After a minute, he comes back with everything Emerson requested, along with enough shot glasses for all of us.
We all cheer and each take our first shot. Chayse looks over to where Cash and Axle, Emerson”s husband, are sitting. She flips them off, making Axle burst into laughter and Cash shake his head.
We”re on our third—or is it fourth?—round of tequila shots when my attention is pulled towards the bar door.
Standing in all his handsome glory is none other than my McSexy. He”s changed his clothes and added an attractive backwards cap to his outfit.
”Mmm. Hello, hottie. Who are you?” Emerson all but purrs.
I can”t stop the daggers my eyes send her way.
Meadow turns towards the door and giggles. ”Well, that”s none other than Wren”s McSexy, or better known to everyone else as Brooks.”
”Well, hot damn. You never told me how fine he is.” Emerson smacks my arm.
I glare back at her before shooting my next shot and stealing hers.
”Hey, wench. That was mine.”
All the girls start laughing at Emerson and me, making it hard to be annoyed with her checking out Brooks. I mean, I can”t really blame her. McSexy is hot as hell.
”Ooooh, I love this song! Let”s go.”
The way Emerson jumps up from the table, you”d hardly be able to tell that she was in a horrible accident, which took months to recover from. Every now and then, I”ve noticed a slight limp, but the woman is a force to be reckoned with.
Before I realize what”s going on, she”s grabbing my hand and tugging me towards the bar. I have no idea what the hell is going on when she walks up to Mav behind the bar, tapping him on the shoulder to get his attention.
He turns and smirks, then scoops her up and drops her on top of the bar. Then, he does the same with me. I let out a startled scream before stumbling a bit until I find my footing. Emerson is already strutting her stuff across the bar top to the cheers of the patrons below. I”m shocked still until she spins me around and snags my hand, pulling me close to her.
Loosening up a little, I let her guide my movements and dance like nobody’s watching. It”s freeing and fun as hell.
Emerson peeks over her shoulder, my eyes following hers, only to land on Axle, Cash, and Brooks.
Cash is cracking up as Axle sits with his arms folded across his chest and an eyebrow raised. Brooks is in a similar position as Axle, but his eyes are smoldering.
With a crook of his finger, Axle beacons Emerson to him. She tugs my hand and pulls me along. Once in front of her husband, Emerson drops impressively low, taunting her firm ass right in front of his face. It”s hot as hell watching her tease him. It looks fun too.
Carefully making my way around her, I take my turn, dropping low in front of Brooks, popping my ass out right in front of his face. I hear wolf whistles from my friends, which makes a laugh spill out of my mouth.
When I look over my shoulder, Brooks and Axle nod at each other, then slide their bar stools back and stand so fast that Emerson and I don”t see it coming. Both men grab us and throw us over their shoulders. Emerson is with Axle, and I”m in Brooks”s arms.
The catcalls and whistling get louder as the guys carry us towards the door.
I protest, but a swift smack on my ass has me calming down. Well, calming down in the sense that I quit squirming, but my pussy is anything but calm right now.
At our table, the girls are cracking up. Daphne gestures that she”ll take my purse home. I wave and blow them kisses before the door closes behind me.
”Where are you taking me, McSexy?” I ask in my most seductive voice as my hands tug up his shirt so I can run them across his delicious back.
”Home, little minx. I”m taking you home.”
He shifts me so I”m comfortable resting in his arms.
I can”t help but snuggle into his chest. I”m warm, safe, and happier than I”ve been in a long time.
I try to keep my eyes open, but the soft sway of Brooks carrying me in his arms is too much to resist. My eyes slowly close, and I succumb to sleep.