“Your job starts after Christmas.”
“Oh, well, I saw all the boxes and glitter on the floor. I know you want this to be a surprise for Ava, but I can help with that. Trust me, I know how to decorate.” Larissa gave him an encouraging smile.
He had a bad feeling about this. “Sure, your probation starts now.” Smokey got to his feet. “I’ll show you where everything is.”
The clubhouse was full of the brothers. He wasn’t going to embarrass Larissa now, but he texted Hunter to put a message out that Church would be happening tomorrowmorning. No excuses. The sooner he put the warning out, the happier he’d feel.
This was already turning into a Christmas from hell. So much glitter. He pretty much sparkled just by walking out of his office.
Harlow had already stopped by with the last ofthe food prep for the freezer, and of course, she had been more than happy to help organize the tables as well.
She was a good kid, and he’d noticed Hunter lurking around. He had seen her out of the clubhouse and Harlow, being the strange one that she was, had simply thrown her arms around him and thanked him for inviting her for Christmas, for being part of this surprise with Ava.
All he wanted was for Ava to be happy. For her to see this clubhouse as an extension of their home.
While Larissa got stuckin helping decorate and cleaning up the mess, he messaged Hunter to send out the alert that he wanted everyone in church. He checked around the clubhouse and saw that his presence was no longer needed, and the only place he wanted to be was at home.
Umberto had been with Abriana, and she’d dropped his son off with Ava at the bakery, so he’d ridden his bike to the clubhouse.
Leaving the main clubhouse, he went straight to his bike. With the snow, there was no way for him to enjoy a ride, so he had no choice but to head straight home. There would be time to enjoy a ride once the weather had calmed down.
He loved the snow, but he also didn’t have a death wish. Riding home, he made sure to take care. Pulling up to his home, he saw they were the only house onthe street without any decorations up. He’d purposefully done this because he wanted Ava to be pissed at him, but also to see the effort he’d put in at the clubhouse.
Climbing off his bike, he headed home, only to find that the house was quiet, so very quiet.
“Ava,” he said, raising his voice. “Babe? You home?” He tensed up ashe felt something bad had happened. He still had many enemies, and Ava was a weakness, which was why most days, he had one of the club brothers on her ass so he knew she was okay.
Nothing could happen to her.
Ava came out of the kitchen. “You’regoing to wake up Umberto.”
“Shit, babe, I fucking panicked then,” he said, moving toward her.
“Why?”
He went to kiss her, and Ava turned her head, presenting him with her cheek.
Smokeypaused.
What the fuck?
****
Ava didn’t know what to do. She haddriven home, and for a good half an hour, she stayed in her car with the engine running. Should she go indoors and pretend nothing was going on? Should she go back to the clubhouse and confront him?
Smokey was surrounded by semi-clad women all day long, but she had never felt threatened by them, at least, apart from the obvious. Smokey had shown them no interest. Harlow was different. She was her employee.
He’d always been there for Harlow,and she had assumed that was because of Big Dick.
Avawas tempted to just leave. When it came to Smokey, it seemed that she had to constantly settle for the chance of heartbreak, and she didn’t want to go through with that.
The thought of him cheating hurt so damn badly. She didn’t want to even think about it. Not even for a second. Not even for a single moment.
Staring at him now, Ava still didn’t know what to do. She hated being this wayand detested not knowing what to do.
“Ava, babe, what’s wrong?”Smokey asked.
“Oh, it’s nothing.” Ava stepped away without him kissing her. She disappeared back into the kitchen, where she’d been doing nothing but cleaning. That was all she did. Clean. She hadn’t been able to handle food.