9. Chapter 9
nine
T he morning after the fund-raiser, Cooler sat at the kitchen island in the house he now shared with his bride, their son, and his daughter.
He was drinking his first cup of coffee and watching RaeAnn—one of his fave occupations—as she moved about the kitchen, fixing them a nice breakfast.
Both of the kids were still in bed. He knew this because their bedroom doors were still shut, and no sound of movement could be heard above his head.
He fuckin’ loved having both of his kids in his house. Knowing what they were up to in their daily lives, hearing them chatter with each other and with their friends, although Cassie did this so far only on her phone, as her friends from school in the Tri had either stayed there, or scattered to other places for jobs.
She’d make friends here, though. His girl was friendly and confident, always had been.
So she’d be fine… although right now, she was not. And this bothered him. He did not like to see his girl down. And when she was, he wanted to fix it.
As was his habit when it came to the kids, he shared with RaeAnn. “You see Cassie last night?” he asked.
RaeAnn turned, spatula in her hand. “No. I was in our bedroom when she came in. Why?”
“I was watching TV,” he said. “She traipsed through ‘bout midnight, looking like she lost her last friend. I tried to talk to her, but she mumbled something about a headache, and went upstairs.
“Well, she’s had that cold,” Rae said, as she dished up two plates of eggs, sausage links and toast. But, she was frowning as she set Cooler’s plate before him. “Still, she seemed in a great mood when she left here.”
Since he’d worked the races and car show, and Rae had worked a long day Friday doing hair and makeup for a wedding, and then the concessions at the races, they’d mutually decided to skip the concert.
So they’d been home, relaxing in front of the TV when Cassie left for the concert. And Rae was right, his little girl had been bouncing with excitement when she danced out their front door, although she hadn’t said a word about who she was meeting there.
“Thanks, baby,” he murmured now, reaching for the hot sauce. “This looks great.”
“Mm-hmm.” She refilled their coffee cups, then slid onto the stool beside him. They ate in silence for a moment, then she looked over at him. “So, you want me to try and talk with Cassie?”
“Would you?” He gave her thigh a grateful squeeze. “Got a feeling it’s something to do with some guy, and she don’t wanna talk to me about that.”
Rae smiled at him. “Only because she knows you’ll want to punch any guy who made her feel bad.”
“Damn straight.”
She leaned over to kiss his frown away. “I’ll talk to her.”
What she did not tell her husband was that she had a pretty good idea who the guy was. Because she’d seen Cassie dancing with Heavy at the wedding, and she’d seen the look in Cassie’s eyes. And even then, in the midst of her own wedding party, she’d had an uneasy feeling about that look. Those had been stars in her step-daughter’s eyes.
RaeAnn knew what it felt like to fall for a Flyer, one who wasn’t yet ready to settle on one woman. She looked over at her husband and smiled, because in her case, the wait had been long, but worth it.
Catching her look, he paused with a forkful of eggs halfway to his mouth and raised his brows at her. “What? I got ketchup on my face?”
She laughed quietly. “No. I just like looking at you.”
His gaze going soft and warm, he leaned over to give her a kiss. “I like lookin’ at you, too. A lot, ‘cause you’re a helluva lot prettier than me.”
Breakfast finished, Mac took his plate to rinse it before sticking it in the dishwasher. “All right, I gotta run a couple errands. But later on, it’s supposed to be a real nice day—you up for a ride on the back of my bike?”
“I’d love to go for a ride on the back of your bike, husband.”
He came back to give her a long kiss. “All right then, wife. Later.”
After Mac was gone, RaeAnn sat with her coffee for a while, and thought her thoughts.
When she heard a toilet flush, and then soft footsteps on the stairs, she was ready. She knew the footsteps were not those of her son, because he always pounded down the stairs in the morning in search of food he could shovel into his mouth along with at least a quart of milk.
Feigning busy-ness, she picked up her phone, and began to thumb it, checking the latest online news and gossip.
Cassie traipsed into the kitchen, barefoot and clad in a pair of mint-green pajama pants and tee, her hair flat on one side, sticking up on the other, her eyes heavy, mouth drooping.
“Hey, hon,” Rae said casually without looking up. “Coffee’s hot, and there’s eggs and sausage links.”
“’kay,” Cassie said, so quietly Rae could hardly hear her.
Rae’s heart squeezed, and she had to quell the urge to wrap her in a big hug. Go softly, she reminded herself. Cassie was clearly hurting, but she’d need to open up on her own terms, or maybe not at all.
Cassie poured herself a cup of coffee, added the vanilla creamer she liked, and then slowly came toward the kitchen island, leaning on her elbows on the other side, mug in her hands, gaze down.
