Chapter 26 #2
Rusty looked to Janette. There was an exchange between the two of them, eyebrows lifted, heads tipped, and cheeks were scratched, but a whole conversation seemed to take place in between those gestures, and Rusty’s dark eyes turned on me.
“Don’t make a habit of it.”
I looked between the two of them. Jan grinned and nodded. Rusty shook a basket of fries, while my mouth fell open in surprise.
“You really are a big, old teddy bear, aren’t you?
” I rushed forward and wrapped my arms around Rusty, chuckling as he complained his way through the gesture and patted me awkwardly on the back like that was the most foreign thing in the world to him.
Janette’s big smile of adoration had me shaking my head as I released him and rushed to her.
She was much more willing to accept the hug and held me close, much like a mother would hold her daughter.
“Thank you. So much. You have no idea how much this helps.”
“I have work to do.” Rusty was grumbling the words, but I saw the twitch of his cheek as he tried to hide his smile. I wanted to hug him again, but I knew I was pushing my luck so I allowed Janette to lead me out into the diner again.
“The old fool would do anything for you, sugar. Not that he’d ever admit that.” She cupped my face with her hands and kissed me on the cheek. “You just let me know what you need and it’s all yours.”
“I love you, Jan. Both of you. Thank you.”
I got a chuckle in response and a nod to the door where Deeks and Kenny were sitting in a booth turning their coffees into sugary messes. “Best get out of here before Rusty puts you to work.”
“I wouldn’t mind, but I have another impossible task to do.”
“I’m not going to ask.”
“Best not,” I agreed, and gave her a gentle hug. “I will see you tomorrow, though.”
“Same time?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
We said our goodbyes, and I collected my bodyguards from the table while saving their hearts from the diabetes all that sugar was sure to create.
When I got to back inside the truck, I turned the engine over before I pulled my phone from the center console to text Drew.
I needed the heat now that the afternoon was giving way to the colder night.
All set. They said yes but don’t make a habit of it!
I hit send and stayed where I was, waiting for the response.
It pinged through only a couple of minutes later.
Guess we’ll have to find somewhere else to host the wedding reception then.
Good girl
Thank you, darlin’ x
Wedding reception? I knew he was joking, but my stomach seemed to drop to where my toes were beginning to heat up from the warm air blowing from the trucks heating.
I felt strange. Like someone had just turned me upside down and shaken me.
I had to remind myself several times that he was joking before I gathered myself together to respond to him as nonchalantly as I could.
I couldn’t ask Rusty to work during our wedding reception ;)
And you’re very welcome - wasn’t as bad as I’d thought. They wanted to help.
It took longer for him to reply the second time, and I could imagine him glancing at his phone as he tried to multitask with organizing the men while flirting with me. Drew was good at most things, but fast typing on a small screen wasn’t in his particular skillset.
Shit. Forgot Rusty will probably be the one giving you away.
Or will it be Tate?
Maybe Deeks?
Don’t ask Harry. He’ll cough all over your nice dress.
What the fuck was happening? He was supposed to be the one freaking out right now.
That I’d even responded to his joke about a wedding was designed to show him that I’d noticed what he’d said.
It wasn’t to inspire him to continue or even make me think about that particular scenario.
Who would give me away wasn’t something I should be worrying about.
I still had to convince my brother to sell the lie that he was dating his ex again.
What the hell did I do now? Respond with the same nonchalance and make things weird or laugh it off or… I had a solution.
Not sure yet… Will have to decide when the time comes. :P
God, I hoped I’d at least scared him right back. This was going to be the longest wait yet, and this time both Deeks and Kenny were staring at me, but I was sure that was because I’d lost any color I’d possessed in my face.
His response came quickly.
Decide now.
I’m marrying your ass, Ayda Hanagan.
It’s only a matter of when. Not if.
I’m not a one hit kinda guy when it comes to you.
I dropped my phone in my lap and covered my face with my hands, not really sure that I’d read the response right.
Was he serious? I could feel the odd conflicting tears welling in my eyes as the passenger side door was pulled open.
When I looked up, I saw Deeks’ concerned stare, his eyes moving between my phone and me.
“What’s wrong, doll?”
I sniffled only once but looked up to scrutinize him for a long moment. I shuffled in my seat, tapped my teeth with the nail of my index finger. I drew in a breath to speak, released the air and then tried again.
“Deeks, hypothetically, if I got married, would it be weird if I asked you to give me away?”
There was a choking sound. Then a wheezing. Then the truck dipped as he used the oh shit handle to pull himself inside and close us in alone together. Kenny’s odd brows dipped for only a second before he pulled his phone out and occupied himself, leaving me to meet Deeks’ eyes.
“There something going on you ain’t told us about, kid?”
I swallowed, looked down at my phone then back at him again. I wasn’t sure what I was feeling anymore, other than dizzy and as giddy as a child that had just been told they were going to Disney.
“I think Drew is hinting at marriage.”
“And you look scared shitless.”
“No,” I said, shaking my head and brushing a stray tear away. “Not scared. Just surprised. It’s not a proposal, just an it’s gonna happen one day kinda thing, and here I am freaking out. He said it in a text message.” My voice pitched up an octave. “A text message.”
