“It certainly is.” His ma gave Shelley a quick hug. “This should all be ready in an hour or so.”
She turned back and went about her work with an energy he hadn’t seen from her in a long time.
Wolf looked down at Shelley, his eyes a little wide. He couldn’t talk to her here. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Leo walking in the door and waved him over. The place was starting to get packed. He saw Logan, Seth, and Georgia in a back booth laughing with Gemma, Jesse, and Cade. Laura was talking to Cam, but Rafe didn’t seem to be with them. God, he hoped that went all right. He really liked Laura and couldn’t stand the thought that one of her men might leave. The Circle G contingent was in full force. Shelley’s brother, Trev, had a cup of coffee in one hand, his other arm slung around his pretty wife, Beth. She sat in between him and Bo O’Malley. They were having an animated discussion with Jamie, Hope, and Noah. His boss was standing in the back, watching Dani and Finn on the dance floor, a little smile on his face.
Even Kitten had shown up with her brand new Dom, Cole Roberts, who owned the ski lodge. She was vibrant in a lovely baby-blue dress and high heels, but he could tell they were still awkward with each other. While Kitten laughed with some of the Dallas girls, Cole held himself back.
It wasn’t all hugs and kisses though, Wolf noted. Aidan and Lucas were sitting with the Circle G crowd, but Wolf didn’t see Lexi anywhere.
And then there was Michael McMahon. Why the hell the former US Marshal was here he had no idea. He was sipping a beer and he seemed to utterly ignore everything that went on around him with one exception. His eyes were like lasers on Lucy, the pretty brunette waitress. Well, he stared at her until she actually tried to get his attention and then he pretended to ignore her.
But then she was ignoring Tyler Davis so it kind of served her right. That was an interesting threesome.
“Hey, why is Ma wearing a vegetable garden on her head?” Leo asked as he walked up, pulling Wolf out of the Trio soap opera happening in front of him.
“She’s a Priestess of the Beet,” Shelley informed him. “It’s very important. If I ever want to become one, I have to take it seriously. No beet tablets for the Priestess. She told me beet tablets could be easily manipulated. It’s where she and Mel diverge. They had a long argument over it. She thinks he might have been brainwashed at his last probing. He claims she’s crazy. Like he should say that. And then they made out for a long time. It’s all very complex.”
Wolf forgot about everyone else and decided to concentrate on the changes that had come over his bride-to-be. The last thing he wanted to think about was beets and his ma making out. “We all need to talk.”
He took Shelley’s hand and started to lead her toward the back, behind the bar. There was a kitchen and freezer and tons of closet space at the back of Trio. Wolf had taken bartending shifts when he’d first come home. He knew exactly where to go to get away from all the noise and hubbub.
“Where are we going?” Shelley asked.
“Someplace where I can hear myself think.” Once he got her behind the bar, they could talk without shouting. He pulled her along and Leo followed.
He walked them past the bar. No one was standing behind it. Lucy passed them with a tray full of drinks, and Alexei stepped into the back. Wolf led Shelley into the dark recesses of the bar.
“What the hell happened tonight?” The last time he’d talked to her, she was so pissed at his ma she couldn’t speak.
Shelley turned into his body, her hand coming up to cover his chest. “Tonight? Not a lot. I helped your mom out. I drove her here. Her car needs a tune-up by the way.”
“You drove Ma?” Leo asked.
At least someone got it. “She and Ma seem real tight all of a sudden.”
Shelley’s laugh rang in his ears. “Well, we are now. I finally figured your ma out. I think we’ll get along really well. Your mother is a great lady.”
“Did she feed you some of Mel’s tonic?” Leo asked, his eyes searching her face.
Shelley huffed a little. “No. No, I just found a few things out about her, about what she went through. I met your dad today.”
Wolf’s heart clenched. “He came after you?”
Leo turned her toward him. “What the fuck did the bastard do?”
Shelley didn’t seem at all fazed by his and Leo’s freaked-out anger. She simply smiled and ran a hand along Leo’s chest, leaning her body back toward Wolf. “We just had a talk and it pointed out a few things to me. He tried his damnedest to scare me, but I just took a couple of shots at him and he ran away.”
