Home to Stay (The Long Road Home #2) - Maryann Jordan Page 0,38

her breasts push upward, then laughed when the man’s gaze dropped to her chest. Has she always been so desperate for male attention? Professionally paired together a couple of years ago, they’d started hanging together. But is it a true friendship or am I just someone Paula hangs out with because she doesn’t make girlfriends easily? Deciding the day was too beautiful for such deep questions, she turned her attention back to the delicious food.

After they finished eating and tossed their trash, they walked to the VIP seats to the side of the stage. Obtaining passes, they grabbed seats and settled in, enjoying the band that was playing. An hour later, it was time for one of the headliner bands, and as they took the stage, Paula was dancing in the aisle, singing along. Lucy laughed as Paula pulled her to her feet. “That’s him… that’s the one I slept with. Gorgeous, isn’t he?” Paula shouted, pointing to the lead singer as others around lifted their brows or their drinks toward her.

Hands in the air, dancing and laughing, Lucy gave herself over to the music, having to admit that Paula was right—the band was great and the lead singer was gorgeous.

Paula disappeared when the band left the stage, promising to be back soon. Certain that Paula was off to see if the lead singer wanted a private repeat performance, Lucy wandered off to find the restrooms and then meandered through the vendor stalls. She found a silversmith displaying his jewelry and bought a pair of earrings for her mother’s upcoming birthday. Making her way back through the area of food trucks, she got in line for the crepes again, this time choosing one with strawberries and melted chocolate. Grabbing a handful of napkins, she devoured the treat, moaning in delight and not caring if her fingers were sticky by the end. Checking the time on her phone, she hoped Paula was back from her tryst and headed to the VIP section again, hearing the final headliner band introduced.

Arriving, she spied Paula on her feet, swaying to the music, and grinned. As she approached, her feet stumbled to a halt at the sight of who was sitting in her seat: the biker from Moose’s Bar the other night.

“Lucy!” Paula screamed, her eyes wide and slightly glassy as she lurched forward, throwing her arms around her. “Look who I found! What a coincidence! I had no idea Griz was here.” Paula dragged her closer, and the man stood. Much taller and bigger than she realized, Lucy’s head leaned back as she took him in.

“Griz?”

“Yeah,” he rumbled, his gaze penetrating while he maintained a stone-faced expression.

She licked her dry lips, not knowing what to say.

Paula giggled. “Griz is short for um… Grizzly because he… well, eats like a bear.” She leaned forward, her words slurring slightly. “What he likes to eat… well, you can imagine he gives it good.”

“Paula!” Lucy bit out, shifting to the side so she could speak without Griz or whoever he was listening. “You just happened to run into him? You had no idea he was here? And he’s in the VIP section? Come on, how stupid do you think I am?”

“Honestly,” she pouted, “I didn’t know he would be here. You may have some kind of biker prejudice, but I don’t.”

Paula shifted her gaze over Lucy’s shoulder then back again, but Lucy refused to turn around, praying Griz was keeping his distance so she could talk some sense into her friend. “Don’t flip this onto me. From the patches on his jacket, I don’t think he belongs to a bike club. I don’t trust him.”

“Well, I do.”

Rearing back, she pinched her lips together. “Paula, you’ve had so much to drink, you’re already swaying.”

Paula giggled. “I know. Geoff from the band smoked a bit and then when I ran into Griz, we’ve had some drinks.”

“What about us? You and me? Girls' day? Remember that?”

The smile fell from Paula’s face. “You always want things to be about you, Lucy. Well, I want to have fun.”

“And now I’m driving us home because you got high?”

“Well,” Paula began, dropping her eyes to her shoes, chewing on her bottom lip. “I got a hotel room. It’s not far from here.”

“You got a hotel room?” Lucy didn’t attempt to keep the incredulity from her voice. “We were going back tonight. Why did you get a room?”

“I’d already reserved one just in case we were tired. But Griz wants to hang out with me, and