Chapter 8
CHAPTER
EIGHT
Rain
“So are you going to tell us why you called this emergency meeting?” Aspen asks.
I arrived at Aspen’s house fifteen minutes ago. Maggie was already there, and they already had food laid out. From charcuterie to pizza, crab dip to ice cream and brownies—they covered everything.
Fifteen minutes. That’s what they gave me before they decided enough was enough.
“Words escape me. I don’t even know if I want to speak them out loud,” I admit.
“It’s okay. Whatever it is, you can tell us. No judgment,” Maggie promises.
She is such a sweet soul.
I need to rip the Band-Aid off. Tell them the truth and quickly.
“I married Ridge yesterday,” I blurt out.
Maggie gasps, but Aspen has a silly smile on her face.
“What? Why are you smiling like that?” I ask her.
“I knew you were going to do it.”
“What? How? I didn’t even know until I said the words.” I fold my arms across my chest.
“It’s your family home. Ridge is a good guy. If you had said no, I would have beaten you over the head with a club and dragged you to the courthouse myself,” she admits.
I roll my eyes. “No need to be so dramatic. I married him, and now I’m moving in with him, and I feel like my life is out of control.”
Maggie hands me a glass of wine. “You could have moved into your place. Did you ask Ridge to move in?”
“No. I don’t know if I want to be there right now. The place feels like a mausoleum right now. I’m supposed to go over there today and grab some things, but I can’t even get myself to do that.”
“So did you stay at Ridge’s place last night?” Aspen asks.
I wince. “I told him I was going home, but I ended up at the clubhouse. I tried to go inside, but I didn’t want to be alone. I need to go get my things, though, just so I have something there for nights like tonight.”
“We could go with you,” Maggie offers.
“That’s sweet of you. I think it’s something I need to do alone. This? You being here is enough.” I give them both a grateful smile.
“Well, tell us about the wedding,” Aspen says.
“Not much to tell. We had the lawyer meet us and officiate. We didn’t want to do anything extravagant since it’s not a real wedding.
If it wasn’t for the fact that we were worried the legitimacy might come into question, we wouldn’t have even had the lawyer there.
We would have signed the papers and turned them right back into the clerk of court the same day. ”
Maggie frowns. “Well, we need to celebrate. We will have a party at the new bar. It’s opening soon.”
“Do we have to? Really?” I ask. “It’s not even a real marriage.”
“Did you turn the papers into the state?” Aspen asks.
“The lawyer did.”
She smirks. “Then it’s a real marriage. Are you going to change your last name? I think Rain Harris has a nice ring to it.”
I place my hand on my head. I hadn’t even thought about that. Will I change my name? Would Ridge want me to?
I know my father would, but am I really still considering his wishes?
Of course I am.
“I don’t know. I hadn’t thought about it,” I mutter.
“Well, if you decide to, I can help you with that. Or Meek can. He is really good at all that legal stuff,” Maggie offers.
“Thank you. I will consider it. I’m not even worried about that.
I don’t know how I am going to live with him.
He says he has room for me at his place, and I will have my own space, but how am I supposed to live with him?
I’ve never lived with a man before. It would be different if we liked one another, but we don’t.
All we do is argue. I don’t think I have ever had a pleasant conversation with the man until my dad died.
You saw him before. He is bossy and arrogant.
He is possessive as hell. Do you know that he really told me that if I wanted to mess around that I was free to, but that any man I touch would no longer breathe?
Like this isn’t a real marriage. What the fuck? ” I grumble, downing my wine.
Maggie holds out the bottle, refilling the glass as Aspen tries not to laugh.
“Go ahead. Say whatever is on your mind.” I sigh.
“He is a Mountain River man. Of course he is possessive. This might not be a real marriage to you, but this is Ridge we are talking about. You’re right.
He is everything you listed. You know what else he is?
Loyal to the fucking bone. Of course that man wouldn’t want you with anyone else.
He has told the state and everyone around that you are his.
He wouldn’t want anyone to touch what is his.
You can bet your ass he won’t touch anyone else either. That’s the type of man he is.”
I hate that Aspen’s words resonate in me. She’s right. I don’t know much about Ridge. I have spent years pretending he didn’t exist as much as I could. Still, he is a loyal man. He has already said he would be faithful. I can see how he would want me to be the same, even if this isn’t real.
“I’m not his old lady,” I remind them.
“No, but you are his wife, and in this world, those words mean the same thing. The only difference is that an old lady is for life while marriage can end,” Aspen points out.
I let my head fall back and groan, “This is going to be a painful two years, isn’t it?”
“Only if you make it painful. It could also be good if you let it. It’s all about how you proceed. With hate in your heart or with your heart wide open and ready for anything,” Maggie says softly.
“I won’t fall in love with him,” I tell her. “It’s not a movie. This is real life.”
“Of course not,” she says quickly. “I only meant that maybe you could be friends. Two years is a long time to hold on to hate for your husband.”