“Oh, my God,” Rae said, shaking her head at her phone. “Maisie Maxwell is having another baby, can you believe it?” The country singer and her husband already had three, all little boys if Rae remembered correctly. “But then, if I was married to Lance Harding, I’d probably be happy to pop out little carbon copies of him, too.”
Cassie smiled, but it was more a twist of her lips that did not reach her eyes, Rae noted.
They sipped coffee in silence for a few moments.
“So, how was the concert?” Rae asked, still casually.
“Music was great,” Cassie said, and then heaved a deep sigh, one with a catch in it.
Rae tipped her head in inquiry. “How ‘bout the rest of it?”
Cassie hunched her shoulders, staring into her mug. “I went, uh, by myself. Ended up hanging with Drew, ‘cause he was alone too. I… um, oh shit.” She blew out a breath, and spoke again, her words tumbling over each other. “I invited H-Heavy, and I thought I was asking him to meet me as my date, but I-I guess he thought I was just asking if he was gonna be there, like ‘see you there’, y’know? And so he brought a-a date. And honestly? She’s all thin and turned out, but a total bee-yotch. But he d-doesn’t seem to see that at all.”
Rae made a soft sound of sympathy and understanding. “Aw, I’m sorry, honey. That’s a crappy thing to have happen. I tell you, men are amazing, and we can’t live without ‘em, but sometimes … they can make us crazy.”
Also, it was a cold, hard fact that when a man was getting him some from a woman, he might choose to ignore her bitchy side. And sometimes he just never saw it, even though others did.
Cassie huffed a laugh. “Yeah, I’d say you went through a lot of years of dad making you crazy, huh?”
Rae grinned wryly. “Yeah, although, he was worth it in the end.”
Cassie took a drink of coffee, and set her mug down with a little thump. “Well, I need to face facts. There’s not gonna be any happy ending for me, not with Heavy. He just … he doesn’t even see me as a woman, just a kid.”
RaeAnn could not argue that, so she sipped her coffee and waited.
Cassie took a deep breath. “I think… it’s time for me to move on. And I guess, maybe the reason Heavy doesn’t see me as a woman is because—ugh—I don’t look like one. I mean, I’m already small, and have a baby face. So I need to--to make some changes. Figure out how to look more mature. If stars like Ariana Grande and florence Pugh can be small and still look like bombshells… I can at least upgrade a little, right?”
RaeAnn sat up straighter, her eyes widening. “Of course, you can,” she agreed, hoping her voice didn’t sound too eager.
She guessed she failed, a bit. Cassie looked up, a wry twist to her lips. “I know,” she said. “You’ve been super tactful, offering me a free session at your salon, instead of saying, ‘Geez, Cassie, fix up a little.’”
“No, no,” Rae said instantly. “It’s just that… Honey, you’re just so damn pretty. I would love to help you play up your best features. That’s what we stylists do.”
Cassie wrinkled her nose. “That’s sweet, and I’m not doubting your skills, but… honestly? All you Flyer old ladies are so… so gorgeous. You all have boobs, and hair that won’t quit, and you’re all pretty. Guys notice you.”
RaeAnn knew the sudden and ferocious urge to reach across the miles to the Tri-Cities, somehow, someway, and bitch-slap the selfish twat who had raised this girl, and failed to help her see her own beauty, her potential. Taking a deep breath, she reached across the counter and took Cassie’s hands in hers.
“Cassie, listen to me. I know what every one of those old ladies looks like with no makeup on, and her hair wet, and slathered in green or purple goop. And let me tell you, most of them—us—owe a whole lot of those second looks to how we present ourselves. Now you… you have, thank God, your own mind and heart, and your daddy’s big laugh, but you do know you could be your mama’s younger twin, don’t you? You have her eyes, her heart-shaped face, the same lovely skin.”
Cassie blinked. “Uh… no? I mean, she’s gorgeous l-like you are.”
RaeAnn nodded. “Uh, yes! I mean, of course she’s gorgeous. You know your daddy has fabulous taste in women.” She widened her eyes comically.
This got a snicker. “He does. But I… I always just think of myself as taking after him. And he’s handsome for a guy, but… y’know.”
“But you want to look like a woman, which you should, because the only way you take after him physically that I can see is hair color, and height. But, look me in the eye, honey. Am I lying to you?”
Cassie smiled again, and this time it reached her eyes. “No. Okay, I hear you. And thanks, Rae. I guess I just needed to hear it from someone besides Daddy, you know?”
RaeAnn smiled back. “Listen, gorgeous girl, if you hadn’t had your eyes full of one guy these last few months, I’m betting you may have heard it from other guys, too.”
Cassie snorted. “I don’t know about that, but I appreciate you’re willing to spend the time to help me out.”
