Page 17 of Savage Devotion
“Here, lemme help ya, honey.”
I stand back as she whips out several new copies of the latest series from my—now our—favorite romance author. The saucy tale-spinner wrote a long series based on a kinky sex club. Swoon! One woman, three men. All the ladies of Harlon can’t seem to get enough. Which I can safely assume is because of Charli.
We both marvel over the sexy covers. “Did you finally take Abel up on his offer to build you all the bookshelves you want?” I ask, taking the stack of books she passes over.
I pull chairs up for both of us and narrowly miss a hard side-eye. At fifty-five, Charli makes getting older look appealing. With jet black hair I’m sure she dyes and smooth smoky eyes, there’s not a man in town who hasn’t tried to claim this chick as their ol’ lady. Abel “Gator” Evans is just one of many trying to win her hand from what she’s shared.
But Charli is a special breed of woman and lets everyone know she’s not into strings and attachments. Maybe that’s why she loves reading so much.
“No gracias, as you would say,amiga.His bookshelves are hitched to wedding bells. I know how to use a saw and screwdriver myself. Besides, all the boys at the compound fall over themselves to make sure I have what I need.”
I get a wink and she’s right back to hauling out more books from their boxes.
Boys meaning the Savage Reign crew. Harlon’s very own motorcycle gang I had no idea Reaper was president of until Charli sat me down over coffee and cupcakes about a week after arriving. I knew Reaper was part of the underground criminal rings, I just didn’t put two and two together.
She props an elbow on the table and pins me with a hard momma bear look. “Now it’s your turn. Have you given my idea any thought?”
Ugh. I push to my feet and start sorting out the other boxes.
“I don’t know. What if no one shows up?” I get knots in my stomach just thinking about cupcakes and coffee going stale while I’m stood up by the whole parish.
“A book club is no big deal. I’d make sure the place was packed every time.” She cocks a perfectly defined brow at me, looking every bit as confident as she sounds with her sweet southern drawl and no-nonsense attitude.
“You’re focusing on all the wrong things,” she presses on. “Five copies of each book aren’t nearly enough, honey. Not having enough books for all the horny ladies in this parish, now that’s a problem.”
A smile slides over my face at the idea of a fight breaking out in my reading corner over books. Hair pulling, bitch slapping, and ripped books. I cringe at the last thought and make a mental note to get more copies of a few books that are hot sellers. It took busting ass this past year and a couple of months since Adora died to save up for this place. I don’t have a lot in savings but enough to put more stock on the shelves.
“So, what do you think?”
“I hear you. I really do. I’ll think about it, okay?” But truth be told even with all the instant success of Broken Chapter Asylum, I’m not sure the small-town setting is right for me. I came here for all the wrong reasons and though the book sales are great, maybe I should have stayed in New Orleans. I liked the vibe and Laila was there with her men.
She told me I was a fool to walk away from Reaper and repeats her opinion during our weekly calls without fail. Like I’ve forgotten after hearing it a thousand times.
“I know a book club will make you feel like you’re puttin’ down deeper roots than this store. And I get that probably scares the crap outta you.”
That and a secret I haven't even told Laila about. My one-night stand didn’t end after that morning. Despite the condom and the pill I was on, I still got pregnant.
My hand hovers over a new pile of books instead of my where I will have a baby bump in a few months’ time. Sooner actually.
Charli’s words slice deep. It’s not that I don’t want roots. But what if Harlon isn’t for me? A deeper voice says what if, when I get the courage to approach him, Reaper rejects me? Could I stay here?
I school my expression and clear my tone of the fear restricting my airways. “Um, what makes you think I’m scared?”
“I see it in your face, honey. You might as well paint your heart in your eyes. The second the idea of doing anything that makes you feel like you belong you get this weird look in ’em.”
She wraps a warm, comforting hand over mine.
“Not judgin’. I had the same feeling about Harlon a long time ago, too. Give it time.”
She looks pointedly at the chain around my neck and the ring hanging between my cleavage. There’s no hiding the emblem on it matches Savage Reign’s skull and fanged viper. She hasn’t pressed me for how I’ve come by it and I haven’t offered. But I can tell she has questions.
“Here’s a little advice. Take it or leave it okay.”
I nod.
“Don’t let something that happened in your past ruin something good for you in the here and now. Take it from someone twice your age who has lived through it.” She gives a tiny nod as if to say and that is that.
“And now I’ve done my good deed for the day. Less talkin’ and more book shoppin’.”
