I'm Only Here for the Beard (The Dixie Wardens Rejects MC #4)(74)

"Fuckin' A."

Then I lost myself in the crowd, heading toward the back porch so I could help the boys get started on cooking the briskets.

***

My heart was in my throat as I looked around the immediate area for my woman.

"She's over there." That was Ghost.

Ghost who hadn't been the same since that night, four months ago, when he discovered his family missing.

I looked over to where Ghost had pointed and felt my lungs start to work again.

"Thanks," I started forward, then stopped. "You okay?"

He nodded his head, tipped his beer up to his lips, and took a deep pull.

"Fuckin' fantastic."

I didn't reply, taking the words for what they were.

A 'go the fuck away.'

The man had found his wife and child not even a few days after that terrible night that we'd found Naomi hurt, and she had moved in next door to the man who Ghost had told to move.

We all knew it wasn't a coincidence, and Ghost was fighting with himself on whether he should intervene.

I figured it was just a matter of time before it all blew up, and Ghost either did something incredibly stupid or something incredibly smart.

Either way, Ghost would get back what he'd lost, and the entire fucking club would be happy.

Though, I noticed, he was staying out of sight tonight, and I had a feeling it had a lot to do with not wanting to be recognized by another chapter that was here tonight.

Speaking of other chapters, I started toward a man who had one green and one blue eye and was busy chatting my woman up animatedly.

His words were light-hearted, and I knew the man was happily married, but it still drove me absolutely nuts to see Naomi talking to some man who wasn't me.

"Sean!"

My eyes went to Naomi's face, and I relaxed slightly.

"Thought you were in the kitchen, baby," I said.

Her smile was spectacular.

"I was, but then I saw this man." She gestured toward Trance. "I heard he has a litter of puppies."

My brows rose.

"A litter of puppies that cost about four thousand dollars a pop," I informed her.

"Oh, no," Naomi said excitedly. "Trance here tells me there's a runt of the litter, one he doesn't think will thrive in police work, and he offered him to me for free!"

Bullshit.

My eyes narrowed on Trance.



       
         
       
        

There was no way in hell that Trance would get rid of one of his dogs, even one of the runts, for free.

"Is that so?" I drawled.

Naomi nodded excitedly. "Yes! And he said I could have him. All I had to do was come pick him up!"

"Do you really think Butterfinger, the shithead, will allow you to have another dog?"

Naomi nodded. "Yes. She plays well with others. Brady made sure of that."

I watched as Naomi's features went soft as she thought about her old friend.

Brady's murderer was confirmed to be Walton Whitley after his DNA was found at the scene. Apparently, the old man had put up quite the fight.

I smiled as I remembered the proud man.

Brady had left everything he had to us. His house. His car. His substantial nest egg. Everything he had to give, he gave to us. We'd expected his money would go to his son, but we were wrong-it hadn't. Apparently, they hadn't spoken in a very, very long time.

Of everything that Brady had left us, believe it or not, what I was most thankful for was Butterfinger.

Though the bitch was a bitch, pure and simple, I wouldn't trade her for a damn thing in this entire world. She'd saved my woman's life, and she'd brought her back from the brink of despair and had generally been one of the best dogs I'd ever had the privilege of meeting.

"Then we'll get him," I said resolutely. "Trance, we can stop by on the way home from Naomi's mother's next weekend, if that's okay."

Trance nodded once, and I gave him a look that clearly said I would be paying for the dog.

His lips twitched, and he likely would've said more had he not been called by his wife, who was having trouble with her struggling child.

"Can you please, for the love of God, take this kid so I can help the ladies get dinner on the table?"

Trance took the kid, he had to be about four or five now, and waved his wife on.

"Go on, I got him," he said. "Don't forget to save me some of that bread you made. You know how fast it goes."

She gave him a thumb's up and walked away without answering.

"Guess that's my cue, too," she said, getting up on her tippy toes and pressing a kiss to my jaw. "I'll be in the kitchen if you need me."

I grunted.

"That's what you said last time."

She batted her eyes at me, and had she been slower, I would've caught her and told her just what I thought of that attitude of hers.