Page 35 of Rhett Redeemed
“I know how much of a mess this is, Clo, trust me. I’m a shit person for doing it, but I’m trying to change.”
Clover goes quiet.
“Shit,” Fire decides to say, copying me.
I wince. “I said sit, not shit.”
“Shit,” she repeats with a grin. Yeah, this kid is trouble. But I wouldn’t expect anything else from a spawn of Clover.
“And how does Con fit into all of this?” Clover asks, studying me.
“I like Con. I don’t know, we just connected. We have a lot in common. She’s strong—”
“Cara is strong,” she defends.
I drop my head. “Clo, you have to stop this. How are me and Cara going to move on if you keep doing this? You have to stop meddling. You have to stop letting your opinions on what our lives should be come out.”
Clover looks like I’ve slapped her.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that to come out so harsh, Clo. But why are you trying to push Cara on me? She’s with Decker.”
Clover sighs. “You’re right. I’m not trying to do that. It’s instinct, I think?”
“Do you talk about how wonderful I am to Cara? That maybe she should leave Decker for me?”
Clover snorts. “No way. Cara is the happiest she’s ever been.” There was a time that statement would’ve hurt, but now I just agree with her. Is this called being an adult?
“So why can’t you let me find that?” I ask without looking at her.
Clover doesn’t say anything for a long time. The only sound is Fire kicking her feet and humming. “I... You... There is no excuse. I am sorry, Rhett. You’re one hundred percent right.”
I turn and give her a hug. “I know what I did was wrong. I know I didn’t make the right choices. But it is what happened and beating me up for it is not helping. I beat myself up over it. But you know, I’ve come to realize that everything happened the way it was supposed to.”
“And Con?”
I give a long sigh. “I haven’t figured that out yet. She really made it a point to say she would not date me even if Cara was fine with it, which she is, by the way. She told me that when I told her the truth.”
“I guess I really don’t give Con credit, do I?”
“You never do,” I say with a laugh.
“And you think Con could be an old lady to a president of a motorcycle club? You think she could lead? Be trusted? Be the heart of the Wind Dragons?” she asks, and for once I don’t hear sarcasm in her voice. She’s genuinely asking me this.
“I don’t know, okay? But my gut tells me yes. She cares about people. She doesn’t judge anyone. And the MC is a family. That’s all she’s ever wanted.”
She stares into my eyes quietly for a few moments, reading me. She’s always been able to read me.
“Thank you for being honest with me,” she finally says, and then thankfully changes the subject. “Now, are you hungry? We should eat. Food fixes everything.”
Chapter Thirteen
Con
When Jamie tells me she got engaged to a man she only just met a few weeks ago, I don’t think it’s the best of ideas, but who am I to judge her? I’m the girl who slept with her sister’s ex. So I smile, congratulate her and agree to attend her last-minute bachelorette party the following weekend.
I wear a little black dress, as requested by the bride-to-be, and meet her at my old job where we have dinner and a few drinks before heading next door to Toxic, the strip club, even though I don’t love coming here. It’s weird knowing that once upon a time my mom worked here, and it’s not a place I enjoy being at, but I try to have a good time for Jamie. Tonight is about her, not me.
“Are there any male strippers here?” Jamie’s sister, Kylie, asks me.