Well, now it was time for a hug. RaeAnn slipped from her stool and around the island to Cassie’s side, where she slid an arm around her stepdaughter’s shoulders and squeezed gently. “Not exactly a chore, sweetheart. You and I may have been brought together because of your daddy, but you’ve become one of my all-time favorite people, you know.”
Cassie’s face crumpled, and she let out a sob. “Y-you t-too.”
“Aw, honey.” RaeAnn turned her into her embrace and held her close, rocking them both side to side as Cassie wept.
Finally, the younger woman drew back, reaching to swipe her wet face with her sleeve. “Sorry,” she mumbled.
“Hey, none of that,” RaeAnn said, still rubbing her back. “I’ve always wanted a daughter. I’m here for you to cry on and talk with any time.”
Cassie sniffled. “I’m not usually like this—I mean, I’m never like this.”
RaeAnn nodded, because this was true. Cassie was one of the bubbliest, most positive people she knew. But throw love in the mix, and anyone could go dark. “Love does strange things to us all.”
“Well, I hate it.”
RaeAnn got that. There’d been years when she’d felt the same way. She and Mac had gotten to their happy, but it had taken a whole lot of tears getting here, at least on her part. On his side, it had seemed to involve a lot of wild living to try and convince himself he didn’t need her—because men, particularly bikers, would rather do any crazy-ass thing than admit they were hurting.
She hoped with all her heart that Cassie did not have to wait that long.
RaeAnn had to admit she had a soft spot for Heavy, and she’d be fine if he ended up being Cassie’s happy. He was hot, sweet and he was a Flyer, which made him part of their extended family, in ways that meant he and Cassie were both part of the same support network.
And, they couldn’t be that far apart in age. Cassie was now twenty-two, and Heavy must be about twenty-seven or eight. Heavy, Rav, Streak and Drew—and that damn Jason, if the Flyers put up with him long enough to patch him in as a brother, which she hoped they did not—were the new generation of Flyers.
Also, Heavy already owned his own business, which seemed well on its way to being successful. And a mother wanted the best for her girl.
So, she would do her part to help him ‘see’ Cassie, not as a girl, but as a sweet, vital, attractive woman worthy of his attention. Now that would be something good, even if Cassie decided to move on to another man. She liked Heavy, but she loved Cassie. And any man who hurt their girl should suffer regret—a huge dose of it.
Rae didn’t mind helping to deliver that dose.
“Anyway,” Cassie said, giving her wet face another swipe with the tissue Rae handed her. “I need to focus on just—just being me for a while. I’m done chasing after a man. The next one can chase me.”
Rae lifted her coffee cup in a toast of approval. “Hear, hear.”
“And that doesn’t mean I’ll let the next guy catch me,” Cassie added, thrusting out her chin in a way that was just like her father. “’Cause I probably won’t.”
“Of course not,” Rae agreed. “Not the first one, anyway. A woman’s gotta be choosy.” Lord knows she had been.
She’d had her chance with plenty of guys over the years—good-looking guys, with good jobs, some of them great in bed, some with a great sense of humor. But somehow, none of them had made her want to put a ring on it, until Mac had roared back into her life.
Sometimes, it paid to wait for the right man to get his head out of his behind.
That same morning after the Ride concert, Heavy sat in the kitchen of the Flyers' clubhouse, a cup of strong coffee in front of him.
Manda, T-Bear's old lady, was bustling around the stove, where she was cooking up breakfast for the Flyers who were around. The delicious smells of bacon, ranch style potatoes and fresh coffee wafted in the air.
Velvet, the senior old lady by a whole lot of years, was setting the table, laying out paper napkins and utensils, and humming along with the quiet country song playing through the speakers up on top of the tall cupboards.
Her man Webb sat at the table along with T-Bear, Drew and Jason. The two brothers were discussing Michelin tires vs Dunlop for their bikes, while the two prospects listened respectfully.
Heavy wasn't really paying attention. He was in a contemplative mood. He'd had a good time at the concert last night, and a couple rounds of hot sex afterward, but he hadn't been sorry when Britt went back to her hotel room instead of spending the night.
After months of being welcomed into this chapter, and made a part of the Flyer family here, and being around the brothers who had old ladies--Stick, Pete, Rocker, T, Moke, Streak and Cooler, and even their nomad brethren over in Idaho, Jack and Keys, Heavy was starting to think that maybe, just possibly, he wanted more than occasional hot sex with his hookup of the month.
If this many brothers in a chapter could find a good woman and make that work... maybe, he could too. Maybe after all, he could transcend his own family's shitty choices and do as his successful Flyer brothers did instead.
He'd done it in all other ways. He owned his own business, he was fit and healthy, not addicted to alcohol or drugs, nor in and out of jail on a revolving door basis, and he lived in a clean apartment, not a shitty single-wide in a tumble-down trailer court.
