CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
-:- PENNY -:-
Thursday has come around quickly, but I’m so excited about my archery lesson with Winter that I’m giddy.
Arabella must be picking up on my excitement as she keeps squealing and kicking her arms and legs.
She’s babbling, and I frown as I’m about as sure as I can be that I hear her say ackoll…
I hope that isn’t asshole because if it is, Nyx and those ladies of hers are going to be in big trouble.
Arriving at the range, both Jo, Arabella and I step inside, and my eyes must be rounded because Jo giggles and nudges me with her shoulders. “Come on, let’s get checked in.”
I hold on to Arabella as my eyes flick around the place. There is a good vending area, which has a bench to rest on while drinking. It’s a massive building, and has a lot to see at first glance, but Jo pulling my sleeve to hurry me along has me snapping back to attention.
“Hi, Ben. How’s it hanging?” Jo asks, which tells me she has been here before and fairly often.
“To the left, Jo, to the left.” Grinning at Jo, who giggles in response. I’m keeping quiet because that’s the last thing I expected to hear. “Do you have an appointment?” Ben asks as he checks the PC monitor in front of him.
“We do. This is Penny, and she has an archery appointment before mine with Winter.”
“I see you both. Okay, Winter will be here in a few minutes. Do you need anything while you wait?”
Looking at me questioningly, I shrug, “I’m okay.”
Arabella looks at Ben, studies him for a moment and then gives him the biggest smile.
It takes me by surprise because following that, she holds her arms out for him to take her.
Now that is unusual, and I’m shocked. Ben, however, doesn’t miss a beat.
“Can I?” he asks as he holds his arms over the reception desk.
“Okay,” I respond after Jo gives me a nod to go ahead.
Arabella starts to babble, and Ben replies with just as much nonsense, but you know he keeps a straight face, and nods along with her replies.
When Arabella gives an enormous belch, followed by a fart, he smirks, responding with, “Excuse you.” Arabella giggles, and it’s one of those that has her whole body shaking, and has you giggling right along with her.
“What’s going on here?”
Turning to see who has spoken, Winter is standing hands on her hips but grinning. “Well, it seems Missy here had a case of the wind. But it’s okay now she let rip and everything’s clear,” Ben pipes up.
Winter shakes her head at him, gives Arabella a look of amusement, and then looks at me. “Come on, Penny. Jo and Ben will watch Arabella. I’m sure she’ll be fine. We’ll only be half an hour.”
Once Winter has guided me through the building to where the lesson is going to be, she checks out my clothes. “Can you tuck your tee inside your pants, Penny? We avoid baggy clothes in case they catch the bowstring.”
I quickly do as asked, and Winter says the espadrilles I wore are great. Hair safely out of the way, tied in a low pony. I’m apparently good to start the lesson.
“I’m going to cover the safety side first. You won’t remember it all today, but I will give you a pamphlet when you leave so you can give it a read now and again before you come back. Then you’ll have absorbed that information.” Winter pats my shoulder. “Come on, don’t be worried.”
Winter instructs me never to release a bow without an arrow, how to stand, feet shoulder-width apart and facing the target. The grip, using my hand and thumb. How to nock the arrow onto the bowstring. Drawing the bow, anchor point, aiming, releasing the string and follow-through.
“That’s it for today, Penny.” Winter states, and I look at her bemused because honestly I’ve done all that, and not even fired the bow!
“Thank you for the lesson, Winter. I’ll book more lessons after the wedding. You are going to the bachelorette party aren’t you?”
“Of course, I wouldn’t miss it. Heard it’s a diversion, a good one, Penny.” Winter leads me back to the front of the building, and I’m happy to see Arabella is now asleep and tucked in Jo’s arms.
“Thank you, Jo.” I take Arabella carefully from Jo, and after looking around I decide to take her to the SUV where I can lay her on the back seat while I sit next to her.
I step to the counter to pay before I head to the SUV, but Winter stops me. “No payment, Penny. We do things for each other, no money involved.”
“Oh, okay, thank you.” I stutter a little, taken by surprise by the kindness, or sisterhood that I’m being given.
“Right, Jo. Let’s get this lesson done so you can get Penny and Arabella back to the clubhouse.” Winter leads Jo away, and Ben steps from behind the reception counter.
“Come on, Penny. I’ll open doors for you.”
That’s exactly what he does, and he makes sure both myself and Arabella are settled in the SUV before he closes the door and walks back inside the building.
I look at Arabella who is laid with her head on my cardigan, and a soft blanket over the top of her.
I had removed the baby seat so I could sit next to her, and I’m relaxed back reading from my phone.
Geez, I can’t help but think…Jo really writes some raunchy stuff.
I was given the eBook by Jayne funnily enough.
She has all her books on her Kindle and in paperback.
A true collector, and I’m going to see if Jo will do a signed copy for her when I get the chance.
The time passes quickly, and Jo taps on the window letting me know she’s back. Opening the driver's side door, popping her head inside. “Let’s get the seat back in, Penny.”
It doesn’t take long to get the seat back in, and Arabella settles, she stirred only for a moment before she continued to sleep.
“She’s a good sleeper, isn’t she, Penny?”
I smile in response. “She is, and I’m grateful for it. When I was on my own, I would rest in the afternoon when she did because of the time during the night she was awake. But she quickly started sleeping through the night, which I was extremely happy about.”
“I can imagine.” Jo continues driving and then asks. “Do you have your dress organized for the wedding?”
“Actually, I was wondering if any of the ladies would like to be a bridesmaid?”
