12. Whitney
Whitney
“So, how have things been going?”
“Pretty good, I guess.” I poured Bridget a cup of coffee and carried it over to the table. “We’re still getting used to things, but I’d say we’re off to a good start.”
“Ah, man.” She gave me a playful pout. “I was hoping you were going to say that you missed the clubhouse and were ready to come back.”
“Oh, there are definitely things I miss.” I sat down next to her and sighed. We’d been at Ghost’s for just over a week, and while it had been great to have our own rooms, I was struggling to adjust. “You, for one. And our morning coffees and those amazing biscuits Misty makes. And I really miss the noise.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, I love it here, but it’s just so quiet. I’ve turned on fans and the radio, but it’s just not the same as hearing the guys rumbling around.”
“Well, you could always come back.”
“I don’t think that’s going to happen.” I glanced behind me, making sure he wasn’t listening in when I told her, “Something happened with Toby.”
“Oh, yeah.” Bridget grimaced. “I heard about that.”
“Seems everybody heard about it but me.”
“Kayla feels awful about it. She had no idea he was out there, or she would’ve locked the door.”
“I know. It wasn’t her fault. I just wish it never happened.” I dropped my head into my hands and sighed. “It’s a lot to comprehend at his age.”
“What’s he said about it?”
“Nothing. I’ve tried talking to him about it, but he keeps saying that he didn’t see anything.”
“Maybe he didn’t.”
“We both know better than that.”
“Yeah, especially with Rus.” A smirk slipped across her face. “He tends to get a little rowdy.”
“Oh, great,” I groaned.
“I wouldn’t worry too much. He’ll come to you if he has questions.”
“Yeah, that’s what Ghost keeps telling me.”
“So, how have things been with him?”
“Better than I deserve.”
“What!” she scoffed. “That’s not true.”
“But it is,” I argued. “He’s just so good. He makes me feel like my crazy isn’t so crazy.”
I leaned back in my chair, and my mind quickly drifted to one of the many times when Sutton had been so patient and understanding with me.
We’d only been there for a day or so, and I was working in Toby’s room. I was at his dresser, putting some of his clothes into the drawer, when Sutton came in with another box. He was right behind me when his boot caught the edge of the rug, and he stumbled.
The box slipped from his hands and hit the floor with a loud thud, and I nearly jumped out of my skin. I whipped around with a gasp, and the scare took my breath. Sutton stepped over to me and placed his hands on my shoulders. “Hey, easy there. It’s just a box.”
I nodded, trying to pretend that I wasn’t on the brink of a panic attack. He brought his hands up to my face and lifted my chin, forcing me to look him in the eye. He inhaled a deep breath and waited for me to do the same.
It was a simple gesture, but it brought a sense of calm that I didn’t expect. “You good?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.” Trying to seem unphased, I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and smiled. “Just caught off guard.”
He didn’t respond, so I added, “I appreciate you bringing in the rest of his things.”
“No problem.” He stood and started for the door. Before walking out, he turned back to me and asked, “You sure you’re good?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. Really. It was nothing.”
He stared at me for a moment longer, then disappeared down the hall. And that was that. He didn’t push. He didn’t make me feel like I was a complete lunatic. He just gave me the space to have my moment and get through it.
It was one of many things Sutton had done for me over the past two weeks, and I was grateful beyond measure. Just thinking about it brought a smile to my face. Bridget gave me a little nudge and asked, “Hey, where’d you go?”
“Oh, sorry about that. I just drifted off there for a minute.”
“Looks like you were daydreaming, if you ask me.” She leaned in with a mischievous smile. “I think someone is a little smitten with our hot, white-haired biker.”
“Oh, I don’t know about that.” I reached for my coffee and took a long sip. “But I gotta say, he’s been pretty great with me and Toby. Whenever we need anything, he’s right there, and he never complains about anything—not even when Toby leaves his shoes in the middle of the living room floor or when he forgets to put his dishes in the sink.”
“Ghost is definitely one of the good ones.”
“Yes, he is.” I raked my teeth over my bottom lip as I teased, “And he looks really good without a shirt on. Like, holy moly, kind of good .”
“Yep, definitely smitten.”
“But I can’t be. It would complicate things too much.”
“And what if it does?”
“Why does he have to be so stupidly good-looking?”
“He is definitely hot.”
