“Why, thank you, Shannon. Come on, help me dish out the food.”
They spent an hour sitting at the tables, enjoying the food and the company. Cole came and sat with Angel and the kids. Mack joined Natalie, and Crash sat next to Shannon. The food was delicious, and the company was fun.
After the food, the guys got up and played
a game of catch with the kids. Several of the other members also had children there, and soon they had a rousing game of kickball going, while the girls sat and talked. Brayden was now asleep in a stroller.
Angel introduced Shannon to Red Dog’s ol’ lady, Mary, who was a little petite thing of oriental descent with long silky hair that hung to her waist. She was quite a contrast to the tall, bulky man with the red hair and beard who looked more like a Viking warrior. She also had the most elaborate and beautiful tattoo of a dragon that took up her whole back and was plainly visible under the halter top and low-cut jeans she wore. Angel pointed out a little boy that appeared to be around the same age as TJ, maybe a year older and informed her that that was Red Dog and Mary’s son, Billy.
Shannon was also introduced to a girl named Misty that Wolf had brought with him. She was a beautiful girl with strawberry-blonde curls that fell to just above her shoulders and breasts that looked bought and paid for. Angel whispered to Shannon that she was rumored to be one of Sonny’s girls and was Wolf’s latest ‘flavor-of-the-month’. “They never last long with that man. He goes through them like candy.”
“They probably all do,” Shannon surmised sarcastically.
“Not like Wolf. That man’s just got a way about him. He could charm the skin off a snake.”
Shannon followed Angel’s gaze to where Wolf stood. She had to admit, he was an attractive man, with a killer smile. But he wasn’t Crash. She looked away. Now where had that thought come from?
“But they never seem to hold his attention for long. I haven’t figured him out yet.” Angel’s eyes strayed among the men in the game, landing on Green. “Then there’s Green. Heard you had a little run in with him the other day.”
Shannon’s brows went up as she turned to Angel. “How’d you hear about that?”
Angel smiled. “Word gets around. Red Dog told Mary, and Mary told me. Believe me, those boys can gossip worse than we women.”
“Hmm. I’ll have to keep that in mind.”
“Except for you. They’ve kept your existence pretty much under wraps.”
“How did Mack find out?”
Angel rolled her eyes. “That was probably my fault.”
“You? You told him?”
“No, but I told Natalie, and she accidently let it slip out when her and Mack were having an argument.”
“Oh.” Shannon looked over at Natalie who was sitting at another table with Mack. They were cozied up against one another, so whatever the argument was, they’d made up. Natalie caught Shannon’s eye and gave her a two-finger wave.
“Don’t be mad at her. It all worked out,” Angel pleaded in her ear.
Shannon waved back and turned to look at Angel. “Oh, I’m not. You’re right, it all worked out. I’m not sure why they wanted to keep it such a secret anyway.”
Crystal came and sat on Shannon’s other side, having turned bartending duties over to a couple of prospects. “What are we talking about, girls?”
Angel leaned around Shannon and replied, “Just filling Shannon in on all the guys.”
Crystal snorted, lifting a bottle of beer to her mouth. “Stay away from most of ‘em would be my advice.”
Angel rolled her eyes. “Crystal’s so cynical because she’s been around so long.”
Crystal lowered the beer, her brows raised, “You trying to say I’ve been around?”
“I think you’ve lost your heart to more than one of these guys, honey. And if they can’t see what a gem you are, then screw them.” Angel leaned back and explained to Shannon. “She’s had her heart broken by one of these guys in the past, but she won’t tell me which one.”
“That’s right. You’ll never get it out of me, because I’m not talking about it. Ever again. So, can we drop it?”
Angel smiled conspiratorially at Shannon. “I’ll get it out of her one day.”
“Fat chance,” Crystal put in and leaned back against the picnic table, her legs out, crossed at the ankles.