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“Well, you’re in luck. Your girls and their mother were in here earlier so I can show you what Liza was looking at and you can decide what you want to get her.”
“Eve was in here?” Race followed behind Bellamy, his eyes fastened on the sway of her ass. She was wearing one of those damn tight skirts that hit at the knees and had a slit in the back. The things her black heels made Race think about were downright sinful. Damn it. He almost ran right into her when she stopped at a display of earrings.
“She was looking at these two pairs of earrings.”
He snatched them up. “What else?”
“Um, she was looking at this pair of boots over here, but I don’t know what size she wears.” Bellamy led him to the far wall where shelves of shoes and boots in various styles took up most of the wall. The cowboy boots had a stacked heel and intricate stitching. “I buy these from a woman and her sister who make them in their shop in their barn. They’re so buttery soft they almost feel broken in as soon as you put them on.”
He pulled out his phone and shot off a text to Eve asking Liza’s shoe size. “Eight. Liza wears an eight.”
“Oh. Okay.” Bellamy looked at the inventory and didn’t immediately see the size she was looking for. She spotted it lower on the shelves and had to bend over in order to reach them.
“Fuck me,” Race mumbled under his breath, or at least he thought it had been under his breath until Bellamy turned around.
“Did you say something?”
“What? No. Not me.” Race kept a straight face and tried not to laugh at the doubt he saw in her expression. “Anything else?”
“No. Her mom bought her the dress she was looking at and it will go perfect with the boots and earrings you’re getting her.”
“All right, then. Let’s ring this up.” Race followed behind her and decided to test his theory. “Have you ever been to the pizza place on Vine? I hear they have the best pizza.” If he hadn’t been watching her closely, he might have missed her very small misstep at his question. A shit-eating grin spread across his face. Well, well, well. Little Miss Proper Businesswoman had a dark side to her.
He placed the earrings on the glass countertop next to the box with the boots so she could ring them up. She gave him the total and he handed her his debit card. She swiped his card, waited for the receipt to print out, then handed him a copy to sign. While he scribbled his name on the receipt, she wrapped the earrings in tissue paper and slipped them into the off-white paper bag with handles and the Bling Boutique logo on it. He waited until she reached for the slip of paper, not letting go until she looked up at him. “I want to thank you for listening to Liza Sunday and convincing her to talk to her mom. It meant a lot that you had my girl’s back.”
She frowned at him like she might have been insulted which wasn’t his intention. “Of course, I would have her back. She’s an amazing young woman who didn’t deserve the crap that boy was dishing out to her.”
One side of his mouth tipped up. Yeah, maybe he’d been wrong about her all along. Maybe she might be old lady material after all.
“You prepared for the storm that’s coming?” he asked.
“I think so.” Bellamy opened a side drawer and placed Race’s receipt inside.
“Since you don’t have a generator, I think you should come stay at the clubhouse. All the families who don’t have a backup system will be staying there through the storm. You should come. We have plenty of room.”
“I don’t know.”
“I know what you’re thinking. This will be strictly a family environment. No parties. No women looking to have a good time.” One of Bellamy’s brows hitched up and he knew she still wasn’t convinced. “Talk to Calliope about it. She and Jackson will be there. He doesn’t want to take any chances that the power will go out since she’s pregnant.”
“I’ll think about it.” She was trying hard not to smile knowing he was using Calliope to entice her. She rolled her eyes and shook her head. “I promise. I’ll think about it.”
Race winked at her as he opened the door and earned himself another eye roll. He was laughing as he hopped in his truck and set out, wondering if she would be brave enough to do it.
* * *
Charlotte was out running errands,preparing for the storm everyone was talking about. She really wasn’t too concerned, she knew she could go stay with her sister, Delilah, and her family. They had a couple of backup generators; one that ran on gas and one that ran on solar power.
What she’d really like would be to ride the storm out with Race, preferably at his house. Why she had it so bad for the man, she couldn’t figure out. It wasn’t just that he was A-mazing in bed either. She actually enjoyed his company even when they weren’t fucking. Who would have guessed?
No matter what she did, though, she couldn’t get him interested in anything long-term. He’d told her from day one that what was between them was fucking and that’s all it would ever be. He wasn’t looking for an old lady. He’d had one and he didn’t want another one.
She’d been thinking lately of just throwing in the towel and cutting him out of her life. It was a conversation she’d had with a man named Jacob who came to Bottom’s Up and asked her to join him at his table between dances. He’d asked her to go out for drinks or breakfast when she was done for the night. Her self confidence had taken a hit when Race left earlier without asking her to come by after she got off, so she thought, what the hell?
They’d gone for a drink, then ended up at a cheap motel where they’d fucked like rabbits. He actually wasn’t too bad. Not as good as Race, but he held his own. Afterward, while she was getting dressed, he started a conversation saying he was in town for a little while and he’d enjoy seeing her again. The next time they got together, he’d asked about her life, things she liked, things she didn’t. No one ever asked her personal questions, getting to know her as a person and it felt really good.
She’d confided that she had feelings for a man named Race and how she didn’t seem to be getting anywhere with him. She also thought his next door neighbor was making a play for him. He’d advised her that if she cared for Race, she shouldn’t let another woman come between her and her man. She should fight for him.
She told him she was surprised that he was telling her to go for another man. He’d shrugged a shoulder and said, “It’s obvious you have feelings for Race. I would very much like us to still be friends. Meet up after you get off work from time to time.”
