“Babe,” he murmured.
“You’re tense, it’s a heavy day, we need to release some ofthat, so just go with it,” she murmured back, using the apples of her palms topress and stroke upward on each side of his spine until she got to his broadshoulders, where she spread the pressure out.
Jag was quiet as she kept this up, Archie seated on his ass,putting her weight into it when needed.Her hands were heated by his skin andthe oil that not only offered ease to her ministrations, but warmth to hismuscles.
“You good?”she asked after a bit, digging her thumbs inwhere his neck met his shoulders, a place she found was often super tight.
“Yeah, baby,” he said quietly.“You have that oil, or didyou buy it for me?”
“I bought it for you.”
A beat then, “Don’t relax me too much I can’t fuck you.”
Archie grinned and kept massaging.
And replied, “Don’t worry.I’d never do that.”
They weren’t going to be able to carry out their planto take the kids to Jagger’s motorcycle club hangout that afternoon.
This was because that afternoon, they were sitting in achurch, listening to people sharing what a lovely woman Danielle Middleton,Mal’s grandmother, was.
It was a nice service.The flowers were very pretty.AndJagger looked incredibly handsome in his dark suit.
They were in a pew with Joany, Fabe and Lafayette (they’dclosed the store) mid-way back on Mal and Shanta’s side.There were a lot ofpeople there (more testimony Danielle was an awesome lady).
But when it was done, Mal didn’t miss catching firstArchie’s, then Jagger’s eyes and giving them a boy-man chin lift as he walkedout with his mom and aunt.
They waited their turn as folks left the church, and as theyheaded down the aisle, Archie looked up at her man and asked, “Do you want togo to the gravesite with the procession, or head out?”
Jagger didn’t look at her, his eyes were aimed to the exit,and she knew where his head was at even before he answered, “We’re there allthe way for Mal.”
“Okay, honey,” she murmured, glanced behind them, and got anod from Fabe, which meant he heard, and they were in too.
When they exited the church, the first thing she saw wasMal, who was standing at the bottom of the steps looking off in the distanceand seeming frozen in place.
It was then she noticed a lot of people were staring in thesame direction.
Archie looked that way.
And she saw, around the entrance to the parking lot of thechurch, there was a slew of men on motorcycles.They were wearing black,long-sleeved, button-down shirts, jeans, and had sunglasses over their eyes toshield them against the bright Denver sun.
When she turned her gaze to Jagger, he was looking at Mal.
He also headed to Mal, and since he had her hand tucked intohis elbow, Archie went with him.
“Sorry,” he said when they arrived, and Shanta moved hergaze from Jagger’s brothers to Jag.“I didn’t know.But I should have guessedbecause Mal claimed me, and since I’m his, they weren’t gonna let this pass.Sothey’re here to provide an honor guard escort for your mom.I can tell them togo if it’s—”
He shut up because Shanta ducked her face and turned itaway, lifting a hand with a hanky in it to touch under the sunglasses she waswearing.
“Don’t tell them to go,” Mal decided for his family.
Shanta cleared her throat, turned again to Jagger, and hervoice came soft when she added, “Please, don’t.Momma could be theatrical.”
The sister snorted and said under her breath, “To say theleast.”
“She’d love a biker honor guard,” Shanta finished.
Jagger nodded and started to move them away, but Mal taggedthe sleeve of his suit jacket, so he stopped.
