It Happens (Bear Bottom Guardians MC 6)

“Both Zuri and BJ are here,” I muttered. “I feel your pain.”

Castiel’s eyes scanned the area much as Jubilee’s had the moment before, then his lips twitched at something he saw.

“It looks like Jubilee’s trying to sell Zuri a casket.” Castiel grinned. “And the mayor is just playing right into her hand.”

I snorted.

“I’m fairly sure Jubilee hates Zuri just as much as Zuri hates Jubilee,” I muttered.

“I’m not sure why Zuri hates her,” Castiel observed. “It’s not like you and Jubilee have anything going on.”

That was true. Well, just that one night. I don’t have any feelings for her. I don’t even like her.

What we did have was a healthy understanding that despite our differences, we’d always be there for each other. I don’t have to like her to watch over her, right?

Zuri had hated that I looked out for Jubilee. Zuri wanted my utter and total devotion. Something that she’d never get because I owed my loyalty to a lot of people, not just Jubilee.

However, saying that, I paid a lot closer attention to Jubilee based solely on the fact that I…wanted to.

There was really no other reason than that.

“What’s that smell?” Castiel suddenly murmured.

Before I could answer, the music for the funeral changed.

“Gotta go,” Castiel said. “I want to sit in the back and watch everyone that comes and goes. If I don’t hurry, those assholes are going to claim my seat.”

‘Those assholes’ were actually a couple of elderly gentlemen that were already more than halfway to the seats under question.

Castiel easily went around them, made it to the seat, and sat in it before the other three men could make it.

And since there were three of them and there were only two seats available, they had no other choice but to go to the next row up.

“He’s just as much of an ass as you are,” Jubilee muttered as she walked up to us.

Before I could respond, she was once again gone, and I was watching her go.

She stopped to talk to a man that’d been holding the doors open for the entering people, and then departing not just the room, but the building itself.

Curiosity getting the better of me, I glanced around and wondered if I’d be missed.

Probably not.

The viewing had been held the night before, which I’d gone to.

I’d also made my presence known to the governor and Castiel’s ex-wife, sharing my condolences for a second time in as many days.

What was the objective of staying at this point?

Plus, I really, really hated the smell that was still rolling off of me.

Instead of staying like I probably should have, I walked out of the room just as the man Jubilee had spoken with started to close the doors.

I nodded at him as I slipped out, and then nodded at an attendant that was directing traffic at the front—there were four other funerals going on at the same time.

Seemed like it was a popular time to die in Bear Bottom.

Once I got outside, I glanced around, finding no sign of her.

Thinking that I should probably just go home instead of looking for the girl that I knew I shouldn’t want but did, I halted on the top steps for a few long seconds.

Long enough for me to see Jubilee bopping around on a swing across the street at the park.

Before I could rethink my decision, I walked in her direction, not stopping until I arrived at her side.

“Jesus,” Jubilee said when she caught sight of me. “Even out here the smell is overwhelming.”

She looked almost nauseated at the smell, so I took pity on her and went to the merry-go-round that was about eight feet away from her and took a seat on the rough, dirty metal.

“Why are you out here?” I asked.

She shrugged. “It seems rude to attend a man’s funeral that I’m kind of happy about no longer being here.”

I couldn’t blame her.

When Rylan had moved in next door to her, I’d literally almost shit a brick.

I’d been doing everything in my power to convince him to move short of physically relocating him myself. I didn’t like him being anywhere near anybody I knew, especially Jubilee.

“True,” I admitted. “That’s what I thought, too. But I was forced to go because my boss couldn’t make it. He’s out passing a kidney stone. It was either go or listen to him bitch when he got back.”

She grunted something that I couldn’t hear, but I didn’t bother asking her to repeat it.

I didn’t need to hear the words to know that she agreed with me.

“I think the only thing that’s bothering me at this point was that he was hacked up with an ax while I was sleeping next door,” she murmured. “I mean, I didn’t even hear him scream.”

That was true. Having something bad happen to someone right next door had to be scary—especially for a woman who lived on her own.