Chapter Seventeen
Riley
A few months later, Riley followed Ella blindly through a crowd, hanging onto her friend’s hand with bare fingertips as she was led from one side of the packed ballroom to the other.
Ella looked over her shoulder, blonde plait hanging down, face lit by her contagious excitement.
“Almost there,” she called as they wove between two lines of people. “Almost there.”
Riley glanced behind them to find Raggedy Dan and Mad Dawg following closely, both men laden down with bags and packages. This might be Riley’s first book signing, but she could shop with the best of them.
“Dawn,” Ella crowed, rounding the edge of a table. “I wasn’t sure if you’d be able to find time for me. Made my day when I got your text.” She pulled free from Riley’s grip to wrap a woman in her arms. D.M. Earl, as the banner above her head read, hugged Ella back just as tightly.
“Sistah, you know I wouldn’t miss seeing you for the world.” Dawn looked up and held out her hand. “Hi, sugah, I’m Dawn.”
“Riley Monroe. I’ve enjoyed reading your books.
” Wasn’t a lie, because as soon as she’d heard there was another book signing in Texas, Riley had done her homework, devouring works by different authors who would be in attendance, Dawn among them, all highly recommended by Ella.
“Thanks for sharing your stories with the world.”
“Well, Riley Monroe, you look like a sistah to me. Do you ride?”
“Does she ride,” Ella scoffed. “Only every day, rides her own most of the time. I’m a little jealous, because she gets to ride beside her old man. That’s Raggedy Dan there, next to Mad Dawg. You remember Mad Dawg, right?”
“Depends. Did he bring his courage this time, or is he back to his old blushing self again?” Dawn laughed low and rich, sounding comfortable among friends.
“You can’t hold me to what I did two years ago, Dawn.”
“You better believe I can.” Dawn reached out to pull Mad Dawg into a hug. “Good to see you, big man.”
“Good to see you, too, momma.”
“And who is this hanging around on your six?”
“Dan Sharp, ma’am. Raggedy Dan. I’m a brother of this one and old man to Riley.”
As she always did when he said his name proudly, Riley closed her eyes and swallowed hard until the tears no longer threatened. Leaning close, she rested her head against his shoulder, feeling the heat from the sweltering temperature outside still baking from his skin.
“I love you, Raggedy Dan.”
“Backatcha, Riley girl. Backatcha.”
“Aren’t they just the cutest?” Dawn laughed again. “I can nearly see an MC romance come to life in front of my eyes. I bet they’ve got a hella story to tell.”
“Don’t we all, D.M.?” A gorgeous woman in a beautiful dress stood behind the table to their left. “I agree, hey. They’re just the cutest.” She held out her hand. “Kathleen Kelly. What do you like to read, Riley?”
“Oh, I read about anything.” She leaned towards the woman’s table, giggling when Dan followed her without question. “What do you write?”
“Well, considering we’re at the Motorcycles, Mobsters, and Mayhem book signing, I will admit to writing under two of those genres. MC romance and paranormal MC. Have you read the MacKenny Brothers Series?” She pointed to a trio of books on her table.
“Oh, hell yeah, Spark. I loved that book.”
“Makes my heart warm to hear it.”
“Can I buy all three and have them signed?”
“You sure can. I’d be happy to. Want a photo too?” Kathleen sat down and pulled the three books towards her. “Do I make them out to Riley? Is that with one ‘Y’ or two?”
“Yes to the photo, of course. Riley with one ‘Y’. Forgive me if I’m being rude, but where are you from?”
Kathleen laughed as did the man standing behind the table next to her. “Not rude at all. I’m from Australia, just over for the signing.”
“Hey, I’m Stephen, her other half.” The man held his hand out to Dan, who accepted it with a look of gratitude. “And you are?”
“I’m Raggedy Dan, Riley’s ole man.”
“Well met, Raggedy Dan.” Stephen turned to Kathleen. “Do you need a bag or bookmarks, love?”
“Yes, please, to both.” Kathleen turned her smile on Dan. “Raggedy Dan, that does sound like it’s got a story behind it. I think D.M. is right, you both are an MC romance in the flesh.”
“If that’ll make Riley happy, then yes, we are.” Dan smiled at Riley. “I’d do just about anything for this woman.”
