Page 36

Lovie

Lovie watched her Daddy walk away and enjoyed the view.

It was a great view, and it was all hers.

Vivi broke her reverie.

“Let me get you a napkin, dear.”

She looked at the woman, confused.

“I haven’t ordered anything yet.”

Vivi wiggled her eyebrows.

“It doesn’t matter, child.

You’re already drooling.

Not that I blame you.”

Lovie blinked before breaking into laughter.

“You are so naughty!”

“Sweet child, that’s what makes life fun.

I’d have thought you knew that by now.”

Oh, Lovie knew all about naughty.

She and her Daddy were naughty every day, and Vivi was right.

It definitely made life fun.

She squirmed as the plug Law had insisted she wear shot sparks to her pussy again.

She couldn’t believe she was wearing one while sitting in the middle of Books-N-Brews.

You couldn’t get any more public than that.

She’d been half a heartbeat from an orgasm ever since he’d put it in.

It didn’t seem fair he’d figure out a way to edge her without even being in the room.

Add to that her nipples throbbed in rhythm with her pussy.

She had such a love-hate relationship with the clamps.

Her nipples were extra sensitive, so it didn’t take much for her to know they were there.

Today, her Viking had made them tight enough to give light pressure, so she couldn’t forget they were there.

But not enough to cause pain.

It was the most deliciously cruel thing ever.

Between the nipple clamps and the butt plug, she’d never been so turned on in her life.

And where was her Daddy? In a meeting with his brothers.

She needed a distraction, and whether she meant to or not, Vivi gave her one.

“Would you like to try Tazzy’s brand new St.

Patrick’s Day drink? It’s delicious.”

“Absolutely.

You had me at Tazzy.

What she can do with caffeine and sugar is amazing!”

“I know.

It’s amazing I can keep my girlish figure,”

Vivi said with a wink.

“Let me tell her, and I’ll be right back.”

Winnie and Breezy took the seats on either side of Lovie.

“What are we having?”

Vivi grinned.

“One of Tazzy’s new concoctions.

You might as well get Suzi and Rory up here.

They’ll want one, too.”

Soon all the Musketiaras were at the counter, drinking 'Happy Shimmering Shamrock Frappes'.

“I don’t know how you did it, girl, but this is delish!”

Rory said.

Breezy agreed.

“I love the shimmers.

It’s almost too beautiful to drink.”

“I love the shamrock sprinkles.

This is the best one yet!”

Winnie was bouncing in her seat.

Tazzy laughed.

“You say that every time, but thanks.”

Suzi smacked her lips and stared at the ceiling.

“Am I tasting pistachios? I love pistachios.”

Tazzy narrowed her eyes.

“I love you, Suzi, but if you think I’m ever giving you a look at my recipes again, you’re crazy.”

Suzi’s face fell.

“It was one time! I said I was sorry.

Are you ever going to forgive me for printing that recipe last Halloween? I promise, I thought it would help.”

Tazzy grinned.

“I’m only teasing.

I forgave you the first time you apologized.

That doesn’t mean I’ll stop giving you a hard time.”

She winked.

Her words must have done the trick because Suzi got her grin back.

“Fair enough,” she said.

The bell dinged, and Bliss came in, pushing a four-seater baby stroller.

Only three held beautiful baby girls that day, but Bliss was noticeably pregnant with number four.

Lovie smiled and looked away.

Nothing about what the Society had done to Bliss was Lovie’s fault, but she couldn’t help feeling guilty.

She hadn’t even been in Darling when all that had gone down, but she couldn’t make the feelings go away.

Regardless of that, seeing a woman pushing a stroller with three babies and one on the way stopped most of the conversation in the room.

Out of breath, Bliss leaned on the stroller.

“I have three beautiful babies here, waiting for hugs and kisses.

Going once… going twice…”

She didn’t make it to three.

Squeals rang through the shop as Musketiaras raced to be the first to hold either baby Sophie, Sadie, or tiny Nori.

Winnie, Georgia, and Rory won the race, but Georgia only made it back as far as the counter before Vivi stole her away.

“Hey!”

Georgia protested, but she didn’t try to take Sadie back.

Instead, she took out her phone and snapped pictures of all the Musketiaras fussing over Bliss’s happy brood.

The bell rang again, heralding Connor stumbling through the door with three overflowing baby bags.

He scanned the crowd and strode toward his wife as soon as he spotted her.

His scowl indicated he was less than happy with her.

“I told you to wait for me and I would push the stroller up that hill.

It was heavy and you could have slipped or lost control of the stroller.”

She nodded.

“I get you.

I was more worried about the alien ship that might land on us, or the Rumpelstiltskin Leprechaun that might try to steal them away.”

His eyes shot up.

“Oh, trouble, do you think because you’re in public I won’t march you to the bathroom and spank your naughty little bottom?”

Her cheeks pinkened as she looked around at the audience now listening to their every word.

“Sorry, Daddy.

It wasn’t me.

It was my naughty shoulder angel.

My good girl angel is taking a nap.”

“Well, I’ll tell you what.

When we get home, I’ll spank you and then you can share that with your naughty shoulder angel.

Maybe she’ll learn not to sass her Daddy.”

Bliss sighed but nodded.

“Yes, Daddy.

I hope she learns soon.

