Chapter Forty-One #2
“Uh, right. He’s married to Lolly. Lolly is Aunt Bailey’s mom, but Momma and my aunts took her as their momma, too,” Rebel prattled.
“Uncle Mort is married to Aunt Bailey, and their daughter, Harley, is this bitch who can’t fucking fight to save her fucking life, yet she picks fights all the time.
Uh, anyway, I miss hanging out with Harley—if you repeat that I’ll admit to nothing—but Uncle Mort is totally cool.
Not as cool as Daddy but just as badass.
Lolly is…” She didn’t have the right words.
“I’m lucky to have her as a substitute grandmother.
Oh, and there’s Grant, Lolly’s stepson and Mrs. Harrington’s biological grandson.
He’s a lot of fun to be around and really handsome.
Not as handsome as you or Diesel.” She frowned.
“CJ’s handsome, too. Am I supposed to notice that?
Probably not. He’s my brother. Diesel, too,” she added hastily.
“Mrs. Harrington is a little like Mrs. Redding…”
Noticing Kaia’s shoulders shaking, Rebel’s voice trailed off and she snapped her brows together. Humiliation flamed her cheeks and she looked at D. Elliot. He was laughing, too.
“TMI?” she squeaked.
Kaia leaned over and took her chin between his warm fingers. “Relax, sweetheart. Just breathe. Let’s start over. Okay?”
“Okay.”
“You know Mrs. Harrington?”
She nodded. “She’s my…my grandmother’s mother-in-law.”
Releasing her, he gave her a half smile. “Cool.”
She grinned shyly. “I’m not bragging.”
“I can listen to you talk just to see your lips move. You were just speaking too fast. The slower, the better to entrance me.”
Her breath caught and happiness escaped her.
“Your laugh is like raindrops falling onto a velvet flower.”
Laughter burst from D. Elliot and Rebel glanced at him. The waiter bit down on his lip, then cleared his throat, amusement twinkling in his tired eyes. “Would you like to start with appetizers? How about fried calamari, Reb? Your favorite.”
Unease slid into Kaia’s gaze. He looked at her. “How much is that?”
“I’m not sure,” Rebel admitted. “Daddy usually pays.”
Kaia opened his mouth, then nodded to D. Elliot. “If that’s what she likes, bring it to her.”
“You got it.” D. Elliot jotted on his notepad. “Drinks?”
Rebel didn’t like the anxiety marring Kaia’s handsome face. As D. Elliot waited expectantly, Kaia shifted in his seat, pulled out his phone and started typing.
Curious, Rebel leaned over, surprised to see a mobile banking app on his screen. He winced. Even she saw the red numbers behind a minus sign.
She didn’t want her date to end, but neither did she want to embarrass him by offering a solution.
Straightening, she chewed on her nail, remembering too late that Momma paid for false nails since hers were so jagged and ruined.
Luckily, the nails were glued to her nail bed and went undisturbed by her chomping.
She jumped to her feet, drawing not only Kaia’s and D. Elliot’s attention, but Bishop, Torrin, Narci, and Potter’s, too. She walked forward, glanced over her shoulder and paused when she realized D. Elliot hadn’t followed her. She waved him over.
Once he caught up, she headed to the bar. It felt as if all eyes were on her. But, mostly, it felt as if her date would wipe out before it really began. Sitting in a movie theater allowed close proximity. What it didn’t foster was conversation and getting to know each other .
That might be a good thing, considering how she chattered if given half a chance. Still, she didn’t want it to end like this.
At the bar, she waved at the bartender. She didn’t remember his name, but she recognized him from the many visits to the restaurant with her family.
Turning, she faced D. Elliot. “Can you call my dad? I would do it but I don’t want to embarrass Kaia.”
“What do you need?” D. Elliot asked, glancing over her shoulder.
Rebel turned but saw no one except the first handyman she’d spotted.
His head was slightly bent, though his dark sunglasses and billed cap hid his features from view.
Now that she was closer, she saw that he was unevenly pudgy.
One side of him was much meatier than the other.
Something about the handyman seemed so familiar.
“Reb?”
D. Elliot’s voice drew her away from her contemplation.
“Ask him if he can pick up the tab, then you come out and say you found a credit on my family’s account. Or don’t call Daddy and just say we come to the restaurant so often, we have a free meal as a Valentine’s Day reward.”
The waiter hesitated.
“If you can’t do that, call my dad. If he needs an explanation, ask him to text me.”
Another glance over her shoulder, then he smiled at her and nodded.
