Smoke and Steel (Wild West MC #2)(100)

“We heard you were with Core, and we thought he’d tell you. Maybe not on your first date, but Jagger knows him. He respects him. They work together on occasion. I’ve met him. I liked him. If either of us thought you weren’t safe with him. If we—”

I cut her off. “I know. I figured that out after the fact.”

“I felt bad,” she admitted. “Because I was so wrapped up in Jag, in the store, setting up our new house, I didn’t find time to reach out to you. Kinda to welcome you to the new sisterhood we shared. And then your cousin did what she did, and you didn’t have me to go to in order to ask questions I could have answered for you. I’d had months to become that person for you, and I blew it.”

I forgot she and Jag bought that new house.

But as for Archie feeling bad…

“I didn’t reach out to you either.”

“We fall into that, you and me. It’s a bad habit. And I have to say, I don’t like it.”

That made me smile straight out. “I don’t either.”

She smiled back, but got serious when she stated, “I love Haley. I love her with my dad. I love the life they share together. And I love you and Li too.”

She didn’t really make a secret of that, but, God, it was nice to hear said out loud.

“I know, I feel the same about you.”

“Maybe I think I feel strange, like some of Elijah’s damage brushed off on me. I think I feel it.” She hesitated. “Especially with you.”

Well…

Shit.

“Okay, I’m holding a grudge,” I admitted.

“I get that.”

“I shouldn’t do it.”

“I still get it.”

“But you aren’t Elijah.”

She held my gaze. “No, I’m not.”

No. She wasn’t.

I had work to do on my own self.

Time to do that too.

“So we both should have reached out,” I began. “We didn’t. You tried to rectify that when something unexpected happened. I wasn’t in a place to receive it. Now, all that’s done, and we’re here. You’re busy with your life and your man. I’m busy with my life and the new one I’m building with my man. But let’s make a pact in the midst of the sacred act of a woman helping a woman box her most precious belongings, we’ll find time. Even if it’s just touching base by texting. Though, it’d be cool you guys show at dinner tomorrow night to start it off. Deal?”

“Is this where we hook pinkies or make up a secret handshake?” she asked.

I began laughing, but said, “How about we do this instead?”

I stood and opened my arms.

She stood and did the same.

We hugged.

“It’s cool to have a big sister,” I said in her ear.

“It’s cool to get to be one,” she said in mine.

We stopped hugging and got back to work.

Archie didn’t give up until the whole bedroom was packed, and we’d stacked the boxes, and three suitcases, in my living room.

I then cracked open a bottle of wine.

Because, again, with something tough but right that had to happen…

Done.





That evening, Nanook and I wandered into the living room after I put away the last of my stuff.

Core, who was stretched on the couch reading the book on the history of Harley Davidson I bought him (I hadn’t allowed him to pay me back for that), took one look at me, closed the book, set it aside and pushed up to his feet.

“Last boxes ready to break down?” he asked.

He couldn’t help me unpack (correction: I didn’t let him because it was easier to do it myself rather than undo what he might do), so his self-appointed task was box breakdown and removal to one of the empty bedrooms.

However, it felt weirdly like he was standing to attention, reporting for duty.

“They can wait,” I pointed out.

“I’ll get ’em.”

He then walked by me, touching my hip, and considering what Core was going to be doing was more exciting than me taking a load off in the living room, Nanook went with him.

I turned and watched them disappear into the bedroom.

Because something wasn’t right about that.

And I didn’t like it.

But I was too exhausted to do anything about it.

As far as I was concerned, I was moved in. I had my clothes, shoes, accessories, makeup and hair stuff. I’d go back to the apartment here and there, when I had time, in order to pack for the big move that didn’t have to happen for three weeks.

So I was, for all intents and purposes, sharing my home with my man.

We were getting back to us, so maybe things would be weird for a while.

If that didn’t go away, then I’d get into it.

For now, I took what I had in my hands, walked to the media unit and placed my Baccarat butterflies where they belonged.

I then plopped on the couch, listened to Core and Nanook do their thing, and when he came back, I told him, “I’d kill for some Chinese.”

He got right on his phone.

He then joined me on the couch.

I knew exactly when he saw the butterflies.

Because instead of hanging with me on the couch, we were making out on the couch.