by Wilder, L.
I knew he was asking if I’d be seeing Flynn. “Afraid so.”
Dad didn’t respond. He didn’t have to. I could tell by his expression he was pleased I’d be staying home. He gave me a quick nod, then said, “I better get upstairs and have a chat with Susana.”
“Okay, good luck.”
I grabbed a drink from the fridge, then stood at the kitchen counter as I quickly ate my dinner. Once I was done, I rinsed off my plate and put it in the dishwasher, then headed upstairs. After I washed my face, I threw on my pjs, and I was just getting settled into bed when my phone chimed with a text message. Thinking it might be Leigha, my teaching partner from school, I quickly rolled over and grabbed the phone out of my purse. When I looked down at the screen, I was pleasantly surprised to see a message from Flynn.
Flynn:
Hey. How’d PTC go?
Me:
Not too bad. Parents were nice, but I’m glad it’s over.
Flynn:
I bet. Glad it went well.
Me:
How about you? Busy night?
Flynn:
Yeah, but I like busy. It helps the night go by faster.
Me:
Busy is always better.
Flynn.
Agreed. Helps keep my mind off of you.
Me:
I’m sorry. I didn’t realize thinking about me was a bad thing.
Flynn:
Never a bad thing. You’ve just had me a little distracted today.
Me:
Well, if it makes you feel any better, you’ve had me more than a little distracted as well.
Flynn:
And why would I have you so distracted?
Me:
You know exactly why. Unless you’ve already forgotten about LAST NIGHT.
Flynn:
Not a chance. In fact, I was hoping we might get together again this weekend and get ourselves even more distracted.
Me:
I like the sound of that. Just let me know when.
Flynn:
Will do.
Flynn:
I’m getting a couple evil eyes over here. I better get back at it.
Me:
Okay. Have a great rest of your night.
Flynn:
You too! And be sure to stay distracted until I see you again.
Me:
I don’t think you have to worry about that.
Flynn:
Nite Lauren
Me:
Nite Flynn
After I placed the phone on my bedside table, I turned out my lights and nestled into bed. Like most nights, I was tired, but my mind wouldn’t shut off. One minute I was thinking about Flynn, and the next, I was thinking about my apartment and what furniture I might need. Then, I started rehashing the various conversations I’d had with all the different parents and wondered if I’d said the wrong thing or hadn’t said something that needed to be said. I didn’t know how long I’d lain there thinking about one thing after the next, but thankfully, my exhaustion finally took over and I drifted off to sleep.
The late night at school had taken its toll, and the next morning, I went to work feeling like I’d just left there. I was practically dragging my feet as I walked through the front doors. Thankfully, I wasn’t the only one who was dreading the day ahead. It seemed every teacher I passed in the hall looked like they’d had a rough night. As soon as I made it to my classroom, I went over to my desk and sat down. I was considering my life choices when Leigha walked in with a large cup of coffee in one hand and a bag of donuts in the other. “Good morning, sunshine.”
“You are officially my favorite person on the planet right now.”
“I thought you might need a little boost this morning.” She placed the coffee and donuts on my desk as she continued, “I know I needed one.”
“Yes, I definitely needed a boost. I almost didn’t make it out of bed this morning.” I took the coffee in my hand and took a dramatically long drink. “But with this, I might just make it through the day.”
“I hoped it would help. I know conferences can be tough, especially for a new teacher.”
“They really weren’t all that bad. I think I just got myself worked up and let the stress get to me.”
“Oh, yeah. The stress of it all can be exhausting.”
“It is! I was more tired last night than I usually am after teaching all day.”
“Same here.” Leigha was my pair teacher. While I taught reading and social studies, she was in charge of math and science. She was several years older than me with two kids and a snarky ex-husband, but Leigha acted just as fun and easygoing as any woman I’d ever known. She was an amazing teacher and an even more amazing mom. Her two kids were precious, both with the sweetest little demeanor—just like their mom. Leigha’s smile faded when she said, “I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I heard the secretary talking about Mr. McLean doing walkthroughs this morning.”
“Of course he is.” I drooped down in my chair as I grabbed a donut from the bag. “I love our principal, but he has the worst timing ever.”
“Yes, he does.” Leigha patted me on the shoulder as she assured me, “But you have nothing to worry about. You’re always on top of things.”
“Thank you, Leigha. You’re sweet to say that.”
“Just telling it like I see it.” Before she turned to leave, she leaned forward and snickered. “I’m so gonna need a beverage or two this weekend.”
I rolled my eyes. “You and me both!”
Once she was gone, I finished off my donut and prepared myself for the kids’ arrival. From the second they walked through the door, I jumped to my feet and started my day. I kept waiting for Mr. McLean to pop into my class, but he never showed. Apparently, he’d decided to save me for another day—something I’d get to spend my entire weekend feeling anxious about. Lucky me. I stuck around a while after school to clean things up a bit and try to prepare for the possibility of his stopping by on Monday—one of the worst days for him to come. The kids were always grumpy from the weekend and harder to get going. I didn’t bother saying anything to Leigha. I knew she’d tell me I didn’t have anything to worry about, and she’d be right. Mr. McLean was a good guy, and he was also fair and understanding, so I decided there was no reason to let it ruin my weekend.
