Chapter 23 Goose
GOOSE
“Can’t believe you’re actually doing it.”
“It’s been a long time coming.”
“You sure you’re ready to take this on?”
“No, but it’s too late now.”
The sound of my kitchen being gutted to its bones echoed through the house. Cabinet doors crashed against the floor, wood splintered, and Seven chuckled when the countertop shattered against the sledgehammer.
The way my brothers were going at it, you would’ve thought that demolition was a competitive sport. I was trying to unbolt the last cabinet from the wall when Memphis came up and gave it a hard kick.
“Careful, man. That one’s structural.”
“It’s a cabinet.”
“Yeah, and it’s been holding this kitchen up since 1974.”
Seven stepped over and gave it another firm kick. This time, the cabinet came loose, and the wall did not collapse. At least, not yet.
Seven gave me a look as he muttered, “You’re welcome.”
Across the room, Skid was prying off the old, rotten trim with surgical precision, making sure to remove every last speckle, and Rusty was busy busting up the old tile floor, tossing the broken bits into a wheelbarrow as he went.
Sawdust and grime hung in the air like a warning that my house would never be the same.
But then again, that was the point.
The old gal had been waiting a long time for this, and I had, too.
I just hadn’t been all that motivated to get her done until now.
I found myself wanting my place to be something I could be proud of, and that had everything to do with Presley.
We’d been spending more and more time together, and we were slowly slipping into a routine that felt right in ways I never imagined.
I glanced over to the living room and spotted her sitting cross-legged on the floor next to Tallie. They were going through the various stacks of paint swatches, tile samples, and what looked like three different notebooks between them.
She wanted me to have options, and by God, there were plenty of them.
Hell, I’d never seen so many different shades of blue, and there were entirely too many options for flooring. It was ridiculous. Wood is wood. Blue was blue. But Presley’s eyes lit up any time she came across something she thought I might like.
What she didn’t know was I was more concerned about what she liked.
She was busy talking to Tallie, and she had that little crease between her brows, the one she got whenever she was really mulling things over.
Unaware I was watching, she gestured toward the kitchen like she was planning a hostile takeover.
“If he stays with the dark counters, the cabinets need to be lighter, or it will feel like a cave in there.”
“Caves can be nice,” Seven shouted back. “Dark and homey.”
“Caves are for bats,” Presley piped back.
Tallie snorted, and I felt my mouth pull into a grin. She wasn’t moving in. At least, not yet. We’d talked about it and decided to stick to the plan. We would take it slow and keep it honest. No rushing. No pretending that completing my remodel meant something it didn’t.
But watching her sit there, talking about colors and layouts like she had a stake in it did something to me. Memphis inched over to me and leaned in close as he asked, “You really going to let her redesign the whole house?”
“She’s not redesigning it.”
“Yeah, yeah. You can say that all you want. We know what’s going on.”
The room filled with laughter, and I took that as my cue to make my way into the living room. Presley looked up at me with bright eyes and a smile. “How’s it going in there?”
“It’s going.”
“It’d be going a lot better if you were in here helping,” Skid complained from the kitchen.
“I’m coming. I just have to check in with the drill sergeant first.”
“Hey, now,” Presley fussed. “Don’t go putting your slacking off on me.”
She was teasing, but I caught the flicker of uncertainty in her eyes. She was checking herself, wondering if she was overstepping. I didn’t want her second-guessing, so I crouched down in front of her and smiled. “Not slacking. Just making sure you two are good in here.”
“I think so.” Her eyes dropped down to the swatches as she muttered, “I just don’t want you to think I’m trying to take over. This is your place, and you have to tell me when you don’t like something.”
“Yeah, I know, and I will.”
“You promise?”
“Absolutely. Just do your best to keep me out of debt.”
The words had just left my mouth when there was a crash loud enough to rattle the windows. “Too late.”
“Damnit.” I stood and started back into the kitchen. “What did you do now?”
“It’s fine,” Seven answered. “We’re just giving the place a little character.”
“A hole in the floor is not what I consider character, brother.”
Presley and Tallie laughed, and I couldn’t help but join in, too. And as I stood there in that room with my brothers and her, I felt complete in a way I never had before.
I wasn’t stupid.
I knew Presley had a big part to play in that.
We got back to work, and I was just about to take the stove and toss it on the back porch when Presley and Tallie came in the kitchen. “We’re going to the paint store. Do you guys need anything?”
“We’re good,” I assured her.
“Great.” She stepped over to me and kissed me quickly before starting for the door. “We won’t be long.”
“I’ve heard that before,” I scoffed. “You two will come back here with seventeen different shades of white and batteries for a remote that’s been broken for a year.”
“You could go instead.”
“Not a chance,” I chuckled.
“That’s what I thought.”
Presley rolled her eyes, but she was practically beaming as she and Tallie headed out the door. Once her car pulled out of the driveway, Memphis leaned against the soon-to-be-demolished counter and asked, “You serious about this girl?”
“Yeah.”
“Serious-serious?”
“As serious as it gets.”
He kept his eyes trained on mine as he asked, “So, you trust her?”
And there it was.
No accusation. No judgement. No telling me I was wrong or right.
It was just my brother making sure I was being careful.
I folded my arms across my chest. “I won’t lie.
I struggled a bit after all the shit with Davis.
You know I did, but he fucked them over.
