She gave him an answering timid smile. “One’s for Birdie.”
His eyes slid past her toward the food tent, and then she watched his eyes move over to the blue canopy where Crash was sitting. She turned and glanced back to see Crash’s eyes on them. He gave her a chin lift.
Both her and Shades turned back to look at each other simultaneously, and then his eyes dropped to the cup as the beer reached the top. He let off on the lever, and she held the other cup out. He began filling it.
The silence between them was awkward. It felt so wrong to be this close t
o him and not be in each other’s arms. There were so many things she wanted to tell him. Explain. And yet this awful silence that gripped them like a vise said so much more.
She sucked her lips into her mouth almost as if she was trying to hold back the words that wanted to pour out of her. Words she could never say. Not here. Not with half the club watching.
He finished filling her second cup and hung the nozzle back on the tapper. “There you go.”
She looked down at the two cups and murmured a thank you.
He took a sip of his beer, his eyes meeting hers over the rim. And then with a glance back at Crash, he turned without a word and walked off.
****
Shades could feel her eyes on him as he walked away. He headed toward the gate where his prospect was now happily munching on a hot dog and chatting up the lovely Ashley.
Walking up quietly, with the prospect’s back toward him, Shades had the element of surprise on his side. He pounded the back of his fist into 12Gauge’s chest and growled, “You lettin’ this little girl distract you from your duties, Prospect?” At the same time 12Gauge spun around to look at him, Shades winked at the girl.
“No, Sir.” 12Gauge straighten up, coming instantly alert.
Shades hooked an arm around Ashley’s neck and pulled her close, her back to his front. His face moved to her neck, his nose rubbing along her skin, inhaling her perfume. “She smells fucking amazing, Prospect. That could be real distracting.”
At the devastated look on 12Gauge’s face, Shades smiled.
“I wouldn’t let my brothers down like that,” 12Gauge vowed.
Shades, with one arm still around the girl, grabbed a fistful of 12Gauge’s leather cut and got in his face. “Brothers? You don’t have any brothers. Nobody here is your fucking brother until you’ve got that patch on your back, Prospect! You got that?”
“Sorry, man. Slip of the tongue. I swear.” He swallowed, his eyes going to the girl, as he promised, “I won’t let her distract me, Shades.”
Shades made a disbelieving smirk and shoved him back, releasing him. “Not sure I’m believin’ that, Prospect. No, I think I best take this little temptation away. Wouldn’t want you to screw up a second time today. You better not make me sorry I sponsored you, Prospect.”
12Gauge swallowed and gave him a nod.
Shades led Ashley back to the picnic table he’d been sitting at. As he walked, he pulled her close, his eyes going over her head to find Skylar. She watched him from her place back at the food table with Birdie and the girls.
****
Skylar tried to make small talk with Birdie and Cookie for a while, but her heart wasn’t in it. The sun was setting when she finally noticed Butcher, Slick and Boot get up and move off toward the clubhouse. Crash stood, but didn’t follow them. She moved toward him, coming to a stop in front of him.
He looked down at her. “You get some food yet, squirt?”
She shook her head, looking up at him solemnly. “I was waiting for you. Aren’t you hungry?”
“Not really. Maybe later.”
“Everything okay?”
He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her to him, kissing her forehead. “I’m fine. You should eat.”
“I’m not really hungry either.”
“We’re a pair, aren’t we?”