Her stomach did a funny little flip. What was he doing? Oh god.
Was he proposing to her?
He smiled at her and then opened his mouth and said something that made her doubt her sanity.
"We're getting married!"
A thunderous cheer went up from the crowd. Except from their table. Kaylie barely noticed that Janet, Jack, Donnie and Sally all looked as shocked as she was. She felt sick, like the world was tilting on it's axis.
"Oh my god."
White hot anger filled her body, replacing the shock. Then she felt like bursting into tears. She had to get out here, go somewhere private where she could cry.
She glanced around for an escape route but people were already starting to crowd the picnic table to offer congratulations. Thankfully, they were crowing around Devlin first.
"I need to get out of here."
"I'll go with you."
She nodded, grateful for Sally's support. Kaylie looked around wildly. They'd have to go in through the clubhouse and out the back. Then they could sneak around around to the other side.
It was the only way. Otherwise they'd be swarmed by well wishers.
Or worse yet, Devlin himself.
"Come on, this way."
Sally set her beer down and followed Kaylie as she murmured 'sorry, bathroom' over and over again. They were inside the cool building and out the back in less than five minutes. She was breathing hard, her mind racing and her stomach in knots.
"What now?"
"If we go around the far side, where the dumpster is-"
"Kaylie?"
She turned to see Devlin standing behind her. He looked utterly baffled. And hurt.
Darn it.
"What's wrong, sweetheart?"
She closed her eyes. There was no holding back now. No running away to lick her wounds and gather her thoughts. It was now or never.
"Weren't you even going to mention this to me before telling the rest of the world?!?"
He blinked, his gorgeous green eyes guileless.
"I thought you liked surprises."
"Devlin, listen to me. You've been making decisions for me since the day we met. But this is something I have to decide for myself. Besides, I am too young to get married!"
He took a step towards me and I took a step back. If he kissed me- if he held me- I would never be able to say what I really felt.
"I thought you wanted this. You said you wouldn't move in with me until we were married."
She just stared at him, mouth agape. How could he miss the point so completely?
"Don't you want to marry me, sweetheart?"
He looked at her with those big green eyes of his and she almost melted. Almost.
"It's not that, Devlin. It's just- I'm so young. And you didn't even ask me! A girl wants to be proposed to!"
"I'm asking you now."
She felt tears welling up in her eyes. How badly she wanted to say yes- to just forget the high handed way he'd asked her- no, told her and say yes.
But she couldn’t.
"I'm sorry I just- I need some time to think."
His face was white as she backed away from him. She'd never seen him look like that. He looked lost.
She grabbed Sally's hand and ran.
Chapter 6
Sally
Sally followed Kaylie around the side of the building and through the crowd around the front gate. Then suddenly they were out on the street. She breathed a sigh of relief as they hurried down the sidewalk.
She didn't like crowds.
Not anymore.
Poor Kaylie was a wreck. It was hard to imagine that the big guy might love her too much. He had pushed too hard.
"You okay?"
Kaylie shook her head. She was walking fast with tears rolling down her beautiful face. Sally put her hand on her younger friend's shoulder.
"Weren't expecting that, huh?"
"How could he? The day you get engaged is supposed to be one of the happiest days in your whole life!"
"I'm sorry, Kaylie."
Sally felt awful for her friend. What a mess. But she was glad to get out of the clubhouse and away from Donnie. Not that she didn't like him. It was that she liked him too much.
That was dangerous for someone like her.
He was dangerous.
A tough guy like him was just the sort who would manhandle a woman. He was a criminal after all. Weren't all bikers?
And she'd seen the way they treated the scantily clothed women at the barbecue. They'd been pure cavemen, taking their pick of the girls without asking.
That's what Devlin had done to Kaylie, even if he'd been sweet about it.
That's what Donnie wanted to do to her.
She shivered suddenly, the image of Donnie throwing her over his shoulder and taking her somewhere private to have his way with her. Her body was hot suddenly. She wouldn't mind that so much.
What she minded was what happened after.
First he'd get used to her, start taking her for granted. Then he'd start barking little commands at her. Telling her what to eat, where she could go, what she could wear. Then came the insults… and finally the fists.