“Cool,” I replied. “Thanks.”

  “You don’t have to do that, Farrah,” Harry reminded her as he came from inside the house. “It’s not gonna make us go any faster.”

  “I’m just being nice, Harry,” she replied, putting a hand on her hip. “I’m sure you guys are going as fast as you can.” She smiled at me and raised her eyebrows like we were in on some private joke.

  “Thank you for the coffee,” he grumbled.

  “My pleasure,” she said forgivingly. “Now, what are you working on today?”

  “Gus,” Harry said, raising a hand to stop me as I tried to pass them. “I want you on drywall in the kitchen today. I know the work sucks, but you’ve got an eye for detail and I don’t want those bozos fuckin’ it up.”

  “Got it,” I replied, hiding my irritation. Drywall was dirty ass work and by the time I got home I was going to be covered from head to toe in dust.

  “Don’t forget your coffee!” Farrah called.

  “Thanks, I’ll grab some in a bit,” I said, moving quickly away from them as it dawned on me that I hadn’t cleaned the scent of Charlie off my skin.

  I hadn’t even washed my face.

  As soon as I was across the house, my lips began to twitch. At least that was one bright spot in what I was sure was going to be an exhausting and filthy day. If I inhaled hard, I could still smell her on my lips and chin.

  Three days later, though, the smell of her was gone, even from my sheets, and I still hadn’t seen her. I knew she’d been in the house, because I saw shit she’d used and moved, but I hadn’t actually been in her presence. She was gone until after I’d crashed for the night and still sleeping when I left for work.

  It wasn’t until day four that I finally ran into her as she was leaving.

  “Where’s the fire?” I asked as she nearly ran me over.

  “You’re home,” she said in surprise, jolting to a stop.

  “Usually happens when I’m done with work,” I replied cautiously.

  I’d gotten off a half hour early because we were waiting on the cabinet guys to install everything, and as I watched her laugh a little too hard at a comment that wasn’t even funny, I had a sinking feeling that she’d been trying to avoid me.

  “It’s like that, is it?” I said, opening the door wide so she could pass me.

  “Like what?” she asked innocently, putting her backpack on her shoulder.

  “Avoidin’ me?”

  “Of course not,” she said instantly. She scoffed like she was offended, and I stiffened. “I told you I had a ton of shit going on before we—before.”

  “Right.”

  “I can’t afford to—”

  “Be distracted,” I said flatly. “Yeah, I got it.”

  “Bishop,” she replied in exasperation.

  “Thought you were headed out?” I asked, glancing at the open doorway.

  “Don’t be like that,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest.

  “I’m not into playin’ games,” I replied. “You got places to be, go.”

  “I’m not playing games.”

  “You’ve been avoidin’ my ass,” I argued, kicking off my boots.

  “I’ve been busy.”

  “You couldn’t say, hey Gus, I got a ton of shit happenin’ the next couple days. If I don’t see you, thanks for the fuck?”

  “Well, no,” she said stubbornly. “Since I’ve never and will never call you Gus.”

  “Right, that’s what you took from that sentence.”

  “I’m sorry you thought I was avoiding you,” she said, shrugging. “I didn’t realize you needed me to check in with you.”

  I stared at her. She was completely missing the point—on purpose—and I wasn’t going to keep up the back-and-forth. Charlie was the shit and she had everything I’d ever wanted in a woman, including being the hands down best lay I’d ever had. If she was willing, I was pretty sure we’d make a successful go of it. But I had absolutely no interest in whatever high school bullshit she was pulling.

  “You don’t,” I said finally. “See ya later.”

  I headed up the stairs to take a shower, ignoring the feeling of her eyes on me until I’d rounded the corner into the hallway. It wasn’t like it was hard to find me if she came looking. Charlie knew I was into her—I wasn’t going to fucking chase her.

  Unfortunately, my stance backfired in a big way and it wasn’t until a couple of weeks later that I saw her for more than a few minutes.

  “Are we crashing at the club?” Kara asked, moving around me in the kitchen as I refilled my water bottle.

