“What are you going to do?”
“No idea.”
“Can I speak?” asks Cherie.
“Have it at.” I plunge my hand into the chip bowl and pull out a handful.
“You need a grand expression of how you feel. Do something so she sees you in a different light.”
I look at Maddock, who shakes his head.
“That doesn’t help me. What kind of grand expression are you talking about?”
Cherie gives me a knowing smile. “Depends on the girl. You’ll need to find out what she likes and surprise her with it.”
“How on God’s green earth am I supposed to do that?”
“Oh, I don’t know, talk to her?” Cherie pulls a chip out of the bowl.
I look at Maddock, who shrugs.
“Are you two going to the party at the Loyal Rebels this Saturday?”
“Yep,” replies Maddock. “And you need to come.”
“Why?”
“Can’t tell you. It’s a surprise.”
I look at Cherie, who pretends to lock her lips and throw the key over her shoulder.
“What are we in the third grade? What’s going on?”
Maddock stands and shakes his head. “I made a promise. But trust me when I tell you, if you don’t come, you’ll regret it.”
Cherie winks at me. “Ask Isabelle to come.”
“Lola already did, and she said no.”
Cherie shoves my shoulder. “You ask her.”
“It’s time I left.”
“You just got here, and you haven’t finished your beer.”
Leaning down, I kiss her cheek. “Night, Cherie. See you, brother.”
“You don’t have to go,” says Maddock.
“I’ve got an early one tomorrow, so yeah, I do.”
“Are you going to come on Saturday?”
I nod at him. “I’ll be there.”
It’s Thursday morning, and I’m about to walk into the bakery when Cutter cuts in front of me.
“Hey, farm boy, how’s things?”
Stepping back to put some distance between us, I give him a forced smile. “Good, Cutter. You?”
“I’m getting by. Are you coming on Saturday?”
“Yep.”
I try to walk around him, but he blocks my way.
“Good, that’ll make Kyle happy.”
Giving him a blank stare, I say, “Yes, because I live to make Kyle happy.” Again, I try to move around him, and again he blocks my way. “Cutter, I want a coffee and maybe a loaf of bread. Could you get the hell out of my way?”
“You and Isabelle, is that a thing?”
This stops me, and I look at him. “What’s it to you?”
“Absolutely nothing. I heard Cherie talking to Lola.”
“Shit.”
“The women love to gossip.”
“And apparently you love to listen.”
“It’s amazing what you can learn if you do. For instance, it’s Isabelle’s birthday on the fifteenth of next month.”
“How do you know that?”
“I listen.” Cutter smirks at me and walks into the bakery.
The guy has a way of getting under my skin and irritating me like no one else can. Taking a deep breath, I walk in and find him leaning across the counter talking to Charlotte. She’s laughing at him, and when I walk in, her laughter gets louder.
“What’s so funny?” I ask.
Cutter holds a finger to his lips and shakes his head. I’m guessing whatever he said to make her laugh is about me.
“Is Isabelle here?” Charlotte nods and points out back. “Is it okay if I go through?”
“Yes.” She smiles at Cutter, who winks at her.
Walking out the back, I find her pulling loaves of bread out of the oven.
“Do you need some help?”
“No, I’m good.” She smiles at me. “What brings you in here?”
“Primarily coffee, and I was checking to see if you had changed your mind about Saturday?”
“Saturday?”
“The party at the Loyal Rebels compound.”
Isabelle tilts her head from side to side. “I don’t know.”
“It’ll be fun, and there’s some sort of surprise. You should come.” I rub the back of my neck. “Well, see you later.”
“Wait!” I lock eyes with her. “Will you be there?”
Grinning, I nod. “Yep.”
Then I turn around and walk back out the front. Cutter is gone, and there aren’t any other customers in the shop.
“Could you make me a coffee, please, Charlotte?”
“Sure can.”
“So, a birdy told me it’s Isabelle’s birthday next month.”
“Yep.”
She keeps on making my coffee.
“Is there something special she’d like for her birthday?”
