CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
The last day of the rally finds us strolling down Main Street checking out a new crop of custom bikes on display. Yesterday, Rock and I spent most of the day in bed so he could “rest” and “heal” his shoulder. Today he seems to be moving more freely and I don’t catch him tightening his jaw in pain when he thinks I’m not looking.
We’re a rather large, rowdy group walking down the street, which keeps people out of our way.
“Oh wow, look at this one.” I point out a large Harley painted matte black and glowing green. On closer inspection, fire, devils, and ghosts shimmer in the painting. Pearl blue flames that can only be seen when the sunlight hits the paint just right dance along the fender.
Rock’s mouth curls into a satisfied grin. “I recognize this one. Bricks,” he calls out.
“Is this one of yours?” I ask.
“The paint. The rest the owner did himself.”
“It’s really beautiful.”
Bricks nods. “Mixed that paint myself. Where’s he at?”
“Vapor!” Dex shouts, striding over to meet a tall bearded guy and the slight woman at his side.
The man with the beard jolts and steps in front of his girlfriend. Only when he recognizes Dex do his hard features seem to relax. The couple follows Dex to our little group.
“Vapor,” Rock greets. “Was hoping we’d run into you down here. How’ve you been?”
“Not bad.” He introduces us to his wife, Juliet, and we chat about the rally, the weather, and how long our rides home are. After a round of small talk, Rock gives me a subtle head tilt. I take it as he wants a second alone with this man for some reason.
“The girls and I were going to grab milkshakes, do you want to join us, Juliet?”
She glances at Vapor before answering. “Sure.”
Trinity and Charlotte are actually up ahead, checking out some store windows. I wave to them and point to the ice cream shop.
“Phew.” I fan the shop’s menu over my heated skin after we step inside. “I don’t know why I expected Florida to be cooler in the fall.”
Juliet laughs. “It’s hot pretty much year-round. We’re actually thinking of moving back to New York.”
“Then you have to deal with our winters.”
She shrugs.
When our shakes are ready, we take seats near the window.
Alexa spills milkshake all over the front of Heidi’s shirt. Stunned, Heidi stares down at the mess for a few seconds before letting out a loud sigh. “I knew I should’ve grabbed more napkins.”
“I’ll hold her, so you can clean up,” Juliet offers.
Heidi glances at me as if to make sure I’m not going anywhere before handing Alexa over.
Alexa’s fascinated by Juliet’s long hair and immediately wraps her sticky fist in it.
“Sorry, I’ll take her,” I offer.
She waves me off. “It’s fine. She’s so adorable. Love the little vest.”
“Present from her daddy.”
“Oh, I bet you’re a daddy’s girl,” she coos, and Alexa squees in response.
“We’re not telling anyone yet,” Juliet says in a whispery voice, “But since we just met, why not?” She rests her hand over her stomach. “We’re having a baby. I found out just before we left, so we decided to make it a longer trip, since I probably won’t be able to ride in a few months.”
“Aw, congratulations.”
Alexa seems fascinated with Juliet’s bracelet—a wide, green leather cuff with what looks like daisies embossed in the middle—and keeps trying to unsnap it from Juliet’s wrist.
“No, no, Alexa. Look, don’t touch,” I say.
“It’s okay.” Juliet shows her the bracelet and Alexa runs her fingers over the design. “This is the first gift Roman ever gave me. I never take it off.”
“That’s so sweet. How long have you been together?”
“Since high school.”
I can’t think of a tactful way to ask how long it’s been. She doesn’t look like her high school days are that far behind her, but her mannerisms are of someone much older.
“Where do you guys live now?”
“All over,” she answers vaguely before changing the subject. “So, I finally met Bricks. Roman’s mentioned him before, you know when he had the bike done, but I’ve never met him.”
“Is your husband in an MC too?”
She glances away. “Not really.”
What kind of answer is that? MC life doesn’t seem to allow for vagueness. You’re either in or out. Dex had seemed awfully familiar with the couple, so I try again. This time I’m more direct. “How do you know Dex?”
For the first time, her soft smile falters. “He was married to my cousin. He was kind of like an uncle to me when I was younger.”
Holy shit. I had no idea Dex was married. Or had been married. Wow.
“Oh,” I answer lamely. Before I have a chance to ask any follow-up questions, Heidi rejoins us.
“I look like I’m ready to enter a wet T-shirt contest,” she grumbles as she plops into the chair next to Juliet.
“I doubt Murphy will mind.”
She snorts and holds her hands out for Alexa. “Come here you little monster.” She presses kisses to both of Alexa’s cheeks, making her giggle. “Was she good?”
“Oh yes. She’s a sweetheart,” Juliet says, tugging on one of Alexa’s sandals.
“She’s not so sweet at three in the morning when she decides it’s time to get up.” Heidi grins at her daughter. “Is it? No, it’s not.”
Charlotte peeks inside the shop and waves at me.
“I think that’s our signal that the guys are ready to move on,” I say, standing and grabbing my milkshake. “Heidi, you’re soaked. Let’s run next door and buy a T-shirt for you.”