  “Nah,” Draco said from across the room. “Someone will be sober enough to drive us or we’ll just call for a pickup. You comin’ Lover Boy?”

  “I’ll be there,” I said, turning to lean my hips against the sink. “Doubt I’ll be drinkin’ much. I can give you guys a ride back.”

  “Excellent,” Kara said, doing a little dance.

  “This one didn’t use to party,” Draco said with a laugh. “Now she’s a lush.”

  “I am not,” Kara replied, throwing a kitchen towel at him. “But we haven’t all hung out together in a while and I’m excited.”

  “I never asked you how Charlie’s graduation went,” I said, curious. I had barely seen any of my housemates lately. Kara and Draco had been working on finals but they finally seemed to be coming up for air.

  “It went great,” Kara said, smiling. “You should’ve heard everyone cheering, I think we almost embarrassed her.”

  “Not possible,” Draco argued, shaking his head. “You, on the other hand, are going to be mortified at graduation.”

  “I’ll be so glad to be done, I won’t even care,” Kara replied with a laugh.

  “How’s that goin’?” I asked Draco. He’d discussed college with me when we were on the inside, but it hadn’t been much but wishful thinking back then. I wondered how it measured up for real.

  “Hard,” Draco replied. “Good though. Nice workin’ toward somethin,’ you know?”

  “Yeah, I get it,” I said with a laugh. “I work toward other people havin’ a nice new house.”

  Draco grinned. “You’re a giver.”

  “Charlie said her parents’ house is almost finished,” Kara said. “And that it looks awesome.”

  “It’s gonna be a nice place,” I agreed. “Her mom’s got an eye for how shit should be, and she’s up our asses so much that it’s all gonna be exactly how she wants it.”

  “Sounds like Farrah,” Kara replied. “Okay, I’m going to go finish getting ready. Leave in fifteen?”

  “I just gotta hop in the shower,” I replied. “Shouldn’t take longer than that.”

  We actually left the house closer to thirty minutes later—but that wasn’t my fault. Kara had been the one who held us up. By the smug look on Draco’s face, I had a feeling he’d sidetracked her for a while.

  I’d been to the Aces clubhouse a handful of times for barbeques and parties. It was a long building with garage bays taking up most of the space on the left side and a smaller section on the right that had a common area with a bar and a hallway full of bedrooms. I hadn’t actually been in any of the bedrooms, but I’d been in the hallway to use the bathroom and knew where they were.

  The guys always made me feel welcome, but I couldn’t really tell if it was because they liked me or because I’d watched Draco’s back while we were in prison. Hopefully it was a little of both, but it was hard to tell. To say that they were a group that kept to themselves would be an understatement. The women contradicted that, though. They’d welcomed me in with open arms and tried to mother me. It was an odd experience.

  “Good to see ya, Boyo,” a raspy old voice greeted me from the bench of a picnic table.

  “You too, Poet,” I said, reaching out to shake his hand.

  “Bah,” he grumbled, pulling me toward him with surprising strength so he could kiss my temple, his other hand cupping the side of my head.

  I felt my throat tighten and I cleared it as I rose back up. The man was older than the earth, and looked it, but his presence seemed to fill the entire yard we were standing in.

  “How you been?” I asked, taking a seat beside him.

  “Eh,” he said with a shrug. “Woke up this mornin.’ I consider that a good sign.”

  “Barely,” his wife Amy said, making her way toward us. “I had to shake you for a good three minutes.”

  “Ignore her,” he told me, lowering his voice. “Her mind’s not what it used to be.”

  “Patrick,” Amy scolded, smacking his arm as she set a plate of food on the table. “If anyone’s losing their mind, it’s you.”

  Poet looked up at her innocently.

  “See if I get you seconds, you old goat,” she said with a laugh, patting his shoulder. “It’s nice to see you Bishop.”

  “You too,” I said, smiling back at her.

  “Don’t listen to anything this man says,” she ordered, pointing at me. “He’ll get you into trouble.”

  “Look at her,” Poet said, watching as Amy walked away. “That woman has still got it. Don’t you think?”

