To Be Loved By You - A Bradley Bradshaw Story

Best Month of My Life

Author's Note: Here is chapter seven of To Be Loved By You. As promised, Rooster is back and we get to take a look inside his head and see what he thinks of the deal he made with Thea!

As always thank you to everyone who has read and voted for this story! It means so much! If anyone would like the bonus content I mentioned in the announcement I published after chapter six just let me know!

Happy Reading!

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The crowd was already thick and loud by the time Thea and Stef arrived. They pushed their way through the throng of bodies to the bar where Bill stood perched, waiting for someone to serve.

"Hey, Pops!" Thea leaned over the counter to place a kiss on her father's cheek and settled down on a stool next to Stef.

"Girls." His gruff voice was hard to hear over the hum of the crowd. He looked at Thea. "You're late. Ryan had to wash the dishes by himself tonight."

Ryan looked up from beside her father at the mention of his name and waved before heading to the other end of the bar to serve drinks.

"Yeah," Thea rolled her eyes. "Sorry about that. Had a hard time getting away from work tonight." Stef had come to pick Thea up and had to wait over thirty minutes before Thea had been able to sneak away to her apartment to change. Robbie, one of the gym's regulars, had stopped her to talk, and seeing as they had gone on a couple of dates in the past Thea had let him talk, not wanting to seem rude.

Stef, who usually tried to get Thea to go out with Robbie again, had not been pleased. She had finally interrupted and practically dragged Thea away from the soldier.

Her father grunted in response. "Waiting on Logan?"

"And Bradley!" The smile on Stef's face was wide and white and Thea wondered if her friend was more excited to see Rooster than she was.

"Oh, you're seeing Bradley again, dear?" Her mother rounded the bar with a tray of empty glasses. She smiled at the two girls as Bill took the tray from her.

Thea could feel the blush rising in her cheeks as she sat under the weight of her mother's gaze. "Yes, Mama."

"He was quite a nice young man, Thea." Gwen nodded to herself, though confusion still clouded her eyes. Her mother was quite aware that Thea hadn't dated a soldier since they lost Charlie and she hadn't told her about her deal with Brad. She was sure the older woman was confused as to why Thea would be seeing him again.

"Yes, he is." She would have to make sure to visit her mother soon and talk to her about what was going on between her and Brad.

Gwen smiled again and made her way from behind the bar. "Well, you have fun tonight girls." She took Thea's hand and squeezed it before taking her tray back out into the growing crowd.

When Thea turned back toward the bar, two drinks were waiting for her and Stef. She took a sip of her rum and coke before turning to her friend. "I didn't get to ask as you were rushing me out of the gym, but what was up with you and Robbie tonight?"

Stef rolled her eyes as she lifted her drink to her lips.

"Come on," Thea laughed. "You used to practically throw the guy at me!" She remembered all the times Stef would invite Robbie to the bar on Friday nights. It was only after Thea had a very candid talk with Robbie that he had given up and started going to the island to celebrate the end of the week.

Waving her hand in the air, as if dismissing the very thought, Stef replied, "Over that."

"Oh." Thea waved her hand in the air to mimic Stef. "You're over that?"