Page 75 of Secondhand Smoke

She sighed to herself, disappointed but resolute, and leaned into him when he put his arm around her.

“What are you doing for dinner?” she asked.

“Taco Bell, I’m guessing.” He squeezed her waist. “Unless you had a better idea.”

“My mother wants you to come over and eat with us.” She laughed when she felt him stiffen. “No pressure.”

“Yeah. Sure.”

He was actually shaking.

“You don’t have to come,” Sam said, covering his hand with her own where it rested against her hip. “I can tell Mom it’s too soon for that.”

“Nah. I’ll come.”

When she glanced at him, she saw that the color was high in his face.

He wet his lips. “Uh…it’s just that…I’ve never actually met a girl’s mother before.”

“Seriously?”

He nodded.

Sam laughed and patted his hand. “Poor baby. Don’t worry. It won’t be too painful.”

~*~

There had been days past when the closing of the shop kicked off an evening of brotherly bonding. They would all wander over to the clubhouse and settle in for TV and shit-talking, beers in hand. But tonight, Tango sensed a tension in the air, the way they all wanted away from the burdens of the day. Carter struck off for the clubhouse alone, too quick for anyone to fall in with him. Aidan muttered a farewell and headed for his bike.

Ava’s truck rolled up and he knew she’d have the kids with her, and that she and Mercy were going to take them home and wallow in marital bliss.

The passenger window buzzed down as he passed. “Kev,” Ava called, “I can set an extra place if you don’t have anything to do for dinner.”

He gave her a weak smile. “No, thanks.”

“You sure?” Merc asked, snapping his helmet in place.

It was tempting for a moment, the idea of hot food, the glow of family. But he shook his head. “Catch ya next time.”

Right now, he needed to find Ghost before the map in his pocket burned through the fabric.

A little inquiry and he found the boss man at the trucking office. Holly had pushed her wheeled chair back from the desk and Ghost stood in front of her, expression thunderous, the office phone pressed to his ear.

Holly’s eyes cut over to Tango, filled with mixed horror and laughter.

Ghost was using his president voice over the phone. “No,youlisten, asshole. You harassed my office manager for days, because, guess what, calling a woman a hot piece of ass counts as harassment, dick. She was too much of a lady to tell you to lay off, but I damn sure told you to.”

Holly covered her mouth with a hand and Tango knew the laughter was winning out. He smiled.

“What?” Ghost said, scowling. “No, see, when one of my guys wants to defend his wife from a creep, I don’t give a shit about ‘outrageous.’ You’re fucking outrageous. And you’re damn lucky all he did was break your nose. Don’t ever turn up on my property again.” He slammed the phone down in its cradle with a satisfied grunt.

He turned to Holly. “You think that did it?”

She pulled her hand away, composed now. “I think so, yes, sir. Thank you.”

“Next time something like that’s going on, tell me about it. You shouldn’t have to deal with that kinda shit at work.”

She nodded.

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