Total pages in book: 55
Estimated words: 55769 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 279(@200wpm)___ 223(@250wpm)___ 186(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 55769 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 279(@200wpm)___ 223(@250wpm)___ 186(@300wpm)
Ally had Ren’s ring on her finger.
No one’s apartment had exploded, or business had burned down now for months.
So he figured “Rock-Chick-Eggedon” was not something he truly had to worry about.
Not anymore.
When Daisy explained, she proved him right.
“We got a situation happening between Kitty Sue, Ally and Indy. See, Kitty Sue wants to host Ally’s shower. But Ally doesn’t want a shower. She says Ren’s all set up and he does the cooking and his towels are real nice, so she doesn’t need any shower type stuff. She said he even has a champagne bucket, so, you know, that there’s proof positive the man is set. Ally just wants a bachelorette party. This, I think, is code for her not wantin’ her momma to throw a shower for her that requires attendees to bring lingerie. Ally’s weird about sex like that.”
Marcus ate, listening and smiling.
“Now, at the same time, we got Indy, who is down with letting Kitty Sue have shower duties, but ain’t no way she’s gonna let Kitty Sue horn in on the bachelorette planning action. So she needs Ally to let her mom throw a shower so she can be clear to throw the bachelorette party. ’Cause Kitty Sue decreed she’s throwin’ somethin’ for her girl. She don’t care what it is. And she’s a momma, so what she says goes.”
“What do you think is going to happen?” he asked while she took a sip of coffee.
Daisy put her cup down. “Ally will cave and let her mom throw the shower, mostly ’cause Ren’s like you. He’s visual as well as tactile in the sex department, so she needs as many sexy nighties and teddies as she can get. That’ll free Indy to do her bachelorette mojo. Then all will be well again in the world of the Rock Chicks.”
“So really, Ally just needs to stop being stubborn.”
“Yeah, so that’s probably gonna take us through about three of Tex’s lattes, ’cause that girl’s got a chokehold on stubborn.”
Marcus chuckled and continued to eat.
It took him a while to realize Daisy didn’t fill the silence.
He turned his attention from his plate to her.
The instant he did, she asked, “What you doin’ today, honey bunches of love?”
He’d wanted to spend it with her. Maybe take her to a movie. Out to lunch. Spend the day in bed like they used to, ordering in food when they needed it, but mostly just feeding off what they already had. Each other.
“I think I’ll go to the club. See if I can find a foursome to play with.”
Her head tipped to the side and so did her pretty hair.
Her eyes also narrowed.
“You like golf, Marcus?” she asked a good question, since he’d taken it up only recently.
And actually, he detested it.
But he liked being outside. It worked muscles in a way he didn’t work them in the gym. It was a personal challenge, attempting to better his game, and Marcus liked challenges. And he didn’t mind strolling the eighteen lanes.
“Of course,” he semi-lied.
Her eyes stayed narrowed.
“Meet you at the club for a late lunch,” he suggested.
“I don’t know…” she started slowly. “I might have plans for lunch.”
“Then we’ll go out somewhere for dinner.”
“That sounds good,” she said, like her thoughts were far away.
“Eat, baby,” he urged. “You don’t want to be late for the Gathering.”
“Right,” she mumbled.
Marcus cleaned his plate. Daisy gave him the warning look she always gave him when he made a move to take it to the sink.
Through his wife, he knew no one cleaned the table of a Southern woman, except that Southern woman.
Even so, he’d never take her for granted.
But as she wished, he left it where it was, kissed her cheek, and also left her finishing her coffee.
He needed to find a golf shirt.
He clocked them first on the ninth hole.
Then again on the tenth, eleventh, twelfth and thirteenth.
It was the fourteenth when club personnel nabbed them.
It was on the fifteenth when a member of staff came and apologized for interrupting his game before asking him if he wouldn’t mind accompanying him to the clubhouse.
Marcus left his foursome and accompanied him.
The man led him to the membership office, stopped outside the closed door, smiled and rather nervously said, “This is an unusual situation, Mr. Sloan. Normally, our members know the rules and follow them. In this case, the rule that states you can’t be on the course unless you have a tee time. Also, members need to sign in non-members if they’re using our facilities. So Mrs. Sloan and her…er…companions…erm…activities on the course are somewhat frowned upon. We were hoping you might have a word with her.”
“I will. Thank you for your discretion.”
“Always a pleasure, Mr. Sloan,” the man said and scooted away.
Marcus took in a breath before he opened the door.
Shirleen was sitting behind the desk, her feet on top of it, her Louboutin heels on display.