The man, who had to be Linus, kept laughing (though not roaring with it) and shook his head, saying through it, “Car, buddy, you’re the only badass biker on the planet who’d pick the prom queen as his woman.”

“I was homecoming queen. I only made the court at prom,” I told him, my voice as stiff as my body.

He burst into more laughter.

The beautiful woman with him, who I knew was his wife Kamryn, slapped his arm (a lot harder than I had earlier slapped Joker’s).

“Cut it out, Linus!” she hissed.

He quit laughing so quickly, I jumped.

He also did it focused on me.

“You’re beautiful,” he whispered, his voice rough. “Perfect.”

The force of his words and the emotion behind them made me push into Joker’s side and his arm tightened reflexively around my shoulders when I did.

Linus looked to Joker and his voice was still rough with meaning. “I know you’re done with him, Car, but swear to Christ, I’d pay to see his face, you walked in as all you are with this girl on your arm. Pay to see that shit.”

“Stop cursing in front of the kids,” Kamryn snapped.

Linus curved an arm around her waist and pulled her tight to his side.

I looked up at Joker. “I think I like him.”

“I’d like him more if he’d watch his mouth,” Mrs. Heely declared.

Kamryn grinned at her then turned her grin to me.

I grinned back.

“Candy, Miss Carissa gave me flowers. Do you want to help your Momma Heely put them in water?” Mrs. Heely asked a pretty little girl who was sitting on an armchair wearing a pretty little dress and swinging her legs.

She didn’t hesitate to hop right off the chair and push her way through bodies to Mrs. Heely.

When she got close, she grabbed the woman’s hand.

Apparently, that was her answer.

They got to the doorway of the kitchen before, shyly, little Candy turned back and called, “Like your hair, Mister Carson.”

“Thanks, doll,” Joker called back.

Kamryn came forward, hand up to me. “Hey there, Carissa, so nice to meet you. I’m Kam.”

Thus it began, the introductions, hand clasps, hugs, smiles, but this finished with Mrs. Heely yelling through the opening that had a view from the kitchen, “I’ve made Carson’s favorite, my pot roast. But I’ve also made brussels sprouts, and I’m saying right now, all my boys are eating them.” She pointed a tangerine rose at Joker through the opening before swinging it to Linus. “Including my big boys. Am I understood?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Linus answered on a grin.

“Shit,” Joker said under his breath.

“What did I just hear?” Mrs. Heely called on a snap.

“Just don’t put too much of that… stuff on my plate,” Joker called back.

“Six,” she returned.

“Two,” Joker fired back.

“Four,” she haggled.

“Two,” Joker repeated.

“Three,” she snapped.

“Deal,” Joker said.

I started giggling.

Kam giggled with me.