Part 27 (2/2)

I smiled sheepishly.

I remembered that instance well.

Mainly because I'd just bought a brand new truck and I'd left it at my sister's place while I was on a ride with the club.

I'd only left the keys there in case my sister's needed to move it, not so Molly could take it out because she ran low on gas.

I'd come home to a huge dent down the entire right side where Molly had hit a telephone pole.

Then she'd left it there hoping I wouldn't f.u.c.king notice the ma.s.sive dent because I 'never went on that side.'

Needless to say, I'd never left my vehicles or belongings under her care again.

Meredith's champagne colored Trail Blazer pulled up to the back of my bike and shut off.

Meredith was the first to exit, followed by Molly and Mikayla.

We all stood there in silence.

Me, because I wasn't sure I was ready to forgive them yet, and them because they didn't want to admit they were wrong in front of Rue.

”So...” Rue said. ”Do y'all want me to go upstairs while y'all talk?”

The bullfrogs in the bayou behind us started croaking loud while we all watched each other in silence.

”Well, okay,” she said as she started walking. ”I'll just be up there.”

Before she pa.s.sed, I stopped her with a hand on her wrist and pulled her into me.

Kissing her on the lips, I said, ”Thanks baby.”

Then I let her go.

”You're welcome,” she said before walking quietly away.

She turned back about halfway there and walked back to grab my keys, and then headed back in the direction she came.

They waited until she was up the stairs before they spoke.

At once.

”We're really sorry.”

”I'm sorry.”

”We were horrible. I'm sorry.”

I smiled sadly. ”I know. Just...don't do it again, okay?”

They all nodded. ”We don't want to lose you.”

I hung my head and ran my hand against the back of my neck.

It was sore, and I was seriously over this day.

”We want to get to know her,” Mikayla said. ”We know she's the one.”

I turned my head slightly to the side, wondering how they'd come to that conclusion when they were so against her earlier in the day.

”You love her. It's obvious to us now,” Meredith said quietly.

I nodded. ”I do.”

”Then it's best that we start trying to get along now. We don't want to make anything harder for you when it comes to her,” Molly sighed.

Molly didn't sound as truthful about what she said as the other two did, but I'd take what I could get.

Molly was still the baby, even if she was twenty years old now.

”Okay, well then it's time y'all get back home. Maybe you can start getting to know her next week,” I ordered.

They looked upset that I was telling them to go home, but we'd gotten the hard part out of the way. They were going to try with Rue and, at this moment in time, that was all I really cared about.

”Be careful, and let me know when you get home,” I ordered as I opened Meredith and Molly's doors.

They got in the cars and buckled up.

With a final kiss to each of their cheeks, they backed out of the driveway, waving as they went.

I watched until their headlights disappeared into the distance before heading up the stairs and into my place.

I found her in the bathtub.

I'd never been in it, but d.a.m.ned if the thing didn't look extremely inviting right then.

I toed off my boots, hung up my vest, emptied my pockets, unstrapped my gun and holster from my ankle, and then shucked off my remaining clothes all under the watchful eye of Rue.

She scrutinized each of my movements avidly, eyes glued to my hands as they went through the monotonous task of removing my belongings.

”Your eyes will pop out of your head if you keep watching me like that,” I teased.

She grinned unrepentantly. ”Oh, but what a way to go.”

My c.o.c.k was half hard as I finally slipped into the low slung copper tub on the opposite side of her.

My legs settled on either side of her hips as I sank into the steaming water up to my armpits.

<script>