Super Nova (18 page)

He held out his arms and hugged each woman to his chest. How could he care for them both? Want them both? Finally he was understanding how Eli and Al felt about the gang.

Kaige craved Nola. In his bed—son of a bitch, that would be amazing—but also out of it, for the woman she was. A perfect complement to him. Still, he wanted to indulge in the bond with the Hot Rods. Different yet necessary for him to be complete. Hell, he even thought about sharing Nola with the gang. Watching the rest of the guys pleasure her more than any single man was capable of would please him too. He wanted to give her everything good and enjoyable in the world. As much of it as she could handle.

Shit. He was screwed. Because he didn’t even know how to ask Nola to consider something like that. Would she assume she was lacking? Or that he didn’t value her enough to be selfish and keep her to himself? Would she leave him before they’d really gotten started?

He couldn’t handle that possibility.

The door cracked open and Tom’s voice called out. “Everyone decent in here? I’m comin’ in.”

Kaige’s heart spasmed when their dad popped inside. The man’s eyes bugged out then misted over when he caught sight of Sally. He cleared his throat and turned around for the space of a few heartbeats.

Nola rubbed Kaige’s shoulder, helping him relax the knots forming there with each barrage of emotional intensity, which hit him harder than the last. And they hadn’t even started the damn wedding yet.

“Good afternoon, Tom.” Nola bridged the gap for them, preventing the situation from becoming awkward. She was good at that. At easing friction and keeping things under control.

Kaige wished he had half her social skills.

“Hey, kids.” Tom smiled softly as he joined them, clasping one of Sally’s hands in his. “You’re going to make them so happy. You already do. But…wow.”

A speechless Tom was something to see.

“I love you,
Dad
.” Mustang hugged him, laying her head on his shoulder. “Thank you.”

“Same goes.” He moved as if to ruffle her hair then thought better of it when he took in the intricate knot her mane was woven into. “So…I wanted you to have this.”

Sally leaned away enough to see what he referred to.

Tom held out a worn velvet bag. “You don’t have to put them on if they don’t match or whatever, but…”

“Tom, are you kidding?” Mustang’s lip quivered. “These are Eli’s mom’s pearls, aren’t they?”

“Uh, yeah.” He sniffled.

“I can’t accept these.” Her shoulders shook as she petted the soft material in her palm.

“She would love for you to have them. To enjoy them. I’ve seen you admire them, running your finger over them in her jewelry box.” He chuckled. “They’re pink, even. Trust me. If she were still with us, she’d be setting the clasp around your neck herself today.”

Kaige laid his hand on Mustang’s trembling back. “I believe he’s right, Sally. It’s an honor.”

“Of course.” She nodded vigorously. “I would be proud to wear them.”

“Good.” Without wasting another second, Tom spun her around and fumbled with the catch.

“Here. Let me.” Nola came to the rescue again. She deftly unclipped the gold and realigned it over the nape of Sally’s neck. She handed it off to Tom so he could finish the job with minimal fuss.

When Sally rotated slowly to face them once more, the effect had them catching their breath. Perfect. No detail had been left undone. She couldn’t get any more spectacular than she was right then.

Before they deteriorated into a sob fest, another knock resounded followed by peals of laughter that could only belong to one gaggle of women. Sure enough, Devon popped her head through the door momentarily before rushing Sally with a high-pitched squee.

Kayla, Morgan and Kate—wives of the infamous Powertools crew—were hot on her heels. Estrogen powerful enough to wither Nova’s chest hair flooded the space. Tom was peppered with so many kisses that rings of lipstick dotted his cheeks.

Kaige held Nola’s hand and waited for the crew girls to notice their connection. Considering the videochats they’d had lately, it didn’t take long for them to put two and two together.

“You must be Nola Brown.” Morgan reached out to greet Nola. She didn’t settle for shaking hands. Instead she went straight in for a hug. “You’re even prettier than Nova said you were.”

Kaige did everything possible to keep from blushing. When the hell had he ever been embarrassed around a woman? Damn the crew and their ladies.

Nola beamed. “Thank you.”

