Page 250 of A Lick and A Promise
Gorgeous.
Real.
Nothing dragging on it.
“It’s all good,” Joey whispered before she took off with a smile at Knox.
We juggled plates and glasses, and once I was sorted, I went right for a crab-stuffed mushroom.
“We better start saving, baby,” Knox stated after he swallowed a triangle of shrimp toast. “Your folks have set aside a whack for you, but this?—”
He didn’t finish because there was a sharp whistle from the north gate that sounded shrill over the string quartet that was playing.
We looked that way.
Gabe was whistling, and his attention was locked on Mace.
“Fuck,” Knox bit and looked around for somewhere to dump the stuff in his hands.
“Give it here. Just pile it on, I got it.”
I spilled some love potion and a mushroom rolled off a plate, but other than that, I handled it as Knox hustled to the gate.
All the men were doing the same, including Lee and Hector, who’d stayed for the wedding (and Indy and Sadie, their wives, had come down to join them…they were hanging with Tex on a couch—the rest of the guys in the other branches, Jacob knew, but Alexis didn’t, and they had to be careful with money, so they didn’t go gonzo with invites).
But it was only Mace who peeled off to go to Martha’s pad where the groomsmen were hanging.
Joey, Raye, Jessie, Shanti and Harlow joined me.
Gemma and Brady (oh yeah, we arranged that) were guarding the other gate.
“Sighting?” Shanti asked.
“That’s my guess.”
We all leaned to see out of the gate just in time to catch Gabe scooting Willow through and firmly closing it.
She gave us big eyes and scampered our way.
Before she got to us, Jacob was stalking toward the gate with Mace behind him.
“Alexis’s dad?” we asked when Willow made it to us.
“Yep,” Willow confirmed.
“What a douche,” Joey said.
“Yep,” Willow agreed.
“The mom come with?” Raye asked.
“Yep. She’s out there too. Both of them all dressed up and ready for a wedding.”
Knox came through the gate and looked at me.
“Can someone….?” I asked, lifting my loaded hands.
“Got it,” Raye and Jessie answered, taking the plates and glasses from me.
