AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Lily’s voice sounds, but the camera stays pointed at the scene. “They were doing the champagne pour—you know, like a tower of glasses and they pour champagne so it flows down and fills every one?”
Dorothy snorts as the rest of us—burly motorcycle men and all—crowd around. “Wasteful, but yes, I understand.”
“Well, Rudy was standing behind me and someone bumped him, so he bumped me. Anyway, that happened.” Her hand appears in the screen as she points to the smashed glasses. There are bandages all over her arm and hand. “Rudy and I went to clean up”—did her voice sound strange when she said that?—“and we came back to see Agnes ripping her grand-nephew a new one. Apparently, she got him to admit that he bumped into Rudy on purpose because I wouldn’t dance with him.”
“You should be ashamed of yourself, you, you, you cockroach!” Agnes’s voice rises another octave, and her grandnephew cowers. “We all put up with these silent auctions every year and being here is torture enough.” She takes a step toward the man. “You see those cuts you put on my nephew’s skin? You see them?” She thrusts a finger off-screen.
“Agnes, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it.”
“And then you lie to me!” The terrifying, tiny old woman stomps her foot, and it looks like she’s about to charge like a bull.
“Oh,” Dorothy says with a Cheshire-cat grin on her face. “This is fantastic.”
“I know, right? I knew you’d enjoy it.” Lily sounds like she’s holding back a laugh.
“The Hag isn’t so bad when you aim her at someone else,” Dorothy replies sagely.
Margaret just rolls her eyes. I meet my mother’s gaze and shrug.
“Anyway, as soon as Rudy can make sure his grandmother isn’t going to murder Jared, we’ll be on our way back.” The camera flips around to reveal Lily’s broad smile and dancing eyes. “Just thought you’d like that.”
“I did, sweetheart,” Dorothy replies. “And so did everyone else.” She sweeps the camera at the assembled crowd of seniors and motorcycle riders, and we all wave.
Lily laughs. “I haven’t had this much fun in months. Years, maybe. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Dorothy hangs up with that wide smile still clinging to her lips. She meets my eyes and arches her brows. “See? Aren’t you glad you moved here? Much more fun than stinky Reno.”
“You’ve never been to Reno, Dorothy,” Margaret cuts in. “How do you know it’s stinky? I’ve heard it’s lovely.”
“You know what’s lovely? Ice cream.” Dorothy marches toward one of the bikes and pulls a helmet on. “Nora, are you coming?”
My eyes dart to the crowd, to my mother, who has already acquired a helmet and is pulling it on, and I shake my head. “There’s a cake in the oven. Maybe some other time.”
For some reason, my eyes drift to the man who looks related to Mac. His eyes meet mine and linger for a moment, until the roar of the first motorcycle snaps me out of my stupor. Clenching my fists to hide the trembling in my hands, I smile and nod at the departing motorcycles.
His is navy blue, I note, with subtle smoke swirling over the body in slightly lighter shades. A very pretty motorcycle. Masculine, yet unique.
Mac’s probably-a-brother leaves last and I find myself tracing the blue swirls on his bike—until I snap my eyes up to his face and realize he caught me staring.
Giving him a dorky wave, I try to ignore the insistent thumping of my heart. He guns the engine, then takes off down the road after everyone else. I stand on the sidewalk until he’s out of sight. Then I head back upstairs to wait for the cake to finish baking.
CHAPTER 12
Lily
After Rudy made sure his grandmother wasn’t going to commit homicide with a room full of witnesses, we snuck away and drove to our now-favorite fish-and-chips spot, both agreeing that we didn’t feel like sticking around the yacht club for dinner. The food was great, and the company was better. When I kicked my heels off under the table, Rudy picked one up to inspect it. “I guess I can admit they look uncomfortable,” he told me. “But they’re hot as hell.”
“If they look so great, maybe you should wear them,” I’d shot back, then immediately clamped my mouth shut. That was exactly the type of comment my ex would have sneered at. He always thought I was too classless to understand fashun, which irked me. I understand it just fine—I’m just not that interested.
But Rudy just laughed at my quip and told me I had a point.
Now, as we drive back to Heart’s Cove with nothing but the soft sounds of the radio filling the car, I let out a happy sigh.
Tonight was fun—more fun than I expected. But when I think of what happened in the bathroom, dread curls in my gut.
Since Rudy gave me that last kiss right before he opened the bathroom door, he hasn’t touched me. Even when we left the restaurant and he lingered at my car door, he didn’t lean down and kiss me even though it was obvious we both wanted it to happen.
And I know why.
