Chapter 31
“Those were great expectations,”I said, my cheeks still flushed as Bones parked in the gravel lot of the clubhouse.
“Think about how great they’ll be when I can fully devote my attention to them.”
I cradled his cheek in my palm and skimmed my thumb over his lips. “It’s probably all I’m going to be thinking about.”
We got out of the car and Bones went to the back seat and picked up the small bag I’d packed. If I was doing sleepovers in a clubhouse room, then I wanted my own toiletries and comfortable pajamas.
Cars began to arrive, including the bride and groom. Sutton got out of the car and ripped at the skirt of her wedding dress which fell away to reveal a shorter skirt beneath it.
“I’ll wear this dress the rest of the day,” she said. “But I’m not dragging a train around. Where are my Converse?”
“I’ll get them,” Viper said with a wayward smile.
She sat in the driver’s side seat as she changed her white heels to a pair of bright red Converse. “Okay, I’m ready for food.”
“Food?” Kelp asked as he got off his bike. “You need a drink. Preferably hard liquor. You did just legally bind yourself to Viper…”
“I don’t think I’ll be having a drink for the next nine months, give or take a few weeks.”
It took a moment for her words to penetrate, but when they did, Viper’s mouth widened in shock. “Seriously?”
She beamed up at him. “Seriously.”
He swept her into his arms and held onto her, her legs dangling like a rag doll. Viper buried his face in her hair. I was witnessing what felt like a private moment, and hastily turned away, despite the fact that Kelp and Raze were seeing it too.
I looked at Bones but I couldn’t tell what emotion was streaking across his face.
Viper finally put Sutton down and they were immediately swarmed by the Tarnished Angels.
“Why don’t you look surprised?” Bones asked me once he’d offered his congratulations and stepped back.
“Because I already knew,” I said with a smile.
Bones picked up my bag and took my hand, lacing his fingers through mine. “Yeah? How?”
“Sutton told us the night of her bachelorette party,” I explained. “And she asked us to keep it a secret until her wedding day.”
Bones led me toward the clubhouse and I glanced over my shoulder at the happy couple. Though they were surrounded by friends—friends they considered family—they kept stealing glances at each other, obviously sharing something that only they could share.
It made emotion leap into my throat.
We put my bag in Bones’ room. When I turned to leave, Bones blocked the way.
“What are you doing?” I asked with a coy smile.
“Just looking at you,” he said quietly.
“Yeah?” My hand reached for the zipper on the side of my dress.
“Leave the dress on,” he commanded.
My hand stilled.
“If I get you naked now, we’ll miss the entire party. Let’s go celebrate my brother and his woman, and then I promise to satisfy your every need later tonight.”
I flashed a grin. “Promise?”
“I promise. I’d grab a sweater. You brought a sweater, right?”
“I did. It doesn’t match though,” I remarked as I opened my bag and dug through it.
“No one cares.”
“I care.”
“You’re hot when you’re put together, Duchess, but I like it more when you’re dressed down.”
“Really?” I asked as I slid my arms into a black wool sleeve.
“Really. Come on, I’m starving.”
We headed into the backyard and my breath caught at the sight. A white wedding tent had been pitched and there were several tables laden with white tablecloths and mason jar candle votives. Heat lamps graced the perimeter of the tent, waiting to be turned on when the temperature dropped in the evening.
There was a long table of chafing dishes with food, a pop-up bar catty-corner to the table, and then a separate area for the wedding cake and mini cupcakes.
Jazz, Brielle, and a few severs were standing at the ready to help with the buffet. “Is there anything without red meat?” I asked.
“I have a plate for you inside. Let me get it,” Jazz said.
Bones and I took our food to one of the vacant tables.
He set his plate down next to me. “I’m going to the bar. Want me to get you a drink?”
“Something non-alcoholic, please.” I set the napkin in my lap and reached for my fork.
“Mind if we join you?” Doc asked just as I took a bite of fish. I waved to the empty seats and she and Boxer sat down.
“We didn’t get much of a chance to talk at Sutton’s bachelorette party,” Doc said.
“A lot was going on,” I responded.
“And then the menfolk crashed the party,” Doc said, shooting Boxer an amused look.
“You weren’t complaining later that night,” Boxer drawled.
“Hush, you,” Doc said as she began to blush. “Don’t mind him. Our yellow lab is better behaved than Boxer.”
“That’s factually inaccurate. Last week, Monk ate a pair of your underwear and I just ate?—”
Doc hastily covered Boxer’s mouth with her hand. “Will you stop? We’re trying not to scare the new girl.”
“Don’t hold back on my account,” I quipped. “Bones has been attempting to desensitize me to his dirty mouth since the moment I met him.”
“What have I been doing?” Bones asked, reappearing at the table with a bottle of beer and a martini glass. He set the martini glass down in front of me. “The bartender made you a Cosmopolitan without the booze, and he substituted sparkling water to make it fizzy. Whatever the fuck a Cosmopolitan is.”
“Thank you,” I said. “And never mind what you were doing.”
“Apparently you’ve got quite the dirty mouth,” Boxer said to Bones. Boxer swiped the bottle of beer from Bones and took a sip. “You might need another one of these.”
“See? No manners,” Doc said with a laugh.
“Guess I’m going back to the bar. Doc, can I get you something?” Bones asked.