Charlotte puts my coffee in front of me, and I hand over a five-dollar bill. She’s chewing on her bottom lip with her head cocked to one side, and then she smiles and nods.
“There’s this cream she likes. She just ran out of it, and she’d probably like that.”
“Cream?”
“Uh-huh. She looked sad when she threw it out. She said it’s too expensive to buy again.”
“I don’t suppose you know the name of the cream?”
Charlotte shakes her head, then disappears under the counter. When she comes back up, she has a tube in her hands.
“It was in the trash.” Charlotte holds it out to me. “Here you go.”
I take it off her and smile. “Our secret?”
“Okay.” She gives me a big smile and holds out my change.
“Keep it.”
“Thank you!”
Charlotte’s smile is infectious, and I find myself grinning back at her.
Isabelle
Unbeknownst to me, Charlotte had agreed on our behalf to go to the party at the Loyal Rebels compound. Cutter is picking her up on his bike. She informed me I didn’t have to go, but that she was. He’s certainly made an impression on her. The doorbell for downstairs sounds, and Charlotte runs down the stairs to answer it.
I’m still deciding what to wear. I’ve got a pair of jeans on and my bathrobe. I can hear Charlotte talking to Cutter in our living room. When I come out, he’s putting a helmet on her head.
“Cutter, I’m not sure I want my only sister on the back of a motorcycle.”
“It’s not any motorcycle, Isabelle, it is a Harley,” corrects Charlotte.
Laughing, I say, “Did you teach her that?”
“Guilty as charged.” Cutter eyes my robe. “Are you coming?”
“Yes, I’m having a wardrobe dilemma, but I’ll be there.”
“Good, and don’t worry about Charlotte. I’ll take good care of her. It’s family night tonight, so all the wives, women, and kids will be there, maybe a couple of whores and strippers, but they won’t be working.” My mouth drops open, and Cutter laughs. “I’m just fucking with you. But it is family night.”
Scrunching my face up, I’m not sure whether to laugh or berate him. “Right. Family night, you’ll look after Charlotte and no whores or strippers?”
“Well, they might be there, but they won’t be working.” He nods, then looks at Charlotte. “You ready to go?”
“Yep!” Charlotte runs over and hugs me. “See you there.”
I watch as Cutter guides her down the stairs, and it occurs to me that Charlotte has more of a social life than I do. Most of the customers know her by name, and she knows them. For the first time in my life, I’m a little jealous of my sister.
Walking back into my room, I stare at my sparse wardrobe. My eyes go to a red blouse with a zipper up the front and sleeves to my elbows. It’s figure-flattering as it cups my breasts and shows off my curves. As I reach for it, my eyes go to my normal black shapeless shirt. It’s the safer option. I won’t get noticed.
“Fuck it,” I whisper and pull out the red blouse.
T
hrowing caution to the wind, I put it on before I can talk myself out of it. The zipper up the front is rose gold, and I have a pair of hoops in that color, so I put them on, then look at my hair. Where once it was long, now it’s just below my ears. I turn on my hair straightener and smooth it out, so it sits nicely around my face. Next, I apply a little eyeshadow, mascara, and red lipstick that’s almost the same shade as my blouse.
The only thing left to do is put my shoes on. I have three choices—sneakers, boots, or ballet flats. The boots will give me a little more height, so I put them on. Looking in the mirror, I look good. So different from the girl I was a few months back.
Not sure what to bring to a biker party, I stuff some cash and a lipstick in my pocket and go downstairs to the bakery and box up all the leftover cakes and bread rolls. There’s not a lot, but they’ll go into the trash if I don’t do something with them. I’ve also got a loaf of rye bread for Lola. Sort of a peace offering.
I load up the van, lock up the bakery, and drive out to the Loyal Rebels’ compound. There are cars and bikes everywhere. I’m at the far end of the property, the only available space to park my van. It’s been a while since I’ve walked into a party on my own. Chase rarely met me at the door of his parents’ home. I was always left to find him in the crowd. Climbing out of the van, I go to the back and undo one of the doors. There’s way too much for me to carry inside on my own for one trip.
