Shrill whistles rise above the music as Anya and I break into a simple Texas two-step. I think the noise is directed at us but I’m having too much fun following Anya’s shuffle-steps, twirling, and just being silly in time to the music to care. At the line about the rooster having twenty gals, guys shout and more whistles split the air.
While I’m spinning I catch Rooster and Ice standing near the meeting room watching us.
Anya laughs and shakes her head. “The only gal our Rooster has his eye on is you,” she shouts in my ear, referencing the lyrics.
“Ice seems to be watching you too.”
Her steps falter as they stare each other down for a few seconds. She shakes it off and hooks her arm around my waist, spinning us away.
“Nah, he was best friends with my daddy. Thinks he’s lookin’ out for me now. That’s all.”
While I digest that bit of information, we continue to spin and twist together as if we’ve done this dance dozens of times.
“You’re good!” I yell over the music.
She answers by wiggling her eyebrows and shaking her hips.
As the music fades someone throws on another, slower country song. Remy prowls over, panther-slow, and leans in to whisper something in Anya’s ear. She nods and throws a quick glance over her shoulder before dancing away with him.
Actually, dancing isn’t what I’d call their movements.
I’m not alone for long. Heidi taps my shoulder and holds out her hands. “Teach me a little?”
Bless her sweet soul, now I don’t look like a dipstick out here all by myself.
I show her a few steps and she picks up the moves quickly. By the next song we’re turning, spinning and twirling like crazy. Not the smoothest performance but we’re having fun.
ROOSTER
By the time Ice and I return to the party, the lights have dimmed another few notches. From the look of things, brothers have already decided to start working on earning their pussy patches.
Fuck me. I should warn Shelby. After her reaction to Anya’s scene, the whole pussy patch challenge might be one degenerate event too many for her to handle.
“Glad they’re gettin’ along,” Ice shouts to me over the upbeat, fiddle-laced music.
I follow his line of sight to Shelby and Anya tearing up the dance floor. Damn, even after Anya made her so uncomfortable, Shelby’s not snubbing her. She has more class and kindness than most women I’ve known. I haven’t stopped thinking about what she said before Ice interrupted us either.
“You gonna go cut in?” I ask.
He watches the girls and seems to be considering it. The music changes and Remy, of all people, slides up to Anya and whisks her away. Ice throws them a glare that could melt a glacier. After a few seconds of watching them all but fuck standing up, he storms off.
Jigsaw wanders over with his eyebrows raised and cheeks puffed out. “Holy fuck.” He whistles and shakes his head.
I’m not as amused as he seems to be. “Our support club shouldn’t piss off the president of the charters we visit,” I say as we watch Remy and Anya grinding away in the middle of the party room.
“How’s Remy supposed to know?” Jigsaw shrugs. “She’s not patched.”
“Doesn’t matter. He’s in another club’s house. He needs to learn better manners.”
Jigsaw steps back and slaps my chest. “Do you think Shelby re-virginized you or something?” He squeezes his eyes shut and taps the side of his head. “I think…no I’m positive I remember you doing something similar when you were a prospect.”
I groan and smack his hand off my chest. “That was different.”
“It was worse.”
Even if I don’t want to admit it, he’s right. “Thank fuck Hopper retired. Z wants me to stop by Washington eventually. Hopper would probably shoot me on sight.”
Jiggy—asshole that he is—doubles over laughing. “You dodged a bullet.”
“Several of them,” I grumble.
“No, seriously. I hear his daughter has like four kids now.”
“Yeah? Hopper shoot their daddy?”
“Probably.” He clasps his hands under his chin. “Please, let me come with you when you show your face in Washington.”
“I’m really not that worried about it.” I honestly try not to dwell on that time in my life unless Jigsaw brings it up. Maybe Shelby has scrambled my brain. Sometimes it feels like nothing else existed before we met. Her presence in my life creates a glow that chases all the shadows of my past into the holes where they belong.
Murphy ambles over with a wide-eyed face and tilts his head toward Anya and Remy. “Is this going to be a problem?”
“Probably. Why don’t you go collect your boy?” I suggest.
“He’s not my boy,” Murphy growls.
“Forget Anya.” Jiggy slaps both of us on the shoulder and lifts his chin in Shelby and Heidi’s direction. “Everyone’s staring at your ol’ ladies anyway.”
Murphy rams an elbow in Jiggy’s side. “Quit being a creep. They’re having fun.”