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Chapter Six - Jag
“Jag!” Rocky smiled up at me when she answered the door, Baby Dallas on her hip already reaching for me. “Sorry I didn’t even hear the bell but I think Dallas has radar for his Uncle Jaggy!”
He leapt from her arms right into mine and I couldn’t deny it felt good to be so welcome.
“Hey, kiddo!” He wrapped chubby little arms around me, babbling nonstop in his incoherent baby talk. “Sounds like there’s a party going on inside.”
“Of sorts,” she said with a shrug before she stepped back. “The girls are hanging with me, Dallas and Maisie today. Come on in.”
“Smells good in here.” There were blankets and pillows all over the living room floor where the tiny humans played but mostly nibbled on fabric. And each other. The women were all gathered around the table in the dining room where they could keep an eye on the children while doing…whatever they were doing. “Hey ladies, how’s it going?”
“Jag, did you come here to be our eye candy?” Teddy leaned forward, chin resting on her fist with a mischievous smile on her face.
Teddy was a troublemaker but she was also a stand up chick, willing to help whenever she could and always had a smart ass comment. “That’s not why I came but look all you want.” She opened her mouth and I pointed at her. “Just don’t think anything is coming off.”
Teddy pouted and sat back with a satisfied grin. “Wuss.”
“Don’t listen to her Jag,” Jana pushed up from her seat with a soft smile and a shake of her silky blonde hair. “I’ll get you something to eat and you can leave your shirt on.”
“Bummer,” Katrina muttered with a fake pout.
I had to shake my head at these women, so sassy all the damn time. Some of them, like Teddy and Rocky, were always feisty as hell. But Jana had mostly been quiet and shy, keeping her steel hidden from everyone until it was necessary.
I’d known Katrina the longest since she ran Stetson for the MC, but usually she was the capable madam or house mother. Today she was just one of the girls. And they ran the men more than the men ran the club. But Jana could cook and that was why I was here. I was starved. “Gee, thanks Jana. And to think I was just telling Max what a good influence you are on
him.”
Her laugh echoed from the kitchen, sending Teddy and Rocky into a fit of giggles, which sent little Dallas off, laughing in my arms. “Damn right I am!”
“So what are you girls up to today besides causing trouble?” Scraps of fabric covered one end of the table. “Arts and crafts?”
“Shut your mouth!” Rocky’s eyes went wide and her hands covered the materials and pens protectively. “For your information we’re adding the finishing touches to all of the Halloween costumes for the kiddos. Both big and small.” She arched a brow my way, daring me to diss her work.
“Please tell me you made Lasso a costume.” Her smile said it all and I wanted to feel some excitement about Halloween and the dressed-up Bastards but couldn’t find it in me.
“I don’t know, Rocky, I think we have enough material to fashion some cowboy accessories for Jag.” Teddy’s eyes gleamed with an amusement that I didn’t share.
“No thanks. This is more of a parent-child activity. And I am no one’s baby daddy.” Hell, I wasn’t even sure if I was someone’s man or not at this point. The room fell into a tense silence that any red-blooded man knew spelled trouble. And in a room full of known troublemakers, I was tempted to take Dallas and run like hell. But I was a hungry man and I’d sit here and eat the food Jana sat in front of me, and hope like hell they went easy on me. “Thanks, Jana.”
“No problem. Eat up, big man.” She plucked the baby from my arms with just a token protest from him and put him with the rest of the kids.
And eat was what I did, enjoying the stuffed chicken, asparagus and mashed potatoes. I was tempted to ask what occasion called for such a feast but I couldn’t stop shoveling the food in my mouth. “So good.”
“So,” Rocky began with a relaxed grin. “When is Vivi coming back?”
Dammit. “Good question. If you find out, give me a call, would ya?” More than a week had passed since I’d last spoken to her, or received any kind of message. I didn’t know if she was just busy—or in trouble.
“Shit, this just became a lot less fun,” Teddy griped, wincing when Jana smacked her arm. “I mean, it sucks you don’t know when she’s coming back because now, teasing you just feels mean.”
“Thanks Teddy. I wish she was already here and yeah, sometimes I wonder if she’s ever coming back. I keep the faith. I might not get any answers and I have to be all right with that.” The odds were astronomical that we’d get back together and now, with almost a year’s absence, I worried I was asking too much.
“She’ll be back Jag, don’t you worry. I have a good feeling about you two.” Rocky grinned and placed a gentle hand on top of mine.
I was glad one of us had a good feeling but I didn’t say anything about it. Instead I smiled and turned to Jana and asked, “Got anymore of those mashed potatoes?”
I didn’t want to talk about Vivi anymore and I didn’t want to think about her right now either. I was more than content to hang around with the family I already had.
For now, anyway.