“And sweet and patient.” I leaned back in my chair with a huff. “And strong and confident, and when he smiles, good Lord. There are times when I have a hard time being in the same room with him.”
“Hard not to pounce him, huh?”
“The thought may have crossed my mind...”
I shouldn’t have been feeling this way, not after everything I’d been through. I should’ve had my guard up and kept him at arm’s length, but all the little things were getting to me. I just couldn’t help it. There was something so appealing about the way he was always there, even when I didn’t know I needed him. It could be something as simple as one of his reassuring smiles or simple nods of encouragement. That’s all it would take to make the weight on my shoulders seem to fade away.
And then, there was the way he was with Toby—so soft and gentle but manly at the same time. He wasn’t a pushover. He made his points, but he did it with kindness and respect. And he listened to both Toby and me—even when it was something as random as Toby telling him about a silly cartoon or me telling him about a favorite meal I used to make.
It was the way that our quiet dinners never felt awkward or forced. He would just let the silence settle over us and thought nothing of it. He fixed the squeaky bathroom door without me asking him to, and he always seemed to know when I was feeling overwhelmed and needed some space. And when I did, he’d give it to me without question.
He was patient and kind in ways I never expected, and it’s impossible not to be drawn to him. I’d tried to fight it, but I found myself wanting something more than a simple friendship with him. And that was a thought that both terrified and intrigued me at the same time.
“There you go, daydreaming again,” Bridget giggled, pulling me from my thoughts. “You got it bad, girl.”
“No, no. I was just thinking that I should check in on Toby,” I lied. “He’s supposed to be finishing up some homework before the tutor gets here.”
“Tutor?” Her brows furrowed. “I thought he was going to start going to school with Garrison.”
“Well, that was the plan, but after we talked it over with Preacher and Creed, we decided it was better to hold off for a bit longer. For now, he’ll just stick to the homeschool thing, and we’ll see how things are going in a couple of months.”
“And what about you? Are you still going to try to work, or will you just stay home with Toby?”
“Oh, I’m getting a job. I’ve already been looking. I’ve just gotta figure out what kind of schedule I can work out with Toby. It’s just harder without him being in school and all.”
“Yeah, I can see that. I’m around if you ever need anyone to look after him.”
“I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks.”
“Hey, Mom!” Toby called out from the living room. “What’s for lunch?”
“I don’t know. I’ll fix something in a minute.”
“But Maggie’s coming.”
“I know, but...”
“You go ahead.” Bridget stood up as she said, “I’m gonna get going.”
“Oh, no. You don’t have to rush off. It won’t take me but a second to ...”
“No, no. I really need to get going.” She picked up her empty coffee cup and placed it in the sink. “I have a long list of groceries to pick up and a couple of other errands I need to run.”
“Okay.” I got up and gave her a quick hug. “I’m really glad you stopped by.”
“We’ll have to get together soon. Maybe go shopping or something.”
“That would be great.”
We said our final goodbyes, and then Bridget left to run her errands. I knew Toby was hungry and eagerly waiting for me to finish making his lunch, so I went over to the pantry and started grabbing everything I’d need to make his sandwich. I made him a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and then I grabbed the bag of chips. I’d just started to pour some onto the plate when I felt a slight nudge at my back.
I jumped back with a jerk, and the bag of chips slipped out of my hand.
Chips flew everywhere—all over the counter, the table, and the floor.
And Sutton stood in the middle of it all with a stunned look on his face. I felt like a complete idiot. I had no idea he was even home, much less in the kitchen with me. Horrified, I dropped to the floor and started scooping the chips into a pile.
“I’m so sorry,” I muttered under my breath. “I don’t know what happened.”
“It’s fine.” Sutton knelt beside me, and his voice was just as calm as it always was as he told me, “It’s just some stupid chips.”
I glanced up at him, and a part of me expected to find a look of frustration or impatience, but there was none to be found. He just shrugged like it was no big deal and helped me clean up the mess.
“I’m really sorry,” I repeated, and even I could tell that the words sounded heavier than they should have.
It wasn’t about the chips. He had to know that.
He looked at me for a second, then shook his head. “It’s chips, babe. It’s not that serious.”
“I know. I know.”
I forced a smile, and we finished cleaning up the mess in silence. Once we were done, we carried on like nothing had happened, but I knew it bothered him. I could see it in his eyes, but he didn’t make a big deal of it. Instead, he asked, “You and Toby wanna watch a movie later? Maybe order some pizza or something?”
