“Hey,” Kyle and Lola say at the same time.
“Is it cool if I go hang with Cutter?”
“Yes, he’s inside with Charlotte. She’s kicking his and everyone else’s ass at pool,” replies Kyle.
“Charlotte is a pool shark.”
I laugh at Logan’s observation.
“She is.” I look at Isabelle. “Where did she learn?”
“As far as I know, Cutter taught her. She never played back home in Chicago.”
“You’re from Chicago?” asks Lola.
All the color drains out of Isabelle’s face. “Y-Yes, we were, but not for a long time. We moved around a lot.”
Kyle and I exchange a glance. It’s obvious she’s lying.
Logan saves the day. “Well, whoever taught her did a good job. She wrangled at least one hundred dollars out of the guys.”
Isabelle stands. “She plays for money?”
Logan nods. “Yeah, so you know she’s winning fairly. The guys aren’t letting her win, not when money is involved.”
“I should go check on her.”
“I’ll come with,” says Logan.
Kyle waits until she’s inside the clubhouse. “Want me to run a background check?”
“No,” I say firmly.
“She’s running from something, and we don’t want it blowing back on us.”
“No,” I repeat.
“Kyle’s right, better to know now than get hit unprepared if something goes wrong.”
The pair of them are looking at me with concern.
“She’s not interested in me. Isabelle looks at me like a friend.”
“You’re fucking deluding yourself, Jamie. If a woman looked at me like she’s looking at you, I’d be claiming her.”
“Over my dead body,” states Lola.
“It’s a figure of speech, babe.”
Lola frowns at him, and I laugh.
A shadow falls over us, and we look up to find Lochlan, Annette, and Annie.
Lola immediately vacates her spot on Kyle’s knee to embrace the older woman. “You made it!”
Annie pats Lola on the back. “Well, of course, I did. I want to see Angus too.”
“Angus is here?” I ask as I stand.
“No, brother.” Kyle stands and touches my shoulder. “He’s doing a Zoom call. It’ll only be for a minute, but he wants to check in. It’s the main reason I wanted you all here tonight.”
Angus has been in hiding for months. He’s on the wrong side of the government and a few other people. We all keep hoping he’ll come home, but until he resolves the situation, it’s too dangerous for him.
“Is it safe for him to be doing this?” I ask.
“You know, Angus. He said he has it under control.” Kyle looks at his watch. “Good timing, we’ve got about ten minutes before go-time.” Kyle looks at each of us. “Come on, let’s get comfortable in our meeting room.”
It’s a big deal being invited into the Loyal Rebels’ meeting room. It’s specifically for MC business, and normally, only MC members are allowed in. Kyle runs his presidency a little differently from other MCs. From the little I’ve gathered from some of his men, he’s well-liked and looks after all of them. The club supports a few families who have fallen on hard times. He makes sure no one goes without.
Bags joins us as we go into the clubhouse. “Go-time?”
“Yeah.” I nod at him. “You joining us?”
“Yep.”
We all file into the room. Beth has snacks set up on the table and is sitting next to the chair that I know is reserved for Sean. Kyle sits at the head of the table, and Lola sits on his lap. The rest of us take our seats as a screen comes down from the ceiling.
Logan walks in and hooks up a laptop, and the club’s logo appears on the screen.
“That’s new,” I say as I point to the screen.
“Angus paid for it to get installed.” Kyle looks at me.
“How?”
He shrugs. “Who knows? A guy turned up one day, and Logan got instructions on how to hook everything up. And here it is.”
The last to enter the room are Maddock and Cherie. He immediately goes to Annie and kisses her cheek.
“I’m so glad you’re here.”
“It’s good to be here with all you boys,” replies Annie.
“We’re all set,” says Logan.
“Sit,” orders Kyle, and he points to a chair further down the table for him.
Logan salutes him with a grin and quickly hurries to take his place. Kyle strikes enter on the keyboard, and we’re in a Zoom meeting room. Angus isn’t on yet. All of us are staring at the screen, waiting for Angus to appear.