  I choked a little on my own spit and panicked. Did he expect a response? Should I say she was hot? I held back a shudder. Would he kill me if I said I didn’t see it? Would he kill me if I said I did?

  “I’m fuckin’ with you,” he said, after watching me squirm. “Too easy. These fuckers will eat you alive.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind,” I mumbled, standing up.

  “Go find the young ones,” Poet said with a laugh. “They’ll protect you.”

  I walked toward the building, greeting people as I went. I’d been to some of the rowdier parties at the clubhouse and this one was tame in comparison. Kids ran around, stealing shit off of people’s plates and generally causing chaos and the adults sat in clusters bullshitting and trying to ignore them. If it hadn’t been for the sea of Harleys and the leather vests on nearly every male in attendance, it would’ve seemed like any middle-class family barbeque.

  “Hi Bishop!” Rebel said as I rounded the side of the clubhouse.

  “Hey Reb,” I replied, stopping abruptly so I didn’t run her over. “Whatcha doin?”

  “I’m looking for little Mick,” she said, peeking around me. “He put a piece of pie on Charlie’s chair trying to get her to sit on it and ruin her dress so we’re gonna get him.”

  “What’ll you do when you find him?” I asked. I glanced around, but I wasn’t sure I could even tell Tommy’s kids apart.

  “Bring him straight to Charlie,” Reb replied. “They’re in the back.”

  She left without another word and I made my way to the grassy area out back, where Charlie and Kara were talking with Charlie’s mom and her aunt Callie.

  “I was wondering where you were,” Callie said as I reached them. “Draco said you all rode together but you disappeared.”

  “I was out front talking to Poet,” I said, accepting the hug she gave me. “What are you guys doing back here?”

  “We’re gonna have a softball game,” Charlie replied, smiling huge.

  “I don’t know how you’re gonna get them all out here,” Farrah said uncertainly.

  “It’s my fucking party,” Charlie said, putting her hands on her hips.

  I felt my lips twitch and I scratched my jaw to hide it. I’d seen her mom stand in the exact same pose when she was irritated.

  “If you build it,” I said dryly, letting the sentence hang in the air as I nodded toward the pile of baseball plates at her feet.

  “Did you just quote a movie?” Charlie asked, staring at me.

  “Did I?” I asked easily.

  Kara laughed. “You get the field ready and we’ll start rounding everyone up.”

  “I’ll grab all the mitts you asked me to bring,” Callie said. “You’re lucky that I kept them. No one’s used them in the last decade.”

  “We had about a million in the house,” Farrah complained as the women walked away. “Stupid fucking forest fire.”

  “You gonna play in that?” I asked Charlie, looking at the short dress she was wearing. It wasn’t super tight, but it was small, only covering her ass by a few inches.

  “I came prepared,” she said, bending over to grab the plates. As she started pacing out the bases, she flicked the back of her skirt up, showing off a tiny pair of spandex shorts.

  “Not sure that’s gonna cut it,” I said as I straightened out the plate she’d left behind.

  “Stop messing with my home plate,” she called over her shoulder. “And I’ll still kick your ass.”

  “You think I’m playing?” I asked in amusement.

  “Everyone plays,” she said stubbornly. “The only people who get a pass are Poet and Amy—because they’re too old and I don’t want them to break a hip.”

  “You better not let Poet hear you say that,” I called to her as she set down second base and glanced toward me.

  “Ha,” she said, moving on. “It’s Amy you have to watch out for. Poet’s a big softy.”

  I wasn’t sure that I agreed with her assessment, but we didn’t have a chance to continue with the conversation because people started making their way around the back of the building.

  “Captain,” Tommy yelled, raising his fists in the air. “I call captain.”

  “Sure,” Charlie replied. “I didn’t want you on my team anyway.”

  “You’re going to be the other captain?” Tommy asked in mock confusion. “But you’re a girl.”

  “It’s going to be really fun making you cry like a baby,” Charlie replied easily.

