AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Hey, Bella. Wanna ride?” He wiggled his eyebrows.
“Lou,” I laughed, catching his double meaning. He was the only one who could have said that to me and gotten away with it. Since the day he hired me, we’d flirted and joked. I loved this old guy. Since dating Crow, I hadn’t worked at the bar at Bull’s Saloon often. But when the threats with Undertaker increased, I stopped working for Lou altogether.
It made me happy to see him nearly every day since he made a point of visiting me and Bree and sitting in his favorite spot in The Roost’s bar.
“I can see it, ya know.”
“What?” I asked, refusing to let all the emotion I felt surface.
“That pain you’re hidin’. You keep it all bottled up and place that pretty smile on your face. But old Lou knows. I don’t like it.” He smacked the arm of his chair, rattling the scooter. “That’s it. We’re gonna go rustle up trouble.”
I swallowed the sudden lump in my throat. “You see too much, Lou.”
He waved me forward as he turned his ride around. “Let’s go.”
I followed him to the elevator Rook had installed a couple of years ago when Lou could no longer walk. Crow told me the story the night we met and came here after our date at Hoover Dam. I didn’t know it then, but my life was forever altered.
I think I fell in love with Crow almost from the first moment he spoke. He had such a powerful, cocky, but sincere presence.
He was a big man, nearly six foot five. Toned and muscled and thick. Crow had impossibly broad shoulders and short dark hair that he occasionally shaved off. His full lips kissed me more thoroughly than any man ever had, above the waist and below it. He wore a beard, and damn, I loved to run my fingers through it. His presence held me spellbound when he gave me his number, and I still felt that way.
It seemed like fate had destined us to be together.
Lou led me to the kitchen, where he opened the fridge and pulled out a tray. Sliced fruit, various types of cheese, crackers, and dip were arranged in a tempting display. A second tray held an assortment of ham, turkey, and roast beef. “Grab a big plate. We’re gettin’ a snack.”
I wanted to argue that the trays might be saved for something special but fuck it. I wanted some of it, and it looked delicious.
Lou smiled when I filled a plate with the goodies, including cookies and brownies Bree had made that afternoon. She wouldn’t care if we ate them. That was why she made them to begin with. “What do you want to drink?”
“Red wine. You?”
“Beer.”
We loaded his basket with a few bottles of our preferred beverage, and I held the plate as he led the way outdoors. The sun had already sunk below the horizon, and the stars began to pop into view, dotting the horizon with twinkling lights.
Lou pulled up next to me at the picnic table. “Dig in. I’m starved.”
I reached for a hunk of cheddar and made a mini sandwich with a club cracker and a piece of ham. Yum! All this needed was a little Dijon mustard. I’d have to remember that next time.
We ate in silence until we’d cleaned the plate. Lou burped and opened his beer, taking a few pulls before he ticked his chin at me.
“You need me, I’m here. That’s all I’m gonna say about it.”
“I know, and I appreciate that, Lou. I’m just worried about Bree.”
“And Crow. The club. Gail. The list is endless, huh?”
I couldn’t resist a smile. “Does it get any easier?”
“Not when you’re the president or his ol’ lady,” he admitted truthfully.
“What about when you’re scootin’ around and pokin’ in everyone’s business?” I joked.
He snickered. “You got me there.”
“I love that you’re around, Lou. I mean that.”
“I know ya do, honey. You and Bree,” he paused and cleared his throat, “You’re like family to me. Daughters I never had. I like to ensure you’re both being looked after, and no one is messin’ with ya.”
