Papaw’s eyesdropped to mine as I ducked under his arm and snuggled in close.
“What’s up, Babygirl?” he asked, turning his attention from Red and Eagle to me.
Winking at Sondra, I tipped my head back and pouted out my lip, giving him my best puppy dog eyes. “I’m ready to go home.”
His lips twitched. “You are?”
“We are,” I amended as I glanced around the room. The party was still in full swing, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to last as long as everyone else. Sondra probably had a little more gas in the tank than I did, but not by much.
After performing a two and a half hour show two nights ago, flying from Chicago to Nashville, ending things with Shawn, and then hopping back on a plane to Odin, I was running on fumes.
And I didn’t want to be here when Weston got back and took one of the club whores to his room. I couldn’t stomach seeing that.
My eyes went to a woman straddling Gator’s lap. Her skirt was hiked up over her ass, and her tits were out for everyone to see.
Gross.
The second the kids went home for the night, they showed up.
That’d been a fun topic to explain to Sondra. “Ignore the mostly naked women, they’re just here to fuck and suck the men that are single.”
My lips twitched just thinking about her calling them the ladies of the night.
“Leavin’, girl?” Red asked, beer halfway to his mouth.
I covered my mouth, fought back a yawn, then answered, “Yeah. It’s been a long couple of days.”
He smiled softly, pity written across his face. The news that my engagement to Shawn was over was everywhere. Tabloids, news headlines, gossip rags, the radio. Everyone knew. “You’re better off without that fucker.” Then his eyes scanned the room. I knew who he was looking for. Nobody had been shy about their opinions that Shawn wasn’t right for me and a certain biker was who I should still be with.
I just wanted to yell at them all. “He was the one who ended us!”
I wouldn’t do that of course. They all meant well enough.
“Alright, darlin’. We’ll see you soon?” he asked, pulling me from my thoughts.
Nodding my head, I moved out from under Papaw’s arm and went to Red, wrapping my arms around his back. “I promise. I won’t leave without saying goodbye again.”
I hadn’t realized all the people I’d hurt when I took off eight years ago. That had never been my intention. I was hurting, and I had to get out of Odin. I hadn’t said a word to anyone but mygrandparents. There was no notice, no party to send me off. I ran like a coward.
No, that’s not true. My heart had been ripped in half, and I ran because I didn’t think I would survive if I stayed.
Red grunted. “Good.”
Pulling free, I glanced over my shoulder at Papaw. “We’ll be at the truck.”
Sondra linked her arm in mine and together we headed for the door.
By the time Papaw pulled up to the farmhouse, I was ready to crawl into my old bed and sleep for a week.
“I’m heading up,” I told Sondra, who had sprawled across the couch with her shoes already kicked off, looking like she’d run a marathon instead of dancing with half the club. “You good down here?”
“Mmhmm.” She didn’t even open her eyes. “Your cousin Journey’s friend—the one with the tattoo of lips on his neck—he’s picking me up tomorrow to show me the boardwalk.”
I snorted. “Journey’s not my cousin, and I have no idea who you’re talking about, but okay.”
“Details,” she mumbled, waving a hand in the air, already halfway to sleep.
Grinning, I shook my head. She was a nut.
