I closed my eyes. There was something seriously wrong with me because that made my heart melt a little. That he would go so far for me. It put a check in the column of the theory that he really did want me as his old lady, versus he’d just been using me.
Opening my eyes again, I searched his face. “Pyre.” He stood before me, quiet, listening. “...thank you…for the…gifts.” I looked over at the body parts. What was I supposed to do with those? “But I still need time and space to think.”
“I’d like to apologize.”
“I’m not ready to hear it.”
His jaw was flexing again, but he nodded, turned, and left me alone with enough parts to make a monster from. At least if you wanted it to be mostly made of fingers and toes.
CHAPTER 34
Raeleen
“He gave you gifts?” Norma asked as she dealt the cards to me the next morning. It was the weekend and today I was spending all day with some of my favorite ladies.
I nodded, putting my cards in order in my hand.
“Well that cinches it,” Henrietta said. “How can you stay mad at a man who gives you presents?”
“Depends on how shiny they are,” Margaret pointed out.
The women cackled together as I shook my head. I wasn’t about to tell them the kinds of gifts Pyre had left me. They’d be horrified. I wasn’t sure if anyone would see the significance in what he’d done like I did. The fact that he’d not only kill for me, but dismember anyone who threatened me? It was a weird reaction, but it made my chest go all warm.
Maybe Ainsley would understand. She knew how crazy these bikers were. She might find the fact that Pyre had basically told me he’d murder anyone who tried to hurt me romantic like I did.
Except she wasn’t really the romantic type. Ramona, or Mona as we called her. Mona would understand. Even though she was mad at Pyre for my sake she would find his gesture romantic.
Aren’t we just a collection of emotionally starved women? Yes, yes we are.
Sighing, I focused back on the women and found them watching me. That made me nervous.
“What are you going to do, dear?” Henrietta asked.
I’d told them that Pyre had betrayed my trust, though not how. When they’d asked if he cheated, I’d quickly told them it wasn’t that. I didn’t want them to think badly of him. He’d hurt me, deeply, but I still loved him. Sure that love had come on quickly, but it was no less powerful because of it.
“I don’t know,” I admitted.
Norma narrowed her eyes. “You listen to me. I don’t know what this boy did, but unless it’s something extremely grave, you talk to him and you work things out.” She looked around at her friends. “Pride is no reason to get to our age and be alone.”
The other women nodded.
“You want a husband. A family,” Margaret told me, as if I didn’t already know. “You’ve found the husband, Rae. Hang on to him.”
I didn’t need the lecture. I already knew I was going to forgive him. That didn’t mean that we weren’t going to have a serious talk about how we were going to move forward. It also didn’t mean I was going to just forgive him right away. He was going to need to wait until I was ready. And I wasn’t sure how long that was going to take. He’d just have to sweat it out until then.
Norma got up and went over to the kitchen area while Margaret and Henrietta continued to tell me why Pyre was such a keeper. I focused on Margaret. “I’m sorry… What?”
“Your young man dropped off gift baskets yesterday.”
“...gift baskets?” I couldn’t see him putting together something like that. Not even to get into my good graces. Just picturing him tying ribbons onto the handles of wicker baskets made me snort out a laugh.
“They weren’t actual baskets,” Henrietta said with a roll of her eyes. “They were just boxes.”
“Of what?” I asked.
“Lube, condoms-”
“And best of all, Viagra!” Norma said with a wink and a happy little shimmy, sitting down and placing a plate in front of her on the table.