“I’ll take care of it and talk to Outlaw, Reb,” he swore. “Go to your table and enjoy your date.”
Rebel managed not to squeal. She was still shocked that she made those sounds. She clapped, then remembered crucial information and threw a thumb in the direction of Bishop and company. “The bikers by the window are Dwellers,” she rushed out. “If Daddy’s unavailable, talk to them. They’ll pay.”
He nodded.
Back at the table, Rebel thought about how Momma would handle the situation. No matter who took care of the bill on her behalf, it wouldn’t be Kaia since he couldn’t afford it. It had the potential to end with him never talking to her again.
On the other hand, Momma would follow Daddy’s lead and adjust accordingly. She’d pick up on his signals. Somehow .
Kaia set his phone aside. “J’s is a little above my pay grade,” he confessed. “But if it makes you happy, I’ll find a way to give it to you.”
“That’s so sweet. Truly.”
He hadn’t noticed her spying. Meaning, he hadn’t realized she knew he might not be able to pay. So what exactly did he intend at the end of the night?
Rebel couldn’t stress about then when there was now . Momma had advised her to ask questions about Kaia’s pursuits. She’d advised against pretending she liked something or ignoring his interests and then demanding he pay attention to all of hers.
“Good relationships don’t work like that, Reb,” she’d said.
Drawing in a deep breath to calm herself, Rebel decided to take charge. He seemed as nervous as her. Hers manifested in gibberish, his in silence.
“What do you like to do?”
His eyes lit up in a way that made her blush. “I like to kiss. I’d love to kiss you.” He tilted his head toward her, his gaze sweeping over her. “Do you like SpongeBob?”
“A little,” she answered, wondering what a cartoon sponge with a stupid friend had to do with kissing .
“On our next date, how about we spend the evening at my place watching SpongeBob in between kissing?”
“You want to go out with me again?” she whispered, ignoring the voices rising around her. They blurred in her head, just as the low hum of conversation had all evening.
Leaning, Kaia slid his hand under the table and grabbed hers. “I want to see you every chance I can, babe. Spend hours next to you. Make you forget about all the other guys…” He squeezed her hand and shook his head. “Never mind. I should thank them for teaching you.”
Rebel searched her mind for who she could ask for a quick course on kissing. Her first thought was her usual one—Diesel. On the other hand, he’d freak out.
Maybe Momma?
“Relax, babe,” Kaia said, his voice strong and sure. “I’ll figure it out.”
D. Elliot walked up to the table, his mouth turned down. He looked even unhappier, circling the table, inspecting every angle and finally stopping at Kaia’s side.
Sighing, Kaia released her hand and settled both of his on the table, clasping them together.
“I was coming to see if you needed more water?” the waiter asked.
Rebel looked at their empty water glasses. “ Water would be nice.”
He grinned. “Be right back.” Turning, he raised a phone to his ear and walked off.
Kaia gave D. Elliot’s retreating form a thoughtful look before smiling at Rebel again.
Feeling so shy and uncertain wasn’t something Rebel experienced on a regular basis. She’d always had confidence. Not only because her parents praised her and allowed her to fall and get up on her own once or twice before they’d rush in and help her.
Her confidence was inherent.
Unlike the boys thinking because she was Outlaw’s daughter, she didn’t face the consequences of her bad temper, she believed her nervousness with Kaia was the primary effect of who her father was.
Not only her father but her brothers. They rarely allowed her to communicate with boys outside her family or the kids of the bikers.
Her brothers and cousins were relatives, and the sons of the bikers knew to keep a respectful distance or have their fathers face the wrath of Outlaw.
But Kaia, who she really liked, asked her out despite knowing CJ.
D. Elliot returned and filled their water glasses, then walked away again.
“If you can’t afford J’s, how’d you end up at Ridge Moore?”
The moment she asked the question, she regretted it. It was insulting. “Uh—”
Kaia smiled. “Do you know what a beautiful red rose you are when you blush?”
She drew in a deep breath, returned his smile, her heart feeling the rightness but her brain suddenly feeling the wrongness . Not only because of his silly compliments.
She licked her lips. Snatched her glass of water and took a sip. Her fingers shook, so she tightened her hold on the glass. Perhaps she’d never been on a date, but she knew this one was awkward. They were struggling to find a conversation.
Disappointment sank into her belly like a stone. She got to her feet, intending to run to the bathroom, call Momma, and beg her to pick her up ASAP.
Kaia stood .
“I-I’m tired,” she said lamely, her voice trembling. How close to tears she felt shocked her. “I’m ready to go home.”
Kaia balled his hands into fists. “Don’t—”