“It was great. I had the best breakfast ever thanks to Snooki and Shadow let me beat him at trains.”
I got a look from Shadow but he didn’t disagree.
“That sounds fun. I need a quick shower. Be right out and we can watch a movie if you want.”
“Sure.”
Shadow waited until Patriot was inside the bathroom and the water was running. “You should talk to him.”
“About what? Today?”
“Everything. I can tell he cares for you. Patriot is never this open with any of the club girls. He treats you like an ol’ lady. That means a lot.”
I knew it did.
“It’s just as easy as talking to me.”
Shaking my head, I disagreed. “No, not quite.”
“Why is that?”
“Because you don’t make my heart want to soar.”
Shadow startled, placing a hand on his chest. “Shit.”
“What?”
“That’s exactly what Stefanie said to me the first time I took her for a ride on my Harley.”
“Then you know what Patriot means to me and why this is so hard.”
He dipped his chin
. “I do. Still think you should talk to him.”
“I’ll try,” I promised.
“Good.” He walked forward and wrapped his arms around me as I stiffened. “You need to let people touch you again, Naomi. It’s okay to let them in.”
My heart stuttered at the truth of his words.
“Some of us are really rooting for you. You can do this.”
Touched, I slowly moved my arms and hugged him back. “Hearing that from you after losing Stefanie, that means more than I can say.”
“That’s why we’re friends.”
He leaned back and winked before exiting through the door, smiling like I gave him a gift instead of the other way around.
“Thanks for the boost, Shadow,” I whispered. “I won’t forget.”
Progress was a good thing. The renovations and updates to the clubhouse and entire compound were well on their way. The playground was nearly finished and I knew the prospects would have the last details done by the weekend. Brothers had pitched in to help over the last couple of days and the hard work was worth it. Even I had to admit it was a kid’s dream.
The inside of the Crossroads was still a mess but at least the clutter had a reason. Club girls and ol’ ladies worked together to keep the chaos manageable. Walls were reinforced and the painting underway. Mammoth seemed to like that job and he was not only foreman but one hell of a motivation. If his humongous, hairy ass could stand all day and get shit done the rest of us didn’t have an excuse.
Over the last couple of weeks, I’d gone on a few recon missions, keeping my ass clear of trouble like Grim asked. Didn’t have a lot of Intel to show for it and that shit was frustrating. Pres called me into his office one morning as he sipped on coffee, gesturing for me to shut the door to keep anyone from overhearing our conversation.
“Got anything worth reporting?” he asked, kicking back as his boots rested on the wood of his desk.