“No kidding. Here’s the deal. From what I’ve seen, the feeling is mutual. Don’t overthink shit. Just go with it.”
“Got it.”
“You gettin’ hungry?” he asked.
“Yeah. What are you thinking?”
“Sandwiches from the Canada Lake Store? I’ll buy if you fly.”
“Who’s flying?” asked Wasp, joining us out on the porch along with Swan.
“I’m off to pick up sandwiches for dinner. Want one?”
“I do,” said Cowboy. “The one with roast beef.”
“I’ll take one of those too,” said Diesel.
“Is there some kind of meeting going on here that I’m unaware of?” I asked when I saw Onyx and Buster walk in the kitchen door like the others had.
“I think we’re all just bored,” Diesel said, grabbing a beer from our fridge and holding it out to me. “Except you, that is.”
“He thinks he screwed up with Maisie.”
I glared at my brother.
“How so, son?” asked Onyx.
“I’d rather not go into it again, thanks.”
Swan walked over and took the Canada Lake Store menu out of my hand. “What did you do?”
“He played hard to get,” Jimmy answered for me.
“That only works for French women,” she said absentmindedly. “I’ll take one of the turkey sandwiches, please. No bread.”
“No bread? How is it a sandwich, then, sis?” asked Onyx. Swan rolled her eyes and patted his stomach.
“Looks like you might want to skip the carbs too, my friend.”
“Shit. Not only are we all bored, we’re getting fat too.”
Swan smacked him. “You may be, but I’m certainly not.”
“Hey, you gonna let your lady hit me, bro?” Onyx said to Wasp. Based on the look he and Swan shot in our boss’ direction, my guess was there was trouble in paradise for them too.
It took an hour for the lake store to get all the sandwiches we’d ordered made, and by then, Diesel, who’d gone with me, and I had downed our second beer and were sitting out on their front porch under the heat lamps.
“Hey, Ranger,” said Mary, getting out of the car when Al pulled up near the steps. “I didn’t expect to run into you here.”
“Nor I, you.” I leaned down and waved at Al.
“We’re on our way to the Bancrofts for bridge, and we were out of beer to take with us.”
“Sorry about that. We cleaned you out a couple of nights ago.”
Diesel went to wait in the car while I followed her in, figuring the least I could do was buy her a couple of six-packs to make up for what my brother, Onyx, and I’d drank when we were over for dinner.
“You seem as out of sorts as Maisie is,” she said, catching me rolling my shoulders.
My head shot up. “She’s out of sorts?”
She patted my cheek. “I’ll say this much; don’t cancel on her tonight.”
Cancel? Hell, I was thinking of showing up early. “I won’t.”
“Al and I will be out until eleven, at least. Unless we’re winning. Then, it might be midnight,” she added with a wink.
“Order for Ranger,” I heard the girl behind the counter holler.
“That’s me.”
“Have a good time tonight!” Mary shouted after me.
“You too!”
After asking the girl at the register to add Mary’s beer to my store tab, I carried the box of sandwiches out to my SUV, where Al stood waiting for me.
“Hello, sir. What can I do for you?” I asked.
“You can stop with the sir crap. You probably never knew this, but I rubbed whiskey on your gums when you were a baby to get you to stop crying.”
I laughed. “I didn’t know. Did it work?”
“Of course it worked. It was just fine for generations of teething babies. Nowadays, doing such a thing would get a fella thrown in jail.”
“Somehow, I don’t think you’re standing by my truck just to tell me that.”
“No, I’m not.” He looked over at the store, maybe checking to see if Mary was on her way out. “You know Maisie is our only grandchild.”
“I do.”
“Some might say her parents were never very…parental, if you know what I mean.”
I knew that too, but since it was from eavesdropping on my mother gossiping about it, I didn’t say so.
“She’s no worse for wear because of it since she had her grandma and me in her life. There are just times she isn’t quite as sure of herself as you might expect her to be.”
“I suffer from some of that myself.”
Al raised a brow.
“At least where your granddaughter is concerned.”
He shook his head and laughed. “You don’t need advice from me, then. The two of you will figure it out.” I could swear I heard him say, “Two damn peas in a pod,” when he walked away.
“What was that all about?” asked Diesel, who’d been waiting in the SUV for me.
“Everyone has advice for Maisie and me.”
“Advice? You went on one date. What the hell do you need advice about?”
“As I told my brother, I really like her.”
Diesel shook his head. “You’re a goddamn covert operative, Ranger. You’ve been on all the same missions I have, and never once have I seen you be a pussy. Don’t start that shit now.”
“I’m not. It’s just that—”
“No, it’s not just anything. Knock this crap off. You want Maisie? Go get her and quit fucking overthinking everything. Got it?”
“Got it.”
“Thank God. I don’t want to hear any more talk of you—”
“Then, quit talking about it.”
“Shit. Sorry. You’re right. I’m about to go after whoever put a hit out on the K19 team myself just because I’m so fucking bored.”
I doubt I’d wolfed down another sandwich as fast as I did tonight. Three minutes from start to finish. Same with my shower. Another two to get dressed, and I was on my way out the door. Hell, I was a half hour early, but since I knew Al and Mary weren’t home, I was following my best friend’s advice. I wanted Maisie Ann Jones, and I was about to get her.
“Um, hi,” she said, opening the door when I knocked.
“Can I come in?”
She stepped to the side. “Sure. Is everything okay?”
I shook my head as I closed the door behind me and crowded her against it.
“It’s not?”
“Nope, but I’m about to make it that way.” I lowered my head and kissed Maisie the same way I had in the truck last night, the same way I should’ve the minute I saw her this morning, and the way I should’ve all afternoon.
I leaned my body into hers and felt her nipples harden through the fabric of my shirt. And finally, I put my hands under her ass and lifted her so she could feel exactly how much I wanted her. I walked us over to the sofa and sat, holding her on my lap so I could keep kissing her as long as I wanted to or as long as she’d let me.
I devoured her lips, her tongue, her mouth, and all the while, my fingers were weaved in her hair so I could shift the angle of her head as it suited me.