Shelley had taken a shot at him? “With what? You barely managed to shoot my gun.”
“You shot him?” Leo asked, but there was a little pride in the question.
“I didn’t shoot him.” Shelley leaned over and ran her nose along Leo’s neck. She turned and her hands found Wolf’s waist. “He came to me at the Talbot estate this afternoon. I listened to his very disgusting rant and then I went inside, ostensibly to get him a check for ten grand. I went in the house and found Rachel Harper and she loaned me her revolver. I made sure the asshole won’t ever come near my mother-in-law again. If he comes anywhere close to Cassidy, I swear I will shoot off his balls. It might take me two or three tries because I’m a horrible shot, but I’ll make it happen.”
Wolf brought his hand to her face. “He threatened you?”
Sweet brown eyes rolled. “Like he really could. He told me he would go to Julian and tell him about you and Leo’s past. He has a deeply mistaken impression of Julian. He thinks he’s some high-society drone who would be horrified to find out that his bodyguard had a bio dad who spent time in jail.”
Leo snorted. “Julian knows everything. Julian knew more than we knew. If that fucker had gone to Julian, he would be six feet under now.”
“I thought so, too, but I wanted him to be afraid of me.” Shelley got on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to his jaw. “I wanted to make sure he never got anywhere close to your momma.”
His skin was lighting up everywhere she touched him. He had to wait until tomorrow night? It seemed like forever since he’d sank his dick inside her, found his home. “You tried to protect her for us?”
Shelley shook her head. “No. I protected her because she’s going to be my mother tomorrow. My mom died. The only other mother I intend to have is Cassidy Meyer. And what I discovered about her today is that she’s brave and strong and she is going to make one hell of a grandma if you two want her to be.”
Leo moved in, not willing to go along with the seductive little explanation Shelley was playing with. He had to be an impatient asshole. “Shelley, what happened today? Tell me right now.”
Shelley didn’t seem to be deeply worried about his gruff tone. She pulled at Leo’s shirt as she backed up past the kitchen. “I told you. I shot at the bad guy. He peed himself and ran away.”
“I got that. I meant with Ma.”
Shelley stopped and seemed to get serious for a moment. “I realized we have a lot in common, Cassidy and I. We both picked crappy first husbands. We both got into horrible relationships that should have made us unwilling to ever try to love again. And we both survived and we both found great guys who love us. She did an amazing job raising the two of you. If she managed to be a great mom after everything she went through, then maybe I can be, too.”
Wolf got behind Shelley, wrapping his arms around her. “Baby, you’ll be a wonderful mom. How can you even question it?”
Leo’s hands moved, cupping her face. “Is this what’s been worrying you?”
“I thought it was the wedding.” Had she been stressed about babies? He’d known she was worried, but he’d thought it was the stress that came with getting married.
Shelley nodded. “Sort of. I guess it’s been a worry in the back of my mind. I know I said I wanted babies, but I’ve been afraid that maybe I didn’t deserve them. And I’m definitely afraid that you don’t want them, Leo.”
Leo didn’t ever want kids? He hadn’t heard that. How could that be possible? “Leo?”
Leo’s head shook. “Hey, that was before we got engaged. And yes, it had a lot to do with my dad. I still remember him a little. I remember how rough he was on Ma, how nasty he could be with me. I guess I’ve been afraid I might be a little like my dad, but that’s bullshit. I didn’t learn anything from that man except what not to do. My mother taught me everything. And watching Julian and Jack has made me think I could handle it. And I know Wolf can. He’s practically my momma right now.”
Wolf sent his brother his happy middle finger. “Fuck you, brother. I just make sure you have lunch. You forget it half the time. And I could say you’re practically my maid, and a nagging one at that.”
Leo shuddered a little. “Well, you could pick up your clothes every now and then.”
“No, I can’t. The minute they hit the floor, you’re diving to catch them and then bitching at me about what a slob I am.” He totally wasn’t. Not much. Maybe just a little. Leo had an obsessive-compulsive need to see every inch of the floor at all times.