Page 55 of Fighting a Riot

“Those brothers love to join in on someone else getting razzed, so between Roll and Turk needling him, Yak let it slip that he wanted his hair made into a wig for you, but he didn’t think that would go over well.”

Part of me wanted to ask why he thought that, but I refused to dwell on this. His thoughtfulness was one thing, but being thoughtful wasn’t the same as being interested in me.

Not that I wanted a man interested in me right now.

Who was I kidding? If that man were Yak, I absolutely wanted his interest.

“Did you hear what I said?” Trixie asked.

“I did, but that’s just him being thoughtful.”

Her bark of laughter made me jolt. “Nora, Nora. You need to get with the program. The Riot brothers can be thoughtful, but that only happens when it’s someone they give a damn about.”

I shook my head. “Trixie, he and I met under really strange circumstances, that’s all there is to it.”

“That’s bullshit and we both know it. Don’t downplay this, girl. I told you he looked at you like a last meal, now he’s cutting his hair off for you. I shouldn’t share this, since he and Roll have told me to stay out of it. I’m not doin’ that. He cares about you, even if he won’t admit it to you or himself.”

I sighed. “That’s good to know, but it’s not meant to be, Trixie. The timing’s bad all around. That’s the way life goes sometimes.”

The silence on the line went on so long I pulled my phone away to check the screen. The call was still connected. I put the phone back to my ear just before Trixie spoke. “Abby and I are swinging by and taking you out.”

“Trixie, that sounds like fun, but I already ate.”

She scoffed. “I didn’t say we were taking you out to eat. We’re going out. Probably some place boring because Abby knows you shouldn’t be imbibing and shit. You need to be clued in and Abby’s just the woman to do it.”

I took a deep breath. “I’d love to get to know Abby more, but Trixie, I’m serious. Yak and I are not a thing. Hell, Destin dropped by the office today and it reminded me just how complicated my life is right now for any kind of relationship.”

“Ha!” Trixie cried. “It’s funny you used those words because as complicated as your life is, it hasn’t kept you from building a new relationship with me, and Abby, and Mallory, and any of the other Riot women if I have something to say about it.”

Trixie gave stubborn a new meaning.

I straightened my shoulders, not that Trixie could see it. “Those are new friendships, which are entirely different from a new relationship with a man.”

“Wrong, but I’m not gonna let you try to fly under the radar with Destin showing up at the office. Why was he there and what happened?”

For once, the perfect stall tactic hit me. “Am I going to have to rehash this when Abby shows up?”

Trixie spluttered and something told me that was a rare thing with her.

“Yeah. I’ll just wait and tell you both at the same time.”

Abby’s lips twisted skeptically after hearing about Destin’s visit to the office. “I hate that I’m going to say this, but I understand why he did what he did.”

With wide eyes, Trixie put her beer bottle down hard on my dinette table. “You’ve never even met him. How can you understand him?”

Abby nodded. “Yeah, I do. He was a total coward and an asshole for not talking to her before hand, but if you know going in that starting a family might be a problem, I understand why he’d panic and want to call things off.”

Trixie stared at her for a long moment. “You only understand because you got baby-fever so bad and you always have.”

She shook her head. “It’s more than that, Trix. I can’t recall if it was the night we met or the night after, but Blood and I agreed we wanted a gaggle of kiddos.”

Heaviness permeated the air and even though this was my second time around Abby, I knew she and Blood were facing problems getting pregnant.

I opened my mouth to offer a subject change, but Abby spoke again. “Enough about him, and no more talk about cancer, either.” Her eyes met mine and her brows arched. “I figure you’re tired of talking about your health, right?”

With a smile, I nodded. “Right.”

She nodded back. “Then tell us more about you. Did you grow up around here? Trixie said you have a twin brother?”

---