Mad Dog snorts, knowing full well that Rhodie’s mother, and the woman I called and loved like a mother, would never haveleft without a backup plan. It’s how she was. She came into the clubhouse and whipped us all into shape. She took me from a feral child with a bitch of a mother, to a mommy’s boy in 2 seconds flat. She loved hard and when she passed her absence was felt acutely. I guess it’s eased somewhat, since the women have arrived, and on some level I have to wonder if she did that too. Sent us all our perfect matches. I mean, it’s the only fucking way we can explain how the hell Jules found someone to love, grumpy bastard.
“You know what son? If lightning strikes twice I’ll make sure I’m open to it.”
“Good. Now, where the fuck is Rider? I need his help.”
Chapter 6
Mira
“Thank you, ladies, for accommodating my urgent meeting request,” Chewy starts off awfully formally. I have no idea why, but I sit up just a little straighter. It could be a serious moment. Or a moment where Chewy has had a brilliant plan. “Thank you also for meeting me at the diner, because my house is currently full of things I cannot tell you about. Yet.” She grins at us and it's a little unnerving because Chewy isn’t much of a grinner, but I like that about her.
I on the other hand am a grinner. And a squealer and a clapper. Blanche is a grump and a stabber, and Lovely is a hugger and a soother. So you know, we all balance each other out in some form or another.
“Lovely has pointed out that I made the egregious error of not letting our Girl Gang Prospect know about Galentine’s so wehave come here today to issue an apology and to issue a formal invite.”
I jiggle in my seat a little and try not to blurt out “It’s Joy, isn't it!” I have to act cool. Cool, calm, and collected like my man. Ugh, just the thought of Tank has my belly doing somersaults. He’s so hot and sexy and romantic and kind and just ugh, perfect for me. Which is going to make my gift to him all the more exciting. I cannot wait to give it to him. I’ve almost let the secret out about a million times already, and it’s killing me to have to keep things from him but it’s so, so eeeeek! I’ve written our love story and it’s my best work yet. But I can’t tell him. I have to wait for a few more days.
“Stop doing that,” Chewy deadpans and it takes me a second to realize she’s talking to me.
“Doing what?” I ask, looking down at my dress.
“Wriggling and making that internal scream you do when you don’t think anyone can hear you.”
“Alright party pooper,” Blanche mutters under her breath, before flipping Chewy the bird when Chewy gives her the Jules look.
“Don’t make that face,” Vi shudders, “It looks too much like my Ol Man and it gets my lady bits going.”
“I can’t help I’m that sexually potent.”
“Don’t say that either,” Ana adds, pointing a finger in Chewy’s direction.
“It’s true, girlies, the kids get it from their ol Pops. I wasn’t called Sex Pot Sid by the ladies for no reason,” Pops adds from his stool at the bar, back handing Mad Dog in the gut when he snorts.
“Anyway, I’ve asked Joy to meet us here.Butshe’s super skittish.”
“She’s all shy and skittish and gentle and sweet,” I butt in. “But I think with lots of love from us she can blossom into a social and mischievous little thing. Kinda like a chinchilla.”
“She does have great hair,” Jazz adds. “What?” she asks, looking around at our confused faces.
“I feel like you’ve spent too much time with Rodney,” Vi snorts.
“You called?”
We all jump a mile when Rodney pops up out of nowhere at Pops’ elbow. “Where the hell were you hiding, kid?” Pops stares down at him.
“You’ll never know, old man.” Rodney grins a toothy grin then heads over to the booth the Big Littles seem to have made their own.
They are always in that one particular spot, along with Kaia’s Annie-Bella when she’s not behind the counter. I think Elio has a soft spot for her, but given he’s three years younger than her I doubt he’s on her radar.
“Shh, here she comes!” Kaia hisses from her spot behind the counter before she makes it look like she’s really busy cleaning the same spot over and over.
“Why are you whispering?” Chewy asks, full volume.
“I don’t know!” Kaia whispers back, her movements even more frantic.
“Remind me never to ask her to go undercover,” Pops says out of the corner of his mouth to his buddy Mad Dog. I love how those two are besties. Like my Tank and Judge. But old and more dangerous.
“Oh, um, hi everyone,” Joy says, eyes wide like a deer in the headlights.