“Yeah, that would be great.” I motioned my head towards the living room. “Toby could probably use a break after tutoring today.”
“Good deal.” He started for the door as he said, “The new Deadpool movie is supposed to be killer.”
“Deadpool?” I gasped. “I was thinking more like that new robot movie.”
“Yeah, yeah. That’d be good, too.” Sutton stepped out onto the porch as he said, “I gotta get to work. Goose is out back if you need him.”
“Okay. I’ll see you in a few hours.”
Seconds later, I heard the engine of his motorcycle roar to life, and then, he was gone. I tried to keep myself busy, but the rest of the day went tediously slow. Toby’s tutor came and went, and I worked on laundry and searched through the want ads. Goose came in and talked for a bit, but he spent most of the day out in the garage working on one of the brother’s bikes.
I could tell by the random curses and sounds of tools crashing against the house that he was struggling. I just didn’t know how bad it was until Sutton showed up. I was helping Toby finish up some homework when I heard him pull up in the driveway and say, “What the hell, brother?”
“It’s a total clusterfuck, man,” Goose whined. “I broke down the carburetor and cleaned it, but that didn’t do shit. So, I changed out the fuel pump, and now, the battery is flaking.”
“Damn.” I got up and watched as Sutton knelt and started looking things over. “Maybe it’s a bad fuse or something.”
“I already checked.”
“Well, it’s gotta be something.”
They both circled the bike like it was some kind of wild animal they were trying to tame. Cocking their heads and staring down at it like it had personally offended them, Sutton finally mumbled, “It’s gotta be the carburetor.”
“Nope. Not it.” Goose wiped the back of his hand across his forehead. “Broke it down twice, and it’s all good.”
Sutton crouched next to the bike and squinted as he inspected every inch. “Maybe it’s the wiring.”
“Maybe, but Rusty didn’t mention anything about it.”
Sutton ignored him and went over to the toolbox. He searched for a moment, then grabbed a wrench and started back over to the bike like he was about to solve world hunger with it. I leaned against the door frame and watched as he started breaking it down.
As I stood there, I found myself staring at Sutton. It was hard not to. He was so damn handsome. Too handsome. I was captivated by the way he moved, so self-assured and determined. He was crouched low, and his muscles flexed beneath his shirt. I could almost imagine myself reaching out and touching them—right along with the tattoos that were peeking out from his T-shirt.
Bridget was right.
I was smitten with him.
I just had no idea what I was going to do about it.
He and Goose stayed at it for almost an hour—arguing back and forth, twisting and turning every movable part, and neither of them seemed to have a clue why it wouldn’t start. I walked over and eased the back door open before asking, “You boys okay?”
“Been better.”
“Yeah, I noticed,” I giggled.
“Something funny?”
“Oh, yeah.” I motioned my hand between them and the bike. “This whole thing has been the most entertainment I’ve had all week.”
“She’s got jokes.”
“Oh, no. I’m serious as can be.” I placed my hand on my hip as I teased, “You boys need me to call over to the clubhouse and get some of the guys to come give you a hand?”
Sutton shot me a look over his shoulder. “We’ve got this under control.”
“You sure about that?” I raised an eyebrow and pointed at the bike. “‘Cause from what I can tell, it’s still not running.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Goose shook his head dramatically. “Just like a woman to talk smack when a man’s trying to get things done.”
“I’d call it ‘helpful commentary’.”
“You better get your woman, brother.”
“I’m going. I’m going.” I held up my hands in surrender, then started backing up. “You want me to call and order the pizza, or should I wait until you get this bike thing figured out.”
“Go on and call ‘em.” Sutton tossed his wrench back into the toolbox. “I’m done with this shit for the day.”
“You’re just gonna leave it?” Goose fussed.
“Yeah, that’s exactly what I’m gonna do.” Sutton started walking up the front steps as he told him, “We’ll figure it out in the morning.”
“What about the pizza?”
“Goodbye, Goose.”
Sutton opened the door and walked into the house, letting the screen door slam behind him. I might’ve felt bad for Goose if I hadn’t known how he and Sutton were with one another. They gave as good as they got, and they were better friends for it.
I ordered the pizza while Sutton took a shower and changed clothes. As soon as he was done, he came into the living room. The dirt and grime was gone from his clothes, and he smelled like soap and cologne. He sat down in his recliner as he asked, “So, what about that movie?”
