Stone (Bluff Creek Brotherhood MC #11)

Chapter One

Naomi Franks sauntered across the compound, enjoying the moonlight as she took a sip from the second wine bottle she’d borrowed from the kitchen.

Well, “borrowed” wasn’t quite the right term.

She was going to drink it all, so could she really say “borrowed”?

Uncle Locks had said that everything in there was available for all of them, but it still felt a little strange taking something she hadn’t bought herself.

Her daughters were enjoying a sleepover that Uncle Locks and Aunt Hope had organized as a celebration of Naomi, her daughters, and her sisters all moving to the compound.

When she and her four sisters had received the notification from the ancestry thing they’d signed up for that they had cousins, they’d been skeptical.

Their father had claimed he was an only child.

How could they have cousins? Turned out, her father was a big, fat liar in addition to being an all-around jerk.

But on Valentine’s Day, they’d driven to Bluff Creek and met the family that their father had hidden from them.

Naomi had been surprised by the reception they’d received.

They were immediately welcomed as family.

There was no awkward getting-to-know-you phase.

The Franks sisters, along with Bluff Creek Brotherhood MC, had welcomed them with open arms. The love that radiated from her cousins was a breath of fresh air to her stale life.

She wished that weekend could have been only about their new family, but she’d gotten another surprise.

Shocker might be a better term, or even revelation, because she’d been so na?ve.

She’d notified her husband that she and the girls were going to spend the weekend at Bluff Creek.

She’d offered for him to come but he didn’t enjoy spending time with her sisters or his daughters.

She wondered if things would still be eking along in her tired life if Beck hadn’t forgotten her weighted blanket and stuffed animal.

Sure, Naomi could have told her eleven-year-old to tough it out, but Beck was her anxious daughter who didn’t do well with change.

Naomi had made the decision to drive the two and a half hours to Edmond and get the items. Her cousin Beth Franks had offered to ride with her so they could get to know each other.

Beth had kept her in stitches, laughing about all the things that had happened in Bluff Creek.

She’d even explained Finn’s pink hair and small motorbike with the unicorn tail on it.

Naomi had known then that she wanted her girls to soak in everything that Bluff Creek had to offer—a place where family wasn’t only defined by blood but by the deep love everyone had for each other.

When she’d pulled in the driveway, she’d wondered which of her husband’s golf buddies drove a red car. Jared had said he was going to meet a friend for golf. She unlocked the front door, and before she could welcome Beth to her home, a moan from their master bedroom had her pausing.

When Naomi started to call out something, Beth had placed a finger over her lips, keeping her quiet. Beth had walked down the hallway and pulled out her phone. She’d videoed what she was seeing, then looked toward Naomi.

The overwhelming fury that had rolled over Naomi gave her the strength to do what she’d wanted to do for over ten years.

She shoved open the door, and while Jared was scrambling for his clothes with his wet dick quickly going limp, she’d laid down the law.

He was giving her a divorce, and he’d sign whatever she wanted.

If not, the video Beth had made would be on the company’s website and sent to their customers.

He’d nodded, but Naomi had known that he’d change his tune as soon as he talked to her father—the father who had pushed Naomi and Jared together until Naomi gave in.

She took another sip of the wine and walked beside Sarah and Scoop’s house, heading to the other side of the compound.

She didn’t want to go back to her room at Locks’ yet.

She needed to move and not sit still in her room, going over every wrong decision she’d ever made in her life, though she’d never consider her girls anything but the amazing blessings that they were. They brought light into her life.

She should be celebrating. Her divorce was final and Jared gave in to almost all her requests.

He’d wanted visitation with the girls at least once a quarter.

She wasn’t sure why because he’d been disappointed the girls hadn’t been boys, but her lawyer had said it was the only point holding up the divorce and pushed for her to settle.

But then, why did she feel like a failure?

She was divorced at thirty-nine and a single mom of eleven-year-old triplets.

She thought back over all the things she’d wanted after college—so many unrealized dreams. She’d been married but he’d never been what she wanted.

As she walked farther across the compound, she drank more.

