She snorted. “I don’t think you get hammered on these things. It’s just a small sampling at each vineyard and then you buy the bottles of wine you enjoyed the most. I’ve seen shows on these things.”
“Mmm, well I’m getting hammered.”
“Wait what? You’re going too?” she asked, hope blooming in her chest.
“Lyric. Bunk beds. I’m not missing out on free booze and a bunk bed slumber party. A pillow fight between a bunch of hot girls is on my top three fantasies.” He turned his phone toward her. “Tabian will be there too. He’s already RSVP’d.”
Oh hell she was going on a weekend retreat with the whole Rogue Pack.
If Eden ever found out, she would ban her from the Coeur d’Alene Lake Pack indefinitely. Lyric waited for the dread to hit her stomach at the thought, but honestly it didn’t happen. She kind of hated that Pack. She just didn’t know where else to go.
“I guess I’ll call and schedule it,” she said through a smile that was slowly stretching her face.
“Nah, I will. It keeps you from changing your mind if it’s planned already.”
“You think I’ll back out?” she asked.
“I think you’ll get home, your sister will pull some nonsense and get into your head, and you’ll get quiet and still again, and think the weekend is too big of a hassle.”
Geez, he was smarter than she’d thought. He was probably right.
“I won’t back out.”
“I dare you not to back out.”
“I won’t!”
“Great. I’ll text you the details as soon as I get it all scheduled. Now crucial question, should I order us all matching pajamas for the adventure?”
A laugh belted out of her as she imagined them all wearing tank tops with little pajama shorts with printed cartoon hearts on them. “Whatever you think is appropriate,” she told him.
“It’s too late to knit us matching ones. I might be able to get fast shipping on them though.”
“Vic,” Bridger called.
Vic turned and his packmates were heading for the door. Tabian was holding Earl’s cage.
“Shit, I have to go. I drove them here.” He shrugged and rolled his eyes. “I kind of had to kidnap them to make them hang out with me.”
Gah, she liked this man. He was fun and full of life and positivity. Very different from her ex, Cian. Very different from her sister, and the Elders, and really all of the new members of the Coeur d’Alene Lake Pack too.
Vic was just…different in good ways.
“I’ll walk out with you,” she told him, and thanked Denise for the basket. She stopped by the table, grabbed her cookies, and followed Vic out of the bar and to the parking lot. Tabian and Bridger were already crawling up into a light gray Dodge Ram in the back of the parking lot.
“I like your truck,” she told Vic as he pulled them to a stop near her car.
“It’s used but new to me. I’m getting my own house tomorrow too.”
“Wait, this is move-in week for you?” she asked, feeling guilty that she was making him do a wine tour. He had his own busy life. He didn’t need to pause it for her.
“It’s just a small house and I don’t have much stuff. Your dad had our homes repossessed in your territory when he stripped us of our Pack titles. I’ll have this house already half-paid off, and no one can ever take it from me. I don’t have many material things though, so it’ll be an easy move. I’ve been living in my Second’s spare bedroom, and everything else I own is in a couple boxes in the garage. I’m starting from scratch.”
“You said all of that so easily, like it’s not a huge, horrible thing you’ve been through.”
“What’s horrible about it?”
“I mean…you were kicked out of your home, and Aro made the rule that you will never be in a Pack again. You’re Rogue for always.” But even as she said it and watched the softness in his face, it really didn’t sound so bad.
