I was halfway to giving it to her when—
“Two feet!”Adley yelled from the bar.“I don’t need customers walking in to see you two dry humping next to sharp objects.”
Clove laughed against my chest.I groaned and pressed my forehead to hers.
“She’s not wrong,” Clove whispered.
I pulled back reluctantly.“She’s absolutely wrong.”
Adley pointed at us with a bar towel.“Two feet.Or I start charging you by the minute.”
Clove stepped back, still smiling, cheeks flushed.“Fine.”
My phone buzzed in my pocket.
I looked down.
Wrecker:Church.
Just one word.
My stomach dropped.
Clove saw it instantly.“What?”
I showed her the screen.
Her smile faded, but she didn’t panic.Didn’t cling.She just nodded like she already knew this moment was coming.“Okay,” she said softly.
Adley watched us from behind the bar.“You guys heading out?”
“Yeah,” I said.“Church.”
Mason came up beside her, resting his hands on her hips.“We’ll open up.Wrecker said he’d loop me in if anything happens.”
I nodded.“Thanks.”
Clove slipped her hand into mine as we walked out.The afternoon sun was bright, almost too bright, and the ride back felt longer than the one out.
I could feel my tension building with every mile.My mind ran through a thousand possibilities.Good, bad, catastrophic.
When we pulled into the clubhouse lot, I cut the engine and sat there for a second, just breathing.
Clove climbed off and stood in front of me.
“Hopefully this will all be over soon,” I said quietly.
She nodded.“I hope so too.”Her mouth curved into a small smile.“I’d really like to date you without crazies on the loose.”
I snorted.“Don’t call Alice that.”
She laughed, leaning in for a quick kiss.
We walked inside together.
I gave Clove one more kiss, quick and reassuring, before turning toward the hallway.
“See you after,” I murmured.