“Same thing Hayden’s drinking.”
“You got it.” Bones looked down at me. “Eat before it gets cold.”
I took another bite of food and looked around the wedding reception. Sutton and Viper were talking with Slash and Brooklyn while Brooklyn held their newborn.
Everyone lent a hand where they were needed. Friends held babies while their parents ate and no one seemed put out by the fact that several children were at a wedding. Most of the weddings I’d attended were adults only.
I frowned.
“Hayden?” Doc asked.
“Hmm?”
“I asked you how your food is.”
“Oh. It’s great. Hey, Darcy isn’t here yet. And she left when we did.”
“She texted the Old Ladies group chat,” Doc explained. “She had to run home for a second.”
Bones and I chatted with Boxer and Doc, but once I finished my food, I got up and went to talk to Brielle and Jazz.
“Well?” Jazz asked. “How was the food?”
“Delicious,” I said. “Thanks. I just wanted to know how it’s working out with the new dog?”
“We named her Cuddle Bug,” Jazz said.
“You,” Brielle stated. “You named her Cuddle Bug. Homer and I voted for the name Millie.”
Jazz rolled her eyes. “She has to be spooned at night, otherwise she doesn’t go to sleep. She named herself, really.”
“You should’ve seen the looks we got yesterday at the dog park calling for her.” Brielle shook her head. “Downright embarrassing.”
“How was the bachelorette party?” Jazz asked. “Brooklyn told us some stuff went down…”
“About the guys crashing the party because they couldn’t stay away from their women?”
“No, about the fight Darcy nearly got into,” Jazz said. “Good thing Bones stepped in when he did.”
I frowned. “How did Brooklyn know about that? She left before it happened.”
“Chain of command. Bones told Slash, Slash told Brooklyn, Brooklyn told us,” Brielle said. “You must’ve had a front row seat.”
“Yeah, I did.”
“That’s it? That’s all you’re going to say about it?” Jazz stated.
“It feels like gossip, and I don’t want to gossip,” I said. “I don’t know her. I just know she’s hurting, and we should all be there to support her.”
“I didn’t mean to—” Jazz sighed. “You’re right.”
There was an awkward moment of silence, but then Brielle asked, “Where is Darcy? And Lily and Cam?”
“Doc said she had to run home first, but she’s probably on her way.”
“It’s been almost an hour,” Brielle murmured. “Since you guys got here, I mean.”
“Maybe I’ll ask Mia if she’s heard from her,” I murmured. I left Brielle and Jazz and headed for Mia’s direction, but I was waylaid by Waverly.
“So, I was thinking,” she said. “I know you promised butterscotch candies, but if you lend me those heels instead, I’ll call it even.”
I grinned. “My heels? How do you know we’re the same size?”
“I’m praying we are because you’ve got amazing taste. Better taste than even Logan.”
“I heard that!” Logan called, and then went back to talking to Rach.
“You don’t think I have good taste?” Willa asked as she joined me and her sister.
“Nope,” Waverly said unashamedly.
“I’m not really your style, am I?” I asked. Waverly was rocking the bad-girl-gothic-meets-80s-female-girl-band-legend. She wasn’t wearing heels, but heavy motorcycle boots.
“I’m all about change,” Waverly said. “Please, can I try them on?”
“You can absolutely try them on,” I said with a laugh.
“I’d kill to see the inside of your closet.” She batted her eyes at me.
“Actually, I have a dress that I bought even though it was completely wrong for me because I loved it so much. It would be perfect for you—and your red hair.” I tugged on one of her curls.
“Really?” Waverly squealed and then launched herself at me, nearly knocking me over.
I laughed at her exuberance. She was so fifteen in that moment. Other moments I swore she was twenty.
I looked at Willa and she turned her head and wiped at the corner of her eye.
“You are the coolest person ever,” Waverly said as she pulled back. “Now I’m gonna go eat three cupcakes.”
“You didn’t have to do that,” Willa said once we were alone.
“Do what?”
“Treat her like she’s your little sister,” Willa said.
“Oh.” I sighed. “Well, I don’t have a little sister, but if I did have one, I’d hope she’d be just like Waverly.”
“Crap, you’re going to make me cry. Again.” She let out a watery laugh. “I’ve been so worried about her.”
“Worried? Why?”
“Our mom was hardly a mom. She officially bailed a few months ago, but I’ve been raising Waverly since I was a teen anyway. Duke and Savage helped because…they’re family. But I was worried she was never going to open up. And now, she’s like a different person. I’m just so grateful for this club. They’ve been here for us through the hardest time in our lives.”
She squeezed my hand. “Anyway, I’m rambling. Now Waverly has so many older sisters she can count on. I just love that.”
“Stop, now you’re going to make me cry.”
“We’ll be sniffling in company.”
I gave her an impromptu hug, my reserved nature giving in to the warmth of the moment. Willa, Bones, the club…they made it impossible to remain on the sidelines.
I pulled back, intending to take my leave and seek out Mia. As I did, I noticed the club president’s wife was across the lawn talking on her phone. She lowered her cell from her ear and it slipped from her hand into the grass.
I saw the look on her face.
I knew that look.
It was the look a person wore when their entire world had just shattered around them.
It was the look my mother wore when she found out my father had died.