“We’re game if you are.”
“Absolutely.” He reached for the remote and started flipping through the channels. “I’m guessing the movie I suggested earlier is out?”
“Afraid so.”
“What movie?” Toby piped in.
“Doesn’t matter.” Sutton cocked his brow. “Your mother says it’s a no-go, so it’s a no-go.”
“Aw, man.” Toby fell back into the cushions with a huff. “I bet it was something cool like Deadpool or something.”
Sutton glanced over at me with a smirk, but he didn’t say a word. He kept flipping through until he found the robot movie I’d mentioned. “How about this one?”
“Looks good to me.”
He started the movie, and we hadn’t been watching it for long when the pizza arrived. I grabbed us some paper plates from the kitchen while Sutton got us some drinks, and then we made a makeshift picnic in the living room and ate as we continued the movie.
Once we finished eating, Toby got back up on the sofa with me, and I covered us both with a blanket. It wasn’t long before he started to get still, and his eyes started to grow heavy. I knew it was only a matter of time before he crashed. Glancing over at Sutton, I couldn’t help but smile when I saw that his eyes were glued to the screen. He wasn’t exactly thrilled about watching a cartoon, especially one about a robot, but he was clearly captivated by it.
And just like that, I found myself staring at him again. While I enjoyed looking at him, it was his lips that fascinated me most. I could stare at them for hours, and all the while, I would imagine pressing my lips to his, feeling them on my neck or better yet, that sweet spot on the crook of my inner thigh.
His hands were equally captivating—so strong and calloused. He could solve the world’s problems with those hands, and he could make me come undone while he was doing it. I could feel myself getting worked up, so I turned my attention away from him and back to Toby. He was curled up on one of the sofa pillows and part of my leg, and he was out.
I didn’t want to wake him up, so I carefully shifted to my side, trying to get in a position to move him. I didn’t get far before Sutton was up and standing over us. “Looks like our boy is out.”
Hearing him call Toby ‘our boy’ made my chest tighten. I knew he hadn’t meant it like it sounded, but it got to me just the same. I smiled as I sat up and inched to the edge of the sofa. “Yeah, I better get him to bed.”
“I’ve got him.”
He leaned down and slipped his strong hands underneath him, gently lifting him into his arms. He cradled him against his chest like it was the most natural thing in the world, and it made my chest tighten in a way I didn’t expect.
I followed as Sutton carried him down the hall to his room. He laid Toby down on the bed so gently it almost hurt to watch. It showed a tenderness you wouldn’t expect to see in a man like Sutton. He pulled the blankets up over him and waited for a moment, making sure that he was still asleep.
As usual, Sutton treated Toby like he wasn’t just some kid he was protecting but someone he truly cared about, and it meant the world to me. Once he was certain he was okay, Sutton turned and walked back over to me.
He closed the door, and for a moment, neither of us said anything.
I swallowed, feeling that lump in my throat I’d been pushing down for weeks now. “Why do you have to be so good?”
He didn’t respond.
He just stood there holding my gaze as I said, “You’re good to him, and you’re good to me, and you don’t expect anything in return. How is that? How do you make it all so easy?”
“You’re the one who makes it easy. It’s you. All you.”
There was a magnetic pull between us. It was so strong it made every nerve in my body tingle. I felt it any time we were close, but at that moment, it was stronger than ever. Before I knew what I was doing, I took a step closer and inched up on my toes, carefully pressing my lips to his. I thought he would push me away or tell me to stop, but he didn’t.
Instead, he kissed me back.
At first, it was soft and gentle, like we were both feeling it out. But then his hand came up, cupping the side of my face, and he pulled me closer. A light moan escaped my lips as he delved deeper into my mouth. I could feel everything in that moment—the safety, the comfort, the promise of something more.
My hands began to wander on their own, roaming over his chest as they explored the curves of his perfectly defined muscles. I was just starting to get lost in the moment when Sutton inched back, breaking our embrace. Confused, I looked up at him, and the second I saw his expression, I knew I wasn’t going to like what he was about to say.
“This isn’t a good idea.” His eyes never left mine as he said, “It’s too soon.”
“But...”
“It’s too soon. End of discussion.”
I longed for the moment when he would stop resisting and give into whatever this thing was between us. But that wasn’t going to happen tonight, and I feared it wouldn’t happen any time soon. I wondered how much longer I could wait.