Page 15 of Ride or Dies

“Are you sure it’s not too much?” Jenna asked, concern in her eyes. “I mean, if I have to choose between you being my maid of honor and you singing, no offense to your singing, but I want you at my side.”

“It’s fine,” I assured her for the third time today. “If anything, keeping myself busy is a good thing. I was worried the guys were going to keep me at the clubhouse pretty much twenty-four seven. I’d go nuts.”

“I’m just glad my boys stepped up to help.”

Sue Bradshaw had just turned fifty a couple weeks ago, but she barely looked over forty. Like Jenna, Sue had strawberry blonde hair, but it was Mason and Tucker who’d inherited Sue’s dark brown eyes. She was also one of the strongest women I knew. Elton, her husband and the kids’ dad, had passed away when Jenna was eleven. His death was what had brought the Bradshaws to Bedford, and Sue had been a single mom ever since. Jenna told me once that Sue said she had no interest in finding someone else. Elton had been it for her.

“They only stepped up because I made them,” Jenna said, reaching across the table to snatch a piece of candy from the big bowl at the center.

“If you keep eating those, we’re not going to have enough favors for our guests,” Isabel said with a fond smile. “And then you’ll have to explain why one table has a little bag of candy and another one doesn’t.”

“Or”—Jenna picked up another piece of candy—“we just don’t give candy to my brothers and I can eat all of theirs now.”

“Jenna.” Sue sounded more amused than disapproving.

“I’m just kidding,” Jenna said. “But I reserve the right to withhold candy if they slack off protecting Evie.”

“I’m sure the boys will make her feel very safe.” Sue looked at me. “But if they don’t, you tell me, all right? I’ll set them straight.”

I got up from the table to get myself something to drink, waiting until I had the fridge door between me and them before answering. “They’ve been great. The clubhouse is really safe, and they made sure the other guys knew to watch out for anything weird.”

As I returned to my seat, Isabel asked, “What about the rest of your family? Do you think they’re in danger too?”

I glanced at Jenna, who shook her head slightly. It didn’t surprise me that she hadn’t discussed my family with Isabel. I never tried to hide my past, but I didn’t talk about it often. Jenna would’ve wanted it to be my choice how much to share.

“It’s just my mom,” I said. “I’m an only child, and Mom doesn’t know who my dad is.”

Isabel’s eyes widened slightly and I could read the concern on her face. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up—”

“It’s okay.” I made a dismissive gesture. “If you’re living here, you’ll either run into my mom or hear about her at some point.”

“She’s been keeping to herself most days,” Sue said quietly. “But we make sure to check on her every now and then.”

I glanced at Jenna, who looked as confused as I was. She wasn’t the we then. Did Sue mean one of the guys had been looking out for my mom? I didn’t understand why they’d do that, but I wasn’t going to ask. Things were complicated enough with me staying at the clubhouse. I didn’t need to add one more thing on the top of it.

Especially since one of the “boys” in question was actually here. Levi was my bodyguard today, since I apparently needed one of them with me any time I left the clubhouse. I was just glad he wasn’t standing in a corner, staring at me. He was constantly on the move, looking around the outside of the house before coming inside and checking every room. I thought it was a bit much, but I wasn’t going to argue with him.

“Thank you. I appreciate it,” I said to Sue before turning back to Isabel’s question. “My mom’s an alcoholic. Has been since before I was born. It’s not a secret or anything. Pretty much everyone in Bedford knows.”

“I have to admit,” Jenna said, entering the conversation, “I’m surprised the tabloids haven’t been all over it. I mean, you don’t lie about where you’re from, so all anyone would need to do is come here and start asking around.”

“Honestly, I am too,” I admitted. “The label hired Randall pretty quickly to handle PR stuff, and from moment one, he made sure interviews didn’t go too deep into my family. I always wondered when it was going to make someone suspicious and start digging.”

“Wasn’t there an article a few weeks ago, though, asking about why you don’t talk about your past?” Sue asked. “It wasn’t in one of the big magazines, so I just saw it in passing. It was written by someone named Rebecca, or something like that.”

“Yeah.” I sighed. “Becca James. She’s always had it out for me, but usually it was just her spreading rumors that no one really believed. But not long before I left Nashville, she started asking questions about my past, like I was hiding something. Everyone else was talking about why I’d dumped and fired Randall, but all she kept going on about was how she thought I was keeping some big dark secret.”

“When do you think reporters are going to figure out that you’re not in Nashville anymore?” Jenna asked. “Because I think once they do, they’re going to end up in Bedford, trying to track you down.”

“If Randall keeps his mouth shut, my cover story should hold,” I said. “I let it ‘slip’ a few times that I was going to spend some time at a private retreat while I healed from his infidelity and worked on my next album.”

“Smart,” Isabel said.

“I’m just hoping none of this shit screws up the wedding,” I said.

“I’m not going to let that happen.”

Levi’s deep voice made me jump. I hadn’t realized he’d come into the kitchen.

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