“Baby, no. I’m serious. It’s a small price to pay. Besides, I don’t plan on having to go too long.” Lucky’s lips curled into that luscious lopsided grin.

After the two of them dried off, Lucky slipped back into his jeans. Baby threw on a pair of workout shorts and an old Voodoo Room sweatshirt while watching Lucky pull on his black t-shirt.

“Mom’s Biker Bar? Where’s Longview”

“Up in East Texas.” He slipped on his boots.

“How’d you end up there?”

“Happened through there once when I was headed to California. It’s off I-20. I stopped looking for a cold beer and ended up staying for a bit, picking up some odd jobs. Not much of a town, but I met some cool people.”

“Never been there. Never been fifty miles outside of New Orleans for that matter.”

“We’ll have to do something about that. Road trip?”

Baby flew off the bed and threw her arms around Lucky’s neck. The childish act surprised her. “Oh my gosh! Are you serious?”

He laughed and returned her embrace. ”Absolutely. We’ll make plans. But right now, I need to go check on things at Rodney’s. I’ll see you tonight?” He walked toward the living room, Baby following behind.

“Of course. I have the late shift.”

“Speaking of which, Mickey wanted me to tell you that you owed him some time for leaving last night.” Lucky tucked his wallet into his back pocket and grabbed his jacket.

“Was he super pissed?” Baby perched on the arm of the couch.

Lucky tilted his head and rubbed his forehead. “Naw, I think he kinda understood. It was weird.”

Baby nipped at her bottom lip and twisted her hair between her fingers. “Yeah, that is weird.” Anything resembling kindness coming from Mickey was something to be concerned about. That man was full of ulterior motives. Nothing good can come from Mickey being understanding.

Lucky pulled her fingers from her hair. “Damn, your hands are soft.” He drew her hand to his lips. “Don’t worry about anything. I’ll be there with you. I have to get through this business meeting at Gauthier and we’ll plan a trip to get away for a while. Sound good?”

Baby gave an uneasy nod. Something didn’t sit right with her. Nothing was ever that easy. Lucky kissed her before walking out the front door. With the rumble of his Harley, he was gone.

***

Baby blasted some music and spent the next couple of hours cleaning, trying to keep her mind occupied. It didn’t work. Lucky consumed her thoughts, but that uneasy feeling kept creeping around in her gut. Things were never that easy. Life wasn’t one long motorcycle ride. What would happen when they finally got to wherever the hell they were going?

As she finished wiping down the kitchen, a familiar knock on the door broke her concentration. Unbolting the locks, she knew the knock belonged to Ma’Linn. As she opened the door, her friend posed, holding a plate of fresh beignets and a steaming pot of chicory.

“Pale?”

Baby Jade smiled. “Yes, ma’am. It’s the perfect time for a talk.” She stepped back and opened the door allowing room for Ma’Linn to enter. As she passed, she raised her eyebrows at Baby. The woman was worse than the FBI.

The two women sat at the tiny Goodwill table that Baby used as a dinette. She picked up one of the warm, sweet treats and took a huge bite.

Ma’Linn peered at her with prying eyes. “Mmhmm. Dat’s what I t’ought.”

“What?” She giggled, pretending to be clueless at what Ma’Linn was insinuating.

“Ya know what, girl. Look atchya, practic’lly glowin’!”

Baby took another bite. “Ma’Linn, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Manti!” She narrowed her eyes.

“I’m not lying.” Baby laughed at her smirk. “Ok, fine. What do you want to know?”

“Everyt’ing!” she said, settling up to the table like a schoolgirl waiting to hear the latest gossip.

She sipped the hot coffee from the chipped mug. “Well, work was a disaster last night.” Baby filled her in on the details about Slade and his pissing contest with Lucky. She told her about his territorial antics, and how he was trying to get her to start using again.

“I’ll snap his balls right off ’n feed ’em to him with cho sòs!” Ma’Linn flared her nostrils, cracking her knuckles. She despised Slade. Baby was sure she’d spent a good bit of time hexing him and sticking pins into an oversized doll with a blond ponytail.

“It’s ok. I’m fine. I didn’t take anything and I’m still clean.” Baby smiled at the dramatic way Ma’Linn grasped her chest, throwing her hand in the air chanting something about thanks. “Besides, I had some company to help get my mind off of it.”

“Oh, goody-goody.” Ma’Linn rubbed her hands together bouncing around in her chair.

“Yes, as you already know, I wasn’t alone last night.”

“It was dat yummy piece a man hunk dat was here fixin’ ya door, uh?”

“Yes and his name is Lucky. I can’t explain it, Ma’Linn. He’s amazing. He’s sexy, but not in that over the top kind of way. He’s smart. Hell, he’s been to college. He comes from a rich family, the Gauthiers.” Baby shifted in her seat. Sipping from the mug, she savored the bitter taste of the chicory. She had been drinking the New Orleans favorite since she was a kid.

Ma’Linn arched her eyebrows. “Girl, dat don’t be soundin’ like somet’ing you wanna be getting’ mixed up in.”

“I know. He doesn’t sound like someone I’d be interested in, but he’s different. He doesn’t seem anything like the snooty Gauthiers I’ve had run-ins with in the past. I can tell there’s some bad blood between him and his parents. I told him things about myself. Things that only you know. Things about Momma, Slade, stuff I’ve done in past. Actually, almost all of the things I try to hide.”

Ma’Linn’s hung on every word. This was new territory for both of them. “Child! Swear, never t’ought I’d see da day you let dat wall be chipped ’way at!”

“I know! I’m surprised too. And he told me things. He’s been through a world of hurt, and I don’t think he’s anywhere close to being over it. There’s something else there, I don’t know what it is yet.”

“Girl, I’d run if I’s you.” Ma’Linn chomped down on a sugary doughnut. “Unless der’s something good ’nough worth stayin’ for,” she said through a mouthful.

Baby Jade’s cheeks turned a fresh shade of pink. Her heart pounded thinking about the throbbing between her legs, left over from the shower.

“Oh, I see. Der is somet’ing def’nitely worth hangin’ ’round fo’. You already know dat, don’t ya?”

Smiling, Baby nodded. “I plan on doing it again to make sure!”

“I know dats right!” The two laughed until they were practically out of breath. Ma’Linn topped off her coffee cup with hot chicory. She smoothed the crumpled up napkin from her hand until it was wrinkle free.

Baby thought she was stalling. “What’s up, Ma’Linn?”

Still running her hands over the smooth napkin. “It’s ya momma.”

Baby Jade’s back snapped upright. “Is she ok?”

“Yeah, she good. I saw her da ot’er day. She had anot’er episode. She got to be on dat new pill to help keep her calm.”

“Did she say anything about me? Does she want to see me?”

“Naw, baby girl. Not’ing new der, but I keep on givin’ her dat root beer you send.” Ma’Linn reached across the table and patted Baby’s hand. “Sorry, sweetie.”

Baby’s head lowered. She tried to hide her disappointment. After all these years, she should be immune to it by now, but the rejection never got any easier. She shook her head. “No big deal. How’s Phillipe?” she asked, hoping to change the subject.

Ma’Linn gave an aggravated sigh. “Not heard from dat boy in weeks. Tryin’ not to be worried.”

Now it was Baby’s turn to comfort her friend. She got up and hugged Ma’Linn’s plump shoulders. “He’ll show up. He always does.”

“Hmpf! He don’t never disappear for dis long.”