“Is he late?” asks Lochlan.
“No, he still has a couple of minutes,” replies Kyle.
The screen flickers and Angus appears.
“Hey, family, how goes it?”
Seeing his face makes me smile, and as I look around at the others, they, too, are all grinning at him.
“When are you coming home?” growls Sean.
Angus smiles. “Hey, Sean, always straight to the point.”
“Well?”
Angus smiles. “No time soon. If it weren’t for Nomad, I wouldn’t even be talking to you now.”
Nomad is the super-computer that Angus occasionally has access to.
“How’s Tula?” Kyle asks.
A huge smile creases his face. “She’s good. Better than good, fantastic. She’s in the next room. I wanted some alone time before she comes in.”
“Why’d you want us all here?” I ask.
“I’m about to kick a hornets’ nest, and I need you all to be vigilant. Unfortunately, Locutus knows who you are, and if he’s looking for easy payback, you guys could be in the firing line.”
Locutus is a computer hacker and terrorist that Angus and his girlfriend, Tula, are trying to bring down.
“Do you need help?” asks Sean.
He’s always been the family protector, and he’s also an ex-marine. His specialty is explosives, but he’s good with guns too.
“No. We have it covered, but thanks, brother.” Angus steeples his fingers together and leans forward. “There’s something I need to tell you.” He looks up and holds up a hand, but it’s not for us, it must be to Tula. “Give me one more minute, babe.”
His face twists in pain, and he looks back at us.
“Angus, are you two okay?” asks Kyle.
He nods. “I wish I was there with you. But you all know I can’t be. Tula and I have complicated things.”
“How so?” asks Maddock.
Angus smiles and motions for someone to move forward. Tula now comes into camera range. She’s wearing a tight t-shirt over a swollen belly that has the words, ‘Bun in the Oven’ and an arrow pointing down.
“You’re pregnant?” I ask incredulously.
Angus smiles at us. “We are.”
“Twins!” announces Tula.
For a moment, we’re all silent, then we, his brothers, all talk at once.
“How the hell did this happen?” asks Sean.
“Are you married?” asks Kyle.
“When are you coming home?” asks Maddock.
“When are they due?” asks Lochlan
“Are you happy?” I ask.
Angus holds up his hands. “One at a time.”
“How?” demands Sean.
Angus and Tula laugh.
“Well, when a man loves a woman,” says Tula.
“You both know what I mean.”
“Sean, Kyle, things happen.” Angus looks at Tula. “Show them.”
Tula holds up her hand, and the women in the room squeal.
“What?” says Sean angrily.
Beth grabs his hand. “They got married!”
Sean and Kyle look shocked, and as I study Sean across the table, he looks a little sad. Angus picks up on it and holds up his hands.
“Da wouldn’t have been pleased if I didn’t do the right thing. The bab
ies sped up the timeline. I was always going to marry Tula.”
I grin at him. He’s clearly happy with his decision and the upcoming birth of his children.
“When are they due?” asks Lochlan.
Tula answers, “In two months.”
“And you’re just telling us now?” Maddock is frowning at them.
Angus nods. “I know, I know. But it’s been hard to find a secure spot, one where we’re all safe, and this is a very short window.”
Logan taps my leg, and I look at him, and he nods toward the door. Standing there is Isabelle, looking a little frazzled. I stand and move toward the door, opening it enough to stick my head out.
“Are you okay?”
“We’re going to go.”
“Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, I’m tired.”
“Yo, Jamie, who are you talking to?” asks Angus.
Turning around, I look up at the screen, and Isabelle follows me into the room.
“Angus, this is Isabelle Lewis.”
Angus smiles. “New girlfriend?”
“We’re just friends.”
Isabelle smiles at me, then waves at Angus. “Hello, nice to meet you.”
“Isabelle Lewis?” Angus repeats.
