Bliss paled. “Actually, I didn’t take you for a man who listened to gossip. For your information, none of the men who are married have cheated. Also for your information”—Bliss stood on her toes so the man towering over her could hear her better—“I don’t belong to The Last Riders.”
Chapter 2
Bliss turned on her booted heels, leaving him and his son staring after her. She stopped only long enough to tell Ginny she would meet her back at the house they were renting from Willa before she stormed from the department store.
She had known better than to let Ginny convince her to go shopping together to buy Willa a thank-you present for all she had done for them. Bliss had agreed only because it was the only way Willa would accept a thank-you from her. She still felt ashamed of herself for the way she had treated Willa when she had believed she and Shade had been together. Deep down, she had known she was wrong, that Shade would never cheat on Lily.
One by one, the men were falling for women outside the club, and it had been the final straw when Lucky had fallen in love and married Willa.
She had reacted out of anger and had hurt a woman who had turned the other cheek and offered her a home with Ginny, who worked for Willa at her bakery at the church. She rented a house to them that Willa no longer needed, since she had moved into the clubhouse with Lucky until he could build their new home beside the club. Willa had also hired Ginny to help out with the cooking at the clubhouse. I would enjoy that if I still lived there, she thought morosely.
Bliss ran her red-tipped fingernails through her short hair fastidiously when the wind blew it as she walked the short distance back to the house she and Ginny shared. She couldn’t stand long hair. As soon as her hair reached a certain length on her nape, she would go to the salon and get it cut.
As she turned down a side street, the sound of motorcycle motors roared in the air.
With iron determination, she didn’t turn to look. She forced herself to put one foot in front of the other as they rode past when what she wanted to do was run after them, jump on the back of one of the brothers’ bikes, and snuggle against them. She didn’t like being alone after growing used to being surrounded by the men and women of the club.
The silence when she entered her new abode was disheartening. At the clubhouse, there was always someone to talk or argue with, music blaring, and people laughing. She missed the laughter most of all.
Bliss went upstairs to the bedroom she had claimed before Ginny even had a chance. It had an adjoining private bathroom and the biggest closet.
She took off her jeans and sweatshirt, throwing them into the dirty clothes basket before gathering a clean pair of sweats and a T-shirt. She then showered meticulously. Even though she didn’t have a clubhouse of men to keep happy any longer, she shaved all over before washing her hair twice, the feeling of the warm water soothing her. When the water ran cold, she climbed out to dry off and dress.
Leaving her short hair wet since it never took long to dry, she then went downstairs to make herself dinner. Ginny often volunteered to cook for the both of them, but Bliss was sick of shared meals and eating what someone else was in the mood for.
She pulled a cup of microwavable mac and cheese out of the cabinet and heated it up. Then, curling up on the couch, she flipped on the television and was contentedly eating when Ginny returned with several packages.
“I thought you were just going to buy Willa a thank-you gift.”
“I was, but they had a clearance sale, and all my clothes are getting too small, so I stocked up on a few things I needed.”
The young woman needed more than a few. She had three pairs of jeans and several T-shirts, and that was about it. It reminded Bliss of when she had been living on the streets and kept what few clothes she had in her backpack.
Ginny packed her bags upstairs then came back down.
“I was going to fix myself a hamburger, would you like one?”
“No, thanks. I already ate.”
As Ginny’s expression filled with hurt, Bliss kept her eyes on the television screen. She wasn’t about to become BFFs with her new roommate. The young woman was obviously naïve and innocent, so they would have nothing in common, and truthfully, Bliss was tired of losing friends.
She was relieved when Ginny disappeared into the kitchen.
Her program was almost over when Ginny returned, carrying her plate of food.