The Gritty Truth (The Whiskeys Dark Knights at Peaceful Harbor #7) - Melissa Foster Page 0,124

rattled off loudly, earning more laughs.

Quincy winked at Roni, standing with Penny and Angela, loving that she’d included her and Joey in their celebration, and said, “I go away for a month and you move in on my girl? I’m going to have to teach you about respect, little man. It’s a good thing I love you.”

Lincoln wriggled out of his arms and said, “Loveyouuncaincy!”

“Come into the house! I wanna play!” Kennedy said as Quincy set her down, and she ran out of the foyer.

Everyone headed for the living room, but Quincy reached for Roni, wanting a moment alone with her.

“Take your coat off and stay awhile,” she said. “Is this too much? Everyone wanted to see you.”

He hung up his coat and said, “It couldn’t be more perfect. Thank you, and I’m so glad you included Angela and Joey.”

As his mouth came down over hers, Biggs hollered, “Quincy Gritt, get in here, son.”

Quincy grinned against her lips. “I want more of those later.”

He draped his arm around her shoulders, kissing her temple as they entered the living room, where a WELCOME HOME banner hung above the fireplace, and on the mantel was the picture of him and Roni kissing on the slide that had been on their nightstand. There were several other pictures from the apartment there, too, and new ones of him and Roni that they’d taken since the scavenger hunt. The room fell silent as his gaze moved over Roni’s couch and his orange chair. Everyone watched as he tried to make sense of his and Roni’s furniture being there. Their books filled the shelves, and his GED was framed and hanging on the wall beside Roni’s diploma from Juilliard. Their crooked Christmas tree with the same presents underneath it that had been there when he’d gone into rehab was tucked into the corner of the room.

“Welcome home, Quincy,” Roni said softly, gazing up him. “I thought we could use a fresh start, so I rented Dixie’s house. It’s only two hundred dollars more than what we were paying for your apartment, and I can pay the difference. Your belief in me and my dancing really got to me, and with your encouragement and some helpful things I learned about myself in therapy, I decided to talk with Raya and Elisa about putting together a solo contemporary dance performance a couple of times a year at the playhouse. It’ll be my own thing, not through the dance studio. Elisa supports it, and Raya thinks it’s a great idea.”

They both had tears in their eyes as he said, “Baby, all of this, and that?”

She shrugged. “Is it too much too fast?”

He gathered her in his arms. “No, baby. It’s perfect, just like you. But you’re not paying the extra rent.” Chuckles from the guys and awws from the girls rose around them as he kissed her, earning whistles and cheers. “This year we rent the house,” he said quietly. “Next year maybe we’ll get a puppy.” He touched his lips to hers, and the room went silent. “And then a ring, and the next year a wedding.” He tightened his hold on her. “Plenty of time to practice making babies as we make our way to our future.” More hoots and cheers rang out, and he crushed her to him. “Thank you for accepting me and my baggage.”

She gazed up at him with so much love in her eyes and in her heart he was drenched in it as she said, “I love you and all your gritty truths, Quincy, and I always will.”

As he lowered his lips to hers, Lincoln yelled, “Ikissbooful!” and just like that, Quincy was finally, ecstatically, home.

Ready for More Whiskeys?

Fall in love with Diesel and Tracey in RUNNING ON DIESEL, the next book in the Whiskey series. Continue reading for information on Penny and Scott’s novella, more Dark Knights titles, and for a link to see two of the images Quincy received in his Christmas book from Roni.

RUNNING ON DIESEL

Desmond “Diesel” Black is a Nomad with the Dark Knights motorcycle club. He protects others with his life and always rides alone. Tracey Kline left the only family she had for a man who broke more than her spirit, leaving her untrusting and on her own. When a twist of fate reveals pieces of the other no one else sees, will they be able to help each other mend their past hurts and learn to trust the chemistry and connection that’s too strong to