I think you’re a better spanker than me.”

“Well, I get a lot more practice.

Now you be a good girl.

Prop up your feet so they don’t swell, and I’ll leave my meeting as soon as I can. Deal?”

“Yes, Daddy.

That’s a deal.”

Connor kissed the top of her head before heading down the hall to join the meeting.

Rory sighed.

“I know you may not think so right now, but that is so hot.”

Bliss smiled.

“Oh, it’ll be hot alright, but I don’t think we’re talking about the same thing.”

Everyone laughed at that, even Vivi.

Once things settled back down, Vivi asked, “So, have you girls done any more roller skating since the party you neglected to invite me to?”

None of the girls spoke.

What was there to say? Finally, Lovie couldn’t take the tension.

“I’m sorry, Vivi.

It was a clear-cut case of age discrimination.”

Great.

Now she sounded like Gabi.

“We shouldn’t have assumed you wouldn’t want to skate.

Especially if you’re a former roller derby queen.”

Vivi rolled her eyes.

“I told you, child.

You can’t believe everything you hear.

It’s just as well.

And Bliss, you know I adore every second I can spend with your precious girls.

I mainly want to give the boys a hard time. Serves them right.”

Lovie barely contained a snort at Vivi referring to her Viking as a boy.

That night had been fun, though.

And she had a sneaky feeling the rumors of Vivi’s past weren’t quite as exaggerated as she wanted them to believe.

Georgia leaped from her seat, staring at the clock on her phone.

“Oh my gosh! I didn’t realize it had gotten so late.

Vivi, I’m going to grab my gear, and then we have to go or we’ll be late.”

Vivi nodded.

“Oh my, you’re right.

Being late would send the wrong message.

Well, I’m ready to go whenever you are, dear.”

Lovie studied Vivi as Georgia rushed into the kitchen.

There was something about her smile that was positively devilish.

“Vivi, what are you up to?”

Vivi took on the most innocent expression that was anything but innocent.

“Why, Lovie, whatever do you mean? Georgia invited me to tag along on an appointment she had me schedule for her.

I’m sure I’m much too feeble and old to be up to anything.”

“Wait,”

Tazzy broke in.

“Did you just wink at her when you said that?”

“I have no idea what you are talking about, Taziana Thomas.

That is a prime example of how rumors get started.

If you saw anything, it was my blinking something out of my eye.”

Georgia raced back into the room wearing a skater helmet and carrying a duffle bag.

“I knew it!”

Tazzy shouted, pointing at Georgia.

“I knew you were up to something.

You’ve had that 'I’m up to something' vibe going on all morning.

I can’t believe you got poor, innocent Vivi involved in your bucket list craziness.”

Georgia gasped.

“You take that back.

I’ll have you know this time Vivi approached me.

I wouldn’t have been able to do this at all if it weren’t for her contacts.

Now we have to go or I’ll miss everything.

Wish me luck.”

“Good luck,”

Rory yelled.

“She’s going to need it when Hutch hears about this,”

Suzi added.

Lovie agreed, watching through the window as Georgia crossed to the driver's side of Vivi’s car.

As she backed out of the parking space, Lovie noticed a magnetic sign on the side of Vivi’s door.

“Does anyone know what Assault 'n Peppa is?”

Breezy, of all people, spoke up.

“Um, isn’t that the name of the women’s roller derby team over in Faydette County?”

When everyone stared at her, she shrugged.

“Gage gets flyers from them a couple times a year to put up on the corkboard at Defenses.”

“Hutch is going to have a seizure,”

Tazzy said.

“We have to tell him.”

She started to move, but Lovie grabbed her arm.

“I think we owe it to Vivi to give Georgia a fighting chance, don’t you? It’s the least we can do to make up for not inviting her to the skating party.

We can tell Hutch in a little while.”

All the others agreed.

Well, all except Tazzy.

“Fine.

But if I’m going to wait, I’ll need a distraction.

And since this is your idea, you can go over to the bookshop and grab me a few picture books to read to the babies.”

“Deal,”

Lovie said.

Law had said not to leave the room, but technically, the bookshop was in the same room.

“Be right back.

Oh, are there any books they like?”

Bliss nodded.

“They love Moo, Baa, La La La! if you have it.”

Lovie couldn’t help but grin.

“I’ll check.

Be right back.”

She walked into the book section of the shop and tried to spot the baby books.

Of course, they were all the way in the far back corner.

The deep rumble of men’s voices reached her before she turned and walked around the aisle.

What in the world were men doing in the back of the children’s book section? She’d rounded the end of the bookshelf before she recognized the voices.

Sure enough, the General and a man with his back to her sat in chairs too small for them with papers spread across the table.

Her heart stuttered, then pounded back to life.

The General looked up, and his eyes went from irritation to malevolence in seconds.

He stood, and Lovie took a step back.

Following the General's gaze, the man sitting with him turned, and Phillip Thorne, her stepfather, rose to his feet.

“Hello, Lovelyn.

That’s what you’re still going by, I heard.

I suspected we’d run into each other eventually.

It seems we’ll be seeing a great deal of each other in court.”

The General stepped toward her, but Phillip put out a hand to stop him.

It didn’t matter.

She was in the room alone with the two people who had caused every nightmare she’d ever had.

Taking another step back, Lovie screamed.