Chapter Thirty-Six
Three weeks later
Banger stood inthe middle of the great room, holding Harley and swaying back and forth as he sang along softly toSister Christianby Night Ranger. The old ladies chuckled under their breaths as they ran around, making finishing touches to the party the club was throwing for Belle and Banger. Kylie grinned as she walked by her dad, making her way over to Addie to see if she needed any help. Her dad had proven he was nothing but a big old softie, kissing, hugging, and carrying Harley every chance he had, and Belle loved it because it gave her time to rest. Her baby brother had brought a gaiety to the household, and even Emily smiled more than Kylie had ever seen her do.
“Start bringing out the salads,” Addie said while she smoothed down the blue-checked tablecloth on the banquet-sized table. “Emily, if you’re not going to help, then can you please watch Paisley and Hope? Cherri’s in the kitchen warming up her chili, and I’m too busy to keep my eyes on the kids.”
“What about Chas and Jax? They should be watching their kids instead of drinking beer.”
Addie, Cara, Baylee, Doris, and Marlene stared at the young woman for a second, then burst out laughing. “Yeah. Right. Like that’s gonna happen.”
Emily walked over and scooped Hope up in her arms, then tucked Paisley’s hand in hers. “It just seems like the workload for these parties is very unfair. Why do we always have to do all the work? The men in this club need to bring their asses into the twenty-first century.”
“Most men need to do that,” Cara said, smiling. “I can’t tell you how many Thanksgivings, Christmas Eves, and birthday parties I’ve been to where the women planned, cooked, and cleaned up for the event.” She shook her head then placed the rolled napkins with utensils on the table.
“Yeah, you’re right, Cara. I can’t remember a Thanksgiving where Ruben helped me with the dinner. And afterward, all the men are glued in front of the TV watching football while the women tackle the dishes and greasy pans.” Doris pulled her hair back into a ponytail. “It’s just the way it is. If you think too hard on it or try to change ‘em, you’ll go fuckin’ crazy.”
The women laughed, but Emily twisted her mouth. “I won’t put up with that from any man. He either helps with the food and dishes, or he doesn’t eat. Are you with me on this, Kylie?”
Kylie shrugged. “I know what you’re saying, but I don’t think men are going to change. I mean, we do the cooking, and they do the protecting. I love knowing my man has my back and would fight to the death to keep me safe.”
“Your man? Are you holding out on us, Kylie?” Baylee said.
Kylie turned a bright red. Damnit. How could she let that slip out? She shook her head and opened up the large bag of pretzels Cara had given her to put in the bowls strewn across the tables. As she filled each one, she stole glances at Jerry, and each time she did, he met her gaze. How she longed to go over and kiss him in front of everyone. Jerry was right—she had to tell her dad. Jerry had wanted to come over and do it many times over the past three weeks, but her dad had been so happy with Harley and everything, she didn’t want to see him angry.
“How’s Harley doing?” she asked, standing next to Banger.
“Sleeping. Damn he’s fuckin’ cute.”
She smiled and ran a finger gently over her brother’s tiny hand.
“Don’t even think about helping,” Addie said loudly, causing Kylie to turn toward the table that had begun to fill up with food. She saw Belle holding a big pot of something, the steam dancing above it. “I’m not joking, Belle. Give me the pot of beans and go sit down. This is a party for you, Banger, and Harley. We’ve got everything under control.”
Belle began to protest when Banger’s baritone voice rang out. “Woman, come over here. Your man needs you.”
Emily sighed and rolled her eyes while she played with Paisley and Hope.
Kylie moved away when Belle came over, and Banger hooked his arm around her and kissed her on the lips. The couple stood close together with Harley in the president’s arms. As Kylie watched her dad, Belle, and her brother, a wave of longing came over her, and she yearned to be with Jerry in the way her dad was with Belle. She shuffled toward the kitchen to see if the old ladies needed any help.
“You can place this dish on the table,” Cara said as she handed Kylie a huge Pyrex pan. “Be careful—it just came out of the oven.”
Kylie breathed in the aroma. “Smells delicious. What is it?”
“Eggplant parmesan. I made it for one of the barbecues last summer and all the guys wolfed it down, not realizing it was eggplant. It was too funny. They thought it was chicken or something. You know, if I would’ve told them it was eggplant, they would’ve made a face and not tried it. So for the members, it’s chicken parmesan.”
Kylie laughed. She loved that Cara always brought a tasty Italian dish to family parties. She placed the dish on the table just when Addie went over and turned off the music. “Food’s on.” The sound of barstools and wooden chairs scraping against the floor filled the room as the brothers eagerly made their way to the food table.
Kylie grabbed a plate and stood in line, then turned around when she felt someone’s leg brush against hers. “Hey,” Jerry said huskily. Tingles ran through her. “You cook any of this?”
“No.” She licked her lips.
“You’re gonna have to cook for me sometime. You know how to do it, right?”
She nodded, then placed a large scoop of potato salad on her plate. “Do you?”
“Nah. The microwave is my stove, and the phone is my cook.”
She giggled “Do a lot of takeout, huh?”
