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Blue escorted me inside. When the host asked our names, he told them Landry. The host said our other party had arrived and been seated. We followed him to a table toward the back. It had a good view of the dining room. Pops stood to greet us. He wore his cut with black jeans and a black tee shirt. The guys looked out of place with the white covered tablecloths and crystal glasses.
People stared at us. Some discreet. Others not so much. If it bothered any of them, they didn’t show us. Our server was friendly and greeted Pops by his road name.
“Duke, good to see you again.”
“Thanks Dale. Can you give us a few minutes to look over the menu?”
“Of course. I’ll be right back with drinks.”
Dale took our drink orders. Iced tea all around. Elvis and Cosmo were on duty, and I wanted to be aware of my surroundings. I think Pops didn’t drink for the same reason. We were all a little on edge with Ty on the loose.
I turned my attention to the menu. It all looked amazing. In the end I ordered the duck with sautéed broccoli and pepper jack spinach. The food was absolutely amazing. I want to come back with Gambit for a date sometime. Their wine list is to die for.
We were digging into our entrees when Pops brought up the wedding.
“Any luck finding a venue?”
“No. Everything has been booked for months if not years.”
“What about using the clubhouse?” Blue asked.
“While I love the clubhouse, it just doesn’t have the right feel to it.”
“What about the grounds? There’s an old garden out back,” Pops said.
“I found it last week. It would take a lot of work because of the condition.”
“The garden belonged to Anna. She’d be thrilled to have her son married in it.”
“Pops, are you sure you want to use it? I’ll have to remove all the dead plants and put in new ones.”
“I’ll make you a deal. I’ll take care of the structure and you can do what you want with the grounds.”
“You don’t have to do that, Pops.”
“I want to, and while we’re on the subject, I want to pay for the wedding. Now before you say no, father of the bride usually pays and you’re already my daughter.”
Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes. I took a long drink of sweet tea nodding my head. I didn’t trust myself not to burst out in an ugly cry if I spoke.
Pops laid his hand over top of mine on the table. “You’re family now Stormy. That goes with all the perks and foibles. I mean we’re a lot to take.
I couldn’t help but laugh. They were a lot. Rowdy, possessive, alpha males with hearts of gold. If you mistook their kindness for weakness, you’d no doubt wind up in a pine box.
“Thank you.”
Blue spoke up. “We should thank you. Gambit told me the compound would have never come together that fast or that good without you.”
“I loved doing it.”
We spent the rest of lunch on various topics, including football. ‘Tis the season, after all. Cosmo drove the SUV, or cage as all the guys called it, following Pop's bike. Pops drove away from the commercial district to the old section of downtown. The houses were older but still stately.
Cosmo stopped in front of a two-story revival mansion. The pillars had a fresh coat of white paint. Plants dotted most of the porch with comfortable seating in a few spots. Wind chimes tinkled in the early afternoon breeze. Pops and I approached the door together. He knocked.
A petite woman in her early forties greeted us. Her dark hair was cut into a stylish bob. Her make-up was perfect. A smile turned up her generous mouth.
“Armand. It’s good to see you. Please come in.”
She waved us all in before ushering us into the salon. It was a mixture of a Victorian style sitting room and a showroom. Half a dozen Gothic style wedding dresses stood on dress forms in a wide semi-circle around a circular platform. The platform was no more than three inches above the floor but would allow the entire room to view whoever stood on it.
