Taking a deep breath, she pasted on a smile and shook all of her own weirdness away, at least for now. Leaning closer to Haven, Cora said, "I'm so happy for you. But why are you waiting till next weekend?"
"Because Dare's heading up a relocation trip for the woman and her daughter who've been living out in one of the guest cabins the past two weeks. There's no sense in me moving to his place when he's going to be gone for at least three nights."
Cora had been so busy at the Evanses lately that she hadn't had a chance to do more than see the Ravens' new protective client from a distance, but it wasn't unusual for them to sometimes offer a woman or a family in trouble a temporary place to live in the cabins near the clubhouse if the real-world authorities couldn't satisfactorily handle an abusive situation. The Ravens certainly had the room to do it, because their property had once been a mountain inn and resort based around the racetrack they now operated, all of which Doc had inherited decades ago. "I guess that's true," Cora said, "and a week will pass in no time at all."
Haven clutched her hand. "Are you sure this is okay?"
"It's so much more than okay. In fact, I think it's time we break out the chocolate cake and ice cream to celebrate."
Haven bit her lip, but even that couldn't hold back her smile. "I'll help."
"No way," Cora said, rising and needing a breather from the craziness of the mess hall. "You did most of the cooking. Besides, you should sit right there and enjoy this moment with your man."
"I like the sound of that," Dare said, hauling Haven's chair flush with his own, surprising a burst of laughter out of Haven. What would it be like to have that with a man? Confusingly, the question had Cora peering down the table, and it was as if her gaze drew Slider's, because he chose that exact moment to look her way. A shiver raced down her spine. She'd worked for him for months, but somehow something had changed between them lately, and it was almost like she was noticing him for the first time.
"I'm finished, so I'll help," Alexa said, pulling Cora from her thoughts. Together, the two of them grabbed a couple of the guys' dirty dishes on their way into the kitchen.
Long ago, apparently, Bunny had put her foot down and made sure the club didn't treat her or any of the other women as servants, expecting them to do all the work. So Phoenix, Maverick, Meat, and even Caine-the Ravens' quietly intimidating sergeant-at-arms-got up to clear the table, too. In the kitchen, the club's two prospects, Blake and Mike, pitched in scraping dirty plates, loading the dishwasher, and bagging up the trash.
Everyone pitched in, just like family. And that's really what the Raven Riders were all about.
Alexa gathered up dessert plates, and it was then that Cora noticed.
"Your ring!" Cora loudly whispered, gasping at how gorgeous the diamond was as she clutched gently at Alexa's scarred hand.
"I know. Isn't it amazing?" Alexa said, her hazel eyes sparkling with excitement. She peered furtively over at the guys working at the sink, making Cora wonder if the ring was a secret.
Which made Cora wonder . . . "Wait. Oh, my God. Does Haven know?" Grinning, Alexa shook her head. "Then hold that thought." Cora raced to the kitchen door, poked her head out, and waved. "Haven, we need you in here after all."
"What's up?" Haven asked, joining them.
Cora pantomimed at their friend with both hands, and Haven's blue eyes went wide when she finally saw it.
"You're engaged?" she cried, peeking closer at the emerald-cut diamond.
"Ssh," Alexa laugh-whispered.
"When? How?" Haven asked in a hushed voice.
"Yes, start from the beginning already," Cora joined in. "We're dying here."
Laughing, Alexa pressed her hands to her cheeks, happier than Cora had seen her in weeks.
"Maverick actually proposed the night of the fire," Alexa said, the three of them in a huddle, "in our hospital room, but we weren't ready to share the news that night. He hadn't planned to do it then, so he didn't yet have a ring. And he's been waiting ever since for the doc to give me the all-clear on wearing jewelry again anyway. Given all the recent craziness, we're not in a rush to do the ceremony, but he wanted to make it official, so he popped the question again today and gave me this."
"That's so sweet, Al," Haven said. "Maverick's one of the good ones."
"Yeah, he really is," Alexa said, tucking a long strand of her brown hair behind her ear. "The best."
So Haven was moving in with her boyfriend and Alexa was getting married. Cora was happy for her friends, she really was. But she couldn't help but feel stuck in the face of all the ways that their lives were moving on. This wasn't about her, though, was it? So she put on a smile and elbowed Alexa. "You're going to be an Old Lady!" Cora said, finding all the biker slang she'd learned kinda hilarious.
"Oh, my God," Al said, chuckling and pressing her hand to her forehead. "So crazy."
"Dude, so no one knows?" Cora asked. "We were just out there toasting Dare and Haven. We should've been toasting you guys, too!"
Haven gasped. "Tell me Dare does not know or I'll kick his ass for not telling me."
Alexa made a hesitant face. "Um, I'd seriously hate to be responsible for Dare getting his ass kicked . . ." When Haven's mouth dropped open, they all laughed. "Mav told him weeks ago, but asked him not to tell anyone else. So it's not his fault. And of course Mav told his mom." Bunny, she meant, which was how even Maverick referred to her.
"Well, you're wearing the ring now, so is he letting this secret out of the bag tonight?" Cora asked.
"I think so?" Alexa said in a giddy, questioning tone.
"We're making this happen now," Haven said, all fired up.
A few minutes later, the three of them had set the tables with dessert plates and the five big cake stands with the triple-layer chocolate cakes that Cora and Haven had spent the afternoon making. But no one moved to cut a piece yet, because Alexa and Haven had pulled Maverick and Dare aside, and just then, Maverick stood at the head of one of the tables, Alexa's hand in his.
"While so many of us are here together tonight, we wanted to share some news," Maverick said, the room going quiet as he smiled down at Al like she was the air he breathed. What Cora wouldn't give to have a man look at her that way. Just once. Mav's gaze swung back to the assembled crowd again, his stunning blue eyes scanning the group. "I asked Alexa to marry me and she said yes."
Everyone erupted in outright cheers that had Cora grinning and laughing and wanting to clap for her friend. For both of them, actually. And no way was she unraveling the thread that led to the tiny thought in the back of her head that she truly was the odd woman out in her little circle of friends-the only one without a man, and, more importantly, without a home and without even any obvious path for her future.
Nope. Not doing it. Not tonight, at least. Tonight was for reveling in the good. Cora hadn't had nearly enough of that in her own life, so for now, she could be content with living vicariously through the girls she cared most about in the world.
Soon, the Ravens' two newest couples stood together at the front of the room. "It's about time we had some good news to celebrate around here," Dare said. Nods and murmurs of agreement all around. "Maverick, for most of my life, you've been the closest thing to a brother that I have, and I couldn't be happier for you. And, Al, welcome to the family. We're not sure how Mav got so damn lucky to find someone like you, but we're thrilled that he did, for both of you."
Laughter and another toast went around the room.
"Now, we just gotta bring Jagger home, and all will be right in the Raven Riders' world," Maverick said.
"Damn straight," Dare said, an edge to his voice that everyone understood-and shared.
But they didn't linger on their problems. Instead, once dinner was over, the festivities moved into the big rec room, with its long, polished bar, pool tables, new air hockey table, and jukebox. It was the center of most of the Ravens' parties, and tonight was no exception.
"Wanna play air hockey, Cora?" Sam asked, Ben in tow. Slider was nowhere to be seen, and Cora hoped he was mingling somewhere and not hiding out by himself. These parties weren't his regular scene at all, but he had to miss hanging out with his brothers in the club. From the stories she'd heard of him, Slider had once been talkative and outgoing and fun to be around. It made her sad to think he'd changed so much.