Chapter 17
CHAPTER
SEVENTEEN
Rain
Walking into the clubhouse, I head straight to the bar, and instead of waiting for my turn, I head behind it and get my own drink.
“If you were patient, I would have grabbed that for you,” Chloe, one of the club girls, teases.
“No need. Thanks for the offer, though.” I wink, making her laugh.
Leaving her behind, I head across the room to where the girls are sitting.
“What’s up, bitches?” I ask as I drop down onto the couch by Maggie.
“Hey, when did you get here?” Maggie asks.
“Long enough to grab a drink and find you guys.”
“Aw, you searched us out before your husband? I’m honored,” Kim teases, making me roll my eyes.
“She’s just trying to keep his ego in check,” Aspen quips, making them laugh.
Before anyone can say anything else, the man in question approaches.
“Hey, Viper. You made it,” he says as he comes to a stop next to me.
“Yep,” I say, popping the p.
I act like I hate the nickname, but secretly I love it. I always wondered what it would be like to be an old lady with a nickname. I didn’t want some cute animal, like a rabbit or a fox. I wanted something strong. Dangerous even. Like a viper.
Still, I can’t let him know how much I love it. At least not yet.
Ridge shakes his head with a smile, but what catches me off guard is when he leans down, kissing the corner of my mouth. Before I can even register what’s happening, he pulls away.
“Do you need another drink or anything?” he asks.
“No, I’m good,” I say, feeling dazed.
“Let me know if you change your mind,” he says before walking away.
The girls and I just sit there in silence for a moment, watching him disappear into the crowd.
“Girl, what the hell was that?” Aspen asks. “I knew you were getting to know one another, but it seems things are progressing.”
“Yeah, when did shit change between you? I thought you guys were just doing this for the time being, but it wasn’t real,” Kim adds.
Son of a bitch.
I sigh as I turn to face my friends.
“I took their advice and decided to give things a shot with him,” I tell Kim, indicating Maggie and Aspen.
“Wow. Good. Ridge is a good man. I think he will make you happy.” Kim smiles at me.
“Thank you. I mean, we just had our first date. Things seem to be going well.”
“Like you two are bumping uglies? Having sex?” Aspen questions.
I roll my eyes and shake my head. “We aren’t doing anything physical, at least not yet. Although the thought has crossed my mind. The date he took me on was nothing like I had ever imagined possible.”
“Who planned it?” Kim asks.
“He did,” I admit.
Aspen laughs. “That dreamy look in your eye says that you are falling for that man. It looks good on you.”
I can’t help but smile as I think about the date. It was perfect. I had only wished he had kissed me at the end, but he let me set the boundaries, so it means I am going to have to cross them if I want to go further.
“I know that smile. It means he did something good,” Kim says, making us laugh.
“It was a really great date. Like, honestly, hands down the best date I’ve ever been on,” I tell them quietly. “It was everything I would have wanted, and I didn’t even have to tell him.”
“What did you two do?” Aspen asks.
I launch into telling them how he surprised me with rock climbing and how I kicked his ass more than once when we raced to the top.
I tell them how, after that, we went to the beer spa place and had the room to ourselves.
That we got to know each other while relaxing and drinking a little.
Then he walked me back to my bedroom door and kissed me on the cheek before leaving me standing there.
When I’m finished replaying it, all three women look pleasantly impressed.
“Damn. Who knew he had it in him?” Aspen whistles.
“I love how he did something he knew you would like and something romantic,” Maggie chimes in.
“Doesn’t seem so fake now, does it?” Kim asks.
I shake my head slowly. “No, it doesn’t.”
“Are you okay with that? Are you good with the way your relationship is changing?” Kim questions.
I think about it for a moment and nod. “I am. It might have surprised me when he brought it up, but the longer I think about it, the more it makes sense. The more it feels right.”
“Good,” Aspen says simply.
Maggie nods. “I agree. This is a good thing.”
My eyes move to Kim and see that she’s already staring at me.
“What do you think?”
Kim takes her time answering, picking up her beer and taking another drink.
“I think if you’re happy and are going into this with eyes wide open, then it’s a good thing. I think he could make you happy if you let him,” she says after a moment.
I can’t help but smile at their approval. I know it’s stupid and that I’m a grown woman who can make my own choices, but it’s still nice. It’s nice knowing that my tribe supports this, truly supports this, and isn’t just saying it to appease me.
Before I can say anything else, though, Panther’s whistle cuts through the air.
“What now?” Aspen groans, making me laugh softly.
“Can I have everyone’s attention, please?” Panther says as the music cuts off.
He nods over at Chloe, who’s still behind the bar, before looking back toward all of us.
“We have two announcements tonight.” Cheers cut through the air, making him smile. “First, I would like to inform all of you that the bar will be reopening in two weeks’ time.”
The guys go crazy. The vibrations from their stomping and cheering move through me.
I can’t help but look around at all the brothers and smile.
This.
