Page 57 of Playing for Keeps

“It’ll be cool for them to grow up together. You worry too much. Life’s been good for you, right? You’re a strong, smart guy. You run Basin Rock. Have a nice house and healthy kids. Your mom is alive and well. You’re hooking up with a woman that makes you crazy. Sure, she’s a stripper, and I might have banged her before. But otherwise, you’re living the dream, so turn that frown upside down.”

“There’s no way you’vebangedher.”

“How do you know?”

“She knows about you. If you banged her, she would have gotten weird when I mentioned you.”

“She might be worried you’ll feel insecure.”

Duke scowls hard at me before suddenly bursting into hard chuckles. I don’t know if he’s working out his stress or if he actually finds my comment hilarious. Either way, he takes a full minute to calm down.

“Let’s stop talking about this woman I’m dating.”

“Okay, but I’m a good listener. You and me are going to be tied up together for the rest of our lives. You might as well learn to lean on your VP.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Duke and I don’t say much else before riding to the family’s diner. He barely says goodbye before ditching me to go to the pub next door. I head into the diner to find Erin and Lola finishing up the lunch rush.

“I am here to save the day!” I announce.

Erin applauds, and I promise myself she isn’t do it sarcastically. Lola smiles at me from the kitchen where she works with another woman.

“I’m almost finished here,” Lola says after I plant a kiss on her lips. “Is your afternoon free?”

“Sure.”

“Want to go to my dad’s house and swim? No one will be around for hours. We could skinny dip.”

“I will never say no to you naked and wet, Lola McGraw.”

Lola and I hang out at her dad’s house through the evening and end up staying the night. Erin is out with friends while Duke doesn’t call to report where he will be. Clover shows up around six and watches “Predator” before crashing early.

After breaking in Lola’s bed, we enjoy a restful evening in the comfortable house. I think I hear her dad return home after two in the morning. Lola doesn’t react at all to the sound of a motorcycle. That’s a good sign for sleeping well at the homestead.

Lola and I are gone before Duke gets up the next day. I’m not sure he’ll show up at the tux shop today since he might feel outnumbered by my people.

Instead, Duke walks in solo. There’s something rather sad about him having no one to back him up.

I walk over and pat his shoulder. “Glad you came.”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

“I worried you might be intimidated by our Rawkfist prowess.”

“I wish you talked less.”

“Your daughter likes when I flap my gums, sir. You know the saying ‘happy wife, happy life.’ Well, that’s my motto.”

Duke frowns at me like he does with his dumber guys. I don’t think he understands how other people’s brains might be wired differently but work perfectly fine. Or in Cubby’s case, they work well enough.

Duke glances around the shop before asking, “Are you wearing your vest during the ceremony?”

“I don’t know,” I mutter, losing my smile. “Should I be wearing your club’s vest?”

“Get married first. Then we’ll know you’re serious.”

“You keep saying that. What will it take to make you stop repeating yourself?”

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