“Do you need some help?”
Turning, Jamie is there—no hat, black t-shirt, and jeans. He looks good.
“Yes, please.”
“Did Kyle place an order?”
“No. This is leftover stock. It was either bring it or trash it.”
“What a waste.”
“Yeah. I’ve been meaning to seek out a local homeless shelter to see if they could use it, but so far, I haven’t found the time.”
“You should talk to Lola. I know she helps at one in town.”
Jamie holds out his hands, and I load him up.
He looks me up and down. “You look good. Red suits you.”
I giggle like a teenager. “Thanks, it’s new.”
He gestures toward the clubhouse with his head. “Shall we go?”
Using my butt, I shut the back of the van, and together, we walk up toward the loud music and the throng of people.
“Charlotte is inside with Cutter. She’s beating him at pool.” Jamie chuckles. “She told me he’s her new best friend, and she hopes Brandon won’t mind.”
At the mention of Brandon’s name, I stumble. “What?”
“She said Cutter is her new best friend.”
Carefully, I walk up the stairs and make a beeline for the kitchen, where I unload my boxes. Jamie is beside me, and he puts his down too.
“Thanks for the help.”
My only thought is to find Charlotte. We’ve talked about this. She can’t be telling anyone anything about us, it’s too dangerous.
Jamie
Isabelle practically runs from the kitchen. I’m left standing there wondering what the hell I have done now. Lola appears beside me and opens one box.
“Is Isabelle here?”
I cock an eyebrow at her. “Yep. You just missed her.”
“And she bought all of this?”
“Yep.”
“We didn’t order anything.”
“She said it was leftovers, and if she didn’t bring it, it would end up in the trash.”
“What a waste.”
“I don’t think she has a lot of wastage, but she’s looking for a shelter for when she does.”
Lola looks me up and down. “You look good. You been working out?”
I shake my head. “Nope, just hard work.”
Lola laughs. “Have you seen how big Sean is getting? I swear he can probably lift a car, he’s put on so much bulk.”
“Beth must like it.” Lola looks up at me and frowns. “Have you not noticed that he doesn’t do anything unless Beth approves? Look at how long his hair is. The man has it bad for her.”
“Not unlike a certain someone I know and a baker?”
I cock an eyebrow at her and shake my head. “She’s not into me. I’m a friend.”
Lola laughs. “Yeah, right.”
I look down at her and cross my arms. “I need a drink. You want one?”
“Hells yes, I do! And food, I need food. Has Bags finished with the ribs?”
“Let’s go find out.”
Lola charges through the crowd and outside, where Bags is drinking a beer while holding a pair of tongs.
“Ribs, Bags!” says Lola loudly.
“Hold your britches, Lola. They’re almost done.”
“Almost is good enough.”
He shakes his head and points at her with the tongs. “You can’t rush perfection.”
Lola scowls at him. “How long?”
“Another fifteen minutes. Trust me, they’re worth waiting on.” Bags gives me a chin lift. “What made you come in off the farm?”
“I got invited,” I reply with a smirk.
“Wow, who knew that’s all it would take?” he replies with sarcasm.
Laughing, I nod at him. “You need a beer?”
He levels his gaze at me and says in a serious tone, “I always need a beer.”
I bark out a laugh and walk back inside. Lola stays out there and makes herself comfortable on a crate. The woman sure loves his ribs.
Inside the clubhouse, the music is loud. While I stand in line waiting for a drink, I look over the crowd to see if I can see a certain red shirt. Most of the women are wearing black, so Isabelle stands out. She’s off in the corner talking to Charlotte, who looks upset.
“What can I get you?” asks one of the club members.
“Hey, three beers, and can you put it on Kyle’s tab?”
“The Prez?”
“Yes. I’m his brother, Jamie.”
“Farm boy?”
Sean comes up beside me and slaps me on the shoulder. “Yeah, this is him.”
“I prefer Jamie.”
