my living room, noting the sofa Murphy and Riley had given me along with the oversized chair Darcy and Rider contributed, and smiled. “I can’t believe they were willing to give me all their old furniture like this.”
“It’s not like they were using it anymore. Most of it was locked away in storage.”
“Maybe so, but it was still very sweet of them.”
He nodded. “The burgers are ready, and the beer ain’t gonna get any colder.”
“Well then, we best get to it.”
I followed Clay into the backyard where everyone had gathered to make their plates. While the entire club hadn’t come, there was enough of them there that they were all enjoying themselves, especially my brother. When Viper had first suggested that Clay come to Memphis to prospect for Satan’s Fury, I had my doubts that it was the right move for him, but as I looked around at Clay’s brothers sitting around, talking and eating like they were family, it couldn’t have been more clear that it was. I hoped the same would hold true for me and my new life in Memphis.
I reached into the cooler for a beer, and I’d just popped it open when Beckett came walking up. He was wearing a fitted t-shirt with the sleeves cut off and a pair of jeans, and I couldn’t help but stare at his enormous biceps covered in tattoos. The man looked like some kind of Greek god, and I found myself wanting to reach out and touch him. Thankfully, he pulled me from my inappropriate thoughts by asking, “Mind grabbing one of those for me?”
“Oh, uh … yeah, sure,” I stammered, then quickly pulled out a cold beer and handed it to him. “Can I get you anything else?”
“I was about to grab a burger. You want one?”
“Sure.”
I followed him over to the table, and we each made ourselves a plate. We carried our food towards a couple of empty lawn chairs and had just sat down when Rider and Darcy came over to sit with us. A big smile crossed Darcy’s face as she said, “You’ve got a great place here, Alyssa.”
“Thank you.” I hadn’t gotten a chance to get to know many of the ol’ ladies, but the ones I’d met had been very sweet, including Darcy. She was so creative and had a great eye for design. “I really appreciate you helping me decorate today. It looks even better than I imagined.”
“I’m glad I was able to help.” Darcy took a bite of her burger before continuing, “I think you’ll really like living in Memphis. There’s so much to do here.”
“I know. I can’t wait to check out the Pyramid and maybe Mud Island and the zoo.”
“Those are all awesome. It’s been a while since I’ve been to the Pyramid. Maybe we could all go one day.”
“I would love that.”
“So, when do you start your internship?”
“Thursday will be my first day, and while I’m excited to get started, I’m actually pretty nervous about it. I haven’t had much experience with cooking French cuisine before.”
Rider’s brows narrowed. “Not sure I’ve ever eaten any French food before.”
“You probably have and just didn’t know it—for example fondue, meringues, crème brûlées, mousses, and crepes. And a good roux has become an American staple.”
“What the fuck is a roux?”
“It’s a fat and flour base that cooks use to season their dishes.” I could tell by his expression that he had no idea what I was talking about, so I added, “You know ... like what you use for a good gumbo or a gravy.”
“Or a chicken pot pie,” August added.
“Exactly.”
“Damn.” Murphy complained. “I just ate, but hearing y’all talking about all this food has got me hungry again.”
I looked up at the club’s sergeant-at-arms and smiled. “Well, thanks to you, there’s plenty of food. Go back for another round or take some with you when you go. I’ll never be able to eat all that.”
“Don’t mind if I do.”
Several of them followed Murphy back over to the table for another helping, but even after they’d each made another full plate, there were enough leftovers for an army. I was staring over at all the mounds of burgers, chips, and beans when August, Gunner’s ol’ lady, leaned over to me and whispered, “Don’t worry. By the time the guys finish grazing, most of this will be gone, and whatever’s left, we can always carry back over to the clubhouse.”
“Well, that’s a relief. I had no idea where I was going to