“Shadow?” I asked. “I thought your name was Nolan.”
“Road name,” Shadow provided.
“Oh, like Badger,” I said.
“Yeah,” Shadow confirmed, smiling gently and turning to Quin. “I bid out her kitchen job.”
“Oh, cool,” Quin said. “You’re redoing your kitchen?”
I couldn’t stop a blush. “There was some… ah… damage.”
“Oh, no, that sucks. What happened?”
“She tried to cook a cardboard box,” Shadow retorted.
“Okay, I didn’t try to cook a cardboard box,” I ground out. “I just didn’t realize you were supposed to take the stuff out of it before putting it in the oven.”
“But you know that paper burns, right?” Shadow teased.
I crossed my arms. “Okay, you can shut it now.”
He grinned and I straightened my shoulders in an effort to shake off my embarrassment.
“Looks like you’re in good hands, honey,” Quin said. “Come find me later?”
“I’ll go with you now.”
“Or, you can let me buy you a drink,” Shadow countered.
“I thought the drinks were free.”
“Figure of speech.”
“I should really get something in my stomach first,” I said. “I tend to make really bad decisions when I’m drinking.”
“Yeah? What kinda bad decisions?”
“Ones where I wake up without clothes.”
Shadow’s grin deepened. “Yeah?”
I wagged my finger at him. “No.”
“You sure?”
“No, I mean, yes,” I rushed out. “It’s a hard no.”
“Damn,” he whispered and shook his head. “A hard yes is so much more fun.”
“Food,” I pressed.
“Right.”
Shadow led me out the back where tables were laden with all manner of food, including an entire pig (head still attached) in the middle of one of them. An older gentleman was carving meat from its body and setting it on plates.
“Wow,” I breathed out.
Shadow chuckled. “Our food quality has gone up since Dash snagged Willow.”
“Oh yeah?”
“The woman can cook like no one else, then you got Kennedy. She’s Mouse’s woman. She owns a bakery in town.” Shadow nodded toward another table with just desserts. “Some of these are left over from the end of the day, a few are ones Kennedy didn’t feel were nice enough to sell, and then she always insists on making something fresh. We’re her guinea pigs when she’s trying out a new recipe.”
“Tough job,” I said.
Shadow chuckled. “No doubt.”
“Holy shit, Posey,” Jasmine called out, rushing toward me. “Are you here to finally accept my offer of employment?”
“Wait,” Shadow said. “You’re the yoga teacher?”
“More importantly, the kick-ass massage therapist,” Jasmine provided. “And I’ve offered her more than I pay myself to join me. So, are you gonna?”
I hugged her. “No, sorry.”
“Goddammit.” She grinned, releasing me. “Did you get food?”
“I was just about to.”
“Great, grab a plate and come find me. I’ll introduce you to everyone.”
“I can do that,” Shadow said, and I saw mirth flicker in Jasmine’s eyes.
“Can you?” she challenged.
“Jesus, Jasmine,” Shadow hissed.
She smiled slowly, just like the Cheshire cat. “I do so love that you see me as the Lord and Savior, darlin’.”
“Quit.”
“Me?” she asked with mock surprise. “Never.”
He rolled his eyes and walked way, while Jasmine burst into laughter.
“Oh my god,” Jasmine said, still laughing.
They obviously had some secret language I wasn’t privy to, so I was totally in the dark. “What?”
Jasmine shook her head. “Story for another day, babe. Come on, you fill your plate and I’ll introduce you to a few folks.”
Still in the dark, and despite the fact I was more and more curious about what their interaction meant, I said nothing as I followed her to the pig table. She got distracted when one of her kids needed attention, so I continued to pile food on my plate until I felt him behind me. I knew it was him, and it wasn’t just because he was so tall, casting a shadow over my five-foot-two frame.
“Like to see a woman who eats,” Shadow said.
I craned my neck and raised an eyebrow. “Are you calling me fat?”
He dropped his head back and laughed, then met my eyes again. “You always this funny?”
“Not on purpose,” I admitted.
“Funny all the same,” he said, then changed the subject. “I got a lead on a used range.”
I frowned in confusion. “A used range?”
“For your kitchen. Same model. Mint condition, two-hundred bucks.”
I spun to face him. “Seriously?”
“Yeah, if you want it.”
“Yes, I want it. That’ll save me six hundred dollars.”
“I’m aware.”
“When did you get a lead on it?”
“Just now.”
I narrowed my eyes. “You walked away, got a lead on a range, then walked back and let me know?”
He grinned. “In a manner of speaking, yeah. I’d called around after I left your place just in case. Guy called me back a few minutes ago.”
I sighed. “That’s really sweet, Nolan—”
“Shadow.”
“Right. Shadow. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. I can pick it up Monday after shift and drop it off.”
“What time does your shift end?”
“If there’s no emergency, four.”
“That should be fine,” I said. “Thanks for doing that.”
“All good.”
“Shadow!” A large man with one hell of a beard bellowed. His arm was around a gorgeous redhead who rolled her eyes and slapped her man’s chest.
“Otter!” she growled, then said something else, but they were too far from me to hear. Shadow gave him a chin lift and walked away, leaving me alone at the pig table again.
“Never like to see a pretty woman all alone.”
I turned and came nose to chest with a large man. He wore a leather vest like Shadow’s and his tag read ‘Stump.’ I craned my neck to look up at him. “Am I alone?”
He chuckled. “Name’s Stump.”
“I see that.”
“And you are…?”
“Posey.” I held my hand out to him. “Nice to meet you.”
He took it, flipping it and lifting it to his mouth, kissing the palm.
“Fuck off, Stump,” Shadow growled, and shouldered him out of the way.
Stump raised an eyebrow but didn’t let go of my hand. “I’m talkin’ to my new friend.”
“And I’m tellin’ you to fuck off,” Shadow repeated.
I stood a little stunned, unable to speak which was rare for me, as the men seemed to get into some kind of secret, biker stare down.