“You’re dead.”
I rolled my eyes when Pyre’s words floated on the night air. It wasn’t dark out yet, but it was so quiet outside of town I could hear the party happening at the back of the house. A moment later, Pyre’s hand encircled the back of my neck.
“If you don’t want the cop to get a pummeling you should reassure me that you were kidding.”
Batting my lashes, I looked up at him. “Of courseI was.” He scowled at me. I laughed, juggled the cake, and patted his chest. “Don’t worry, I’ll reassure you later tonight.”
A grin spread over his handsome face. “That’ll be a good start.”
“You know I can still hear you two, right?”
We looked over our shoulders to where Owen was trailing after us. “Quit listening in on shit that doesn’t concern you then,” Pyre told him.
“It’s my face you’re threatening to pummel,” he pointed out. “Besides, we’re going the same damn way. What am I supposed to do?”
“Fuck off.”
Owen shook his head at me as if I was supposed to do something about Pyre. It occurred to me that maybe I was. Dating him apparently meant taking responsibility, in some part, when Pyre was…well…Pyre. I frowned, wondering what exactly I was signing up for where that was concerned.
“Oh thank God you’re here!”
I gave Ainsley a weak smile as she came up to me. “I hope it’s okay. Pyre didn’t bother to tell Warrant’s mother I was coming.”
“It’s fine, she makes enough to feed an army whenever the guys come over. Yours alone could eat a moose. Come with me, I’ll introduce you to her.”
“Shouldn’t I be introducing her?” Pyre asked, but Ainsley was already dragging me, and the cake, over to where a prettywoman in a dress was setting plates of food out on the picnic tables.
Pyre’s entire club was standing around, drinking and talking, and they greeted Owen as he walked up to them. It was nice to see that they all got along with Owen. Bikers and sheriffs were usually a terrible mix.
“Cindy, this is Raeleen.”
“Rae,” I said, offering my apology cake to Warrant’s mother like it would somehow fix the fact that I wasn’t supposed to be here.
“She’s Pyre’s old lady.”
I didn’t get the chance to say anything before Cindy had me wrapped up in a hug. Ainsley saved the cake as I embraced Cindy. It was impossible not to relax into the hug. It was a mother’s hug, one hundred percent. The type that made all your problems and doubts disappear. It didn’t even have to be your own mother apparently. It worked all the same. Tears pricked at my eyes as homesickness flooded me. I needed to get home to see my family soon.
“I’m so happy to meet you, Rae,” Cindy said with a beaming smile as she stepped back.
“We’re just happy you’ve turned that grumpy asshole into a real boy again,” Warrant said, skimming his finger over the frosting of the cake and popping it into his mouth.
Both Ainsley and Cindy smacked him, one in the chest, the other on the back of the hand.
“What the hell?” he asked, looking between them.
“Quit cussing,” Cindy told him.
“Stop ruining Rae’s cake. No one’s going to want it now that you put your grubby fingers all over it,” Ains told him with a glare.
“Jesus.” He looked over at Pyre. “Maybe getting old ladies wasn’t the best idea we ever had. Just more women to nag you.”
“Just wait,” a pretty woman carrying a baby said as she approached. “We’re all going to get together later and complain about you.”
“Beth, this is Rae. Rae this is Warrant’s older brother’s wife, Beth, and their baby, Maxine.”
“Oh,” I said, melting as the baby smiled at me. She was all gums. “I know this is weird since you don’t know me,” I said to Beth, “but can I hold her?”
“Please.”
