Since I've Been Lovin' You | Happy Lowman/OC (Book 2)

eleven | Cookout

Teller-Morrow was packed by the time Happy and Victoria arrived for the cookout. They'd showered and gotten ready together, both putting the awkwardness from earlier behind them. Victoria didn't hold his sudden coldness against him. She couldn't possibly understand what he was going through, but she could try her best to be supportive.

Happy gave her thigh a squeeze before hopping off the Harley, and he slid an arm around his waist as soon as she was off, too. He'd kept close over the course of the afternoon—reaching out to pull her in for a kiss, running his hand along the small of her back as he passed by. Little touches here and there that made her lips twitch with a smile, her chest swelling.

Lyla was clearly drunk from what Victoria could tell. Her face was flushed red, her eyes glassy. She was wearing a Bride sash with a little plastic tiara on top of her head, and she was laughing loudly at something Juice was saying. He, too, had a crop of dark hair on his head like Happy. She glanced up at her old man, appreciating how handsome he looked, and wished he'd keep it even if it was just for a little while.

Tara was sitting on Jackson's lap with a beer in her hand and a glass of something dark in his. She waved when she caught sight of Victoria and Happy, and motioned for them to come over. She was grinning so hard Victoria thought her cheeks might crack. It was contagious.

"You look like you have a secret," Victoria said as she sat down at their table.

Happy squeezed her hand before heading off to the bar that'd been built out on the lot out of two oil drums and an old wooden door. Rory and Jenn were pouring drinks and passing out beer to the crowd loitering around them. The air smelled like charcoal and seared meat, and Victoria's stomach growled. She'd been too wrapped up in Happy to worry about eating before, and she realized then that she hadn't had anything all day except for coffee.

"Maybe I do," Tara said, glancing down at Jackson who just laughed and shook his head.

"Go ahead," he said.

Tara leaned forward so her face was close enough to Victoria's to whisper. "He finally proposed."

Victoria's eyes widened. Her eyes shifted from Tara to Jackson and back again. "Oh, my God, congratulations!"

Tara pressed a finger to her lips, shushing her. "We're not announcing it yet. We're waiting for everything to settle down."

"I'm so happy for you guys. First Lyla, now you."

Tara nodded toward Happy who was talking to Rory with a fresh beer in his hand. "And you after me, hopefully."

Victoria flushed hot. "I don't know about that."

"He's a fuckin' star struck punk over you, you know that right?" Jax threw in. "The shit he was saying inside didn't sound like a man who's anything but all the way in to me."

That piqued Victoria's interest. "And what exactly was he saying?"

Jax smirked, shrugging. "You'll have to ask him. I like my balls intact."

She rolled her eyes. When Victoria looked back over at Happy, her smile faded immediately. Brandy stood at his elbow wearing a tight black dress and five inch heels.

"What's wrong?" Tara asked, and turned to look in the same direction. "Oh, it's her."

Jax looked as well. "Who's that?"

Victoria felt her blood run hot. Just a few hours ago, Brandy was saying that she didn't want to cause problems, but just the sight of her approaching Happy made Victoria want to scream for some reason. By the look on Happy's face, he wasn't thrilled about it either.