Sean grins at me and shrugs. “You can’t always get what you want.” Then he looks at the guy behind the bar. “It’s cool, put them on Kyle’s tab. He won’t mind.”
The guy gives me three beers. I nod at him and Sean and make my way back through the crowd until Isabelle appears in front of me.
“Is one of those for me?”
“Ahh, no.”
Her face falls. “Oh, okay.”
The woman is confusing the hell out of me. I shake my head and hold out a beer. “Here, have mine.”
She takes it off me, and I keep moving. When I get back outside, Bags is pulling out the ribs. Lola is shuffling from foot to foot in anticipation. I hold out a beer to her, and she takes it off me.
“Great timing!”
I’ve never seen a woman so eager for food.
“Are they that good?” I ask.
Lola gives me a scathing look. “Does a bear shit in the woods?”
“I’m guessing that’s a yes?”
Lola waves a hand in my face.
“Here, farm boy.” Bags holds out a plate with ribs on it. “Enjoy and thanks for the beer.”
We swap, and I’m left with a plate full of ribs that Lola looks like she’d tackle me for and no drink. I smile at her and wander over to a seat that no one is occupying. Like moths to a flame, Sean wanders out and immediately sees me, and a grin spreads across his face.
“Food!”
With an arm up, I ward off his attempts to steal the ribs. “Go get your own.”
Sean frowns at me and moves quickly toward Bags.
“Hey.”
Standing next to me is Isabelle.
“Hey. Want to pull up a seat?”
Isabelle looks around, settles on a crate, and drags it closer to me. With the plate balancing on my knees, I pick up a rib and bite into it. The tangy, spicy meat is delicious, and I let out a groan.
“That good?”
&nbs
p; I nod at her. “Yes. Want some?”
Isabelle leans over and takes one off my plate. She bites into it, and a smile spreads across her face. “What does he put on these?”
“No idea and I’m betting he won’t tell you.”
Kyle wanders out and waves a beer in my face.
“Thanks, brother.”
“Well, considering you put three on my tab, I thought I’d top you up. Did you drink them already?”
“Not one.” I laugh. “I gave them away. One to Lola, Bags, and Isabelle.”
Kyle looks at Isabelle. “Glad you could come.”
“Thank you for the invite. I left a loaf of rye bread in the kitchen for you.”
“You did?”
“Yeah, I know you like it.”
Kyle chuckles and sits down beside her. “I tell Lola I like it because I know she likes it. Give me plain old white bread any day.”
Isabelle looks surprised, but it doesn’t shock me. Kyle is devoted to Lola, he proved that when he rescued her from her family who were willing to kill her. Sure, she had to prove herself to him and the MC, but I knew she’d do it. Lola loves Kyle, and it’s plain for everyone to see.
Lola wanders over with a plate of ribs in her hands. Kyle sits back, and she sits on his knee. “Want some?”
Kyle smirks at her. “Always.”
“I meant the ribs.”
Kyle looks shocked. “So did I. What did you mean?”
Lola giggles, and he steals one of her ribs. Isabelle is watching them, and I notice she smiles as she watches their interaction.
“Is Lochlan coming?” I ask.
Kyle nods. “Yeah, he’s bringing Annie and Annette.”
“Annie’s coming?” I ask, surprised.
“I invited her. She’s only coming out for a little while. Annie has church tomorrow.”
“Who’s taking her to church?” I take a sip of beer.
“I think it’s Bags’ turn, but if he keeps drinking the way he is, it’ll be me,” replies Kyle.
“Oh, babe, you drink. I’ll take her.”
“No way. The last time you took Annie to church, I nearly lost you.”
Lola frowns. “That was ages ago, and that threat is a threat no more.”
“I don’t care.”
“We could go together?”
Kyle smiles at Lola and nods. “Sounds like a plan.”
Logan wanders over to our group. “Hey.” He’s Lola’s son that none of us knew about until recently.
Spark of Time: MacKenny Brothers Series Book 5: an MC/Band of Brothers Romance Page 15
