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“I do too,” Brooklyn agreed. “But don’t tell Slash. You give that man an inch and he’ll take a mile. You guys are checking out the new property today, yeah?”
“Apparently,” I said. “Can I get a vanilla latte to go?”
“Sure thing,” Brooklyn said as she turned her bulk toward the espresso machine. “Anything for you, Smoke?”
He pulled out his wallet. “Just a black coffee for me. Thanks.”
While Brooklyn made us our coffees, Smoke said to me, “How are you liking your new place?”
“I like it a lot,” I said.
“You don’t have to lie,” Brooklyn said over her shoulder. “You can be honest even though I’m standing right here.”
I chuckled. “I am being honest. I love the apartment. It needs some of my own touches added to it, but I’ll get there in time.”
“So, you like it better than the clubhouse?” Smoke asked with a slow grin.
“I like it better than the clubhouse. Not that you guys aren’t fun, but I have my own bathroom. That goes a long way.”
Brooklyn set the coffees down in front of us. “Put your money away.”
“If you insist.” Smoke put his wallet back into his pocket. To me he said, “You ready?”
I nodded and grabbed my vanilla latte. “Thanks for the coffee. Bye, Brooklyn.”
Smoke followed me out of the bakery. When we were in the sunshine, he pulled his glasses off of his white T-shirt and put them on.
“I’m down this way.” I gestured with my coffee and we headed toward my car.
“You look good,” he said.
A thrill of pleasure shot through me.
“Do I?” I feigned casually.
“You know you do,” he said with a laugh.
I bit my lip to stifle a grin and glanced at him. “Still nice to hear.”
“Don’t get me wrong, you do look good. I meant what I said, but there’s something else about you…”
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t know. A lightness. An ease.”
“Oh.” My pleasure deepened. “I think it’s being here.”
“Here? Waco?”
“Yeah. But mostly, I think I’m finding a rhythm. And people. Tavy and I hung out with Brielle and Jazz and Brielle’s brothers last night and it was—”
“You hung out with the Jacksons?”
“Yeah. They remind me of my brothers so much. I miss my family,” I said wistfully. “You don’t think you need them and then your life falls apart and suddenly you just want your mom to hug you and your brothers to threaten to track down your ex and do him bodily harm.”
“I thought you didn’t want that,” Smoke said as he came around the driver’s side of my car.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