  As more people came out back, lawn chairs were set up along the edges of the makeshift field. Kids tried to convince Charlie to pick them and the adults ranged from good natured grumbling to trash talking, even though the teams hadn’t even been picked yet. By the time everything was organized, we stood around, waiting to be chosen. It reminded me of PE when I was a kid, hoping I wasn’t the last person picked.

  “Reb, obviously,” Charlie said, choosing first.

  “Hey,” Kara yelled in outrage, throwing her arms in the air.

  “I’m in it to win it,” Charlie told her best friend, grinning.

  “Will,” Tommy picked.

  “Kara,” Charlie said, laughing when Kara grumbled.

  “Tommy, if you don’t pick your wife we’re gonna have an issue,” Hawk said, striding toward her husband without waiting for him to call her name.

  “Draco,” Charlie said, pointing.

  “Molly,” Tommy said.

  “You know, if you don’t pick some young ones this isn’t going to be very fair,” Charlie teased. Then she looked over the crowd. “Dad.”

  “Little Mick.”

  “I didn’t mean that young,” Charlie whispered loud enough that everyone started laughing. “Brody.”

  They went down the line and I got more and more irritated the longer Charlie didn’t pick me for her team. She seemed to be making a point, but I wasn’t sure what it was. About halfway through the process, Tommy acted like he’d forgotten my name and just pointed to me. “You.”

  I walked over to his side and stood next to Molly and Will. She leaned a little and bumped her shoulder into my arm.

  “I know Charlie’s really good,” she said consolingly. “But don’t discount Will and Tommy. They’re surprisingly athletic for guys that sit on their asses all day.”

  “Hey,” Will said, pinching Molly’s ass. “I have a labor-intensive job.”

  “Sorry,” she joked. “He stands around looking at cars all day.”

  “Motorcycles, too,” Will said, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. “You weren’t complainin’ about how lazy I was last night when—”

  His words cut off as she slapped her hand over his mouth.

  As soon as the teams were picked Tommy and Charlie made a big show about flipping a coin. I couldn’t tell who the winner was, but our team ended up batting first.

  “I’m not playing in heels,” Hawk said to me as we lined up. She wrapped her hand around my arm to keep her balance as she pulled off her shoes. We both looked down at her feet as she wiggled her toes in the grass. Her toenails were painted black.

  “Good call,” I said as she let me go.

  “Can you run in those boots?” she asked. “Because this game might seem all friendly and fun, but the minute it starts they’re all going to be out for blood.”

  “I’ll do alright,” I said with a laugh. I’d run in everything from work boots to flip flops—that’s what came from being a juvenile delinquent and constantly having the cops on your ass.

  “Hey,” Will yelled as he took a couple practice swings. “Charlie can’t pitch.”

  “Says who?” Charlie yelled back.

  “At least give us an even playing field,” Charlie’s uncle Grease said with a laugh.

  “Fine! You guys are a bunch of whiners,” Charlie complained, waving Draco’s grandma Brenna over from third base so they could switch places.

  “That’s my girl,” Poet shouted, making everyone laugh. “Give ’em hell, lass!”

  Will walked over to home plate and nodded at Brenna. The woman had a surprisingly good arm.

  “Damn,” I muttered.

  “She’s a drummer,” Charlie’s older sister Lily murmured from behind me. “Good muscle tone.”

  “No kidding,” I said as Will got a hit and made it to first.

  Tommy struck out even though he’d tried his best to get hit with the baseball so he could take a base.

  “Cheater,” Charlie yelled.

  “Fuck off,” Tommy yelled back, laughing.

  Molly struck out.

  Heather was right in front of me and she walked out to the base like she was going to the gallows, giving the bat a couple of halfhearted swings. Then, like a fucking boss, she hit the softball with a loud thwack, and half our team screamed with glee as she took off running.

  Charlie’s team was grumbling by the time they’d recovered the softball and got it back to the pitcher.

  “Just one more out,” Charlie called to Brenna.

  I looked across the field and met her eyes. Then I pointed over her head, making her laugh.

  “This kid’s got balls,” I heard someone joke behind me.