Chapter 16 #2
I opened my mouth to tell him to lay off when my ringtone pealed loudly. I looked down at my cell phone and saw it was Breanna’s clinic calling. “Gotta take this.”
Boot slid from his barstool. “I have to organize the prospects anyway. Catch ya later.”
I gave him a nod, our conversation already forgotten as my mind snapped to my phone and whatever the latest disaster could be. Then I clicked the answer button and held my phone to my ear, my mind bracing as Bree’s nurse began to talk, all thoughts of Bootneck and our chat gone.
—————
I was determined to get some shut-eye before Aislynn came, but of course, someone upstairs had other plans for me. Breanna had a bad night and had busted her stitches. She’d been taken to the hospital in Nebraska, and I had to sign off on another huge-ass medical bill.
Luckily, I managed to get a quick shower and change my clothes before I went outside to meet her.
It was early April, and spring was well and truly in the air.
I had to admit, Wyoming was a beautiful state, but even more so when the snow melted, and the greenery returned.
It was a lot different from the scorched, sunbaked vista of California.
The melting snow transformed the plains and mountains, and I found that riding, although always good for my soul, brought me a newfound sense of peace.
I found a spot in the shade, put my sunglasses on, and leaned back against the wall of the clubhouse with one knee bent and my boot flat to the wall to wait. It didn’t take long for her Volvo to pull into the parking lot, causing my heart to jerk as I caught sight of her.
Aislynn threw her car door open, and one shapely jean-clad leg appeared, followed by the other. Next came her glorious, long, dark hair, and I felt the corner of my mouth hitch as she stood from the car and turned to face me.
I didn’t move; I couldn’t. I just stood there, gazing at everything she was with my heart beating out of my chest. Her eyes met mine across the parking lot, and her shy smile lit up my world in a way that put the balmy evening sunshine to shame.
God, I’d missed her.
She tossed her incredible hair and began her approach.
I studied her, committing her to memory, ingraining every step she took into my psyche so I could call on it whenever needed, just in case this was the last time I’d see her for a while.
God only knew how tonight would go, but I knew that with everything that was going on, I couldn’t give her what she needed.
Something had to give, and it couldn’t be my club or my boys, so I had no choice.
“Hey,” she murmured as she approached.
I reached out, grabbed her hand, and tugged her body into mine, my hands immediately sliding over her ass and pulling her against me. I nuzzled my nose against hers and breathed in her clean, soft woody scent, wondering how the fuck I was gonna let her go.
“You wanna get outta here?” I asked, smoothing her hair away from her face and cupping her cheek.
“Yeah,” she replied softly. “Let’s go talk.”
I dropped my hand and rested my forehead against hers, my voice low as I murmured, “It’s good to see you, baby.”
“You too,” she whispered.
I stayed right where I was for a minute, my eyes staring into hers, drinking her in. Then reluctantly, I lifted my head, took her hand, and pulled her toward my bike.
Shit had to be sorted, and there was no time like the present.
—————
We rode to a taco van on the outskirts of Rock Springs. It was close to a park, and it had a picnic area where we could sit and talk. Maybe I should’ve taken her somewhere fancier, but I didn’t want to feel cooped up, and it was such a nice, warm evening, I wanted to experience that with her.
I ordered our food and carried the tray over to the bench where she waited for me, watching my every move, much like I had when she got out of the car twenty minutes earlier. Aislynn’s eyes tracked me, and I wondered if she was committing me to memory, just like I did with her.
I rested the tray on the picnic table and handed her a can of Sprite, watching as she opened it and took a long pull. “I’m warm,” she murmured, going into the small bag that crossed over her body and pulling out her sunglasses.
I threw a leg over the bench seat, parking my ass beside her and asked, “How was your last day at work?”
She shrugged. “It was okay. Tristan, Maeve, and Mam came to meet me after and took me out to dinner.”
I gave her a wolfish grin. “I know.”
She rolled her eyes and took a bite of her taco, chewing slowly and swallowing. “Tell me what happened with the boys and their mom.”
I took a bite of my food and chewed while thinking about what to say. All I had was the truth; there was no point dressing it up. Aislynn had a right to know what I was dealing with and how complicated my life was.
“The weekend the boys visited, they admitted how bad things were at home. Their mom’s addicted to smack, and things haven’t been great for them.”
Instead of recoiling or looking down her nose at me, her face took on a look of concern. “How are the boys doing?”
That was the last thing I expected her to say. Any other woman would’ve asked where they fit into all that shit, but Aislynn didn’t seem fazed at all.
“They seem okay,” I confirmed. “I flew back with them to Cali to see how bad things had gotten. Made ’em pack their shit and we flew home the next day. I gave Breanna the choice to stay and kill herself with drugs, or to come back with us and I’d get her help. She chose to stay.”
Aislynn closed her eyes slowly. “Jesus, those poor boys. I bet they were hurt, though the fact she’s here now tells me she changed her mind, so that was good, right?”
“She didn’t change her mind exactly,” I corrected, taking a swig of my soda to fortify myself.
“Seemed her man owed money to some bad dudes. They shot the house up in a drive-by and killed him and a couple of his buddies. Bree got hit, too, but luckily the bullets didn’t hit anythin’ vital.
