Page 119 of Fighting a Riot

Yak looked at me. “The Riot. We run a pawnshop in Clay County.”

“Really? That’s fascinating,” Mom said.

Gary’s dark brown eyes slid to Mom. “Cheryl. You are months away from retirement, but it don’t mean we’re opening a pawn shop.”

Mom chewed and swallowed a bite of salad. “You can be such a party-pooper. I bet Grant would help us.”

Gary aimed an exasperated look at her. “My brother lives in South Carolina. How’s he gonna help us in Ohio?”

Something struck me and I narrowed my eyes at Mom. “Is that the only reason you insisted on coming down?”

“No,” Mom drawled.

Simultaneously, Gary said, “Yep.”

She glowered at Gary. “Now that isn’t true. I wanted to spend more time with her, and get to know her new beau.”

I laughed long and loud. “Mom, look at him. Yak is hardly anyone’s beau.”

She turned her glower to me. “Don’t you go spouting semantics with me, young lady. Even over the phone, I could tell things are serious. Plus,” she looked Yak in the eyes. “I needed to thank you for punching Destin in the nose. My son says it was impressive and given his military background, that’s saying something. So thank you.”

Yak’s eyes warmed with his smile. “You’re more than welcome, but it wasn’t half as impressive as I’d have liked it to be.”

“Now that’s what I’m talkin’ about,” Gary said, picking up his burger.

“Your little club could give those Pawn Star guys a run for their money,” Mom said from the front seat of the rental car.

I started choking at her calling the Riot MC a ‘little club.’ Yak and I were crammed in the backseat, and he patted my back.

Mom looked over her shoulder at me. “What?”

Gary’s eyes met mine in the rear view mirror. “I’m gonna guess that you shouldn’t have called his club little. Not much about him or those other two guys is little, dear.”

I gazed over at Yak and whispered, “I’m so sorry.”

He smirked. “Don’t be. It’s cool.”

“See,” Mom said, her tone triumphant as she stared at Gary’s profile. “It’s cool.”

Gary’s eyes widened at me in the mirror. “You sure you want to go to this Champion place?”

I chuckled. “It’s Chamblin, and I’m not going to be responsible for what happens if you deprive your wife of experiencing one of the best used bookstores this side of the Mississippi.”

Mom’s head whipped around. “It’s a used bookstore? You didn’t tell me that!”

I smirked. “I know.”

Yak slung his arm around my shoulder. “We can only stay an hour.”

I looked at him askance. “Good luck with that.”

Three hours later, Gary and Yak dragged me and Mom out of the depths of the bookstore.

As we all buckled up, Mom said, “That place is just like going to a casino. No clocks and it feels like all time stands still.”

“Dropped as much money as a trip to the casino, but without any free drinks,” Gary muttered.

Yak wheezed out a chuckle.

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