“He’s not kidding, either,” Ella piped up behind them, having finished her conversation with Dawn. “Hey Kathleen, SL, it’s so good to see you both again.”
“Yoga lady,” Stephen said brightly, giving a wave to Mad Dawg. “I remember you.”
“That’ll be twenty-four dollars,” Kathleen said, tucking the books into a bag. “And now for the picture. Come on in close, pretty girl. Dan, would you like to be in the photo too?”
To Riley’s surprise, he nodded, handing his phone to Ella. “Take a couple so we know we’ve got a good one,” he told her, stepping to Riley’s side so she was smushed happily between them. She adjusted her ponytail as she looked up at Dan, and he was smiling at the camera.
“Riley,” Dawg said, but she couldn’t turn away from the sight of Dan’s uncovered face smiling radiantly while surrounded by strangers. This would have been his horror story a year ago, but now? “Riley,” Dawg called again, and she turned to face front just as Ella snapped a handful of photos.
“Thanks, Kathleen. I can’t wait to read the other books in the series. Safe travels to you and Stephen.”
“Thanks, lovely girl. Same back to you.”
She and Dan walked the perimeter of the room, hand in hand, Dan carrying all her bags full of books.
“I understand now why Mad Dawg insisted on all of us driving over,” Dan said, waiting for a crew of people to go past them. “Why don’t we go back to the room for a bit. Drop off the bags and then come down again?”
“Sounds good. There’s a lotta people here. I forget about the noise level when there’s so many in one space.”
“I heard that a few years ago they had it outside.”
“And it rained and rained,” came from behind a table at the end of the row. “Was a memorable time, for sure.”
Riley looked at the banner behind the woman and her mouth dropped open. “Nicole James.” She didn’t recognize her own voice. “You’re Nicole James. You write the Evil Dead MC books.”
The lady smiled and nodded, saying, “Yes I do. Have you read any of them?”
“Only all of them.”
“Here we go again,” Dan said softly. “I’m going to run these bags upstairs. Do you need more money?”
Riley nodded, keeping her gaze fixed on Nicole James.
“Okay, baby.” He raised his voice. “How much if she buys the whole set?”
“I’ll cut a deal for a fan. We’ll call it a hundred even.”
He flipped out his chain-drive wallet, and pulled out a single bill, then a second one. “Here’s some extra, just in case. Text me and let me know where in the melee you are, yeah?” Riley took the money from his hand, rising on tiptoes to press a kiss against the hinge of his jaw.
“Will do.” She turned back to Nicole James. “Nicole fucking James, this makes me so happy.”
“Just Nicole will do, who do I make these books out to?”
“Riley, with one ‘Y’. Thank you.”
“Riley, you are most welcome.”
When she finally made it back to their room after finishing downstairs, having fielded half a dozen texts from Dan, she’d expected to find him pacing the floor, anxiously waiting for her return.
Instead what she got was a Dan who was laid back on the bed, shirtless, eating peanuts with some bad reality show on the TV.
She loved it.
***
Dan
He watched Riley enter the hotel room, one hand full of bags, the other holding her key.
She dropped the bags to the floor, flexing her fingers.
“Next time we bring one of those trundle things. That way I get to keep you with me and don’t potentially damage my tattooing hand.
” She came over to the bed and flopped down.
Dan offered her a peanut, and she took it with her teeth, grinning at him.
“Did you have a good time today, baby?” He grinned at her looking at the TV, an appalled line between her brows as she heard the hated antagonist talking bad about the sweet girl character on the show.
“Uh huh. Why’s he gotta be that way towards her?
She’s so innocent. Why’s he gotta be that way?
Oh, no, do you think they’re going to show her his confessional tape?
That would be the worst, to find out someone you thought was interested was really just trying to play you.
” Riley glanced at him, her red hair flaring out behind her in escaping strands.
“Gimme another peanut, babe.” She opened her mouth like a baby chick, and he obliged by holding out another shelled peanut.
“Thanks,” she said, muffled, already turning back to the TV.
Dan grabbed her around the waist and drew her up beside him so her head rested on his shoulder.
He ran the fingers of one hand through her hair, picking at the tangles left from the bun she’d worn most of the day.
When her hair was smooth and tangle-free, he glanced at her face to find out she’d fallen asleep on him.
“Best way to end the day,” he whispered, pressing a kiss to her forehead.