“I’m sorry. I don’t know why I snapped at you.”
“Habit.”
She stared at the floor, ashamed of herself, then forced herself to meet his eyes. “I was in high school when I found out Shade belonged to a motorcycle club. I heard terrible things about clubs like his, so even though I didn’t get to see him often, I blamed them for how he treated me.”
“Shade mistreated you?” Jackal tried to shake her hand off his arm, but she held on more tightly.
“Not like that, no. You don’t know him well, so you don’t understand how remote he can be. Do you have any brothers or sisters?”
“No.”
“At school and at softball games, several of my friends had siblings. They didn’t act the way Shade and I do. At first, I blamed my mother and his father’s divorce. Then I blamed The Last Riders. Then I realized what was wrong. It was us.”
“What do you mean?”
“We don’t feel the same way other people do. It never bothered Shade. I still don’t think it does. But it bothered me.” Penni put her hand on her heart. “I mean, I felt my heart beat, so I knew it was there, but I couldn’t feel it. I know it sounds stupid, but it’s the truth.”
Jackal reached out, slipping a hand to the back of her neck then pulling her close to his body. “I believe you think that, but it’s not true.”
She tried to pull out of his arms. “I know that now, but it took Lily coming into our lives to prove it.”
“Lily? How?”
“She’s special. She helped Shade find the part of his soul that was missing, and she gave me hope that I could find that, too.”
“You think you can find that with Train?”
“Yes.”
If he couldn’t, who then? She had dated so many men she had lost count. She had believed Train was the one as a young girl, but when he had showed no interest, she had begun to doubt herself, losing interest in the party atmosphere at college. Then, after she had graduated and found the job with Mouth2Mouth, she had accepted any date if she was attracted to the guy. One date with them would prove her wrong, though.
Now she was older, and she had never had a serious relationship. She had become a social butterfly in Queen City, and now she had more friends. Grace was among them, but none of them filled the yearning to fill the hole in her own heart.
She succeeded in pulling away from Jackal. “I think I burned the popcorn.”
Penni set the scorched bag in the sink, setting another one in the microwave and turning it back on. Not staring at him, she watched the numbers count down.
“I’m sorry I kidnapped you.”
She felt as if a weight had been lifted off her chest. Penni had hated Jackal for kidnapping and holding her hostage four years ago. It had taken him a long time, but this time when he apologized, she sensed it was sincere.
“I forgive you.” Before she could burn the popcorn again, she hastily removed the bag, dumping it out in a bowl she took out of a cabinet. “I may even share with you.”
Jackal took one kernel, holding it to her lips. She opened her mouth, letting him feed it to her.
“You want me to ask Knox to rewind the movie for you?” she asked when they sat back down on the couch.
“No, I watched it before.”
Penni and the others in the room looked at him.
“You’ve watched this movie?” Diamond asked, taking some off Penni’s popcorn and dumping it into her own bowl.
“Yeah, I’ve seen all three of them. My Boyfriend Is a Zombie, I Married a Zombie, and I’m Having a Baby with a Zombie.”
“I heard they’re making a fourth one.” Diamond took the bowl away from Knox. “I Killed My Zombie Husband.”
“Figures,” Knox mumbled under his breath.
“Why?” Penni opened her soda.
“Men always get killed off in horror movies.” Knox kissed Diamond’s neck, and his wife giggled, pulling him down for a full blown kiss.
“That isn’t true,” Penni countered.
“It’s mostly true,” Diamond countered as if Knox had hung the moon.
Penni rolled her eyes. Of course Diamond would agree with her husband. They were practically necking on the living room floor.
“Why are you taking his side?”
“Because Knox is eating most of my popcorn, and since he’s seen it before, he can make some more.”
“I can make it—”
“Let him. The house still smells like the one you burnt, and this one is scorched, too.”
“I’ll do it.” Jackal went back to the kitchen.
“You’ve watched this numerous times; why didn’t you make the popcorn yourself?” Penni leaned over to look at Diamond who had pushed Knox back to use him as a big pillow.
“I wanted to ask what’s going on with Jackal.”
