13. Ashley
So much had happenedsince Gram had been gone. She’d asked Thunder and me to stop by this afternoon to give her an update. I’d had to work at the café and he had to meet with the club officers, so we planned to meet at the ranch.
Scamp ran up to greet me as I stopped in front of the house. His injuries had healed, and he was back to running the ranch. Though Ellie would be missed, I was glad Gram still had Scamp.
Gram met me on the porch with a tray holding a pitcher of lemonade in her hands. “Ashley, honey, it’s so good to see you. I thought we could sit outside and enjoy this beautiful weather while we get caught up.”
“Thunder should be here any minute.” I checked my phone and confirmed he was only about a mile away. Since the nightmare with the Savage Bones, we’d decided to share our locations with each other. I didn’t have anything to hide, and neither did he.
“Come sit down and let me look at you.” Gram set the tray down on a low table and brushed the hair back from my forehead. “You’ve still got a bit of a bruise. Are you sure you should be working so many hours at the café?”
That was Gram, always worried about everyone. “I’m fine. Thunder’s been keeping a close eye on me and won’t let me overdo it.”
At the mention of his name, Gram’s eyes softened around the edges and she sat down. “What the two of you have, it’s genuine, isn’t it?”
I’d been worried about what she would think about me taking up with an older man. Not so worried that I would let it influence my decision, but I wanted her to be happy for the two of us. I took the chair next to her and reached for the pitcher to pour us each a glass of homemade lemonade.
“I love him. He brings out the best in me and makes me feel like the luckiest woman in the world.” I handed her a glass and shrugged. “Isn’t that what you’ve always wanted is for me to be happy?”
Gram nodded. “I always knew you’d need an older man. You’ve got way too much spirit.”
The rumble of Thunder’s bike pulled my attention to the drive. He pulled to a stop behind my car and my breath caught as he climbed off the bike and set his helmet on the seat. Even though the Savage Bones hadn’t been seen around Mustang Mountain for a solid week, Thunder still had at least one or two guys keeping watch on the ranch. He stopped to shake Juice’s hand and send him on his way before he climbed the steps to the porch.
“There you are.” His lips brushed my hairline before he offered his hand to Gram. “Mrs. Thacker, welcome home.”
Gram gave him a sweet smile and gestured for him to join us. “Thank you. I hear you’re responsible for me having a home to come back to.”
He rested his arm along the back of my chair. “Your granddaughter is primarily responsible for that. She’s a force to be reckoned with.”
“I’m well aware.” Gram nodded. “I’ve been waiting to hear the whole story. Now that we’re all here, will you please fill me in?”
Thunder and I spent the next hour telling Gram everything that had happened while she was gone. I glossed over finding Ellie, but made sure to give her all the details about Dusty. She deserved to know what he’d been up to.
“I knew about the fertilizer,” Gram admitted. “Dusty told me they threatened to burn down the ranch if we didn’t look the other way. He and your grandfather had a certain way of dealing with unsavory characters over the years and I trusted him to handle it how he thought was best.”
“Wait, you knew? Why didn’t you say anything?” I glanced over at Thunder, who shifted forward in his seat.
“Mrs. Thacker?—”
“Please, call me Stella,” Gram said.
“Stella,”—Thunder looked from Gram to me and back again—“the Savage Bones aren’t a couple of thugs looking to make a profit with some farming equipment. They’re trying to take over this town. No disrespect, ma’am, but it was foolish for Dusty to think he could handle them on his own.”
“We need to stick together if we’re going to run them off for good,” I added.
“I realize that now, and so does Dusty. You can trust we’ll be upfront in the future. And I’ll talk to the other ranchers in the area. We’re not the only ones they’ve been threatening. The Fosters had their spring supply of fertilizer stolen as well.” Gram took a sip of her lemonade and frowned. “It used to be we knew all of our neighbors and could talk to each other. Now I’m not sure who to trust.”
“You can trust me, Stella.” Thunder held out his hand. “And you can trust the rest of the Mustang Mountain Riders.”
“I know.” Gram held out her arms. “I think we’re beyond handshakes. Can we have a hug instead?”
My heart warmed as Thunder pulled my Gram into one of his huge bear hugs. Everything was going to be okay, at least for now. With Gram back and Dusty forgiven for doing what he thought was best for the family, I was ready to finally head back to Thunder’s cabin and embrace the future together.
“Do you mind if we leave your car here and come back to get it tomorrow?” Thunder asked as we made our way down the steps of the porch.
“You just want to get me on the back of your bike, don’t you?” He’d told me he’d never had a woman ride behind him. I was ready to be the first and the only.
“I can’t stop imagining how it’s going to feel to have your legs wrapped around me.” He held my hand as I straddled the seat. “I used to think being on a bike was the best place I could possibly be.”
“And now?” I shifted forward as he climbed on in front of me, eager to press up against him.
“Now I know being on a bike with you is the absolute best place I could be.”
“And here I thought you were going to say something about being naked on a bike with me would be the best,” I teased.
He twisted around to hand me a helmet. “That’s not a bad idea, Baby Girl. It can be done.”
I laughed as I leaned close for a kiss. “Take me home, Thunder. You can prove it on the way.”