Did she not realize how attracted he was to her? He could fix that.

The women began to introduce each other and chat ninety miles a minute. Kaige thought he might get whiplash from zigzagging his gaze between the bunch. Thankfully, they gave him an excuse to rejoin his brothers where back slapping and belching would be welcome instead of this insanity.

“Nova, the bossman is looking for you. They want to take some pictures of the guys together.” Kate nodded toward the door. “We’ll take it from here with Sally. Nola’s sister showed us the signal to start her walk down the aisle.”

Sally inhaled sharply.

“You’re going to do great,” Nola reassured her. “I guess I’ll go find a seat and see you all down there.”

Kaige moved toward the door and Nola shuffled along behind him as if unsure of where she belonged. The women would have none of that.

“Stay, please.” Sally bridged the gap and welcomed Nola into their throng. “I’d love to count you with my friends.”

Grateful, Kaige touched his finger to his forehead in a salute. “I’ll see you ladies in a little while. Knock ’em dead, Sally.”

At the last second, he couldn’t resist. He pivoted on his heel and returned long enough to swoop down and steal a kiss from Nola, who’d already engrossed herself in conversation with Kayla and Devon. He bent her over his arm to really make an impression on her with his roving mouth.

Someone whistled. It might have been Tom.

Nola sighed as she went limp in his arms, allowing him to do as he pleased. Well, kind of. If he’d had his choice, he’d have shoved her onto the kitchen counter and ruined her outfit, tearing it off of her. Impressed with his own restraint, he placed a light kiss on the corner of her mouth then set her upright before swaggering out the door, pretty pleased with himself.

Tonight was going to be one of the best of his life. Certain, he jogged down the stairs to meet the rest of the misfit mechanics and their crew cousins, who waved at him from Tom’s garden.

“I see what was taking so damn long.” Holden met him partway across the grass, which looked greener than usual today. Swinger dusted some blush or some other girlie goop off Nova’s shoulder then straightened the lapels on his suit. “No one said you had time to sneak a quickie.”

“Actually, we didn’t even take our clothes off.” Electricity hummed through him and he wished they had.

“Hey, that can be the best kind.” Mike, the crew’s foreman, slapped him on the back. “Way to go, Super Nova.”

The rest of the guys huddled around. Though they weren’t asking him to kiss and tell, literally, Kaige felt the need to explain. “I meant that it was just a kiss. Except not
just
. You know?”

“Uh-huh,” Alanso practically purred. He grasped Eli’s hand. From the faraway daze in their eyes, they probably did understand.

“All right, we need to keep on schedule.” Amber accompanied the photographer, waving the guys into some semblance of order. “You can give each other shit later. For now, picture time. And if you hurt my sister, I’ll kill you. Or at least make you look hideous in this album.”

Kaige grinned at her and drew an X over his heart. “I promise. I’m not planning to do anything except make us both very happy.”

“I believe that.” She smiled. “But for the record…”

“Loud and clear.” He nodded. The focus shifted to Alanso and Eli, the day and well-deserved bliss. Surrounded by friends, Kaige grew more optimistic by the second. He had one a-
fucking
-mazing life. And a chance to make it even better.

He wanted the goofy grin on Eli’s face for himself. For the first time, he felt like that could be in reach. If only he didn’t fuck it up. Could Nola handle the Hot Rods? What about the twisted parts of him like his unusual proclivities and his nasty temper?

Kaige swore to himself then and there that he’d be different from his father. He’d never let anger limit his possibilities. He was done with blaming genetics for his lack of coping. From now on, he’d do better. Be better. For Nola. The guys. Himself.

Repeating the mantra over and over, he couldn’t believe the following few hours passed in a blur. Before long he found himself by the pond in Tom’s garden. Eli and Alanso stood near the memorials for their mothers as Tom walked Sally down the cobblestone path.

Nova, Holden and Bryce lined up on one side of the trio of honor while Carver, Barracuda and Eli’s cousin Joe—representing the crew—flanked them. An intimate gathering of friends, key clients, neighbors and Tom’s buddies cheered as they formalized a bond that had existed forever.

