Page 11 of Devil

“We are capable of eating on our own. Aren’t you needed back at Black Hawk?” Carly asked, and I crossed my fingers that Crusher would say yes and they would head back. I needed to have small doses of being around Lance to make sure I built my immune back up. I didn’t think I could take another go-round with him and keep my heart intact. Preservation was key for me.

“Jag and Flirt have it covered. Besides, Shakes and a couple of the ol’ ladies are cleaning up the houses,” Crusher said, and then held up his hand when Carly got ready to dispute. “I told them not to bother with ours, same as Speed told them not to bother with his. They said until you were one hundred percent they would be by to help and with Sami, it was more that they were excited about having a baby around so she may never have to straighten or clean house again.”

“Well, that answers a lot. Jag is a slob, so he is more than likely picking up before they get there. Flirt is probably putting away his toys,” Carly said and laughed.

“What do you know about Flirt’s toys?” Crusher looked down at Carly and asked while the other men went quiet. Mac looked atme,and I shrugged. I had an idea what she meant, but no way was I going to get involved.

Carly patted Crusher’s chest. “Women talk.”

“They do, huh? Including you?” Crusher lifted a brow in question and smirked.

The mengroaned,and Lance finally spoke. “Carly doesn’t need to talk. I’ve said it a hundred times. Close. Your. Windows!”

Speed and Coast laughed. Carly blushed, Crusher grinned, and Sami shook her head.

“I’m sure Mac and I don’t want to know. So let’s go eat.” I turned to head to my car with Mac behind me.

“I might want to know,” Mac said as she caught up.

“Trust me, I’veknown those men most of my life. You don’t want to know.”

Mac laughed, and we got into mycar,and I pulled out.

Chapter Five

Devil

When we walked into the diner, after a stop at the pharmacy, the women had two tables pushed together and were seated at one chatting and laughing. Speed sat in one of the empty chairs and then pulled the one out beside and signaled for Sami to sit beside him. Crusher did the same with Carly, which opened the seats beside Bailey and Mac. I took the vacated one next toBailey,and I noticed as Coast sat down in the other, Mac discreetly tried to scoot her chair away to put distance between her and Coast.

“If you try to move any farther away, Doc, you’ll be sitting in Carly’s lap.” Coast leaned back in his chair and placed his armoverthe back of her chair, stopping the movement.

“I was giving you more room. You are kind of...um, big.” Mac glared at Coast. I could tell by my brother’s actions toward the woman he was interested. When I glanced over at the others, they were watching them too.

“Yeah, I am,” Coast winked at her, then continued, “all over.”

“Oh my God, seriously? Does that shit work for you?” Mackenzie seemed to be losing some of her shyness. We’d only seen her around town a few times, and when we did, we would speak toher,and she would acknowledge us, then hurry away.

“I don’t know. Is it?” Coast asked her and smirked.

Mac ignored him and picked her menu up and opened it. I wanted to tell her that it wouldn’t deter him, once Coast zoned in on something, he was relentless.

“I’ll tell you what I think,” he said and leaned over and placed his mouth at her ear. I couldn’t hear what he whispered, but by the blush that formed on her face, it must have been good. I’d give her an ‘A’ for effort because she never said anything in response or turned to look at him.

I chuckled at him when he sat back in his chair again with a smug look on his face until a shooting pain pierced my thigh.

“What the fuck did you pinch me for?” I looked down at Bailey who was suddenly interested in her menu too.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Bailey said, set the menu down, and grabbed the water glass and took a drink while I stared at her.

“You’re going with that, huh?” She cut her eyes to me and nodded. “Okay.” It was all Isaid,and like Coast, I placed my arm over the back of her chair. “I owe you one, but when I go to pay youback,it won’t be on the thigh.” Sami and Carly laughed and smiled when Bailey glared at them.

“You men had to be a handful growing up,” Mac said as Thelma, the owner of the diner, walked up with a notepad in hand to take everyone’s order.

“Hon, you have no idea. This bunch has been trouble since they started to shave.” Thelma looked at each of us and grinned. “And it looks like a couple of you forgot how to do that.” She looked at Crusher and then at me. I smiled and spread my hand, placing my jaw and chin between the gap of my thumb and fingers and ran them over mychinstrapand soul patch.

“You get younger every time I see you, Thelma.”

“Lance Cummings, don’t you start.” She pointed her pencil at me. “You are worse than that one,” the hand with the pencil moved to Crusher, who laughed. “Hell,every oneof you was born with a silver tongue. I don’t know why it should shock me. I went to school with your dads. When all of you walk in here, I feel like I’m thrown back to high school.” Bailey and the other women snickered.

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