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“Good,” Rocky said with a hint of fatigue in her voice. “Because I have something else to talk about. Lasso. He’s so stressed out but he won’t say what’s going on other than ‘some shit,’ which doesn’t exactly say anything to me about what specifically is going on.”
She let out a long sigh when she finished and flashed a sheepish smile. “Sorry.”
“I’m just glad it’s not just me.” Teddy leaned back on her hands, head tilted towards the sky. “Golden Boy has definitely been stressed and we both know it’s not the shop or money issues. If it was, the handsome bastard would tell me all about it.” She rolled her eyes for good measure but there was an affectionate lilt to her voice. “Something is going on. Definitely.”
I didn’t know what to say because I shouldn’t know anything about this problem, but I did. Only it wasn’t my problem to talk about. I knew one thing for certain, though, Cross was an immensely private guy and would not appreciate the women worrying over a problem he’d barely shared with his guys. So I stayed silent. “Isn’t that the nature of…things?”
“That doesn’t mean we have to like it,” Rocky shot back with a defensive tone.
“Right. Well I should get going.” I’d only been there a little over an hour but I’d rather be alone than sit through this tension. “It was good to see all of you.” I waved and stood, bending to help Jana when she tried to get up quickly.
“Don’t go on my account,” Rocky said, her expression half apologetic.
“I’m not. I have to pick up Beau.” I left the turquoise necklace with Charlie, who was too mesmerized to do little more than wave goodbye. I turned and walked away, practicing my deep breathing exercises as I made my way to Jana’s sunny yellow front door.
“You don’t have to go, you know.”
Jana had caught up with me. “I know I don’t have to but I should.”
“You’re one of us.”
I wasn’t but I appreciated her saying so. “No, I’m not Jana and that’s fine. You and I are friends, so I hope you know you can talk to me about anything, but I do know that Club b
usiness isn’t any of my business and honestly I’m not sure I should hear it.”
“Why not?” The question was genuine, evidenced by the confusion written on Jana’s face but just as quickly that confusion turned to suspicion and I realized my mistake.
And shrugged it off. “Just seems like the less I know about it, the better.” That much was true. All the information I’d gotten about the Reckless Bastards was happenstance, nothing I needed to know about because I didn’t have a personal connection to them.
“But you knew enough to call Cross about the trampy girl in your store, right?”
Shock must have shown on my face because Jana grinned and leaned against the back of the sofa. “Max isn’t quite as tight lipped as the others because he knows I won’t tell or go off half-cocked angry at someone in the Club. And because he doesn’t want me to worry.”
“I knew the big guy was a sweetheart.”
“Yeah, he’s great,” she said dismissively. “You called Cross?”
“No, I texted him. And I did that because her questions were clumsy and she admitted she just came by to see where the shooting happened. It was nothing but it occurred to me he might want to know.” And again, based on Jana’s expression of know-it-all happiness, I knew I’d said too much.
“But you knew his number to text him?”
I nodded. “He feels responsible about the shooting and has been checking in, that’s all Jana.” She was blissfully in love and therefore saw it everywhere she looked.
“Maybe. Maybe not. But you could be good for each other. You could soften his edges, and he could be a man strong enough for you to lean on.”
I barked out a laugh. “I lean on myself, Jana.” And a professional if it came to that, but I didn’t let it. Not often, anyway.
“You can’t do that forever,” she said softly and raised her hands. “I’m not saying anything more on the subject, I swear. Except that Cross could use a woman like you in his corner.”
“I doubt that.” Cross was an island. A man fully self-contained who didn’t need or want anyone or anything but his club. The Reckless Bastards were all that mattered to him, leaving any woman who fell for him on her own. He didn’t want me, other than for a few nights, or anyone else for that matter. “You see love everywhere and I love that about you.”
“And you are an excellent subject changer,” Jana said, accepting my hug before shoving me out the door. “Talk soon!”
I waved as I made my way back to my car while hoping it wasn’t too soon because I had a feeling Jana wasn’t ready to give up on her matchmaking.
***
“Mom, where is your mom and daddy?”