She’s not wrong, but I’m not sure I’m ready to give up our former combative relationship. If I do, will I lose myself completely?
I feel like it’s all I have left.
Ridge
“Where were you last night? You missed a sick fight down at the rings. Wolf got in there with Talon. Both came out looking a little worse for wear.” Yak starts his jabbering as soon as I walk into the clubhouse.
“You should have seen the way Wolf bobbed and weaved, missing Talon’s punches only to get him right in the chin.
Oh, Talon didn’t like that, though. He came back even harder, getting Wolf to the ground. It was brutal.”
I knew the guys were all heading down to the rings, a place for us to let off steam in a positive way. Usually, I would have been the first to go. I enjoy getting some licks in every now and again.
I didn’t want to, though. Instead, I waited until enough time had passed and went to Rain’s place.
She wasn’t there, though. I searched the roads for her, worried she might have crashed.
I was on my way to the clubhouse to talk with Meek about it when I saw her car, sitting there outside the place like it belonged.
When I snuck inside, I found her sleeping in Mustang’s room. She was so exhausted that she didn’t even hear me pick the lock.
I left her alone but stayed at the clubhouse the whole night in case she needed me.
That’s my job now. To protect her.
My wife.
“I need a drink to deal with you,” I growl at him.
He laughs, heading over to where we keep the bottles of beer. He grabs one for me and himself before sitting on a barstool as he continues to talk about last night.
Wolf, Eagle, and Panther walk in moments later.
“It’s like two in the afternoon. Why are you two drinking?” Panther asks.
“It’s the only way I can take his incessant chatter. I swear he is worse than one of those teen girl movies.” I take another swig of beer.
“He’s not wrong, Prez. Yak can…well…yak,” Wolf adds.
“You love me for it,” Yak sing-songs.
Wolf pushes him off the stool before taking it from him. “In your dreams.”
“Every single night,” Yak jokes before grabbing beers for everyone else.
I clear my throat. “I have news.”
“What is it?” Eagle asks.
“I married Rain yesterday evening,” I tell them, staring straight ahead, not willing to meet any eyes.
“Is this over the inheritance thing?” Wolf asks.
I nod.
“We will be married for at least two years. I expect the club to treat her as my wife. This might not be a traditional marriage, but she is my wife,” I tell them.
“Of course. We will have to bring it up in church and all that, but Rain was protected even before you married her. She has been part of this club her entire life. We would have never let anything happen to her, with or without her ties to you,” Panther explains.
“I know. She knows that too. Mustang even knew, but he didn’t think she would stay and accept the help from the club,” I confide in them.
“He thought she would run,” Wolf whispers.
I rub my hand down my face. “He thought she would leave all of this behind and never return, which is why it surprised me that she agreed to marry me. I don’t think it has to do with the house or the money, per se.
I think it has to do with the fact that she would be losing it on someone else’s terms. Not her own. ”
“Does it matter why she stayed?” Yak asks softly, as if he is taking something seriously for once.
“No, and had she left, I would have followed. I made a vow to Mustang on his deathbed that I would always take care of her. So whether she likes it or not, I would follow her. She wouldn’t have to know I was there, but I would take care of her.
Even if she decides to leave at the end of this, I won’t break my vow. ”
They all look at me solemnly. They know what that means. If she leaves, I’d be leaving the club behind.
“How are you doing with all of this? Mustang asked a lot of you. More than is fair, really,” Panther probes.
I shrug, unsure what to say.
He claps me on the shoulder.
“I know it’s hard to talk about your feelings when society says we are men and we shouldn’t have them, but it’s okay if you aren’t okay.
We won’t think less of you if you are hurting from losing Mustang or if you are feeling any sort of way about marrying Rain.
We are your brothers. We are here for you. ”
I nod. “I know. I admit it’s hard knowing he’s gone. He was my moral compass. He helped steer me in the right direction. Now I’m navigating being married to Rain, and I don’t have him here to help me. I don’t know which way is the right way.”
Eagle chimes in, “Then you come to us, and we will help you figure it out. None of us is as old and wise as Mustang, but we are smart. Well, with the exception of Yak there.”
I laugh, grateful for his lightening the situation.
“Thanks. Right now, I’m taking it day by day. She’s with Aspen and Maggie. She’s supposed to move in today, but I’m letting her steer the ship right now. I don’t want to put any pressure on her,” I inform them.
“You are a good man. How about another drink and a round of darts? We can get your mind off things and help you unwind,” Wolf offers.
Looking around at my brothers, I feel nothing but relief. These men, who were once strangers, have been a blessing to me. As an angry teen, I thought I would have to spend my entire life relying on myself. I never realized that there would be a place for me to belong until this place.
Until Mustang.
“Yeah, let me kick your ass at darts,” I jest.
They all laugh as we head over to the dartboard, Yak trailing behind with a bucket of beers.
Yeah, I wouldn’t be where I am today without Mustang, but these brothers of mine played an important role too.
Now if only I could get Rain to see how good the club can be, not only for her, but for both of us.