“I’ll be okay, Hope. It’s hot enough out.”
The guys are still crowded around Vapor’s bike. Well, Rock, Wrath, Z, and Dex are. The others seem to be scattered up and down the street. Except Sparky. He’s having liquor poured down his throat by two scantily clad girls at a drink stand across the street.
“When Sparky goes on vacation he goes hard,” Heidi jokes.
“There’s my girls,” Murphy says, coming up behind us. He cocks his head. “What happened to you?” he asks Heidi.
“Alexa.”
“Ah, here, give her to me.” He kisses her cheek. “Did you spill stuff on Mommy?”
“Yeth!”
“Oh my God, she’s so cute.” Juliet rests her hands over her belly. “I hope ours is as good as she is.”
Juliet seems so calm and sweet, I imagine her baby probably will be too and I say that to her.
She glances down. “I hope so.”
“Have you hit the weird cravings phase yet?” Heidi asks.
“No, everything makes me want to hurl right now.”
Uncomfortable because I have nothing to add to their conversation and probably never will, I move closer to Murphy and Alexa. As if she senses my sudden melancholy, Alexa leans down and makes fishy lips at me until I give her my cheek.
“Aw, thanks, baby,” I say softly, kissing her back.
The girls continue their animated conversation about weird pregnancy cravings and doctor visits. I don’t want to be a downer, so I turn Murphy’s way.
He gives me a pained smile. I know why their conversation depresses me, but it takes me a second to figure out why he looks so troubled. After Heidi and Axel married, Murphy took to the road for months and didn’t return until after Alexa was born. He missed all the experiences Juliet and Heidi are excitedly sharing.
It’s mean to even think it, but at least if Heidi has any more children, it will be with a man who’ll be more than happy to go on midnight ice cream runs for her. Axel hadn’t been the most sympathetic father-to-be, something that really grated on my nerves as Heidi approached her due date.
Shaking that off, I place my hand on Murphy’s arm and reach up on my tiptoes to get his attention.
He bends down and gives me his ear.
“I’d say you’ll get to do all that pregnancy stuff with her one day, but I don’t want to encourage you two until you’re in your own house,” I whisper.
That does the trick. He rumbles with laughter and holds up his hand. “I can’t make any promises.”
I smack him lightly and he laughs even harder.
“What are you laughing at?” Heidi asks.
Murphy shakes his head.
“Ready, babe?” Vapor asks, slipping an arm around his wife.
“Whenever you are.”
Rock’s warm, solid body, presses against my back. He slides his arms around me and kisses my cheek. “Where’s my milkshake?”
“Here.” I offer mine but he declines.
“Teasing you,” he murmurs, nuzzling my neck.
“I’ll take it, if you’re offering, Hope,” Sparky says, swiping it out of my hand before I have a chance to answer.
“Well, I… okay.” Too late now.
“I need to get the taste of that cheap tequila out of my mouth. Fucking nasty swill.” He claws at his throat and makes a number of disgusting sounds. “Gah! It’s still burning its way down my esophagus. How the hell is that legal and pot isn’t?” Sparky grumbles.
“You looked like you were having fun,” I say.
“The redhead wasn’t wearing any panties,” he explains.
“Alrighty, then,” I mumble, making everyone laugh.
He tips his head back and pours the shake down his throat, guzzling it down in one long shot.
“Ow, brain freeze,” he mumbles a few seconds later.
“Didn’t think you had any brains left to freeze,” Z jokes.
Sparky chucks the sort of empty cup at him and it lands on the sidewalk.
“That’s not environmentally friendly,” Z says.
One of the many cops patrolling the big biker rally casts a glance our way.
“For fuck’s sake,” Rock growls.
“Sparky.” I glare at him until he picks up the cup. The last thing we need is to be hassled by the cops again.
“So you already have a bunch of kids, I see,” Juliet whispers to me.
I burst out laughing. “Rock used to say that all the time, and I never quite understood what he meant.”
To my surprise, she gives me a big hug before leaving. As they turn to head back to their bike, I notice the Nomad rocker at the bottom of Vapor’s vest.
“Even if a nomad doesn’t belong to a particular charter, doesn’t he belong to a club?” I quietly ask Rock once we’re somewhat alone.
“Sometimes. Vapor’s a loner.” Rock hesitates as if he’s unsure of how much to share. “He picks up odd jobs for a lot of different MCs.”
Odd jobs. Somehow I doubt Rock means raking leaves or painting fences.
“Were you trying to entice him into going steady with the Lost Kings?”
He rumbles with laughter. “Something like that. He’d be an asset for sure. Wouldn’t need to prospect as long.”
“I like Juliet a lot. She’d fit in well.”
“Figured. Thank you for giving us a minute.”
I squeeze his arm. “I know how to read you.”
How do I ask this question? “She said she was related to Dex’s wife?”
Rock sighs and looks away. “I didn’t know that.”
Whether he means, he didn’t know Dex was married—which I kind of doubt—or that Juliet was related to her, isn’t clear, and he doesn’t elaborate.