Jo giggles, “Oh, I’m sure we’d all like to do that, especially when our men see what we’ll be wearing.”
“I’ll speak to Mia about it. She’s being so kind in helping organize everything. She has covered everything, and I mean how I want the dress, my hair, Arabella, the men, the clubhouse. It’s a huge thing she’s taken on, but you know she has never complained or said anything negative.”
“Have you been for the fitting yet?” Jo hums, “Can I come and get my dress organized?”
“Why don’t we get everyone who wants to be a bridesmaid over there at the same time?
Can I leave it with you to organize that with the bridal shop?
” I rub my neck because I find all this stressing.
It’s my job to organize, and I can do it so easily for work.
Yet for my own wedding I’m a total mess, and can’t organize a thing.
“I’ll do that. I’ll speak with Mia too and check to see if everything is good.
If not, I’ll help her out, Penny.” Jo leans over and pats my knee.
“As Winter told you, we help each other. There will be a time when you will step up and help one of us, or all of us. That’s what this MC family is all about. ”
Back at the clubhouse I lay Arabella on the bed in our room, tucking her in and quickly heading to freshen up. I know she’ll be at least another half an hour sleeping before she’ll wake and be ready for something to eat.
Ruger walks into the room fifteen minutes later, and folds me into his chest. Kissing me softly, and murmuring sweet things into my ear. I don’t stop the smile that crosses my face. In his arms, it feels like home, so right that it makes me want to cry.
“We can have a walkthrough of the house, Penny. Do you want to do that? Then we can do some checking on what furniture we’re gonna need.” Ruger turns and steps over to Arabella who is waking from her nap. Holding her arms up, she grins as she coos, ‘Dada.’
An hour later, Arabella is with Mia and Summer. Arabella is in the highchair next to Summer, and they are talking to each other. In baby language, but honestly, it’s so sweet.
“Go on, Penny. Go look at the house, and make a list on your phone so you don’t forget all that you need to buy. It’s a beautiful-looking house, and I’d love to see inside sometime.” Mia spoon-feeds Arabella what looks like applesauce!
“Of course, you can look at the place,” Ruger responds, and I catch him rolling his eyes, which makes me giggle, and Mia rolls her eyes back at him. Now, that has me laughing even more.
Ninety-minutes later we’ve walked the house, and I have a list on my phone that's so long it’s a wonder it doesn’t run out of memory. But Ruger isn’t bothered about what we need, he just keeps saying if we need it, get it.
“How about doing some of this shopping online? Or would you rather see it?” Ruger asks, and I can see he’d like to skip the actual going to the shop part.
“Well, I’ll tell you what. You look after Arabella and I’ll take some of the ladies with me to get basics, like cutlery, linens, and you know, things you wouldn’t really care about.
Then you come with me for the furniture part, beds, dressers, sofa, and stuff.
” I keep my voice calm because I’m hoping he’ll say yes to this because I’m sure I can get the shopping done quickly with the help of probably three ladies.
“Okay, I’m good with that. You know, choosing spoons and shit really isn’t my thing.”
I giggle because I can imagine my man in the middle of a store looking at cutlery like it is something from Mars, then saying, ‘Get what you like, Babe.’
“Okay, I’ll speak to some of the other ladies and see who would like to go with me. On another topic, I wanted to ask if you knew anything about Bones and women.”
Ruger looks at me with a frown. “What do you mean?”
I explain what I’ve seen at work, and although I don’t think for a minute Bones is a stalker or some type of pervert, I wonder what he is doing.
“Bones will be doing exactly what he told you he’s doing.
You know he was the man on the team who checked everything to make sure it was safe.
I think all he’s doing is making sure all the staff are who they say they are.
Watch him more, and I bet you will see him checking all the security staff, and even Magnus. ”
The next morning, I walk into work and give Jayne a wave as I pass her, but stop when I see Bones leaning against the wall, watching Holt and Matt, who are discussing the shift they just finished.
Maybe Ruger is right about Bones, but I’ll keep my eye on him.
As I pass, I give a grunt, and would pat myself on the back because I’m sure I got the right grunt this time.
An hour into my day and I receive a text message from Kya.
Kya: I have everything organized for the party. We are having it at Tilly’s house so we are off compound.
Penny: Oh, that is good of her for letting us use her place.
Kya: Nah, she was happy to do it. We’ll have a grill and some music.
Penny: I thought you’d choose TJs or Club Whisky?
Kya: We thought it would be better to keep away from the brothers’ eyes. They’d probably notice you were missing if we were at one of the clubs.
Penny: Oh, I see what you mean. I need to be sneaked away.
Kya: I have it planned. So, all is good to go.
Penny: Thank you, Kya.
Kya: TTYL
I’m smiling because this is going well, and if it goes to plan I can get in and out of Tilly’s without being seen, and the brothers will be none the wiser.
My phone vibrates again, and it’s Nyx this time sending a text message.
Nyx: My ladies want to come to the wedding, and they want to dress up too.
Penny: You asking if I’m OK with that?
Nyx: Penny, do you think they give a shit if you like it or not?
Penny: Well, I suppose OK then!
Nyx: It’s just a warning. See you later. Oh, Arabella can say banana, but it’s narna.
Penny: Oh, OK. I’ll listen for it.
This is turning out to be a weird day, what with Bones sneaking around watching everyone. Scarlett has confirmed my booking for my tattoo, and more than enough messages for me to ponder about. Maybe I’ll just have a drink and one of Magnus’s chocolate chip muffins!