the band’s early days. Back before his troubles with addiction tried to destroy his friendships. He was grateful those bonds hadn’t been completely severed and was more than ready to strengthen them again.
“Do you like Cajun food?” Adam asked Madison.
“Sure do. The spicier the better.”
“Do you want to join Jacob and Owen for a late lunch? They say the restaurant isn’t far from here.”
“I guess so.”
At Adam’s request, Jacob sent him directions and by not far, Jacob meant twenty miles away on a completely different highway, so Adam had a bit more time to enjoy the feel of Madison at his back, the breeze against his neck, and the bike rumbling between his thighs. Life was good. He couldn’t stop grinning.
It turned out the Cajun restaurant was an old camper that had been converted into a portable kitchen. The picnic tables surrounding the little eatery were mostly full. Considering that there were only eight tables, the crowd wasn’t excessive. But the pile of crawdads in front of Jacob bordered on obscene.
“Are you going to share any of those?” Owen was asking as Adam directed Madison to the table with a protective hand on her lower back.
Jacob slapped Owen’s hand and, as his mouth was full, responded with a grunt of denial.
“No one comes between Jacob and his crawdads,” Adam said.
Jacob paused in his feasting long enough to nod at Madison and smile at Adam, but he wasn’t distracted enough to miss Owen’s attempt to sneak another crawdad from his plate.
“We’re supposed to share those,” Owen complained. “That’s why we got a double order.”
“Let’s go get some for ourselves,” Madison suggested.
“Order me another mess,” Jacob said as he snapped another crustacean’s shell to get at the presumably delicious meat inside.
“Get your own,” Owen said and climbed over the picnic table bench to get to his feet. He seemed to notice Madison for the first time. “Hey,” he said, “when did you become hot?”
“She was always hot,” Adam said, wrapping an arm around her waist to hold her close at his side.
“No,” Owen said. “She was always cute . Now she’s hot.”
“Must be Louisiana’s sweltering heat,” Madison said, piling on the Southern accent and fanning herself dramatically.
“I do believe it’s the leather,” Owen said.
“It is rather stifling in this humidity, unless we’re riding. That’s a bit cooler. And fun. I love it. It’s a lot like riding horses, only faster and a bit more predictable.”
She tipped her face up at Adam to offer him a proud smile, and he couldn’t resist kissing her lips softly.
They followed Owen to the order window and talked about Owen’s adventure with disgruntled cattle while they waited for their food.
“Why were you bothering the cows in the first place?” Adam asked.
“They looked bored,” Owen said.
“Cows always look bored,” Madison said and laughed.
“They just need someone to show them how to party,” Owen insisted, drawing his basket—crawdads and Cajun fries, with sides of red beans and rice—across the counter toward him.
“And I’m sure you’re up for the task,” Adam said. He shook his head at his friend and collected his and Madison’s baskets. She carried their drinks and plastic forks.
“I’m a perpetual party, baby,” Owen said as he skirted the table and settled on the bench next to Jacob.
“Your perpetual party is in your pants,” Jacob said, eyeing the line at the counter. His pile of crawdads had dwindled to unacceptable levels, and not one of them was keen on sharing with him when he’d refused to do likewise. He’d even tried to stare Madison down, but she merely raised a brow, pulled her basket closer, and started eating.
“Better be careful with that kind of party,” Madison said with a chuckle, “or you’ll end up knocking up some groupie.”
Adam’s stomach dropped. Jacob produced a full body shudder. Owen turned an unsettling shade of
“Do you like Cajun food?” Adam asked Madison.
“Sure do. The spicier the better.”
“Do you want to join Jacob and Owen for a late lunch? They say the restaurant isn’t far from here.”
“I guess so.”
At Adam’s request, Jacob sent him directions and by not far, Jacob meant twenty miles away on a completely different highway, so Adam had a bit more time to enjoy the feel of Madison at his back, the breeze against his neck, and the bike rumbling between his thighs. Life was good. He couldn’t stop grinning.
It turned out the Cajun restaurant was an old camper that had been converted into a portable kitchen. The picnic tables surrounding the little eatery were mostly full. Considering that there were only eight tables, the crowd wasn’t excessive. But the pile of crawdads in front of Jacob bordered on obscene.
“Are you going to share any of those?” Owen was asking as Adam directed Madison to the table with a protective hand on her lower back.
Jacob slapped Owen’s hand and, as his mouth was full, responded with a grunt of denial.
“No one comes between Jacob and his crawdads,” Adam said.
Jacob paused in his feasting long enough to nod at Madison and smile at Adam, but he wasn’t distracted enough to miss Owen’s attempt to sneak another crawdad from his plate.
“We’re supposed to share those,” Owen complained. “That’s why we got a double order.”
“Let’s go get some for ourselves,” Madison suggested.
“Order me another mess,” Jacob said as he snapped another crustacean’s shell to get at the presumably delicious meat inside.
“Get your own,” Owen said and climbed over the picnic table bench to get to his feet. He seemed to notice Madison for the first time. “Hey,” he said, “when did you become hot?”
“She was always hot,” Adam said, wrapping an arm around her waist to hold her close at his side.
“No,” Owen said. “She was always cute . Now she’s hot.”
“Must be Louisiana’s sweltering heat,” Madison said, piling on the Southern accent and fanning herself dramatically.
“I do believe it’s the leather,” Owen said.
“It is rather stifling in this humidity, unless we’re riding. That’s a bit cooler. And fun. I love it. It’s a lot like riding horses, only faster and a bit more predictable.”
She tipped her face up at Adam to offer him a proud smile, and he couldn’t resist kissing her lips softly.
They followed Owen to the order window and talked about Owen’s adventure with disgruntled cattle while they waited for their food.
“Why were you bothering the cows in the first place?” Adam asked.
“They looked bored,” Owen said.
“Cows always look bored,” Madison said and laughed.
“They just need someone to show them how to party,” Owen insisted, drawing his basket—crawdads and Cajun fries, with sides of red beans and rice—across the counter toward him.
“And I’m sure you’re up for the task,” Adam said. He shook his head at his friend and collected his and Madison’s baskets. She carried their drinks and plastic forks.
“I’m a perpetual party, baby,” Owen said as he skirted the table and settled on the bench next to Jacob.
“Your perpetual party is in your pants,” Jacob said, eyeing the line at the counter. His pile of crawdads had dwindled to unacceptable levels, and not one of them was keen on sharing with him when he’d refused to do likewise. He’d even tried to stare Madison down, but she merely raised a brow, pulled her basket closer, and started eating.
“Better be careful with that kind of party,” Madison said with a chuckle, “or you’ll end up knocking up some groupie.”
Adam’s stomach dropped. Jacob produced a full body shudder. Owen turned an unsettling shade of
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