I tried to force it out of my head as I left school an hour later than usual and headed home to get changed. Since Flynn couldn’t take the night off, I’d made plans to meet up with Hadley and Henley at Danver’s around six for dinner. I figured it would give me a chance to catch up with them and maybe spend a little time with Flynn as well. As soon as I got home, I took a quick shower, then picked out a new outfit, fixed my hair and makeup, and texted Hadley that I was on my way.
When I entered Danver’s, I did a quick scan of the bar and couldn’t help but smile when I spotted Flynn standing behind the counter. I gave him a wave, then looked around to find the girls. As I spotted them over in the corner, I was surprised that not only Hadley and Henley were there waiting for me, but Liv, Josie, and Ellie had come along too. They were all sitting at one of the back tables and had already ordered a couple of appetizers. As soon as I got over to them, I sat down next to Henley and said, “I didn’t know all of you were coming tonight.”
“We weren’t really planning on it until MJ called Liv and said she needed a girls night.”
I was always up for a girls night. There were wide differences in our ages, careers, and even personalities—and Hadley and I weren’t even ol’ ladies, but when we came together, those differences seemed to fade away. In fact, they seemed to draw us closer together. We shared our lives like sisters. Liv had told us about all the hardships she’d faced when her parents were murdered and how Clutch was there to help her pick up the pieces; Josie had been very open about the fact that her father was the president of an MC that had gone bad, and if it hadn’t been for Two Bit coming into the picture, her life would’ve gone in a completely different
direction. Ellie’s story was even more heartbreaking. After years of living with an abusive husband, she got away, but if it hadn’t been for MJ and Diesel, she might’ve spent the better part of her life behind bars.
And then, there was always my story. They knew everything that had happened to me, and had never once treated me like I was anyone but Cotton and Cass’s daughter. I loved them for that. It was simple really. Our histories had made us diverse, but in the end, we were family and always had each other’s backs. That’s why I immediately asked Henley, “Are we celebrating, or is something up with MJ?”
Liv grimaced as she answered, “She didn’t go into many details, but from the sound of it, she’s had a pretty rough week.”
MJ was Smokey’s ol’ lady. While she spent most of her time out at their family’s apple orchard, she’d still take on a court case from time to time—mostly divorces or civil suits. Apparently, her latest divorce case was taking its toll on her. “Oh, I hate to hear that.”
“Yeah, she took this case as a favor for a friend, but it’s become a doozy.”
“Which case is it?”
“You know, the Demarco divorce she’s been handling.”
“Demarco divorce?”
“Yeah, he’s the rich asshole who owns all that property down at the docks.” Without stopping to take a breath, Liv went on to explain, “His wife knew he was cheating on her, so she hired this fancy private investigator, and from what’s being said, he found some things that were pretty incriminating against the husband.”
“What kinds of things?”
“I don’t know, but there’s this big investigation going on, and the guy’s trying to fight it.”
“I heard they were bringing in the FBI. Looks like it’s getting pretty sticky,” Henley explained.
“Oh, wow. I haven’t heard anything about it.”
“How have you missed it? It’s been all over the news,” Henley fussed.
Remembering my texts with Flynn, I couldn’t help but smile as I told her, “I’ve been a little distracted.”
“Um-hmm.” Ellie’s eyes skirted over to Flynn as she said, “We want to hear all about this new distraction of yours.”
“Yes, we do,” MJ agreed as she plopped down next to me. “But first, we need drinks. Lots and lots of drinks.”
“That bad, huh?”
As she motioned Flynn over, she answered, “I can’t imagine it being much worse.”
“I’m really sorry, MJ. Anything we can do?”
“Yeah.” Flynn walked up just as she said, “You can get plastered with me.”
A warm smile crossed Flynn’s handsome face. “Hi there, ladies. How ya making it tonight?”
“We’re making it just fine, Flynn,” MJ said, then asked him, “How about yourself?”
His eyes skirted over to me, and his smile grew wider. “Better now.”
“Looks like you’re having a busy night.”
“Busy is always a good thing.” Flynn pulled out his notepad and asked, “What can I get you ladies?”
Liv didn’t skip a beat. “We’ll have another basket of fries and onion rings, two margaritas for me, and a round of tequila shots for the table.”
“Oh, that sounds good.” MJ glanced over to Flynn as she said, “I’ll have a margarita, too!”
“Okay, anything else?”
“Add an amaretto sour,” Liv answered, “and Ellie will have a rum and coke.”
A sexy smirk crossed Flynn’s face as I told him, “And I’ll have a Long Island.”
“You got it.” He gave me a quick wink. “I’ll get these right out.”
When he turned and headed back to the bar, Henley leaned over to me and whispered, “You two are just too stinking cute.”
“Aren’t they, though?” Hadley giggled as she said, “I can’t remember seeing Lauren smile so much.”
“She is looking rather smitten these days.” Henley rolled her eyes as she grumbled, “It’s got all the guys worked up, especially Q.”
“Yeah, the poor guy’s been tossed to the curb and is feeling pretty down about it,” Hadley taunted.