I had to deal with that, get her medical treatment organized, and then look for a rehab facility. ”
Her hand shot out and covered my hand. “I’m sorry, honey,” she breathed. “It must’ve been a difficult time for you all.”
I just looked at her, my throat burning at the care she was showing my boys and me. Never once had she made it about her or asked what she was supposed to do about it. Instead, she’d sat, listened, taken everything in, and showed empathy.
This woman was something special.
“How are you doing?” she asked. “You weren’t sleeping too well before. Has that improved?”
I shook my head. “I was plannin’ on visiting the VA in Rock Springs, but with everythin’ else happenin’, I didn’t get the time. I will though.”
“Good,” she said with a small smile. “You need to look after yourself, especially when you have two teenage boys to care for. You can’t be what they need if you’re run down.”
I intertwined our fingers together and looked down at where we were connected. “You don’t need to worry about me, Dubheasa.”
“Of course I do,” she whispered. “I lo—” She stopped herself from saying the words, but we both knew what they would have been.
My mouth went dry.
“Any word on the job market?” I asked, swiftly trying to change the subject.
“I’ve applied for a few, but only recently.
I’m thinking of taking a break while I work out what I want.
I’ve got the money from Sketch, and my dad left me an inheritance, so I’m good for a while, and Callum’s offered to buy me out of the bar; in fact, all my brothers and Mam have offered to help me out.
I may even work at the bar for a few months while I plan my next step. ”
My chest twisted at the thought of her working at the bar.
Aislynn was beautiful, and I knew men would hit on her.
I’d already witnessed the effect she had on the opposite sex, and if we weren’t together, I couldn’t stop her from dating.
Hambleton was full of bikers from the Speed Demons.
Most of them were friends of her family, and she’d known them for years, but they took on new recruits every month.
If I’d seen everything she was in one glance, it stood to reason that other men would too, and fuck me if it didn’t make my blood boil.
“Why are we avoiding the one subject we’re here to talk about?” she asked.
It was just like my Dubheasa to not want to play games. Before I could stop myself, I blurted, “I don’t want to end it.”
Aislynn looked as shocked as I felt. Jesus, I’d come here with every intention of pulling back, but I was a selfish bastard because there was no way I was letting her go. I’d always taken what I wanted, fuck the consequences, and Aislynn O’Shea wasn’t going to be the exception.
“It’s gonna be hard for a while to see a lot of you,” I vowed.
“It may only be a few hours here or there, but if you move back to Hambleton, it’ll be easier ’cause you’ll only be a thirty-minute ride away.
Eventually, you’ll meet the boys, so it won’t be an either-or deal.
You just need to get through until then.
I’m not gonna make promises I can’t keep, Ash, but I’m tellin’ you I’ll try to make more of an effort. ”
“I don’t want every minute of your time, Aiden,” she said softly.
“I get you have kids, and I commend you for trying to help their mom. I’ve never demanded you put me first, but I have to get something from you, or what’s the point?
The prime example is that you didn’t contact me for days.
I don’t think shooting a text off to let me know you’re okay is too much to ask. ”
“That was an exception, babe, and you know it. I told you what happened.”
“You did,” she agreed. “And knowing what happened is the only reason I’m not walking away right now.”
I barked a laugh. “You think that’s gonna happen?”
Aislynn rolled her eyes, but she smiled when she did it. “There’s the asshole I know and love.”
My lips twitched because suddenly, the L word wasn’t freaking me out so much. In fact, I kinda liked it.
“How’s your ma?” I asked. “Bet she’s proud of you. Just think, you’re a fully-fledged architect, babe. She’ll be happy as a pig in shit.”
“She’s good.” Her voice took on a broad Irish accent. “Mammy’s all for walloping you with her frying pan, though.”
“I’ll charm her,” I said decidedly.
Ash laughed. “I’m sure you will. You could charm the birds out of the trees. I came here expecting to walk away single, but here we are.”
I brought her hand to my mouth and kissed her palm. “You’re crazy if you think you’re leavin’ me. Told you, once you’re in, there’s no escape unless I allow it.”
Her mouth twisted into a smirk. “Why do I love it so much when you’re an asshole. Any normal girl would run like the wind.”
“You could run to the other side of the world, but I’ll always find you,” I murmured, raising her hand, which was still in mine, to tap my chest. “You’re in here now. You’re under my skin.”
I curled my free hand around the back of her neck and pulled her closer, pressing a kiss to her forehead, then her nose, just breathing her in and allowing the world to fall away for a second.
When I pulled back, Aislynn’s lips were parted, and her eyes blazed into mine.
Our world was small, and nobody else factored except her. The noise of the traffic and the people around us enjoying their evening faded, and nothing felt more right than sitting across from Ash, watching her full, pink lips curl into the pretty half-smile that drove me wild.
“You’re a whole lotta trouble, Dubheasa,” I said, my voice thick with an emotion I didn’t want to admit I was feeling.
“Pot, kettle, and black,” she sassed, looking up at me through her thick, black lashes.
“Eat up,” I ordered, nodding down at her food. “I gotta get back. We’ve got an early run tomorrow.
The sun caught her hair in a way that made me want to wrap it around my fist and drag her mouth to mine, but I held back. We were at a fucking picnic table. Aislynn’s time would come, and when it did, she’d be in no doubt about who she belonged to.
One day, Aislynn O’Shea would be wearing my patch and my mark.