Just thinking about it made her so very sad. Many would say he was giving her what she’d asked for. She’d paraded in front of him without clothes. She’d teased and tempted him. In hindsight, she wasn’t sure what she truly wanted.
It certainly wasn’t Diesel dead, which was exactly what his current recklessness would get him.
Whether she liked it or not, he was also married. She hated Tabitha, but that was whohechose. She’d witnessed her parents’ marital problems because of Torie. Though she still believed her fatherengaged in untoward behavior, hehadbeen distraught. Torie was just a fling. Momma, hiswife, trumped his side chick. Which was what Rebel would be for Diesel. It didn’t matter if they waited until she was sixteen, eighteen, or twenty-one. Unless he divorced that bitch, he would walk away from Rebel once he tired of her. Or if his wife discovered their affair.
She shuddered, thinking of Daddy.Mommaforgave him, although he was the reason she’d become a little cold. Rebel still hadn’t completely forgiven her father, though she’d tried. She’d idolized him, especially the way Momma was always first in his life. She didn’t know if she’d ever look at him in the same way.
“Are you okay, babe?” Kaia spoke close to her ear.
His breath tickled her nape.
Forcing herself to smile, Rebel looked at Kaia. Every few feet, streetlights flooded the car and illuminated his handsome face. “I’m fine. Just hungry.”
He smiled, leaned in, and brushed his nose against hers. For a breathless second, she thought he intended to kiss her on the lips. It disappointed her he didn’t, yet her nose tingled from the contact.
In the restaurant, Rebel found D. Elliot on duty. Her favorite waiter looked gaunt and tired, though he tried to act his normal, jovial self as he sat them at a four-seat table in the middle of the floor. Rebel had an excellent view of all corners of the place.
The moderate crowd shocked her. She didn’t have experience with a Valentine’s date, but she’d expected a packed restaurant. She easily picked out Bishop, Torrin, Potter, and Narci huddled together at a table near the window.
Searching her mind, she tried to think if she’d heard their bikes as she rode in the Uber and realized she hadn’t. They’d beaten her to the restaurant.
Bishop raised his glass to her, and she swallowed, nodded, and glanced around. A handyman with a thick beard, trucker’s cap, and dark glasses sat at the bar. One table over to where she sat, a little old guy with a red beard and white hair—also a handyman—worked on a puzzle in a crossword book, barely paying attention as he lifted a glass of iced tea and drank. Directly ahead of her, roughly four or five tables down, two more bearded and capped handymen looked at a menu. She picked out a fifth and sixth handyman at separate tables.
“What the fuck? Is there a handyman convention in town?” she asked, giggling.
Kaia and D. Elliot laughed, shifted, and exchanged unreadable looks.
“I thought you at least had to wear something other than work clothes to J’s,” she said.
Another nervous laugh escaped D. Elliot. “Mrs. Harrington said to seat them tonight, but not to make it a regular occurrence.”
Rebel studied each man, dressed in gray jumpsuits, unconcerned by the happenings in the restaurant. “That was sweet. Valentine’s Day shouldn’t be spent alone.”
She thought of her mother, so gorgeous, but spending Valentine’s Day alone because Daddy had something else to do. Club business according to CJ. Even if he hadn’t told her, she’d overheard her father and brothers discussing today in the mancave.
Maybe, she should’ve canceled her date to spend it with Momma.
“Is Mrs. Harrington the manager?” Kaia’s voice interrupted Rebel’s thoughts.
“No,” she said. “She owns the restaurant. Joan Harrington. She’s also Pop’s mom.”
Confusion knit Kaia’s brow. “Who’s that?”
“Uh, right. He’s married to Lolly. Lolly is Aunt Bailey’s mom, but Momma and my aunts took her astheir momma, too,” Rebel prattled. “Uncle Mort is married to Aunt Bailey, and their daughter, Harley, is this bitch who can’t fucking fight to save her fucking life, yet she picks fights all the time. Uh, anyway, I miss hanging out with Harley—if you repeat that I’ll admit to nothing—but Uncle Mort is totally cool. Not as cool as Daddy but just as badass. Lolly is…” She didn’t have the right words. “I’m lucky to have her as a substitute grandmother. Oh, and there’s Grant, Lolly’s stepson and Mrs. Harrington’s biological grandson. He’s a lot of fun to be around and really handsome. Not as handsome as you or Diesel.” She frowned. “CJ’s handsome, too. Am I supposed to notice that? Probably not. He’s my brother. Diesel, too,” she added hastily. “Mrs. Harrington is a little like Mrs. Redding…”
Noticing Kaia’s shoulders shaking, Rebel’s voice trailed off and she snapped her brows together. Humiliation flamed her cheeks and she looked at D. Elliot. He was laughing, too.
“TMI?” she squeaked.
Kaia leaned over and took her chin between his warm fingers. “Relax, sweetheart. Just breathe. Let’s start over. Okay?”
“Okay.”
“You know Mrs. Harrington?”
She nodded. “She’s my…my grandmother’s mother-in-law.”
Releasing her, he gave her a half smile. “Cool.”