“Yes. I’m going to walk her out. You two take care and come home soon.” I wave at the screen and then usher Isabelle back into the clubhouse.
“Did I interrupt something?”
“Just a family Zoom meeting. Angus married Tula, and they’re having twins.”
“Twins?”
“Yeah, it runs in my family.”
“Did you know they were getting married?”
I take her by the arm and guide her outside and toward her van.
“No. But I’m not surprised. From what the others told me, he was hooked.”
“You haven’t met her?”
“No, I was kept out of the loop… club business. They know I don’t like to get involved.”
We reach her car, and she stops walking. “But he’s your brother?”
“It’s complicated.” Charlotte is already in the van. “Well, it looks like you’re good to go.”
“Oh, yeah.” She fidgets nervously. “Did you want to come over for dinner tomorrow night?”
“At your house? Like a date?”
Isabelle squares her shoulders and nods. “Yeah. Well, a date where my sister is there.” She frowns, and her top lip goes up in distaste.
“What would you like me to bring?”
Isabelle smiles. “Nothing, just you. Is six okay?”
“Yeah, sounds good.”
“Okay.” She turns around and opens the van’s door. “See you then.”
“Ahh, Isabelle?”
Isabelle looks up at me. My heart is pounding, but it’s now or never, so I swoop down and kiss her cheek. “See you tomorrow night.”
She looks completely stunned, frozen to the spot, motionless.
“Isabelle?”
“Hmm?”
“Are you okay?”
She shakes her entire body and grins. “I’m perfect.”
Isabelle
I’m nervous as hell. The only thing I know he likes is meat and potatoes, so I’m cooking a roast beef with baked potatoes and a side of minted peas. For dessert, I made a honey cake. He seemed to like it.
Charlotte has set the table and strung up fairy lights on top of the curtains. She’s happily humming to herself in her room as she changes into what she calls her ‘Jamie’s dinner’ outfit. Whatever the hell that is. My wardrobe is sparse, so I’m wearing jeans and a black tank with a white blouse over the top with my ballet flats.
Charlotte comes out in a dress and looks at me. “Did you want to fix your hair?”
“My hair? What’s wrong with my hair?”
“It’s all messy.”
I run into my room and look in the mirror. “It’s meant to look messy but in a controlled kinda way. Doesn’t it look good?”
Charlotte scrunches up her face and shakes her head. I turn around and groan at my hair, and that’s when we hear the doorbell from downstairs.
“I’ll get it!”
“Charlotte! Keep him entertained while I fix my hair.”
“Okay!” She bounds away from me, a big goofy grin on her face.
I shut my door and turn on my hair straightener. There’s no way I can tame this in five minutes. And there’s no way I can sneak into the bathroom and wet it so I can start all over again without Jamie seeing me.
Instead, I turn off the hair straightener, run my fingers through my hair, and then groan at my appearance. There’s a knock at my door, and reluctantly, I walk toward it and open it.
Jamie is there. “Hey, your timer went off.”
“Hey!” I say a little too loudly as I run into the kitchen.
Charlotte is sitting at the dining table. “I thought you were fixing your hair?”
“I did.”
“Oh.” Charlotte glances at Jamie.
“I think you look great.”
“Thanks?”
Jamie smiles. “What are we having?”
“Isabelle said she knows you like meat and potatoes, so she cooked meat and potatoes,” states Charlotte.
Jamie chuckles. “Well, she’s right.” He looks at me with those baby blues and winks. “Thank you.”
I can’t help it, so I smile up at him. “Anytime.”
“Do you need help with anything?”
“Could you carve?”
“I can do that.”
The meat has been resting on the kitchen counter. There’s a knife and a large fork next to it, and Jamie carves it into slices while I pull the potatoes out of the oven and put them on a platter. The gravy is already on the table, and I put the peas into a serving bowl. Jamie puts the slices of beef onto a plate, and we take them to the table where Charlotte is waiting.
