Rock Chick Renegade (Rock Chick #4)(131)

I couldn’t help it, one night off the job and I was already losing hold on my head crackin’ mamma jamma. Therefore at his words I burst into tears.

I felt as his arms came around me, I shoved my face in his neck and I heard Auntie Reba’s voice in my ear.

Home.

My tears turned to sobs and now I was emotionally struggling with the fact that I was a big sissy.

A knock came at the door.

“Yeah?” Nick called.

I heard it open and I lifted my what I was sure was red, wet and scary face away from Nick and saw Vance standing there watching us.

Shit.

“I’ll come back,” Vance murmured.

“Think you best take over here,” Nick answered, gently moving me towards Vance.

“I’m okay,” I wiped my tears with my fingers but made one of those silly, girlie, sobby hiccoughs.

Vance came forward and his arms went around me. At the feel of them, I started crying again, and harder, so I shoved my face in his neck.

“What happened?” Vance asked Nick.

“I don’t know. Do you ever know? She’s a girl,” Nick answered.

My body went solid and I pulled my head out of Vance’s neck. “I’m not a girl!” I shouted at Nick. “I’m a head crackin’ mamma jamma!”

“Sure you are,” Nick soothed but I could swear he sounded a little bit like he was laughing.

I narrowed teary eyes at him. “I am!”

Vance totally ignored me but kept his arms around me. “We’re goin’ to Lincoln’s for dinner. You’re welcome,” Vance told Nick.

“Nah, game on tonight,” Nick answered.

“Another time,” Vance said.

“Sure, sounds good, haven’t been there in awhile.”

“Not much has changed.”

“Best part about it.”

“Hello!” I shouted, pulling out of Vance’s arms and pointing to myself with both hands. “Having total emotional breakdown! Anyone? Anyone?”

Nick started out-and-out laughing. Vance just grinned at me.

“You done?” Vance asked me.

I rolled my eyes.

Whatever.

I’d finish my total emotional breakdown later when I was alone, possibly while listening to Stevie Wonder singing “All in Love Is Fair” which was the best time to have them.

“I’m hungry,” I grumbled, wiping my face with my hands. Then I called, “Boo!”

Boo trotted in, tail straight in the air, equally oblivious to my emotional turmoil.

I scooped him up, glared at Nick, swung my glare to Vance, walked out of Nick’s and went to my side.

I was in the bathroom cleaning up my face and repairing makeup damage when I heard Vance return. Then I heard a rustling bag.

When I walked into the kitchen Vance was eating an M&M cookie.

“Don’t eat that! Those are for Luke, Ike and Mace.”

Vance stared at me for a beat then looked into the bag.

Then he looked at me. “There’s at least thirty cookies in there.”

“Thirty-three,” I told him. Then I scowled at his cookie. “Now, thirty-two. How am I going to divide thirty-two cookies three ways?”

He didn’t answer me, instead he said, “Why are you giving Luke, Ike and Mace thirty-two cookies?”

“They beat people up for me,” I replied. “That requires payback. Since I can’t bake, I can’t make them cookies. Knitting is boring, as in super boring, so I can’t knit them sweaters. I don’t think they’d like a homemade card or anything I could do with the stickers I bought. There will likely not be a time where I could beat up someone for them. Therefore,” I pointed to the bag, “cookies.”

He took another bite of his cookie while walking up to me. His hand went to my neck and he brought me closer to his body by putting pressure there.

I put my hands on his waist and looked up at him.

“Princess?”

“What?”

“You have to be the f**king craziest woman I’ve ever met.”

I was back to glaring at him. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

He grinned. “I meant it as one.”

Well.

There you go.

I couldn’t help it, I smiled.

* * * * *

We were sitting at Lincoln’s Road House. It was after we ate, the dirty dishes still in front of us and we managed the whole thing, from duplex to bike; bike to Road House; door to table; menu to ordering; ordering to eating, all without fighting (or even bickering) once.

It had to be a record.

I was enjoying my second beer, relaxed, mellow maybe even at peace with the world.

“You wanna tell me why you were cryin’?” Vance asked and my eyes moved to him.

I instantly decided I was not at peace with the world.

“Um… no,” I answered.

There was no way I was ready to tell Vance that Nick was cool with walking me down the aisle toward Vance even if it happened tomorrow.

No way in hell.

Vance shook his head and looked away, his eyes moving to the television hanging by the bar and I had the feeling I’d disappointed him.

“What are you doing tonight?” I asked to change the subject and his eyes slid back to me.