This is what it’s all about.
Ridge
I watch her as Panther talks. He announces the bar’s reopening, and everyone goes wild. As the girls chat around her, looking shocked, Rain smiles.
“Next up, we’ve decided to go on a memorial ride for our brother, Mustang. Two options are on the table. We could do it now, go somewhere warm like South Texas or Florida. Or we could hold off, and this summer travel to Ontario, Canada,” Panther says.
Murmurs rise through the air, and out of the corner of my eye, I watch Panther raise his hand, silencing everyone.
“We want to bring it to a vote,” Panther says.
Yak raises his hand.
“What’s up?” Panther asks.
“Quick question. Shouldn’t we ask Rain what she thinks before we vote? She is his daughter,” Yak says.
Brothers turn toward her as her face turns thoughtful.
“Do you have thoughts, Rain?” Panther asks.
“I think he would love any of the locations. He loved Mexican food, warm weather, and women in tiny bikinis,” she says slowly, making the brothers chuckle.
“Not wrong,” someone murmurs.
“At the same time, Ontario was definitely a bucket list place for him that he never got to experience. I think that would be a nice ode to him, but it depends on what everyone else thinks. If he were here, I think he would like any of them,” Rain says.
“Do you have a preference, though? Like, is there one you would rather go to?” Aspen asks.
Rain shakes her head slowly. “No, not really. The question really boils down to if we go somewhere most of us have been or if we go somewhere new.”
Panther nods. “Okay, then let’s bring it to a vote. All in favor of Florida or Texas, say, ‘Aye.’”
A few brothers cheer.
“All in favor of a Canadian invasion, say, ‘Aye,’” Panther says.
“Aye,” I find myself saying in unison with most of the room, declaring Canada the clear winner.
I watch as a beautiful smile crosses my wife’s face. Her head turns toward me, and her smile deepens.
“Thank you,” she mouths across the room.
She’s not thanking me for voting for the one she clearly wanted. She’s thanking me for being honest with her. For warning her ahead of time. For giving her another reason to trust me, and for a woman like Rain, trust means everything.
I tip my head toward her.
“So…think you can make a plan to head to Ontario?” Panther asks as he walks toward me.
Reluctantly, I look away from her and turn to face him.
“I already have a partial plan. It just depends on how long we want to be gone and confirming stops,” I tell him.
“Do you think we will have any issues with other clubs?” Eagle asks as he steps next to us.
“There are a couple of clubs located along the way, but I don’t have any plans for us to stay in their areas overnight. If that changes, though, it shouldn’t be a big deal. There are a couple of clubs in Ontario, though, so that could make it a little complicated,” I tell them.
Meek walks up, nodding. “In Ontario, there is a club called Kings of Anarchy. From what I’ve gathered, they have their hands in a lot of pots. If we have trouble with any club, it might be them.”
Panther rubs his jaw. “As long as we don’t step on anyone’s toes, we should be fine.”
“I’ll make sure of it,” I reassure them.
Laughter catches our attention, and we all turn to look at the girls.
“She looks happy,” Meek says, catching me off guard.
Out of all the brothers I figured would notice, I wasn’t expecting him. Not because he’s not observant, but because he usually keeps to himself. He doesn’t try to insert himself into people’s personal lives.
“She is,” I say.
“Let’s keep it that way. The last thing we need is you two going sideways and having to choose between the two of you,” Eagle says, slapping my shoulder.
I bite the inside of my cheek to keep my cool. I know his comment was harmless, but it was unnecessary and slightly insulting.
“I don’t think we have to worry,” Panther says calmly, looking right at me.
“I need a drink,” I mutter and slip away.
I head over to the bar and wait for Chloe to make her way to me.
I feel her before I see her.
“You told me the truth,” she says as she comes up next to me, standing close.
I turn my body and lean against the bar, and she mimics my pose.
“I’ll tell you the truth as often as I can. I won’t purposely keep things from you if I can help it.”
“I’m learning that,” she murmurs softly.
“Are you excited about Canada?” I ask, changing the subject.
The corners of her mouth kick up. “Actually, yeah, I am.”
“Good. I think what I have planned so far you will like.”
“You’ve already made plans?” she asks, eyebrows winging up.
“I have, along with a couple of dates. If you’re up for it, of course.” I smirk.
Her eyes drop to my lips for a second, making my heart rate kick up.
I want her to kiss me. I need her to initiate the kiss first.
Her eyes come back up to mine and are heated. “Well, I do love surprises. I can’t wait to see what you have planned.”
“I won’t let you down.”
“I’m starting to learn that, too.” she murmurs.
“Hey, what can I get you two?” Chloe asks as she comes over to us, breaking the spell.
“Can you get us each another beer, please?” I ask, not taking my eyes off my wife.
My wife.
Two simple words that aren’t so simple.
She might be my wife on paper, but if I have it my way, she will be mine in every way possible. I just have to play my cards right.
Just a little longer.