“Viper, happy doesn’t begin to explain how I feel right now.”
He lifted her up to kiss her. “Good enough to give me a blowjob like the one last night?” he teased her, nuzzling her neck.
“This house makes me so happy I’m going to give you a blowjob every night.”
Her husband was obviously so anxious to hold her to her word that he started to carry her back upstairs. But then a knock on the back door had him putting her back down on her feet.
When he opened the back door, dozens of smiling faces swarmed inside. Train and Knox came in, carrying twenty-four-packs of beer on their shoulders. Rider came in with an exaggerated limp, while Willa, Rachel, Diamond, Evie, and all the Last Riders followed. She hugged each of them, thanking them for helping Viper build her dream home.
“It was so hard not to tell you,” Beth confessed, hugging her before moving aside so her aunt could hug her next.
“Viper’s convinced me to move in with you both if you’re sure.”
“Aunt Shay, if you don’t move in with us, then we’re just going to move in with you permanently.”
Her eyes twinkled. “I guess I’m moving in, then. I’m going to donate my furniture to the church store. Well, everything except that mattress in the room over mine. It’s too loud.”
Winter wanted to sink through the floor. Viper laughing his head off like a fool didn’t help matters.
“I was right about you making up with Viper before I was asleep.”
“Aunt Shay!”
“We need to have a long talk before you move in with us,” Viper told her. “Winter told me you told her to wait a year before sleeping with me again.”
“She did?” Her aunt stared at her, expecting her to confess.
“I… need to go thank Sasha,” Winter excused herself, hurrying away.
Seeing the two talking conspiratorially, she knew she was busted.
Sasha was standing by the door, poised as if she were ready to fly out of it. Winter could tell from the look on her face that she expected to be run out of the house. She had taken a step back before Winter could catch her hand, pulling her into a heartfelt hug.
“Thank you, Sasha. My home is beautiful. I couldn’t have done it better myself. I would have never been able to match everything the way you did.”
“If there’s anything you want changed, I can—”
Winter shook her head. “I wouldn’t change a thing… except for the way I treated you. I’m sorry.”
“I was trying to make you hate me,” Sasha confessed. “I wanted you to leave the clubhouse so Viper could get the house built. I expected you to go to the Bahamas or Vegas, but I didn’t expect your aunt to become sick. I’m glad she’s better. I was afraid I would get arrested before I could get it done. Diamond came through. Now the charges are dropped, and I can go back to Ohio.”
“Do you want to go back to Ohio, or do you want to stay here?”
“Ohio. None of the women knew what Viper was planning because he was afraid one of them would tell you, so I didn’t make a good first impression on them. I guess I do a good job of making people hate me.”
“Yes, you did. But you’re still welcome here until you really want to leave.”
“You sure?”
“I’m positive. You can help me decorate the baby’s room as soon as we know if it’s a boy or a girl.”
Her excited expression made Winter feel terrible about the mistake she had made in judging the woman. “Thank you,” she said again sincerely.
“You should start your own business.”
“Do you really think so? It’s a competitive business and I’ve never taken any decorating classes.”
“You can use Viper and me as references. As soon as they see the work you’re capable of, they’ll hire you.”
“I’ll think about it. Did Viper show you the bathroom upstairs?”
Sasha grinned in satisfaction when Winter told her he had.
The women moved to the stools at the kitchen counter, where Rider, Willa, and Lucky were sitting. Sasha and the couple laughed about Rider’s reaction when Viper had texted her last night about the bathtub.
“He can be such a girl sometimes,” Winter said.
Rider lifted a brow at her comment, yelling across the room to her husband, “Viper!”
Winter winced when Viper yelled out, “Yeah?”
“How does Winter feel about pirates?”
17
“You look handsome tonight,” Winter complimented Viper, as she straightened his tie.
“Thank you.” He took her hand, twirling her in her long, multi-blue formal dress. “All the husbands are going to be jealous of me.”
“I doubt that. I have some stiff competition from Beth and Lily.”