Page 12 of Maverick
She raised an eyebrow. “You got something to say?”
My cock twitched. I couldn’t wait to have this woman in my bed.
“Nah, sugar.” I dragged my bottom lip with my teeth. “I like that you’re fancy. I’m a plain country boy. Maybe you can teach me a few things.”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake.” She threw her arms into the air. “Dad, we’re going to the club. If you like it, I’m sure it’s fine. Do you have your card with you?”
“Card?” Larry asked.
Kat’s eyes darted to mine before she turned to her dad. “Yeah, Dad. Your membership card. To get into the club.”
I burst into laughter and Larry followed.
“No, Katie, we don’t need a card.”
8
Kat
Well. Good to know my dad still had jokes.
His “club” wasn’t a country club like I’d assumed. It was Mav’s motorcycle club. I guess I should have worked that out, but I was still new to this.
I took a deep breath. I might have a slight control issue. I liked—no, needed—to have as much information as possible about every situation. Being the butt of a joke, even a harmless one about a nonexistent country club, set my nerves off. Or I hated being embarrassed. Whatever.
Fortunately, Pixie, whose actual name was Lexie, was the manager of the bar/restaurant/club and literally the sweetest person I’d ever met. It was hard to stay in a pissy mood around her. Well, her and the legion of senior citizens dining with the scary as hell bikers from the Exiled Reapers. It was almost, dare I say, adorable.
“Larry, I heard you tried to take out the orderlies on the fifth floor of the hospital last week,” Ms. Jenkins, who I’d learned was the former mayor, shouted at Dad from her table.
My dad shrugged sheepishly. “I don’t remember anything like that. But if someone comes for me, I’m going to defend myself.”
“Comes for you? Who’s going to come for your old ass in a hospital?” She shook her head, taking a sip of sweet tea while I tried not to choke on mine.
“I don’t know, Ida,” one of the other ladies at her table spoke up. “They’ve come at me with some pretty big needles. I’ve had the urge to knock some people out. Especially when they come with the catheter. My pee, my business.”
Oh boy. This was… not what I expected. I shoved a piece of fried fish in my mouth. Today’s special was fish and chips. I rarely ate fried food. I stuck to a healthy, protein-rich, low carb diet that did not include fried fish and French fries. But when in Rome… Plus, Dad insisted. It was sublime.
Lexie walked through the tables, topping off drinks. “Now, now. Perhaps we can all agree that violence is never the solution, especially against people who are just doing their job. Ms. Betty, I’m sure no onewantsto stick a tube up your hoo-hah and measure your pee.”
The older lady paused, putting her fork down. “Well, you might have a point there.”
“Thank you.” Lexie nodded. “And Mr. Larry, if you go to the hospital and they decide to keep you overnight, don’t you think you probably need it? Surely even you can admit you are a bit on the grumpy side. I don’t think they’d keep you over for fun.”
My heart stopped. Did she just—
My dad chuckled. “Well, that is true.”
Ms. Jenkins nodded. “They probably have to pay everybody extra when you come in.”
My dad shrugged. “Just doing my part to support the local economy.”
Lexie smiled, switching pitchers to refill my dad’s water. “But we are glad to have you back home. You know you can call up here anytime you’re going to be gone overnight. Bear and I will keep an eye on Noodle.”
Dad blinked rapidly. “Thanks. Mav said the same thing.”
Lexie squeezed his arm and turned to me. “Let me give you my number before you leave. You can call or text if you need anything while you’re here.” She looked at Dad, who had become engrossed in a conversation with Betty and Ida. Her voice lowered. “And we can keep in touch after you go back home. I’ll call if we notice anything off.”
I nodded, grateful for her thoughtfulness. Seriously, I’d only known this girl for an hour and I was ready to lay down for her.
