Page 83 of Scatter the Bones
She points toward Murphy’s house. “The kids had a sleepover with Auntie Heidi and Uncle Murphy.”
Z circles his arms around his wife’s waist and yanks her against him, kissing her cheek. “Yes, they did.”
There’s a baby-making joke waiting to be born but I don’t have it in me at the moment. I roll my eyes Rooster’s way. He shrugs and silently jerks his thumb toward the door.
We’re almost back to the UTV when Z catches up—still rocking the red shorts, but at least he’s added a half-zipped black hoodie and sneakers.
“Where you going? I said I’d help.”
“You looked busy, Prez,” I say, sliding behind the wheel again.
Rooster offers the passenger seat, but Z jumps into the bed of the UTV and slaps the side.
I follow the path leading back to the clubhouse. Ahead, an overgrown turn-off appears and Rooster points at it. “Can you go back this way?”
“There’s no clear trail.” I duck, trying to see past Rooster. “That leads out to the stone amphitheater, doesn’t it?”
“Yeah,” Rooster says with exaggerated patience. “That’s why I want to go that way.”
“You thinking of having the wedding there?” Z asks.
“Maybe.” Rooster shrugs.
“It’s a good spot for it.” Z rattles off a list of things they did to set up Rock and Hope’s wedding out here and I tune most of it out.
While they’re talking tulle and tents or whatever, my gaze drifts to the spot in the woods where I finally chased Margot down and had my way with her.
Heat flares low in my gut. There’s suddenly a lot less room in my jeans. Getting hard in a UTV with my prez and best friend inches away seems like a bad idea.
I suck in a slow breath and count back from ten.
Doesn’t help.
“You all right, Jiggy?” Z slaps my shoulder.
“Yeah, yeah.” I nudge the UTV back onto the trail, and a few minutes later we roll out of the woods and into the parking lot.
We park behind Rooster’s truck and the three of us get to work reloading the UTV.
“Go ahead,” Z says when we’re finished, waving toward the clubhouse. “I got this.”
“Prez, I don’t mind,” Rooster protests.
“Nah, you already went above and beyond. Appreciate it.” He pulls Rooster in for a one-armed hug and slaps his back.
“You too.” Z pats my cheek, the same way he pats his dog’s hind end. “See you at church.”
He climbs in and takes off.
Once the UTV disappears into the woods, I turn and stare at Rooster. “When’d you turn into such a brownnoser?”
“What?”
“Prez, I don’t mind,” I mimic in a high-pitched voice.
“What?” He holds his hands out. “Z’s been really patient with me running back and forth to Tennessee all the time. Just trying to help him out.”
“Yeah,” I say slowly, feeling shitty that never occurred to me. “He’s been cool with me hanging out at Margot’s all the time too. Relieved me of my duties down at the laundromat.”
