Clint, Exile, Lula, and Zodiac kept pulling over to let us catch up.
“I want to casually point out that there’s very little traffic, so you’d likely be fine to press a bit harder on the accelerator. No worries, though.”
Ivy nodded, but she didn’t actually speed up. I loved how Clint’s gal avoided drama by agreeing with everyone and then doing whatever she wanted.
Turning around, I smiled at Nova. “Want me to shove you toward any men tonight?”
“No.”
“Sugar came up with Zodiac and the boys. Want me to assign someone to keep him from bugging you?”
Nova’s eyes lit up. “Can you? Would that be rude to ask?”
“Fuck rude. We’ll be at the Sorority House. That’s fox territory. If you want a breather from Sugar’s flirting, I shall put an alert out amongst our friends. Much like how they kept an eye on you when you got stoned at the clubhouse party and kept trying to climb things.”
Ivy snickered at the memory. The SUV was too dark to be sure, but I bet Nova was blushing slightly over her behavior.
We arrived at the Sorority House to find the party in full swing. Past the wrought iron security gate, the house’s large front lawn was filled with cars and motorcycles. The soothing riffs of My Morning Jacket played over the loudspeakers.
Zodiac, Clint, Lula, and Exile rode through the gates and parked while Ivy very gingerly rolled forward until she found an open spot.
“You did marvelous,” I told Ivy as she exhaled with relief and turned off the SUV. “But maybe I’ll drive home.”
Ivy and Nova shared a smile before Clint knocked at the driver’s window. She left the SUV to receive praise from Clint for her “safe” driving. Nova stepped out and nearly planted herself against the vehicle. Seeing her panicking, I took her hand and tugged her along.
“You’ve been here before.”
“Never when it’s been so busy.”
“It’s no different than the party at the clubhouse, except Cher and Stevie can join us. Plus, Boone is out of jail. We have a few more people,but you’ve already met them all. Just take a deep breath and embrace your inner fox.”
Zodiac strolled over and smiled at Nova. “Don’t listen to Elle’s advice. She got knocked up at the last one of these parties.”
Grinning at him, I rubbed my belly. “Aww, if Nova gets knocked up tonight, she and I can be baby buddies.”
Nova lost her grin and looked around. I ignored her paranoia and took her hand again. I also grabbed Zodiac’s hand and tugged them toward the large white house. On the second story’s wraparound porch, Moe and Nine were pretending to karate fight. Down on the first-floor wraparound porch, Rock and Graham chilled.
Inside, we ran into Sabrina kissing all over Xandy. Leaving them to their horny selves, I stopped in the colorful kitchen, where Goldie stood with her fellow Rawlins transplant, Jas Tooker.
Leaning in between them, I mentioned the Sugar thing. Goldie nodded, while Jas seemed confused whether Sugar was a guy or a girl.
“I’ve handled your problem,” I told Nova while Zodiac narrowed his gaze and tried to guess what we were whispering about. “Let’s stay hydrated and head out back to see Cher.”
Down a long hallway, past a line of foxes’ bedrooms, we exited to the back porch. Cher sat on a purple couch, looking adorable in her black T-shirt and pink tutu skirt. Her short hair had been dyed green for the party. Her eyelids sparkled purple, and her lipstick was a shiny red. She had never looked more colorful.
“Hey,” I said, leaning down to kiss her cheek. “Happy thirtieth birthday.”
Smiling softly, Cher held me still and studied me. “Are you happy?”
“Very much so.”
“How is Wilbur?”
“He’s dancing around for the party.”
Cher’s smile widened. “I’m already tired. Sit with me for a while.”
I rested next to her and asked, “Are you feeling bad today?”
