Page 9 of Texas Hold Em'
Gone were the collapsible camping chairs and sun-bleached coolers. In their place were comfortable outdoor sofas made of wicker with plush cushions all over them. A glass coffee table in the middle of the sectional held a citronella candle as well as some coasters, and a shelf underneath contained small boxes of weed paraphernalia. A couple of side tables were decorated with flowers planted in turquoise pots, and over our heads were strings of patio lights that winked on as we all fell into our usual spots.
Jackson wasted little time pulling two joints out of a jar under the table and passing them around the circle. A couple puffs and a pass, and I found myself sinking lower into the cushions that were comfy as hell. The others seemed to be getting just as comfortable as me. We’d had a long day under the blistering sun. Even though summer had reached its end and Reno wasn’t as intolerably hot as it had been in August, a day like today still left its mark. My skin was hot, my back and shoulders were burnt, my lips were dry. But it was nothing a relaxing night like this couldn’t fix.
We’d finished passing the joint around when Sam came outside and draped herself across Jackson’s lap and rested her head against his shoulder. “How much longer do you guys have to keep this up?”
Jackson put a hand on her thigh and squeezed. “A couple more weeks at the most. We’re wrapping all the shit up. Contractors will be coming in soon.”
“Thank God,” Abel muttered.
Sam smiled sweetly at him. “I appreciate all of you busting your asses to make this happen. Seriously. I’ve been going out of my mind puttering around this house every day all day. I need my bar back. Reno needs my bar back. Maybe the Well will bring everyone back together again.”
I raked my fingers through my hair and massaged my gritty scalp. I needed a fucking shower. “Let’s hope people are willing to show their faces at the Well. Bates and the cops have successfully turned half the city against us.”
Sam bit her bottom lip. “My regulars won’t leave me stranded.”
Jackson’s hand moved higher up her thigh. “Even if it’s a slow start, you’ll be right back in business like you were before the fire.”
She smiled.
I wasn’t convinced that Jackson was right, but I held my tongue. More negativity wouldn’t solve shit.
Suzie came out of the kitchen with a platter of food she and Sam had put together in our absence. There were wings, ribs, dinner rolls, baked potatoes, sauteed vegetables, and chicken skewers. The men filled up paper plates and dug in while Suzie and Sam passed out napkins that wouldn’t be used. The women helped themselves to some grub before taking their seats with their men.
Mason wrapped an arm around Suzie’s waist and gave her backside a squeeze. She giggled. Their relationship looked good on them.
William’s death had hit Mason pretty hard. He’d been there when it happened. Saw it all go down. Used his own hands to try to stop the bleeding from the bullet hole ripped in young Will’s chest.
Ever since that night, Mason had been pulling away from the group and turning inward, but as soon as he and Suzie finally stopped pretending there was nothing between them, his old self started shining through the cracks again.
We all knew the pair would end up together one day or another. Well, all of us except for Jackson, who somehow had his head in the sand about the whole thing and never noticed their flirty banter or sidelong looks at each other. Then again, he’d been overseas for a few years. He’d missed a lot of things happening back home.
I shifted in my corner of the sofa.
I envied what Mason and Suzie had. I envied Sam and Jackson’s relationship, too. It didn’t make sense, of course, this tight feeling of jealousy in my chest. I’d never wanted a woman I couldn’t kick out the morning after a good night in the sheets. The solitary life suited me just fine.
At least, it had up until now.
Now something felt like it was missing. Like there was something more I could claim for myself if I wanted it.
Sam sat up a little straighter and licked hot sauce from her fingers. “Did you guys hear that?”
Everyone fell silent.
Jackson arched an eyebrow. “Hear what?”
“I think someone’s at the front door,” she said.
“You’re hearing things,” Jackson said.
Right on cue, the knock came again, and everyone tensed.
Mason looked around at the group. “We’re all here. Who the fuck could that be?”
“Cops?” Gabriel murmured.
“One of Bates’s boys?” Knox wondered aloud.
Jackson rose to his feet and Sam grabbed at his arm. “Be careful,” she whispered.
