Page 160 of Smooth Sailing

He waited until they were standing by his bike before he started.

“Got shit I gotta work out with the Club,” he announced.

“Right,” Big Petey replied, regarding him intently.

“Tack’s been callin’ me.”

“That’s because I told him it’s time you worked your shit out with the Club.”

Hugger crossed his arms on his chest.

“Don’t be pissed at me,” Pete ordered. “You’re there now so you know it’s time.”

He couldn’t argue that.

“I see you and Di got yourselves sorted,” Pete observed.

“We do,” Hugger confirmed. “Though there are issues.”

“Those being?”

“Man, I don’t gotta say them because they’re obvious.”

“Since I asked, you can take it that they aren’t.”

“She’s got a master’s degree. She’s traveled to places like Lucerne. She’s got a good life here.”

Big Petey narrowed his gaze on Hugger. “You not been payin’ attention, son?”

“Pete—”

“Lanie owns the top advertising firm in Denver. Millie owns the top party-planning company.”

“Pete—”

“Georgie’s an award-winning journalist,” Pete kept at him.

“Yeah, and Hop, High and Dutch got a lot more to offer than I do,” Hugger shot back.

Big Petey was getting mad. “How’s that work out, Hug?”

“I…”

Hugger shut his mouth because he didn’t know what to say.

“Yeah, that’s about how it works out,” Big Petey bit off and stepped closer. “Listen, Hug, love isn’t a weight. One person doesn’t get into it with more on their side of the scale so the other has to catch up. Love just is. It’s the air we breathe. It’s the beat of a heart. You fall in love with a woman, the only thing that’s important that you got to offer is you, and if she doesn’t take you as you are, then she isn’t the woman you should give your love.”

Hugger had nothing to say to that.

Big Petey got even closer.

“Lanie loves Hop because Lanie loves Hop. Millie fell in love with High the first night she met him. Georgie and Dutch were livin’ together before you could blink. Joker and Carrie fell in love in high school, were torn apart, and now they got five kids.”

“Joker is genius at building a chopper or anything with an engine,” Hugger reminded him.

“Carrie don’t love Joker because he builds killer cars and bikes. Joke could dig graves for a living, and he’d be her life.”

This was completely true.

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