Can’t say I would do any different if I were in her shoes. ”
“That could’ve gone sideways real fast.”
“It could have, but it didn’t.” I could feel myself getting defensive, but I maintained a calm tone as I told him, “And she came clean and admitted everything. She owned it.”
“That’s good. That’s what I wanted to hear.” He gave me a nod. “And I mean that. I’ve built half my life on bad decisions.”
“You and me both.”
“Any word from Davis?”
“Hell, no. I don’t expect to hear from him.”
“You think he’s gone for good?”
“He’s been warned. He knows better than to circle back.”
“He’d be stupid to try it,” Rusty grumbled as he dumped more broken tiles into the wheelbarrow. “Seems we’ve dealt with a lot of stupid the past few weeks.”
“That we have.”
I knew they weren’t just referring to Davis. They were also talking about the bullshit with the Rebel Coyotes. After our altercation, Prez and Shep went on a mission to find everything they could on the MC, and I’m not just talking names.
If there was something to know about these guys, Prez was determined to find it.
He wanted no more surprises. None of us did.
We’d all been walking a tighter rope, and we were the better for it.
That was the thing about being in an MC and facing the things we face. Bruises fade, but the memories don’t.
Not with us.
Seven chose that moment to slam another cabinet free, letting it hit the floor like dynamite. He chuckled as he announced, “That one’s definitely not load-bearing.”
“If this house falls down, I’m coming for you.”
Seven lifted his sledgehammer and brought it crashing down on the next cabinet. “You’ve got nothing to worry about, brother.”
We worked for a few more hours, and when the guys finally filed out of the house, I felt like I’d been at war. The house certainly looked like I had. The kitchen was stripped to the studs, tools were lined along the wall, and sawdust was swept into various piles throughout the room.
But we’d gotten a lot accomplished, and I was feeling pretty good about it as I turned to Presley and said, “Made a good bit of progress today.”
“You certainly did.”
“Looks a bit like a crime scene.”
“That’s a bit dramatic.”
“My kitchen is gone,” I scoffed.
“For now.” She gave me a playful nudge. “But it’s going to look so good when you put it all back together.”
“We’ll see about that.”
We stood there a moment longer, just relishing in the silence, and then reality came creeping in. I glanced over at the clock, and when I saw the time, I turned to her and said, “I better hit the shower. I’ve gotta be at the Vault in an hour.”
Disappointment marked her face, but she didn’t argue or fuss. She simply nodded and said, “Okay. I’ll finish sweeping.”
“I’ll get it when I get back.”
“Or I can get it now. It’ll take two minutes.”
“Hard-headed woman.”
“I am what I am.”
I leaned down and gave her a kiss before heading to the bathroom. I turned on the shower, and in a matter of seconds, steam filled the entire room. I stepped under the hot water and let it rinse the day away, and after a few seconds, the soreness in my shoulders started to fade.
I tilted my head back, and just as I closed my eyes, the shower door opened. I opened one eye and smiled as I watched Presley step inside. She reached for the sponge and doused it with soap before saying, “Turn around. You missed a spot.”
“Did I?”
“Um-hmm.”
Her touch wasn’t teasing or suggestive. It was steady and purposeful, making it clear she wasn’t there to get her rocks off.
She was there to take care of me, and that wasn’t something I was used to.
But I didn’t fight it. I just stood there with my eyes closed, letting her work her hands in slow circles across my back.
The heat of the water mixed with the warmth of her touch had the entire world fading away. There were no thoughts of the club. No threats. No unfinished business waiting to take its bite out of me. It was just her and me, and I couldn’t imagine a better feeling.
“You don’t have to do this.”
“I know.” She inched up on her tiptoes and kissed me on the shoulder. “I want to.”
Her fingers traced along my shoulders, and when she reached a tight spot, she’d work it over, making sure to work out the tension. I rested my hand against the tile, steadying myself as I told her, “You make it hard to leave.”
“Then, I must be doing something right.”
“You most definitely are.”
The water continued to cascade down my back and hers, and I turned slightly, catching her gaze. As much as I didn’t want to get out of that shower, I had no choice. “I’ve gotta hit it.”
My words lingered between us, but I didn’t move. I couldn’t. I was too captivated by the look in her eyes. Damn. The woman got more beautiful every time I looked at her. I slid my hand to her waist and pulled her close as I said, “You’re dangerous, you know that?”
“Not intentionally.”
“Dangerous just the same, but I’m good with it.”
With that, I dropped my mouth to hers, kissing her slow and easy. It was my way of showing her just how hard it was to leave her. Her fingers curled into my shoulders, grounding me as I fought the urge to take her right then and there.
When I finally pulled back, her eyes were slightly closed, her lips were parted, and her cheeks were flushed. Yeah. This was what it was all about. I brushed my thumb along her jaw as I told her, “I really gotta go.”
“Then, go. I’m good.”
I gave her one last peck, then forced myself out of the shower. I took a moment to dry off, then made my way into the bedroom to get dressed. As I pulled on my clothes, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror and was surprised to find a slight smile plastered on my face.
A real one.
Not for show. Not to hide behind.
A real, genuine smile.
Knowing I had someone to come home to did something to me. It didn’t make leaving any easier, but it sure made coming back a hell of a lot sweeter.
And for now, that was more than I could ask for.