Page 8 of Big Easy
I look at her. "You're lookin' good, Millie," I say, then hug her.
"I'm looking old and tired, but I appreciate the sentiment." Millie is smiling when she pulls away.
I attempt to gaze at the items up for grabs placed onto the tables, but again, my eyes land on the blonde. "Her name is Sutton."
"Who?"
Millie laughs. "The pretty young thing you happen to be fixated on at the moment, dear."
Sutton.
"Why don't you go over there and introduce yourself?" Millie eagerly adds.
Get your head out of the fog.I shake off the voodoo bullshit that has a grip on me. I turn my attention back to Millie. "I walked over to see you, pretty lady."
Millie studies me for a beat and purses her lips in thought but decides to move the conversation along. "Well, I'm happy you gave me some thought, dear." I notice her moving a bit slower and worry she's overdoing it.
"You shouldn't push yourself so hard, Millie. Why don't you take a break?" I'm close to Millie. She's my second mother, and I do my best to check on her often. Almost a week ago, she was given the news that her breast cancer had come back. She's opting to have a double mastectomy this time around, but her stubborn ass assured the surgery was scheduled to occur after today's event. It's not much of a wait, but the fact that she put the function before herself pisses me off. I get that it's important to her, but she's important to me.
"Now, you quit worrying about me. I'm fine." Millie does her best to hide her fatigue.
Not listening, I decided to take matters into my own hands. "Sit." I point to a chair nearby. "I'll go grab you a water and snack," I tell her, then turn on my heels to leave but bump into someone.
"Oomph." The woman I ran into bounces off of my chest, and the papers in her hands flutter to the concrete floor. "I'm sosorry. I should have looked where I was going." The blonde I was eyeing from across the way kneels to retrieve what she dropped, her face still hidden from me. I lower myself to her level and help pick up the papers. "Thank you," she says as I hand them to her. She lifts her head, but still, part of her face is hidden from her fallen strands of hair. Without a thought to her personal space, I brush the fallen hair from her face. Her blank eyes lock with mine. I feel lightheaded, almost a drunk sensation, as I grab her by the hand and help the beautiful woman to stand.
"Sutton."
She looks confused. "We've never met before, so how is it you know my name?"
"I told him, dear," Millie's soft voice calls from behind me, and Sutton looks around me at her.
"Oh." Sutton's expression changes. "Are you okay, Millie? You look tired." Her hand slips from mine as she goes to Millie.
"I am a bit worn out. I think I'll have a rest for a few minutes." Glued in place, I keep my eyes on Sutton, watching her squat down in front of Millie as she settles in the nearby chair I urged her to sit on moments ago. Millie looks at Sutton, who is being attentive.
"I'll go get you something to drink," Sutton rushes to say, her concern for Millie evident.
"That would be lovely." Millie pats the back of Sutton's hand and looks past her shoulder at me. "Jaxson was just about to grab me a snack as well. Perhaps the two of you could walk together?" Sutton looks back at me, and I can't hide my grin. I have to hand it to her—Millie is smooth. The twinkle in her eyes tells me she's happy with herself. "I'll just sit here until the two of you get back." Sutton stands. She smiles at Millie, then nervously looks my way, wringing her hands together as she moves in my direction. "Take your time," Millie quickly adds, making me chuckle and shake my head.
"Now that Millie has successfully thrown us together, I should introduce myself." I stare down at Sutton, who is no more than 5 foot 2 inches in height, and has the most alluring green eyes I've ever seen.
"I know you—well, I should say of you, Jaxson Carter, President of our local MC, Hades Outlaw." She tucks her fallen hair behind her ear, and I catch the smile on her face, along with the most adorable dimples on her cheeks.
"You've heard of me, huh?" My natural flirtatious nature seeps out.
"Full of yourself?" Sutton walks alongside me on our way to one of several food vendors' trucks.
"Confident, babe," I correct her.
"Cocky," she's quick to counter, and I laugh.
"I won't argue with that. So, Sutton, how do you know Millie?" We come to a stop and wait in line to order.
"We met a couple of years ago when she visited a young patient at the hospice center."
"So, you're a nurse," I state.
"I am," she says with pride. "It's not the easiest profession, especially in the sector I work in, but very rewarding."