Even Buster McHightops—who escaped his crate and dashed into the ceremony with a wildflower stuck under his collar from where he’d tore through the beds—refused to abandon his new owners. Odd as it was, their family kept growing…bigger
and
closer.

Kaige glanced up, his stare meeting Nola’s. They smiled at each other. He wondered what it would be like to make the same promises to her one day. Could she be as accepting of their unconventional ways?

So far she hadn’t shied away once.

Nova promised himself they’d discuss it tonight. Maybe while snuggled in bed after some terrific sex. He hoped. The need to be intimate with her, not only physically, nearly brought him to his knees in the midst of the supercharged commitment ceremony.

In his heart he pledged himself again to his garagemates. And maybe to the woman watching him as intently as an eagle.

Bryce nudged him with his hulking elbow despite the ceremony going on around them. “You next, huh? Remember, this guy doesn’t do tuxes. How about you go really informal? I’d appreciate that.”

“Settle down,” Holden hissed. “Hang in a few more minutes and we’ll get you a glass of wine or three. Soon you won’t care that you’re dressed up.”

“Forget the fancy shit. I’ll take a beer.” Bryce laughed as Sally subtly gave him the finger behind her back.

Kaige couldn’t help but join in. And a few minutes later they were downing a couple cold ones as the reception shifted into gear, a welcome relief even in the fading sun of the late afternoon. Food, great company and plenty more drinks loosened Nova enough to dance with Nola when the music kicked up after dinner.

“Your sister did an amazing job.” He leaned in so she could hear his compliment, and hell, just to smell her tantalizing hint of peach. “This is a great party. I’m glad you agreed to share it with me.”

She reached up, surprising him with a firm grip on his dreads as she guided his mouth to hers for a taste of heat and chocolate wedding cake. “Me too. My family thinks you’re great, by the way. Amber and my mom might already be getting ideas. I’m sorry if they’re overbearing.”

“Nah.” He genuinely liked the women, who obviously had Nola’s best interests at heart. “They’re terrific. Hell, I think Tom and your mom might be besties. They’ve been over in that corner talking while they watch the crew’s babies for the past two hours.”

“Have they?” Nola stood on tippy-toes to peek over his shoulder. “Holy crap. I haven’t seen my mom say more than a few sentences to a man socially since…”

A cloud came over her pretty face.

“What?” Nova steered them out of the tent and into the garden. With the ballad at a more manageable level, he sat on the stone bench and pulled Nola into his lap so she didn’t get her dress dirty.

“She and Tom aren’t so different, I guess.” She didn’t resist the magnetism between them. She curled into his chest and let him protect her with the banding of his arms. At least as best he could against the unfairness of the universe. “My dad died in a car wreck when I was six. She never got to say goodbye. None of us did. My mom believed he was run off the road by guys who didn’t exactly approve of a white man marrying a black woman. I can’t imagine someone caring that much about who you love or how you love. Still, she always assumed it was her fault. For a while she…fell apart, left Amber and I to fend for ourselves and her.”

“I’m sorry, Nola.” He rubbed his chin over the crown of her head, wondering how far her acceptance could stretch. “That had to be hard.”

“Of course. But who of you—” she drew a heart around the Hot Rods tattoo on his neck, “—didn’t suffer the same? Hanging out with you guys these past two weeks has opened my eyes. So many people have lived through loss. Learned to move forward however they could. I want to be like you. Not stuck, like my mom was for so long. Maybe still is.”

Kaige squeezed her tight. “Everyone handles things in their own way. Hell, if it hadn’t been for Tom, I think most of us would have fallen apart. And I suppose, without us, he might have done the same. We got lucky, that’s all. Maybe it’d be good for your mom to spend more time with him.”

As long as it didn’t turn out to be bad for the lonely man. Gloomy memories still haunted him sometimes. Though usually not for long. He was always quick to remind them that he’d had the best gift in the world, and that an entire lifetime of his wife’s love wouldn’t have satisfied him completely. He considered himself blessed to have had a taste of heaven.