Page 82 of A Taste of Whiskey
As she came off the dance floor with Birdie and Simone, Birdie said, “How are your elf costumes coming along? Mine is so cute.”
“Not cuter than Gus’s,” Sasha said, catching sight of Gus dancing with two other little kids, while Ezra watched on. Ezra glanced over, his dark eyes smiling back at her.
“I mean cute as in hot,” Birdie said, drawing Sasha’s attention back to their conversation. “Gus will definitely win the little-kid cuteness award.”
“My costume is cute as incute,” Simone said. “Does it have to be sexy?”
“Definitely not,” Sasha reassured her. “We’re delivering presents to children.”
Birdie put a hand on Simone’s shoulder, leaning closer. “You can’t help but be sexy with your wild curls and killer body.”
“I definitely have wild hair.” Simone glanced at their mother and aunt heading their way and lowered her voice. “But I don’t have a killer body.”
“Yes, you do,” Birdie said.
“Hello, girls,” Sasha’s mother said.
“What are you doing over here by yourselves when there are so many good-looking young men here?” her aunt Red Whiskey asked. Red looked like a young Sharon Osbourne, with short hair and wise eyes. Like Sasha’s mother, she was as strong as she was loving and had been wrangling ornery bikers forever.
“We’re related to most of them,” Birdie pointed out.
“No, you’re not,” their mother said. “Only the Wickeds and the Whiskeys.”
Birdie crossed her arms. “That’s true, but did you forget about my three brothers who sneer when any male comes near me? My life would be a lot easier if you had all daughters.”
“Oh, honey. We’ve all been through that,” Red said. “You’ve got to learn to fly under the radar.”
I’ve got that covered.Sasha stifled a grin.
“Let’s not encourage that,” their mother said. “I’m the one who has to deal with your brother when they get caught.”
“You can take Tiny.” Red lowered her voice conspiratorially. “Besides, you’re way behind on the grandchild race. Your kids could use a little nudging in the right direction.”
Her mother laughed softly. “I’m not going to rush my kids into having babies. Let them enjoy their new loves for a while. Besides, I can come visit your grandbabies.”
As they talked about grandchildren, Sasha looked around for Red’s kids, her cousins from Peaceful Harbor, Maryland. Bones was wrangling his brood with his wife, Sarah. Bullet and Bear were holding their little ones as they stood by the bar talking with Doc and Rebel’s brothers Denver and Dallas. Her cousin Dixie was heading to the dance floor with her husband, Jace, her adorable baby bump leading the way. Sasha felt an unfamiliar ache and wondered if maybe Birdie was right, and her biological clock was getting louder.
“How about you, Simone?” Red asked. “Do you have a special someone?”
“Not yet,” Simone said.
“It’ll happen, sweetie,” Red said.
“Maybe sooner than you think,” their mother said. “I was talking you up to Marshall Dutch a little while ago, telling him how you were on your way to becoming a substance abuse counselor.”
“Marshall? Who is he?” Simone asked.
“He’s the hot, broody, tatted guy talking with our cousins Zeke and Zander,” Birdie said, pointing him out.
“He’s a really nice guy,” Sasha said. “But he’s been through a lot.”
“Haven’t we all?” Simone said softly. “What’s his story?”
“Marshall showed up at the Roadhouse several years ago looking for a fight big enough to end his life after losing his wife and newborn baby,” their mother explained.
“That’s horrible,” Simone said.
“Yes, but as we all know, reality isn’t always pretty,” their mother said. “He ended up finding the Dark Knights, which was lucky. We gave him the help he needed to realize life was worth living. Now he runs Annie’s Hope, an emotional wellness center he opened in Upstate New York to honor his late wife.”
