Chapter 2
Chapter two
Titan
At first, I didn’t recognize Ruby when I saw her standing there on that sidewalk. Her wavy chestnut hair dusted with snow, and her cranberry red sweater hugging her figure. My gaze strayed to the tight fit of her jeans, perfectly molded to her ass and long legs.
Then I scolded myself for looking. Just because she was a fully grown woman now didn’t mean I had any right to check her out. She was still my best friend’s daughter, and over twenty years younger than me.
“It’s freezing out here!” Ruby said through her chattering teeth. “Let’s go inside. I’ll get you something hot to drink. My treat, on the house.”
Before I could protest, she hooked an arm through my elbow and dragged me into the coffee shop. Judging by the dark green apron she wore, with the Cup of Heaven logo on the front, I assumed she worked here.
The interior was swathed in Christmas decorations—lights, tinsel, wreaths, candy canes, a Christmas tree in the corner, and a little train that ran in circles underneath it.
When it came to the holiday season, I did my best to make myself scarce. Under normal circumstances, I would bunk down for a week or two in some shit-hole motel, trying to ignore all that Christmas cheer.
But Ruby pulled me right into the thick of it.
“So,” she said, bustling around behind the counter. “Have you been seeing anyone special lately?”
I scoffed and crossed my arms.
“Hell, no. I like my freedom too much for that. What about you? Where’s your boyfriend?”
“Don’t have one,” she chirped, with a trace of smugness in her tone. She actually seemed proud of that.
I didn’t buy it for a second though. Someone like Ruby would have boys swarming all over her in a heartbeat.
“Why not?” I prompted.
Ruby flicked a quick glance in my direction. My stomach somersaulted at those chocolate brown eyes, sparkling with mischief. This woman had no idea how dangerous she could be with a look like that. She lifted one shoulder in a coy, partial shrug.
“Haven’t met anyone half as handsome as you, I guess.”
I sputtered a laugh.
“Oh, I know for a fact your daddy didn’t teach you how to flirt like that.”
Ruby grinned, and I could have sworn the tips of her ears turned pink. She tossed a lock of hair over her shoulder and held out a cup of coffee to me, with my name scribbled in swirling black ink, punctuated by a winking smiley face.
“One Christmas Surprise Special, on the house, as promised,” she declared.
I took the cup, examining the contents—smothered in red and green sprinkles, drowning in a cloud of whipped cream. It smelled sugary-sweet and sharp with peppermint.
“You know, I usually take my coffee with a healthy splash of whiskey,” I said.
Ruby propped her hands on the front counter.
“So, this will be something a little different than what you’re used to.”
With a skeptical grimace, I took a sip. Then I reared back, coughing.
“Holy shit, honeybee. That’s just liquid sugar. Jesus Christ, how can you drink that?”
She beamed, victorious.
“I developed the recipe myself. It’s a holiday regular on the menu now. We do it every year.”
She looked so damn pleased with herself and adorable that I didn’t pay attention when I lifted the cup to my lips and took another drink. I grimaced again—I was too old for this shit.
“Get used to it, tough guy,” Ruby said. “That’s your first taste of our Christmas celebration. All. Week. Long.”
Fuck. What did I just get myself into?
Ruby and Barrett had to work until late in the afternoon, so I kept myself busy around town. Catching up with friends. Visiting my old stomping grounds at the Reckless Order clubhouse.
It felt good to see familiar faces again. Men that I had called brother at one time.
But a few faces weren’t there anymore—packed up and moved to greener pastures. Or simply…passed on.
That part was strange, to realize how much had changed while I was away.
Making the decision to leave the Reckless Order MC had not been an easy one. Especially after so many years climbing the ranks. Wearing the VP patch carried a weight of responsibility with it, and my brothers looked up to me when shit hit the fan.
Then one day, it became stifling. And I had to get out. There were other men who wanted my position more than me, clawing at the chance to hold a rank with as much power as I did.
I was more than happy to step aside and let them hash it out.
Barrett called it a midlife crisis. Maybe that had a ring of truth to it.
All I knew was that there was this gnawing in my gut. This feeling like I was missing something in life. I couldn’t put my finger on it.
My phone pinged with a text from Ruby.
Where are you? Dinner is almost ready!
I found myself smiling at my screen and tapped out a response.
On my way.
Taking it easy on the snowy roads, I headed through town to Barrett’s place.
His two-story farmhouse looked unchanged after all these years.
The same frozen pond shrouded by pine trees.
The same wraparound porch overlooking the mountain range in the distance.
The same pair of muddy four-wheelers we used to ride on the weekend, tucked into the garage.
When I pulled up and parked, the front door opened. Barrett emerged with a kitchen towel draped over one shoulder, and a pair of beer bottles in hand.
“It’s about time you showed up, humbug,” he called. “Get in here. You must be freezing your ass off.”
I chuckled as I climbed the porch steps and accepted the beer he offered.
“Would it kill you to admit that you missed me?”
Barrett scoffed.
“Are you kidding? It’s finally peaceful around here without the sound of you dragging your knuckles all over town.”
He shoved me in the shoulder. We jostled each other through the doorway, just like we used to do when we were boys. Some things never changed, no matter how many years had passed.
In the dining room, Ruby was setting out plates and silverware on the large oak table.
I’d built it for Barrett as a wedding present, and he stubbornly refused to get rid of the damn thing after the divorce, no matter how much I hounded him about it.
I didn’t want him staring at a daily reminder that his marriage was over.
Ruby pulled out a chair at the head of the table and gestured for me to sit.
“As our guest of honor, you get the best seat in the house.”
“That’s really not necessary—”
Before I could finish, she produced a Santa hat from behind her back and tugged it onto my head.
“Now you’re ready for the Christmas season,” she declared.
I shot Barrett a withering look. His lips twitched with amusement.
“Do you see what I have to put up with? I’m glad she finally has someone else to torture for a change instead of me.”
Ruby swatted his shoulder lightly.
“I’ll take my Christmas cheer somewhere else if you don’t like it. And that includes the holiday fudge I have cooling in the fridge.”
Barrett placed a hand over his heart.
“Just teasing, pumpkin. Please don’t deprive your dear old dad of his holiday fudge fix.”
She smiled and kissed his cheek.
“That’s what I thought. You’d be lost without me.”
I watched Barrett and Ruby together, feeling a tug in my chest. He was a very lucky man to have a daughter like her, and I envied him sometimes for that. I always thought a family was out of reach for me. That privilege belonged to better men than I could ever be.
“Come on, come on,” Ruby insisted. “Let’s eat. I’m starving!”
She waved to the spread of food on the table—pizza and wings, my favorite. Not exactly a seasonal feast that I would have expected for a Christmas fanatic like Ruby though.
Instead, this was a meal that said welcome home.