“Have you responded?” Deeks asked, his lips pressed together as though he was trying not to smile.
“I don’t know what to say.”
“Answer him.”
“With what?”
“Whatever your heart and your head decide on.”
“Okay,” I agreed and looked down at Drew’s text again, before typing my own response.
Deeks… It would be Deeks.
I love Rusty. I love Tate, of course I do, he’s my brother, but Deeks has been like a father to me. He knows more than anyone how I feel about you.
“Breathe, kid. You’ll pass out otherwise.” Deeks was openly laughing now, but my eyes were on that phone laid in the palm of my hand as though the small rectangle was filled with explosives.
When the cell vibrated in my hand, and I saw Drew’s name and face flashing up at me, I stared at Deeks before answering.
“Deeks?” Drew asked bluntly. “Really?”
I looked over at the man sitting next to me and grinned.
“Yes. Do you remember when you first told me I was going to pay off the debt to the club? That first day you weren’t very kind, and I was freaking out…
a lot. Then this very rough looking man almost walked into me and gave me some sound advice and a great smile.
He took me under his wing after that. He steered me in the right direction and has been nothing but a father to me since.
I love Tate, he means so much to me, but I want to be his best woman one day, and I don’t think it will have the same significance if I ask him to do this.
And Rusty, I love him, too, but—do I really have to explain this to you? It’s hypothetical, right?”
There was a beat of silence that lingered on the other end of the phone until I heard Drew drop into a chair with a thud, his hand landing on the desk before he barked out a fit of laughter. “Ayda Hanagan? Are you… nervous?”
“Shut up,” I grumbled, covering my eyes with my free hand.
“You are,” he cried out, his laughter tickling the edge of his voice. “You’re nervous as hell. Fuck me… that was the cutest, yet most confusing, long-winded explanation I’ve ever heard you push out. Did you even breathe through that?”
“I’m changing my mind about being in love with you, jerk.”
“Let me guess,” he chuckled, carrying on despite my abuse.
“Deeks is sitting next to you right now. You’re kinda pale.
Hands shaking. Hold one out in front of you.
Go on.” I heard the scrape of his chair, his voice moving closer to the speaker as he whispered, “Are you tremblin’, darlin’? Has Deeks had to calm you down?”
I dropped my hand from my eyes and peered over at Deeks helplessly.
“Am I that predictable?”
“Completely and utterly transparent. Put Deeks on the phone for a moment.”
I knew I was going to regret this the moment I did it, but I handed the phone to Deeks with a shrug and watched Deeks’ face light up when it was pressed to his ear. “Pres?”
The only thing I got from Deeks’ side of the conversation was grunts and agreements, his eyes moving to me and away as a smile crossed his features making his beard twitch. That was until he turned my way, his smile cheesy and his silent laughter making his chest bounce.
“A little bit,” he told Drew, breathless and happy.
I could hear Drew’s voice, but not the words he was saying. His commands, whatever they were, grew louder and louder.
“I’ve done my best, Drew, but you know how she is.” Deeks nodded once. Then again. His eyes never left mine as he struggled to stay in control. By the time he was ready to hand the phone back to me, he was practically blue from all the breath holding he’d been doing.
“Oh, yeah. No doubt about that. Consider me schooled. I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again. Yep. Of course. Uh huh.” Deeks’ cheeks were rosy by the time he held the cell out to me and let his laughter trickle out again. “He wants you now.”
I took the phone tentatively and narrowed my eyes at Deeks in an attempt to intimidate him, but he was giving nothing but his humor away, leaving me to discover what was coming next for myself.
“You’re making me crazy.” I huffed my response, not caring that it would just entertain them all the more.
“What the fuck is wrong with you, Hanagan?” Drew snapped. “It shouldn’t be a shock to you that I’m spending the rest of my life with you. If it is, prepare to be smothered by my intentions for the foreseeable future.”
“I wish I could explain this to you.” I gazed down at my lap, my smile bright.
“I wish I could tell you how incredibly happy the thought of marrying you makes me. How much I want all of this, with you. I just never… I guess I never thought you would be quite so cavalier about it. You caught me by surprise. I should have known really. You love keeping me on my toes.”
“I also love you on your knees, so instead of telling me what it means to you, you can show me when you get back to The Hut. I’m hard just hearing you squirm over our future together,” he said without hesitation, his voice low and heated.
“Sort yourself out, baby. I ain’t lettin’ you get away. Not today, not ever.”
The tangle of heat and anticipation wound together in my body so violently my hand dropped to my stomach.
He always did have that effect on me. I took a deep breath and gazed over at Deeks, my cheeks heating for a whole different reason now, one that had Deeks waving me off in denial and fleeing the truck as quickly as he could manage.
“I’m on my way home now. Knees and all.”
“That’s my girl.”
I ended the call and dropped my cell into my bag, backing out of my spot carefully. Life was nowhere near boring anymore, and no matter what that said about me as a person, I didn’t care. I loved my life and every single person in it. Just not all of them in the same way that I loved Drew Tucker.