Penni was glad the living room was dark. “I like him.” She straightened, not meeting her discerning gaze.
“So you’re not serious about him, then?” Shade asked as he shifted Lily on his lap.
Penni thought about her answer. The plan was to make Train jealous, but two of his friends were in the room, so she couldn’t admit to that.
“We have a lot in common.” There. That was a safe answer. She congratulated herself for her quick thinking.
“Like what?”
“Uh …” Penni’s mind drew a blank. “He likes animals.” At least, she hoped he did. Most men did, didn’t they?
“You don’t sound so sure.”
Shade wasn’t an idiot. She had to own this plan, or it wasn’t going to work. If she couldn’t convince Shade, Train wouldn’t believe it, and she would only end up making a fool of herself.
“I’m sure.” This time, she infused more conviction and warmth into her tone. “He helps feed the ducks for me when I’m out of town.” It might have been one time, but he had done it. He also hadn’t shot her neighbor’s dogs when he had jumped the fence at her house. Them not being dead was more than she had expected when he had told her the story.
“That’s sweet.” Lily patted Shade’s cheek at her husband’s incredulous look.
“I think it is. He protected me from Hennessy and his men, he’s funny, and I think he’s cute.”
Shade made gagging noises, which had Lily elbowing him in his stomach.
“I think he’s cute, too.” Lily raised her voice to be heard over the noises Shade was making.
Shade stopped, giving her an irritated glare. “I thought you said I’m the only one you think’s cute?”
Penni couldn’t help laughing at her brother’s jealously. Watching him go from his days of being an emotionless bachelor to being wrapped around his wife’s finger was endearing.
Penni tried to imagine Train after she managed to snare him. The weird thing was that she couldn’t form the picture.
Jackal came back into the room. “What’s so funny?”
“Nothing.” She was about to grab another handful of popcorn, but Jackal stopped her, taking the one she had and giving her another bowl.
She took a bite and then another. “Why does this taste so good?” Penni leaned against Jackal’s shoulder, going gung-ho to give the impression they were a couple.
“Habit.”
She stared at the floor, ashamed of herself, then forced herself to meet his eyes. “I was in high school when I found out Shade belonged to a motorcycle club. I heard terrible things about clubs like his, so even though I didn’t get to see him often, I blamed them for how he treated me.”
“Shade mistreated you?” Jackal tried to shake her hand off his arm, but she held on more tightly.
“Not like that, no. You don’t know him well, so you don’t understand how remote he can be. Do you have any brothers or sisters?”
“No.”
“At school and at softball games, several of my friends had siblings. They didn’t act the way Shade and I do. At first, I blamed my mother and his father’s divorce. Then I blamed The Last Riders. Then I realized what was wrong. It was us.”
“What do you mean?”
“We don’t feel the same way other people do. It never bothered Shade. I still don’t think it does. But it bothered me.” Penni put her hand on her heart. “I mean, I felt my heart beat, so I knew it was there, but I couldn’t feel it. I know it sounds stupid, but it’s the truth.”
Jackal reached out, slipping a hand to the back of her neck then pulling her close to his body. “I believe you think that, but it’s not true.”
She tried to pull out of his arms. “I know that now, but it took Lily coming into our lives to prove it.”
“Lily? How?”
“She’s special. She helped Shade find the part of his soul that was missing, and she gave me hope that I could find that, too.”
“You think you can find that with Train?”
“Yes.”
If he couldn’t, who then? She had dated so many men she had lost count. She had believed Train was the one as a young girl, but when he had showed no interest, she had begun to doubt herself, losing interest in the party atmosphere at college. Then, after she had graduated and found the job with Mouth2Mouth, she had accepted any date if she was attracted to the guy. One date with them would prove her wrong, though.
Now she was older, and she had never had a serious relationship. She had become a social butterfly in Queen City, and now she had more friends. Grace was among them, but none of them filled the yearning to fill the hole in her own heart.
She succeeded in pulling away from Jackal. “I think I burned the popcorn.”
