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“It didn’t go unnoticed how you stood up for Alice. I only wish I had seen you in action.” She holds her hand over her heart. “You truly are like an action figure doll, and I am not making fun of your height. I missed out on all the live-action, watching you bring that egotistic female down a peg. I had to watch the replay. And I hear Angus sent her packing with strong words of advice to stay away.”
“It was a side to Angus I have not yet witnessed until now,” I admit.
“You will learn, Padawan, with time, that the Mighty MacDougall Brothers got the ‘Mighty’ moniker for a reason. Now, let’s go transform you into a queen for a day, so your man, who isn’t officially your man, but is still your man, can see proof that you are doing okay while he is away.”
I bite the inside of my cheek to refrain from correcting her out of habit.
I am okay with committing to believing in the possibility that we make sense and there is a future.
Silently.
Not loudly.
Grief is a constant reminder that love can be a wrecking ball.
And that scares me.
But I do want this for us.
More and more each day.
Fifty-Seven
TO-DO LISTS AND DREAMS ARE FREE
Tucker
“Hey.” The owner of the gravelly voice makes an appearance. Well, his black shit-kickers do.
“Hey to you too, big guy.” I look up from where I am sitting on the edge of a chair near the door, putting on my left Doc Martens boot. “Awwhave you come to make sure I can get dressed by myself. That is sweet of you.”
Hazard, the Soulless Bastards’ MC president, leans his broad shoulder into the doorjamb of my ground floor bedroom. His shoulder-length hair is tied back, all Jason Momoa-style, where he seems to grab a bunch of hair and tie it back without much thought, and it looks manly and cool.
The biker grunts and rolls his eyes in response, and I am not about to stop him from doing it. I flash him one of my cocky grins.
He lets out a heavy sigh and crosses his arms. He carries more muscle than me, and he didn’t get the gig of the president of the Soulless Bastards for being a big ol’ teddy bear and doing things by the book, but I can’t seem to help myself around him. I am just not worried about my cocky self making daily appearances.
“Let it out, Tucker. What smartass thing are you thinking, now?” he says dryly.
I point to his head. “Who knows how to style their hair like an Instagram influencer. And that’s not a question.” I place one hand over my heart. “Did you do your hair just for me, or do we have a date with a lingerie store?”
The big lug shakes his head slowly, looking down, trying hard not to smile.
“Come on… how boring would it be around here if I didn’t liven up the dialogue that passes between us? I mean, it’s not like you put effort into our relationship. It is me. Me. Me. Pulling out all the stops to bring a smile to your face. Now and then, you should consider reciprocating instead of always giving me alpha-biker-boss-with-exceptionally-good-hair vibes. I have needs, you know.” I laser him a shit-eating smirk.
He rolls his eyes—which he tends to do a lot in my presence—before jolting his body in a practiced move away from the doorjamb so that he can smack one big paw against it. “Tucker, we move out in ten. Females want to go shopping, so who am I to stand in their way. Just stay sharp while we are out.” When he says females, he means our charge and the lovely ladies that Phoenix introduced her to. They are all gorgeous and taken. “Make sure you are carrying because this might be a fun trip, but we need to stay alert and expect the unexpected.”
I stand to attention, straightening my back, and give Hazard a smart military salute. “Aye-aye, Captain. You would think I wasn’t theonlyqualified soldier standing in this room who has seen four tours and more mercenary jobs than I can count on ten fingers and who is a licensed pilot. Just in case you have forgotten my military training.”
Hazard grumbles under his breath.
What? No eye-rolling.
I must be losing my touch.
I walk over to the bedroom door and push it far enough forward to reach for the Kevlar vest hanging on a hook and throw it onto the bed still with the coat hanger inserted.
I ignore Hazard. It is my way of telling the big guy to leave me alone to get on with getting dressed and prepared for the outing.
