“There is no occasion, Cat. We went shopping, Ted was incredibly kind and decided to foot the bill,” Savannah said.
She had her head twisted toward the kitchen, and from the way she pulled against his hold, he knew she wanted to sit up further. But he liked where she was, curled into his side on the sofa. More than that, he liked what it communicated to both Savannah and her sister.
Catalina made a noise that sounded like a scoff mingled with a dry chuckle. “From the way Ted’s holding on to you, I’d say it has more to do with you being his girlfriend.”
Savannah’s spine straightened and she twisted her torso to lock eyes with her sister. “Rude, much?”
Catalina closed the fridge and wandered to the edge of the kitchen. “I wasn’t being rude, just observant.”
He leaned further back on the couch and twisted his head Cat’s direction. “There’s cookies in the pantry.”
Savannah aimed a look at him for fleeting second, then twisted back to her sister. “Don’t eat all the Milanos, Cat.”
Catalina’s eyes lit and she did an excited hop. “You got Milanos! Ted, have I told you how much I love you?”
He laughed. Through it he said, “No, you haven’t.”
Savannah aimed huge eyes at him and muttered, “Undying love.”
Catalina opened the pantry door. “Oh my God! You didn’t just get Milanos, you bought out half the cookie aisle. I call the Chessmen!”
“No way! I’m using those for banana pudding.”
Cat froze, then put her hand on her hip and turned to Savannah. “You say that every single time you have these cookies in the house. Where are the bananas if you’re making pudding? Hmm…back at the store, that’s where.”
While he fought against laughing outright, Savannah tipped her head back and groaned. “Aren’t you getting ready to spend the night at Bella’s house?”
He heard the sound of a cookie package opening.
“I am, but I’m a growing girl who needs a snack.”
Catalina sauntered back toward her room, but she stopped to tap him on the shoulder. “Thank you for the groceries, Ted. That was really nice of you. And thanks for clearing out the garage. It’s great that both of us can park there.”
“You’re welcome, Cat,” he muttered, and she went to her room.
Soon after Cat left for her friend’s house, his cell buzzed with a text message from Volt.
Be at the clubhouse by five o’clock this afternoon. It’s not an official session of church, but the officers will be there along with Turk and Yak.
Even if it wasn’t all the brothers, he was grateful they were meeting so fast.
Not having church when a problem arose was the fucking worst. He’d never forget the many miserable days of not meeting right after Savannah’s attack.
“Everything okay?” Savannah asked, shifting on the couch.
He nodded. “Yeah. I gotta go to the clubhouse in half-an-hour. You’re coming with me on the back of my bike.”
Her eyes widened. “I’ve never been on a motorcycle,” she said, her words stilted. Her expression turned serious. “I don’t even have a helmet.”
With his arm around her shoulders, he pulled her snug to his side. “In Florida, you can ride without one, but you’ll wear mine.”
“Sweet,” she whispered. In her normal voice, she said, “I should keep this to myself, but I was hella jealous when Cat told me she got to ride on your bike to go get the Buick the night of my attack.”
That struck him deep. He lowered his lips to hers and kissed her for a long moment. “Tonight’s your night, baby. Can’t wait to have you at my back, so put on some shoes, no flip-flops.”
Savannah took off his helmet with a huge smile on her face. Her brown eyes were bright and alive, while her cheeks were rosy from the ride. That beaming expression aimed his way hit him right down to the core of his being.
Done.
