Carly blushed and dropped her head as the rest of the table snickered.
“You’re not wrong, buddy,” Wasp replied.
“But that’s not appropriate talk for the dinner table,” Carly added.
“Why not?” Trent asked. “I’m not wrong, Mom.”
Carly sighed. “Just once, I’d like to have the right answer for him.”
Carly had been abandoned as a baby and had grown up in the foster system, which didn’t exactly give her a strong child-rearing foundation. She loved Trent and wanted to raise him right, but she questioned her instincts and reactions far more than she ran with them. As far as I was concerned, she was doing an excellent job and needed to relax and stop being so hard on herself.
“You have the important answers,” I assured her.
She gave me a grateful smile. “Wasp is going to watch Trent while I work tonight, by the way. I didn’t want you to have to worry about him with everything else you have going on.”
“I’m not watching him, I’m hanging out with my little buddy,” Wasp corrected, getting her attention. “He’s a package deal and that’s part of being with you, Carly. I knew and accepted that when I signed on. It’s my privilege to keep Trent.”
“We’re gonna watchHow to Train Your Dragonand eat ice cream!” Trent added, grinning up at Wasp with unabashed adoration.
Wasp squeezed Trent’s shoulders. “Damn right we are. I even got that hard chocolate shell stuff you like so much, buddy.”
Carly’s eyes softened as she looked at the two of them together. I couldn’t blame her one bit. They were adorable. To me, she whispered, “I’m glad they get along so well, but I’m also dreading what Trent’ll pick up from this movie.”
Trent had an uncanny ability to home in on questionable material and repeat it at the most inappropriate (but hilarious) times. Everyone but Carly got a kick out of his antics. She was far too concerned about him growing up to be a contributing member of society to fully appreciate his humor.
“Have you met everyone yet, Jess?” Wasp asked.
I glanced around the table at the unfamiliar faces and shook my head.
Wasp started up introductions. The men all had nicknames like Stocks, Eagle, Rabbit, and such, and most of the women he also referred to as a biker’s ol’ lady. A few scantily clad women—Kim, Lacy, and Shari—didn’t have that title, and I made a mental note to ask Carly about them later. As introductions ended, Margo returned with a heaping plate of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, and a slice of chocolate cake. I dug in to find that Carly was right; Margo was a fantastic cook.
Keeping my mouth full gave me the perfect excuse to sit quietly by while everyone else discussed plans for the upcoming Independence Day celebration. I had no plans. My parents always invited me up to their house, but it was on a weekday again this year and traffic to and from would be brutal.
“You’re welcome to join us, too, Jess,” Link said.
“Thanks, but I have to work the next day. I’d rather just stay here, if that’s okay.”
“Of course, it is. Just be sure to keep the place locked up.”
“Who’s in charge of bringing up the food and beer?” Eagle asked.
Grateful that the attention was off me, I took another bite. These were clearly close friends, and I felt like an outsider, intruding on their conversation. I wanted to take my plate up to my room, but didn’t want to appear rude or ungrateful. I gobbled down half of everything before I couldn’t take it anymore.
Besides, Spade had promised he wouldn’t be gone long, and I wanted to freshen up before he returned.
Standing, I collected my plate and silverware. “Thank you so much for dinner. Margo, this chicken is fantastic. I’m really tired, so I’d like to take the rest up to my room, if that’s okay?”
“Yeah.” Link waved me off. “Make yourself at home.”
Carly stood with me. “I have to head to work soon, or I’d offer to come hang out with you.”
“No, it’s fine. I really am tired.” I said my goodbyes and took the rest of my dinner upstairs. Truthfully, I was saving it for Spade. He had to be hungry as well, and I wanted to make sure he had the energy for rounds two, three, and whatever else he had planned. Just thinking about it had me hurrying up the stairs and down the hall. Slipping into my room, I locked the door behind me and leaned against it.
I hadn’t had much of an opportunity to look over my room earlier, so I took the time to check it out now. The space was sparse with a wooden dresser, a metal bed, and an apartment-sized closet. Basically a value motel room without the television or private bathroom, it wasn’t much, but it was clean and secure. Grateful for the refuge, I set my plate on the dresser and started unpacking. Since I planned to stay until I could go back to my apartment, I utilized the closet and dresser space, keeping only my toiletries packed away since it would be easier to wheel my suitcase down to the bathroom every morning than it would be to carry them all.
I’d always been a planner, so the uncertainty of my situation made me anxious. I wondered how long it would take for my door to get fixed and my bedroom carpet to be replaced. Carly and Wasp’s relationship seemed to be advancing, and I doubted she’d be moving back in with me, which meant I’d have to start looking for a new roommate.
Oh joy.
