Abel grabbed it from me. “You should really leave now babe. I’ll take care of this and bring your tips hometonight.”
I was screaming inside to know what was going on, but I just grabbed Raine by the hand and walked her out of thebar.
“Can we have chicken fingers fordinner?”
A light rain tapped onto the gravel parking lot as we started to jog for my car. “As long as you eat some carrots withthem.”
I strapped Raine into the backseat and started off toward the house. I hated the jumping, squeaking, skipping wipers, but it was starting to really pour and I needed to try to see the winding road. Even though it was annoying, I would rather the obnoxious noises than being pelted in the face while on amotorcycle.
I was cleaning up the plates from dinner when Holt and Abel finally came home. Both of them were smiling and talking away as their boots stomped through the front door. Then I noticed it: Holt was wearing acut.
“Well, I guess I had nothing to worry about this whole time.” I gave Holt a hug. “Congratulations.”
“Thanks.” They both grabbed beers from thefridge.
“There’s some food in the oven fory’all.”
“Thanks babe.” Abel pulled me down to sit on his lap at the breakfast table, cracking open a beer for me too. “A toast to our newest member.” We smashed our beerstogether.
“Sorry for kicking you out of the bar like that earlier. I needed to keep this guy on his toes. Didn’t want to spoil a goodsurprise.”
I kissed his scruffy cheek. “I getit.”
The guys made plates and I curled up on the couch with Raine while they ate. Raine dozed off watching My Little Pony—not the terrible new remake that the crackheads at the network had started airing, the reruns from when I was growing up. I was more enthralled in it than I would have cared to admit; I didn’t even notice that she was passed out next to me until I started to fast-forward through a fewcommercials.
“I guess I better get this little lady in bed.” Abel lifted her into his arms before turning to me. “Put some warmer clothes on, let’s go for aride.”
“It just stopped raining, the roads will be wet. I don’t think it’s a goodidea.”
I hadn’t been on Abel’s bike since that day we’d gone to the diner. Once was really enough for me. I liked a thrill as much as the next guy, but there was an element of danger that was just a little too much forme.
“Come on. I want to show yousomething.”
I let my head fall onto the couch backrest. “Fine. But if I freak out or scream, it’s onyou.”
