Page 34 of The Princess & the Prospect

Chapter 13

“Iwill gladly clean up, but first I need to ask you something else,” I told her. Her lack of response beyond a nod prompted me to continue on with the question. “When is your lunch break at work on Monday?”

“Lunch is anytime I want to take it, so long as we aren’t swamped at the shop. Beth is super lenient and nice about things. I guess she figured since I was pregnant, things might be up in the air about when I got hungry or needed a break.”

“That’s good that she’s been that way with you,” I told her. It still didn’t sit right with me that she was working at all while pregnant, but as my old first shirt used to tell me in the Army, I needed to learn to choose my battles and when to fight them. Today wasn’t that day. Besides, it got Anna out of the house, wasn’t strenuous, and she genuinely seemed to enjoy going to work and hanging out with Beth and Gretchen when she was there instead of the tattoo studio.

“How about you call me just before you’re going to take it so I can meet up with you and we can get lunch together?” Seeing the question in her eyes, I didn’t wait for her to ask it before adding the reason. “I won’t be around tomorrow. I have to go on a run for the club down to Jacksonville tomorrow. I most likely won’t get in until late, if at all, depending on how things go. Crow and Kane are probably coming with me. J-Bird was supposed to be the one to take this run, but he’s been mostly AWOL since…” I left off the last part, because she already knew where I was going with that. J-Bird had gone off the rails a bit after T-Bone’s death, and he hadn’t really come back around since.

“I wonder if he’s going to be okay?” I could see the sadness in her eyes. Both T-Bone and J-Bird had been brothers to her, even if only one had been by blood. It had to hurt to basically lose them both all at once. The only saving grace was that one of them might come back if he ever got past the hurt of losing his best friend and brother.

“He’s still grieving. Things will work out, and he’ll come home.”

“What if he hates the club now?”

“I know for a fact that isn’t true. We keep tabs on him. He’s been running with Phoenix.”

“Phoenix?”

“He’s a nomad in the club. The man was on the road for a while with a band before they broke up, so he took nomad status in order to accommodate the club and the band. I think he enjoys the road too much to come back off of it though.”

“I wonder why I never met him,” she murmured just loud enough for me to hear. She didn’t miss the smirk I made at that comment either.

“He’s a good looking mother fucker in a rock band, and he’s a part of the MC. I wonder why your dad never wanted to introduce him to either of his girls?”

She giggled then. “I guess I see your point. Is he a good guy though? Will Jay be all right with him?”

“I bet money that the guys in the club have seen to it that Phoenix didn’t happen upon him by accident, if that makes you feel better.”

“Good, I don’t think I could stand to lose another brother.”

“So, no objections to me going to Jacksonville?” I asked since she had gotten off track when I mentioned J-Bird.

“Um, no. It’s club business, so it’s not like it matters what I think anyway.”

“It matters,” I told her.

“Well, I’m okay with you having to do your part for the club. At least I know where you’re off to and how long. Some women don’t get told that much.”

“When it comes to the club, you know I can’t tell you everything, but I will always try to tell you everything you need to know. I promise you that, beautiful.”

“Thanks,” she said softly as a blush stole across her cheeks. It happened every time I called her beautiful, and it never got old seeing how I affected her.

“You’re okay with lunch Monday too, right?”

“Yes, I said I was.”

“You didn’t. That’s why I was clarifying.” She rolled her eyes at me, which I let go this time. It was good to see her playful, sassy side coming back out. I had missed that about our time together before everything went to shit.

“I guess I can have lunch with you.”

“Well, thanks for sounding so eager.” As if her stomach read my mind, I heard an almighty growl come from her body. She nervously giggled as she clutched her belly.

“I guess the potato salad sampling earlier wasn’t enough,” she admitted.

“Did you by chance make that before or after the special guest who ruined the day arrived?”

“Before, why?”

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