“Cool beans. Let’s roll, chickadees,” Courtney said as she motioned for us to follow her out the door.
I looked over to Maverick once more, hoping that he might do or say something to settle my nerves, but he was still busy talking to Bobby. He didn’t even seem to notice when I walked passed him, heading out the door. Damn.
The minute we got in the car, Courtney started her inquisition. “Sooo… what’s the deal with you and Maverick?”
“Courtney,” Lily scolded. “At least give us time to get a cup of coffee before you start laying into her.” They both laughed, but I didn’t miss that sparkle in Courtney’s eye. There was no way she was going to leave it alone.
“Oh come on, Lily. You know you’re just as curious as I am about what’s going on with the two of them,” Courtney laughed.
“I’d tell you if I knew, but to be honest… I don’t know what the hell is going on,” I confessed as I dropped my head into my hands.
“I don’t imagine Maverick would make it easy. Why don’t you just start from the beginning, and we’ll help you sort it all out,” Courtney offered.
“That’s just it. I don’t know where to start. I never intended to fall for him, and …” I started, but stopped myself when I realized what I was saying.
“You know, no one would blame you for falling in love with Maverick, Henley,” Lily assured me. “He’s a really good guy. He’s been through a lot, and it would be good to see him with someone who can make him happy.”
“And he’s easy on the eyes,” Courtney chimed in, and we all laughed.
“He’s just so…”
“Frustrating?” Courtney asked. “Hard headed? A pain in the ass?”
“Yep! All of the above.”
“All men are, but when you get past that… past all the stuff that doesn’t really matter, then you’ll find the real man hidden beneath. That will be the man you will come to love, and the other stuff doesn’t really matter anymore,” Lily explained.
“In other words, you have to get past all the bullshit to find the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow,” Courtney snickered.
They continued their line of questioning all the way downtown. Paris was a small town, but it had a lot of personality. The town square had several specialty shops and boutiques, and I was looking forward to going into all of them. When we stopped at the first store, Maverick’s car pulled in right next to us. Without giving his presence a second thought, the girls got out of the car and headed inside. I, on the other hand, was shocked to see him there. I sat there staring at him like he had lost his mind. When I didn’t move, Maverick gave me a sexy smirk and motioned with his hand for me to follow the girls inside the store. I don’t know why I was so surprised that he was there. Since the day I walked into the club, he always made sure that I was safe. I quickly realized that Courtney was right… I just had to get past all the bullshit.
Courtney never stopped talking while we walked around all the quaint little shops, telling me every story that popped into her head. I’ve never laughed so much in my entire life. I loved getting to know them both, and I could have spent the entire day looking around at all the different stores. Unfortunately, Lily was getting tired. Although she never complained, her face was growing pale, and I could tell that she was wearing down.
“You ready to head back?” I asked.
“Do you mind? I really need to get back and feed John Warren,” she explained.
“Sure… ready whenever you are,” I told her.
After Courtney finished checking out, she grabbed her bags, and we headed back to the car. With Maverick following close behind, we drove back to the clubhouse. When we got there, the guys were gathered in the kitchen talking about what they were going to fix for dinner. Without saying a word, Maverick sat down at the table beside John Warren and began feeding him a handful of Cheerios. Goliath and one of his brothers pulled out several steaks from the refrigerator and started getting them ready for the grill.
“You got one of those for me, Shep?” Courtney asked as she peered over his shoulder and watched him sprinkle the seasoning on the steaks.
“You know it. We’ve got plenty. Hope y’all are hungry,” Sheppard told her. With his blonde hair and blue eyes, I thought he looked more like a model than a biker. There was a warmth to his smile that gave him a wholesomeness that I wouldn’t have expected from one of the Devil Chasers.
“Yes, we’re starving… well, I am, but I’m always hungry these days,” Lily told him as she patted her round stomach. “Have you heard anything from Ana?”
“Nothing yet. She checked the lab before she left, and they weren’t ready yet,” Sheppard told her.