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“Is this a bad time?” Hammer called out, trying to keep from laughing.
Preacher rolled toward the back of the sofa where Riley could get up. He chuckled as she grabbed her clothes and ran into the bedroom. When the door closed, he told Hammer he could come in. When the brother stepped into view, Preacher shook his head. “Why are you here?”
“Did I interrupt something?” Hammer waggled his eyebrows at Preacher.
“Yes,” Preacher snapped.
“Where is your sexy sitter?” Hammer asked, dropping down on the sofa. Leaning over, he lifted a light blue bra and gave Preacher a big smile. “I definitely should have called first.”
Preacher rolled his eyes as Hammer picked up the remote and turned the TV on. Seemed like they were having company.
ChapterTwenty-Five
From Riley’s viewpoint, things had been going great for the past six weeks. She only wanted to change how often one of Preacher’s brothers stopped by, but she couldn’t complain when he said nothing about how often she got called into work at Muther’s. For a while, it seemed Whip wouldn’t take her walking away seriously. All had been quiet the past few weeks.
The morning was turning out nice as they drove into Lampsing for breakfast. Preacher pointed at an open spot across from the local diner called LuLu’s. Climbing out of the car, Riley walked across the street with Preacher. When he opened the door and Riley stepped inside, she was surprised at the décor.
LuLu’s was a mix of bohemian and straight-up quirky brothel. Clotheslines hung from corner to corner high up across the ceiling with vintage lingerie pinned to them. The pink ruffled knickers made most people laugh when they spotted them. The plates were a mix of anything and everything someone could buy in a knickknack or second-hand shop.
The reason for the mismatched dishes was due to a string of shitty servers over the years, and replacing every broken plate got expensive. Instead of replacing the high-priced dishes, they bought second-hand or hit garage sales.
The lingerie line had come about back when the diner stayed open twenty-four-seven. People would come in after drinking all night, and sometimes ladies stripped. The idea came that they should hang a clothesline displaying all the discarded items. Then, it had gotten packed away. When the business changed hands, the box was found. All of it, from the colorful booths and table linens to the lingerie-decorated ceiling, came together to create a very eclectic setting that brought back a touch of nostalgia.
“Wow! This place is cool,” Riley told Preacher as she tried taking in all the quirky décor.
“Yeah, it’s something,” he told her, pressing his hand to the small of her back. “Let’s grab a booth in the back.
Walking toward the back of the diner, Riley slid into a booth when Preacher pointed to it. The smell of freshly brewed coffee tickled her nose and had her mouth watering. “Hey, Preacher,” she heard a feminine voice say, then a dark-haired woman leaned in and kissed Preacher on the cheek.
“I didn’t know you were working again,” Preacher replied to Frisco.
“Yes, I work four days a week. If I worked any more than that, Wrench would drive me nuts.” Frisco eyed Preacher. “How are you doing?”
“I’m in good hands.” Preacher nodded toward Riley. “Frisco, this is Riley James. Riley, this is Frisco, I only person who can keep Wrench in check.” He introduced the two women and leaned back.
“It’s so nice to finally meet you. Wrench told me about you.” Frisco chuckled. “Sorry, that sounded bad. Wrench told me who you were and that you’d been helping Preacher since he got out of the hospital.”
“You don’t have to explain. I’ve met your husband.” Riley smiled at Frisco.
Frisco didn’t correct Riley. She and Wrench had wanted to get married at Christmas, but Everly had come early. Since her arrival, they hadn’t thought about it again until recently. “He’s a complicated man, but I love him.”
“He seems less complicated and more purposeful.” Riley played with a napkin. Chancing a look at Frisco, she hoped she hadn’t insulted the woman.
“I like that.” Frisco looked at Riley closely and saw what most people would miss. The woman was hiding parts of herself from them. Wrench and Preacher carried that same look at times. It was easy to see if you knew what you were looking at. “How about a cup of coffee?” she asked Riley.
“I’d love a cup,” Riley replied with a smile.
“Loaded?” Frisco asked.
Nodding, Riley wanted it fully loaded. “Full caff.”
“I’ll make you a café au lait like we make in New Orleans.” Frisco suggested one of her favorite coffees from her hometown.
“I’m game,” Riley said.
“Preacher?”
“Same,” he answered Frisco.
