Cora stepped up beside them and introduced herself, too. “Why don’t you pack the food and I’ll throw an overnight bag together for us?”
“Sounds good,” Haven said. “Should I pack some for you, Slider?”
“No,” the man said, an air of impatience hanging around him.
“Okay. I’ll be quick and then we can go.” Haven busied herself by spooning chili from the massive Crock-Pot on the counter into plastic bowls, and then she wrapped up four pieces of her corn bread for them, too. Though Haven had made it, the chili had been Bunny’s idea, because it was apparently Rodeo’s favorite dish. Cora returned just as Haven found a brown paper bag in which to carry the food.
“Ready?” Slider asked.
“Yes, all done,” Haven said, scooping the bag into her arms. “I should just find Maverick for that list of phone numbers.” She didn’t have to look far. Maverick found them in the big front lounge. And then they were heading out to Slider’s pickup truck.
“Climb in the back, guys,” he said to the boys. “Sorry the ride isn’t nicer.”
“It’s no problem,” Haven said, wanting to put him at ease. There was just such an aura of heaviness around the man. She hated to think what might’ve put it there. She and Cora rounded the back of the truck.
“You guys have any games?” Cora asked the boys.
“We have lots of games,” Ben said, grinning at her as he climbed in the truck bed, Sam helping him.
“And do you mind getting beat by a girl?” she asked, smiling at them.
Both boys broke into a stream of taunts and laughter as Cora took the middle seat in the cab and Haven hopped in after her. The boys tapped on the glass, clearly still reacting to Cora’s throw-down, though Haven couldn’t hear what they were saying.
“Now we gotta make good on that threat,” Haven said, elbowing Cora.
“I know, right?” Cora said.
“The boys love to play games,” Slider said in a quiet voice as he backed out of the space. “So, thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” Cora said. “Really, we’ve just been hanging around for a couple weeks, so this will be a nice change of pace.”
He nodded and headed out of the parking lot. And Haven decided that Cora was right. It would be good to get away from the clubhouse for a little while. At least she’d have a night when she wouldn’t have to worry about steering clear of Dare, although it wasn’t like he’d come looking for her, either. Which was just as well, because she couldn’t decide what would be worse—him trying to explain what he’d said or offering no explanation at all.
Now maybe she wouldn’t have to find out.
TIRED FROM A day of doing maintenance down at the track, Dare and Jagger came into the clubhouse to find a handful of people around one of the tables in the mess hall.
“Aw, something smells fantastic,” Dare said, clapping Maverick on the shoulder where he sat. “What’s cooking?”
“Chili and corn bread,” Maverick said. “Good, too. Better hurry before there’s none left.”
“You bastards better have saved us some,” Jagger said to a round of laughter and gibes.
In the kitchen, Dare loaded his bowl up with chili, sour cream, tomatoes, and cheese, then grabbed himself two big squares of corn bread—which he couldn’t help but wonder if Haven had made. Where was she, anyway? He’d barely seen her since she’d brought him breakfast the morning before. And like a fucking coward, he hadn’t been particularly searching her out, either. Anything he might say at this point would just cause even more of a problem. He could tell her he hadn’t meant it, but then he was admitting he did have feelings, which made no sense when he was sending her away. Or he could tell her he’d meant it but was sorry she’d heard him say it, which just made him an asshole all over again.
Lose-lose all the way around.
For fuck’s sake.
“Think this new dust suppressant will be worth it?” Jagger asked, piling up his own bowl next to him.
They’d invested in a new treatment for the surface of their racetrack, one that promised to control dust, which made things safer for the drivers and more enjoyable for the fans. Some days, Dare could hardly believe how much he’d learned about racing and racetracks over the years. “We’ll know Friday night,” he said. “But it looks like it has potential, and if it works, it’s gonna save us a shit-ton of money. So good on you for finding it.”
“Thanks,” Jagger said. “You know that track’s my baby.” Responsible for managing the maintenance and operation of the track, Jagger was one of a handful of Ravens who the club paid full-time for their services. The guy lived and breathed that racetrack and did a helluva job for the club.
Out in the mess hall, they dropped into seats at the table. “I’m surprised you aren’t staking out Alexa’s place,” Dare said to Maverick.
“She has a class on Tuesday nights,” he said. “I’ll head there later.”
Dare didn’t comment on how well Maverick knew her schedule. “You been seeing anything when you’ve been over there?” he asked, knowing Mav had been spending all the time he could keeping an eye on her place the past few days.