Chapter 31
MAREN
The bell above the door jingles, and this time, I don’t even look up. There have been men coming and going all day. Knox told me they were hangarounds. Bikers waiting to become prospects for the club who want an opportunity to prove themselves useful.
He reassured me that he’d handpicked them, and I had to agree with his assessment that they were hard workers.
They swept glass up.
Then, swept again.
And again.
Until even I could no longer see shards sparkle in the sunlight as it bleached the floors. Given they seem to have it covered under Leo’s supervision, I engross myself in catching up with admin, a task I loathe with all that I am.
“So, you were an unexpected educational interlude last night, Maren,” Sunny says as he places his palms on the counter, making me jump. “Are we to assume that you and the Prez are now knocking boots on the regular?”
I blink and drag myself out of my monthly accounts. “I’m working.”
“That wasn’t an answer,” Sunny says. He’s incredibly handsome. Dimples. Floppy hair that hangs in a mix of curls and waves.
“It wasn’t meant to be one.”
Ridge holds out his palm, and Sunny mutters a curse as he pulls out a twenty and lays it in Ridge’s hand.
“Why are the two of you exchanging money?” I ask.
“Sunny bet me that you’d get all flustered and nervous if we asked you about it. I said you wouldn’t give anything away. I win.”
I look at Sunny. “Serves you right for betting against me,” I say. “Why are you here? More bait?”
Sunny shakes his head. “I’m here because I need to process what I witnessed last night.”
“You’re not processing anything,” Ridge mutters.
“Do we get a club discount now that we’re close friends?” Sunny asks.
And I can’t help but laugh. “No. You get the benefit of knowing you’re helping keep your president’s girlfriend’s business afloat, and I will make sure to let him know just how supportive you are.”
“Girlfriend?” Ridge asks. “More like, old lady.”
“That’s rude. I’m younger than Knox is.”
Sunny laughs. “No. It’s all good. Means you’re his number one. Means the club needs to look out for you. But before we get carried away, being his old lady is something he’d ask you, first. Did he?”
I think about our conversation this morning. About how we love each other. About how he wants kids right away.
My life is about to change in ways I can’t even begin to comprehend. I’ve thought at least four times that I might just be getting carried away. That I’ve fallen hard for the first man who has made me any kind of priority in his life.
But each time, I’ve gone through every reason and realized that, while it is fast, and it is an odd pairing, we work.
I smile as I answer. “I feel like that’s something you should ask your president.”
“Can I ask you a question?” Ridge asks.
I shrug. “I feel like you’ve done nothing but since you arrived.”
“You’ve got history. With Caldwell. With this town. With Knox. With the club. And Knox? He doesn’t do this.” He gestures at me.
Sunny straightens, folding his arms, now, still grinning, but his words are softer. “Also, worth noting, is that Prez has never lost concentration when interrogating someone before. And he let you see him hurt that man. That says he’s letting you in on club shit.”
My chest tightens. I wonder, for a second, if I’m at risk. But then, I try to see what is happening through their eyes. The sand is shifting beneath their feet. And I think about the kind of leader Knox would be in a moment like this. Would he be direct? Empathetic?
“You said you had a question, Ridge,” I say.
“Are you using him, Maren? In any way. To get intelligence for your father. To get back at your father.”
I cross my arms to match Sunny’s. “First, I can’t change who my father is.
But I have no relationship with him. In fact, you might say I despise him.
So, no. I definitely wouldn’t help him with any kind of intelligence.
And I’ve tried to build a life for myself that runs independent of my father and his wishes.
He hates that I paint. He hates this place.
He hates that I didn’t go study law or follow him into law enforcement.
Sure, he hates that I’m with Knox, but it will have zero impact on our relationship. ”
I don’t know where the words came from, but I realize I feel them down to my bones.
My father could disappear from my life, and nothing would happen.
No, my life would be easier. I wouldn’t have to hear how much of a disappointment I am to him ever again.
“You got any more questions, or are you going to buy something?”
Ridge grins. “You passed, Maren.”
Sunny offers me a high five. Not quite understanding what they mean, but because I hate the idea of leaving him hanging, I slap my palm to his.
“What did I pass?”
