Chapter 6 #2
“The scariest part of that is your aunt and her friends are sitting at a table with our mothers right now. That’s enough to give anyone pause.”
“I agree.”
◆◆◆
GRADY MASON
“Where did Ella go?” Stoffer asked as he sat down beside me.
“She’s hanging out with the Time Served ladies,” I told him as I tilted my head in that direction. “I think Izzy is over there too.”
Stoffer craned his neck to see where our wives were sitting and then winced when he said, “No matter how many times I see those women gathered together, it doesn’t get any less terrifying.”
Dante, one of the Time Served MC Nomads I’d met just a few hours ago, laughed before he said, “I’m sure they’re plotting world domination. That’s what my old lady and her sisters do when they get together.”
“Does she come from a big family?” Stoffer asked.
“Oh, yeah. She’s got lots of siblings, countless cousins, and a multitude of friends. She owns a salon in Marlboro and knows almost everyone in town.”
“My wife owns a salon too,” Lout said from across the table. “You would not believe the personal shit that people tell her.”
“I know what they tell her because she then tells our wives, and they start twittering like . . .”
“Like what?” Willow asked as she rested her hand on his shoulder. He turned so she could sit on his leg, and she settled there with her arm over his shoulder. “Come on, Stoffer. You can do it.”
“Like they’re in charge of the world and are on a mission to collect all the detailed information so they can make an informed decision,” Stoffer said with a proud grin.
“That was a damn good save, my friend,” Chef, another member of Time Served, said as he extended his enormous fist across the table to bump Stoffer’s. “You pulled that one out at the last second.”
“Pulled it out of his ass,” Willow mumbled as she shot Stoffer a pretend glare. When she turned toward her husband, she said, “Speaking of the women making all the major life decisions, we’ve decided we’d like to go on a night ride if you gentlemen haven’t had too much to drink.”
“I’m down for that,” Lout agreed.
“If Jolie is in, then so am I,” Dante said before he took a drink of his bottled water. “I’m always ready for a ride.”
“We can go out on the loop, cut down and circle the lake, and then drop out as we near our houses or hotels, whatever the case may be.”
“Then Bird and I can lead the other guys back here since we live right down the road,” Daughtry offered.
“You don’t think we’re wild party animals that want to drink all night?” Chef asked with a booming laugh.
“I think we’re all of an age where we’ve learned to pace ourselves and that it’s a lot more fun to take our women home to enjoy their company, especially when they’re as tipsy as some of them seem to be,” Bird said as he watched his wife saunter over.
“Besides, you guys will be here for a while, so I’m sure we’ll drink plenty of beer while we’re together. ”
“That’s a fact,” Stoffer said as he stood up to go find his wife.
“I’ll go ask Squid if she and her old man want to join us,” I said as I stood up and pushed my chair in. I looked around and spotted my daughter with her old man, Dice, sitting at a table near the dance floor with a few of the other Nomads, so I walked that way.
Squid smiled up at me and asked, “Are you coming to ask me to dance with you?”
“I’d love to twirl you around, sweetheart, but we’ll have to put a pin in that until next time. We’re taking a night ride around the lake and wanted to see who wants to join us.”
An odd look crossed Cydney’s face before she smiled at Dice and said, “Go on without me. I think I’m gonna hang out here with the girls.”
“Are you sure?” Dice asked.
“Positive. Lark and I were just saying we haven’t had a chance to sit and talk for a while. This will be the perfect opportunity.”
“You’re passing up a ride?” I asked in confusion. “You talk to your friends every day, I’m sure, but when was the last time you went on a ride with the family?”
“We’re going to be here a while, Dad. You guys enjoy yourselves. I’ll see what kind of trouble I can get into with my girls.”
I studied Cydney’s face for a second, positive that she was hiding something from me. I couldn’t imagine what it might be unless . . . I looked down at her waist, but she leaned forward to rest her arms on the table to hinder my view, which answered my question for me.
When I looked back to her eyes, she grinned and put a finger over her lips to keep me quiet. I frowned before she said, “Just for a little while, okay?”
I didn’t know whether to jump for joy in celebration or pinch the head off of the slimy bastard that had touched my little girl . . . again. Apparently, Cydney could read my mind because she hopped up and threw her arms around me before she whispered, “Love you, Dad.”
“I love you, too, Squid,” I murmured in her ear. “Obviously a lot, because if your mama finds out I knew before she did, there will be hell to pay.”
“That’s why this is going to be our little secret.”
“Last time we kept something from her, she didn’t talk to either of us for two days!”
“Yeah, but this time you don’t have to post my bail, and she’s gonna get another grandchild out of the deal. I think it will work out.”
“I’ve never been able to say no to you.”
“I know. That’s why I’m such an even-tempered, absolutely wonderful woman.”
I heard Dice snort behind me and laughed because he knew she was full of shit and that it was probably mostly my fault. “Love you, Squid.”
“I love you too.”