At least with the wine coursing through her system, everything had a pretty silvery haze to it.

She started humming, then decided, why not sing.

Jared had always hated when she sang or danced in the house and he’d scream and yell if she had music on.

Well, screw him. She was free and no one on the compound would care if she sang.

She keyed up one of her favorite Queen songs on her phone—Somebody to Love.

She swayed her hips while waiting for the lyrics and drank some more wine.

Wine made everything better. When the lyrics started, she sang along, belting out the lyrics and shaking her hips.

She tilted the last of the wine to her lips, then held the bottle up high as she sang the last words.

As the music faded, she heard clapping behind her. She turned, and Stone, one of the brothers in the MC, who worked at the tattoo parlor, was standing there clapping. She grinned at him. Woohoo! Someone appreciated her singing. Jared could go suck a duck because she could do what she wanted now.

“That was good. I didn’t know when I pulled into the compound I’d get a concert,” Stone said, his lips quirked up, not quite smiling but close. She’d noticed he was one of the quiet ones, observing everything.

She walked toward him and stumbled. Someone must have put a rock in the way. She’d need to tell the guys they should check the walkways better.

“Whoa, are you okay?” he asked, catching her and holding her arm, steadying her.

“I’m fantastic. Celebrating my divorce,” she slurred, swaying a little.

“My house is right there. How about we sit on the porch, and you can tell me how you ended up drinking by yourself for your celebration,” Stone suggested.

She nodded and he led her to the porch. Two rockers with padded seats were on the porch, with a wide side table between them. She stumbled a little, but Stone slipped his arm around her waist and helped her sit. Darn rocks. She’d remember to tell them tomorrow.

“Let me run in and grab us some water,” he offered.

“I had wine, but it’s gone. Do you have some more?” she asked.

He nodded. “Yes, I figured that. I’m not a big wine drinker. How about some water instead?”

She sighed and nodded. She didn’t want him to feel bad that he wasn’t a good host because, hello, no wine. She leaned back against the cushions. The cool night air smelled so fresh—not like in the city.

Stone was nice but then everyone was nice at Bluff Creek.

She hadn’t met one mean person and no one who reminded her of her father or her husband.

They both had the same ideals for marriage, and pew, marriage sucked.

She’d been married for thirteen years. If she didn’t include her girls, she couldn’t remember one time when she was happy with Jared.

Stone returned and handed her a glass of water, sitting down in the chair beside her.

He rocked for a little bit. Sitting with him was peaceful.

It had been a long time since she’d been present in the moment and peaceful.

There were always things she was expected to do.

She wondered why it was never enough. Stone was a man. Maybe he could tell her.

“What do you expect in a wife?” she asked.

Stone coughed, choking on the water he’d been drinking, and stared at her.

“Excuse me?” he sputtered.

“A wife. What do you expect? I realized that sitting here, relaxing, was the first time in so long that I felt peace. Jared expected a lot,” she explained, taking a sip of her water.

It certainly didn’t taste as good as the wine had.

She wondered if it was worth walking back over to Locks’ house for another bottle, but she was a little tired.

“What did he expect?” Stone asked. He had a deep, gravelly voice that she could listen to forever. Jared had a higher-pitched voice that had always sounded a little whiny. She paused. Hadn’t Stone asked her a question? She needed to answer it and quit thinking about Jared, the jerk.

“What?” she mumbled, turning toward him.

“What did he expect?”

“Oh, the house had to be clean at all times, and it wasn’t seemly to have a cleaning company come do it. Laundry should never be in the dirty clothes basket for more than two days before being washed. Dinner on the table at precisely six o’clock and…” she trailed off.

“And?” Stone prompted.

“A woman always wears skirts,” she paused and looked down. Even though he wasn’t here, she’d automatically put on a dress today because she’d been conditioned to his expectations. She hadn’t wanted to anger him.

“You know, I don’t even like skirts. I think he only wanted it because correction was easier,” she muttered, sipping the water.

“Correction?” Stone’s voice sounded off. Had he swallowed his water wrong? See, that’s why she liked wine, it went down smoother.