Race the Storm

Chapter 16

"Does eating at a bar still count as laying low?"

"It does if we keep our heads down."

"Literally? I feel like that'd get uncomfortable after a while."

Jax's head whipped up to find Willa grinning at him, the mischievous light in her eyes clearly indicating she'd been teasing him. He groaned, the sound a rumbling exasperated yet amused rumble, while Willa looked on in pure delight.

"Figuratively, got it."

"Trouble," Jax muttered under his breath as he held the door open for her. That's what her parents should have named her. Sweet, trusting, innocent facade, but it all hid a relentless streak of curiosity and stubbornness with a healthy dose of mischief in there.

He could only hope their kid also inherited some of his caution.

Although that had taken time for him to develop too.

Maybe they should name their kid Trouble.

"What's that?" Willa asked a touch too sweetly as they made their way toward the bar, Jax's hand resting light on her back. She's with me, it warned to anyone looking. Figuratively and literally?

"The name of our future child," Jax said, trying to conceal the smugness he was feeling as Willa stopped and stared at him. He pressed on her back slightly, urging her to continue to the bar. A second later she did, but not before throwing her head back and laughing, the sound bright and shiny as it bounced around the bar. Jax frowned at the men who glanced their way.

"I think it's my new favorite thing when you actually make jokes, Jax."

Jax half-smiled, unaccustomed to being the cause of someone else's laughter. In his team, he wasn't known as a funny person. Quite the opposite. "Stick in the mud" was how his teammates put it when they were being polite. When he did decide to kid around, his sense of humor leaned toward the wry side.

They sat down at the bar, and he wondered again if he had made the right choice bringing her here. Granted, the last place someone would look for a pregnant woman was at a bar, but still. He examined the scanty array of bottles on the counter behind the bar while Willa picked up a menu.

"I wonder if they could do a mocktail," Willa mumbled, hidden behind the grimy piece of paper that most likely only offered burgers, fries, and maybe a hoagie. They would have to find less greasy food sometime. Maybe a grocery store run. What exactly was she supposed to be eating? And not eating? He needed to get into contact with their team medic, Malachi.

"What's a mocktail?"

"A drink that looks alcoholic but actually isn't."

"You're going to fake drink?"

"It's a good cover," she said, still behind the menu. "I'm not showing or anything yet, so it's not like people would freak out."

It...wasn't a horrible idea. It would add more credibility to their story without doing any damage, though the bartender would know it was non-alcoholic if anyone came asking.

Jax grabbed a menu of his own. Yep, only burgers and fries. Oh, and a fish option. Best to steer clear of that so far from any big water sources. "I'm not sure if they make a...mocktail. It doesn't look like a cocktail kind of place."

"Look, everywhere can make at least one cocktail," she said, "I think. Makes sense, doesn't it, on the off chance someone who likes froo-froo drinks shows up here?" She smiled. "I do like froo-froo drinks, by the way."

"Drink some water too, maybe," he said, "If they do give you the fake drink." He tucked his menu back into the partially rusted metal holder. "You can pretend it's vodka, if you want."