“Some of the men needed to know where you stood in all this,” Sunny says. “We volunteered to come ask. Those were good answers, and I’m sorry your Dad was a dick to you. I mean he’s a dick to everyone, so I’m not sure why we thought he might not be to his kid.”
“Thank you. Does Knox know you’re here?” I ask.
Ridge nods. “He does. But only because we have the glass for your window on the side of the van. He has no clue about the chat.”
I smile slyly at that. “And would it be problematic if he found out you came interrogating me?”
“Probably,” Sunny says.
Ridge shrugs. “I’ll take my lumps. Needed to hear it from you.”
I sigh dramatically and tap my finger to my lips.
“We just got a delivery of fifty-pound sacks of ice, delivered in bulk, that is cold, wet, and awkward for stacking. It’s a hot day, and it’s gonna melt fast. So, if, say, two big strong men offered to deal with the ice for me, I might be persuaded to keep my mouth shut. ”
“Understood, boss,” Ridge says with a smile.
I press my hands onto the counter and lean forward. “And I’m expecting Knox in approximately fifteen minutes.”
Sunny laughs. “Well played, Maren. Show us where the ice is.”
I pretend to lock my lips together and throw the key over my shoulder. “Go through that door there. The ice just came off the truck. Ask Leo to tell you where to put it. He’s the only guy in there.”
“Is he going to ask questions?” Ridge asks.
“He’s over seventy. He’s not gonna ask questions; he’s just going to be relieved that he doesn’t have to help me do it.”
Sunny salutes, and I watch them walk into the storeroom.
I feel as though I might actually like these men. Having spent years dancing around my father, trying not to say anything that would trigger him in any way, it’s kind of refreshing to be honest with people.
Sunny and Ridge clearly meant me no harm. And I understand they are going to have challenges with their president’s sudden pivot.
Heck, I have whiplash from the speed with which who we are to each other has changed.
Occasionally, I’ll pick up a romance book, and one of the things that always seems hard is how to capture the progression of a meaningful relationship in thirty chapters without making it feel rushed.
The way this has happened would only take ten, I guess.
I settle back to the accounts, and after a short while in the back, Sunny and Ridge set about replacing the glass in the window. Once they’re done, they leave with a wave, but only after I hand Sunny a free bag of bait to compensate for the loss of his bet.
I’m just sending an email to my accountant when the bell rings.
This time, when I look up, it’s Knox. He’s wearing a fitted black T-shirt that hugs his biceps and skims his firm chest. He’s wearing his cut and denim jeans, and scuffed cowboy boots rather than his usual biker boots.
His gaze finds mine immediately, and he smiles at me before curling his finger, urging me to go to him.
And yes.
I melt.
I don’t even pretend to be coy about it or suggest he come to me. Because seeing this man at the end of our working days might just be my favorite thing.
I hurry over to him, throw my hands around his neck as he catches me around my waist, and I wrap my legs around him.
There’s no one in the store, but even if there was, I’d probably still greet him the same way. When our lips meet, I remember how it felt to be taken up against the wall last night.
“God, you smell good,” he mutters as he finally lowers me to the ground. “Taste good too. How was your day?”
“Better than it should have been, thanks to all the help you sent my way.”
“Always gonna look out for you, sweetheart.”
“I just need to go tell Leo we’re headed out. He’s going to lock up for me.”
“You do what you need to do. I’ll be waiting outside.” When I turn to head into the storeroom, he pats my ass firmly.
And yes…I melt…again.
Once I’m done, I grab my purse and head out to meet Knox in the lot. “You’re gonna need to get changed, and you’re going to need this.”
I take the leather jacket from him. It’s a million sizes too big, and likely too warm. “Why?”
He smiles at me, a real smile that touches his eyes and makes me wonder how he keeps his teeth so white. “Because we’re going on my bike.”
My eyes go wide. “Your bike?”
“That’s what I said.”
I glance over his shoulder to where the huge hunk of black metal and chrome sits sparkling in the sunlight. “Would it not be easier in the truck?”
“Are you nervous?” He touches his knuckle to my cheek.
I nod. “Never been on a motorcycle before, and I kind of like my skin still attached to my body.”
Knox chuckles as he dumps a half-helmet on my head that I’ll need to remove to change. “I’m a solid rider. I’ll take care of you. I promise. Take a risk for me, sweetheart. Because I really want you on the back of my bike.”