“I didn’t toss Quinton ‘to the curb.’ We’ve never even been on a date,” I fussed.
“But you’ve always known how he feels about you.”
“Yes, I have. Quinton’s an amazing guy, and he’s incredibly hot ...”
My words fell silent when all the girls’ eyes grew wide as they looked behind me. I didn’t have to turn around to know Flynn was standing right behind me. He shifted his step, then leaned forward and started placing the drinks on the table. Unlike earlier, he didn’t smile at me. In fact, he didn’t even look at me. Instead, he simply placed the rest of our order on the table and said, “Let me know if I can get you anything else.”
When he turned to leave, MJ called out to him, “We’ll need another round of shots in a few minutes.”
“You got it.”
Again, Flynn did everything he could not to look at me. He’d clearly overheard what I’d said about Quinton. As soon as he was out of earshot, Hadley’s face twisted into a grimace. “Uh-oh. I think there’s trouble in paradise.”
“Yeah, ’cause I have the worst timing on the planet.” I reached for one of the shots. After I drank it, I grabbed my Long Island and took a long sip. “I don’t get why Quinton is acting all wounded anyway. It’s not like he doesn’t have his pick of the club hang-arounds. They’re all crazy about him.”
“Come on, Lauren.” Josie huffed. “He knows as well as we do that those girls are only after a patch. He can do better than that. Besides, he wouldn’t do anything to mess his chance up with you.”
“That’s just it. There wasn’t anything to mess up.” I took another long drink, then sighed. “I’ve always liked Quinton. There was a time when I even wondered about being with him, but I never felt any connection to him. Does that make sense?”
“Yeah, it makes perfect sense,” MJ answered as she took her shot, then started on her margarita. “Just be sure about the whole no connection thing.”
“I am sure.”
“Have you ever kissed him?” When Henley noticed the soured expression on my face, she quickly added, “I’m just thinking it might be a good way to know for sure.”
“I don’t want to kiss him, and that’s enough proof for me.” I glanced over my shoulder at Flynn, and the second our eyes met, a warmth washed over me—something I’d never felt with any other man, including Quinton. He held my gaze for several moments before turning his attention to one of the customers at the counter. I looked back over to Henley and said, “Besides, I’m good with things right now.”
“That’s all we needed to hear.”
MJ waved at Flynn with one hand as she lifted her empty margarita glass with the other. When Flynn nodded, she pointed to the empty shot glasses, and it wasn’t long before he came over with another round of drinks. As he placed the last of the glasses down on the table, he asked, “Can I get you ladies anything else?”
“Just keep them coming,” MJ answered as she picked up a shot of tequila and drank it, then quickly moved to her fresh margarita. After taking a couple of sips, she leaned back in her chair and smiled. “One more of these, and I might actually make it through this crazy day.”
“Can you tell us what’s going on?” Josie asked as she downed her shot. “’Cause you have us pretty worried over here.”
“I wish I could, but I can’t discuss it.” She rolled her eyes. “Don’t worry, you’ll hear all about it on tonight’s news.”
“Oh, damn, that doesn’t sound good.” Henley started waving over to Flynn as she shouted, “We’re gonna need that next round, pronto!”
Chapter 7
Flynn
It was pretty clear that Lauren and the rest of Fury’s women were intent on getting plastered. After the third round of shots and mixed drinks, they started getting a little loud—laughing and talking like they didn’t have a care in the world. It was good to see them cut
loose and have a good time, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t being mindful of how much they had to drink. I didn’t want things to get out of hand, so I brought them a couple of baskets of fries and was procrastinating going back to get their next drink order. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to hold them off much longer, so I was relieved when Maverick and several of the other brothers showed up.
As soon as they stepped through the front door, Lauren and the entire table groaned like a group of kids who’d just gotten busted by their parents. Henley was the first to react to their unwelcomed arrival. “What are you doing here?”
“Just checking to make sure you girls were doing okay.” Maverick cocked his eyebrow as he continued, “After that last text message, I wasn’t so sure.”
“Like I told ya...We’re doing just fiii-ne,” she slurred. “Aren’t we, girls?”
“Yep, just fine.” Smokey’s ol’ lady had her elbow on the table and her chin propped on the palm of her hand. “One more drink, and we should be golden.”
“You’ve had enough to drink,” Smokey fussed.
“I’ve only had a couple.” MJ swayed as she sat upright and glanced down at all the empty glasses. “Well, more than a couple, but I still ...I need one ... more.”
“No, you don’t,” Smokey argued. “As it is, you’re gonna hate yourself in the morning. The kids are gonna give you hell.”
“Wait!” Ellie hiccupped as she looked over to Diesel and Two Bit. “Where are the kids?”
“They’re over at Cotton’s with Cass.”
Looking horrified, Henley gasped. “You left them all with her?”
“Cass is fine,” Maverick assured her. “Not like this is the first time she’s had to wrangle in our kids.”
“And she’s not alone with them,” Two Bit added. “Cotton’s there too.”
“Oh, God.” Henley reached for her purse and stumbled as she tried to stand. “We’ve gotta go save them.”