Penni set the scorched bag in the sink, setting another one in the microwave and turning it back on. Not staring at him, she watched the numbers count down.
“I’m sorry I kidnapped you.”
She felt as if a weight had been lifted off her chest. Penni had hated Jackal for kidnapping and holding her hostage four years ago. It had taken him a long time, but this time when he apologized, she sensed it was sincere.
“I forgive you.” Before she could burn the popcorn again, she hastily removed the bag, dumping it out in a bowl she took out of a cabinet. “I may even share with you.”
Jackal took one kernel, holding it to her lips. She opened her mouth, letting him feed it to her.
“You want me to ask Knox to rewind the movie for you?” she asked when they sat back down on the couch.
“No, I watched it before.”
Penni and the others in the room looked at him.
“You’ve watched this movie?” Diamond asked, taking some off Penni’s popcorn and dumping it into her own bowl.
“Yeah, I’ve seen all three of them. My Boyfriend Is a Zombie, I Married a Zombie, and I’m Having a Baby with a Zombie.”
“I heard they’re making a fourth one.” Diamond took the bowl away from Knox. “I Killed My Zombie Husband.”
“Figures,” Knox mumbled under his breath.
“Why?” Penni opened her soda.
“Men always get killed off in horror movies.” Knox kissed Diamond’s neck, and his wife giggled, pulling him down for a full blown kiss.
“That isn’t true,” Penni countered.
“It’s mostly true,” Diamond countered as if Knox had hung the moon.
Penni rolled her eyes. Of course Diamond would agree with her husband. They were practically necking on the living room floor.
“Why are you taking his side?”
“Because Knox is eating most of my popcorn, and since he’s seen it before, he can make some more.”
“I can make it—”
“Let him. The house still smells like the one you burnt, and this one is scorched, too.”
“I’ll do it.” Jackal went back to the kitchen.
“You’ve watched this numerous times; why didn’t you make the popcorn yourself?” Penni leaned over to look at Diamond who had pushed Knox back to use him as a big pillow.
“I wanted to ask what’s going on with Jackal.”
Penni was glad the living room was dark. “I like him.” She straightened, not meeting her discerning gaze.
“So you’re not serious about him, then?” Shade asked as he shifted Lily on his lap.
Penni thought about her answer. The plan was to make Train jealous, but two of his friends were in the room, so she couldn’t admit to that.
“We have a lot in common.” There. That was a safe answer. She congratulated herself for her quick thinking.
“Like what?”
“Uh …” Penni’s mind drew a blank. “He likes animals.” At least, she hoped he did. Most men did, didn’t they?
“You don’t sound so sure.”
Shade wasn’t an idiot. She had to own this plan, or it wasn’t going to work. If she couldn’t convince Shade, Train wouldn’t believe it, and she would only end up making a fool of herself.
“I’m sure.” This time, she infused more conviction and warmth into her tone. “He helps feed the ducks for me when I’m out of town.” It might have been one time, but he had done it. He also hadn’t shot her neighbor’s dogs when he had jumped the fence at her house. Them not being dead was more than she had expected when he had told her the story.
“That’s sweet.” Lily patted Shade’s cheek at her husband’s incredulous look.
“I think it is. He protected me from Hennessy and his men, he’s funny, and I think he’s cute.”
Shade made gagging noises, which had Lily elbowing him in his stomach.
“I think he’s cute, too.” Lily raised her voice to be heard over the noises Shade was making.
Shade stopped, giving her an irritated glare. “I thought you said I’m the only one you think’s cute?”
Penni couldn’t help laughing at her brother’s jealously. Watching him go from his days of being an emotionless bachelor to being wrapped around his wife’s finger was endearing.
Penni tried to imagine Train after she managed to snare him. The weird thing was that she couldn’t form the picture.
Jackal came back into the room. “What’s so funny?”
“Nothing.” She was about to grab another handful of popcorn, but Jackal stopped her, taking the one she had and giving her another bowl.
She took a bite and then another. “Why does this taste so good?” Penni leaned against Jackal’s shoulder, going gung-ho to give the impression they were a couple.