Jamie puts a slice of meat on her plate. Charlotte looks at him expectantly, and he puts another. Charlotte frowns, so he again places another slice on her plate.
“Thank you!” she replies happily.
Jamie laughs. “You sure you can eat all that?”
“Oh, yeah.”
Jamie looks at me. “The same for you?”
I laugh. “No, just one for now. If I want more, I’ll get it.”
Jamie puts two slices on his plate, and I put some baked potatoes on all our plates. The peas, I let them help themselves.
Charlotte stands. “I’m not feeling so good. I’m going to go to my room.”
“Honey, are you okay?” I ask.
Charlotte picks up her plate and moves behind Jamie. She winks at me and goes to her room.
“Wow,” I say as she closes the door. “Subtlety isn’t her strong suit.”
Jamie laughs. “So this is a romantic dinner for two?”
Suddenly, I’m nervous and whatever he sees on my face makes him grin wider.
“Relax, Isabelle, I was kidding.”
“Oh.”
“Well, sort of.” Jamie winks at me again and cuts into his beef. “The knife goes through it like butter.”
“The key is to slow cook it and my special blend of herbs.”
Jamie puts his fork in his mouth and nods vigorously. “It’s good.”
“Thank you.” He smiles. “Wait! I forgot the drinks.”
Standing, Jamie reaches for my hand. “Sit.” I flop onto the chair. “You cooked. Let me serve you.” He opens the refrigerator and peers into it. “You have one beer and half a dozen sodas. Do you want the beer?”
“No. The beer is for you, and as you’re driving, there’s only one.”
He nods. “Smart. That’s another reason I like you.”
My insides warm at his compliment. He takes a soda out of the refrigerator and knocks on Charlotte’s door. She opens it a crack.
“Do you want a soda?”
Her hand snakes out, and she says, “Thank you!” And quickly closes the door again.
&n
bsp; Jamie gets me a soda and himself the only beer and sits back down.
“Thank you for cooking tonight. Maybe next time we could go out to a restaurant. You can bring Charlotte too.”
My insides that were warming before now boil over. Not only does he want to take me out, but he understands that Charlotte and I are a package deal.
He’s one in a million.
A true gentleman.
“I’d like that very much.”
“A reliable source said it’s your birthday next month. Maybe I could take you out somewhere nice?”
My face flushes hot with embarrassment. “Who told you that? Was it Charlotte?”
“It wasn’t Charlotte, and I’ll never tell.”
I giggle at him. “It had to be her.”
“Nope.”
Scowling at him, I bite into a potato. It’s crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside—perfection. Jamie also tries the potatoes and smiles at me.
“The trick is to boil them first, then cook them in duck fat. Once they are done, you toss them in salt and rosemary. They turn out perfect every single time.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever had such good potatoes. Where’d you get your love of baking?”
“My mom. She was amazing.”
“Was?”
I nod. “Mom and Dad died in a plane crash.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be. It was a long time ago. I miss them, but I have Charlotte, and I inherited Mom’s love of cooking.”
He nods as he eats his meal. It’s nice to cook for someone who appreciates what you’ve done for them.
Charlotte comes out of her room. “I don’t feel well.”
“Oh, honey, are you finished already?” Charlotte nods. Standing, I take her plate, and Jamie takes it from me. “You ate too quickly. Come on, Lottie, you should lie down. You’ll feel better in a minute.”
Sitting on the side of her bed, I stroke her hair until she feels better. It must take the better part of half an hour. When I’m happy that she won’t throw up everywhere, I go back out to Jamie. He’s sitting on our couch with the television on and the volume on low.
“I’m sorry.”
He stands at the sound of my voice. “Don’t be. I put our meals in the oven to keep them warm.”
“You didn’t eat? You waited?”
“This is a date, isn’t it? Whatever happens, we’re going through this together.”
Spark of Time: MacKenny Brothers Series Book 5: an MC/Band of Brothers Romance Page 16