And many of his Flyer brothers had, by some miracle, seemed to have found women they could trust to stick with them. Women who looked to their men for love and protection, and who gave that love back with interest, caring for their men in the ways only a partner could. Keys had both a woman and a man, which was awesome for him.
Maybe it was time Heavy himself looked around for an old lady of his own.
And yeah, that kinda gave him chills, like a ghost walking over his grave. But he’d had the guts to go after his other goals. So why not this one? Why not dare to dream he could find a gorgeous, sexy gal who thought the sun shone outta his eyes, and whose smile could warm him in return?
His dream woman wouldn't be Britt, he knew that.
After he and she were through with each other's bodies, they just didn't have all that much to talk about. And although she'd been sugar sweet to him lately, he knew damn well that was about keeping her product on the shelves at his gym, as much as the pleasure of his cock.
Also, he’d known from their competition days that she could be a bitch on wheels when she chose. And it was clear she still let the bitch out, especially on other women. Like the way she’d spoken to Cassie last night at the concert—not okay, and he’d let Britt know it, no holding back.
Cassie was a great gal, and she was Flyer family. Nobody got to put hurt in those big blue eyes.
He grinned into his coffee mug as he realized his little blonde buddy was the female he most enjoyed talking with and teasing. Even more so than Rav’s old lady, Della, who was funny and would go toe to toe verbally with any of the guys. She and he had hit it off as Rav guided him through his first months in the chapter, but Cassie was … she was just in a class of her own.
He'd check in with her today at the gym, make sure she was okay.
Matter of fact, he'd corner Drew after breakfast and question him about how his date with Cassie had gone. The prospect better treat her right, or Heavy would know the reason why.
Meanwhile, he himself might could be on the lookout for a more mature version of Cassie. Yeah, that was it. A woman he could talk and laugh with about anything. And she had to have a sexy ass too. And strong, curvy legs, and a smile that lit up a room.
Taller? Nah, that wasn’t all that important to him. And he wasn’t one of those guys who insisted his woman have yards of long hair, or a huge rack.
But definitely older than her. And for Chrissakes, not a daughter of one of the meanest mo-fos in the club.
"Heavy," T-Bear boomed, in a way that said it was not the first time. "You best wake up, bro, or you're gonna miss out on my Manda's dee-licious chow."
Heavy looked up as T thumped down a big skillet of fried potatoes on the table, and Manda set down another of scrambled eggs. Between these sat a pan of bakery cinnamon rolls, and another of muffins. His stomach growled, and he realized he was starving.
"Thanks, Manda," he said fervently. "This looks great."
She gave him her shy smile, her cheeks pink from the heat of the stove. "T really likes my ranch-style spuds, so I figured you guys would too."
"You better believe I do, mama," the big ginger agreed, giving her a side hug before pulling out the chair next to his for her. "I got me a sexy woman who can cook--I'm a lucky man."
"Yes, you are," Velvet agreed, at Heavy's elbow with the coffee pot. "All you boys have done real well. Now we just got to find a nice gal for Heavy, here."
He grinned at her. "I'm holding out for a woman like you, Velvet. Might take me a while."
Webb chuckled. "That's for certain. They broke the mold after they made my Velvet."
Velvet beamed and nudged Heavy's shoulder with her sharp elbow. "Listen to him. No fool like an old fool."
They all laughed, and then dug into the excellent breakfast, which meant the men all used their mouths for chewing, and the two women chatted quietly as they ate more slowly.
Heavy added ‘liked to cook’ to his list for an old lady. Not that she had to be an expert chef or anything, but she should be willing to get into the kitchen and try. He could run a blender, man a skillet and a grill, but with the gym, he didn’t have time for much more.
And as long as he was dreaming, might as well go whole hog, right?
He reached for the cinnamon rolls just ahead of T, who scowled as Heavy forked another onto his plate.
“Snooze, you lose,” Heavy said, and then jerked his plate back as the big ginger playfully grabbed for it.
“T!” Manda admonished. “You know I have another pan of those at home, just for you.”
T sat back and smirked at Heavy. “That’s right, you do. One more reason you’re the best old lady in this club. ‘Cept for Velvet, o’ course,” he added hastily.
Velvet cackled. “Somebody’s angling for free babysitting.”
Manda blushed, and T beamed.
“Wait,” Heavy said, cluing in. “You guys expecting?”
The two gave each other one of those looks couples exchange, full of secrets.
“Hopin’,” T said. “And workin’ hard at it, if ya know what I mean.” He waggled his bushy brows.
Heavy watched the two smile at each other, and determination solidified inside his chest.
Yeah, he wanted that. He might not want kids right away, or ever—with his background, he hadn’t really put much thought into wrangling a family of his own. In fact, he might make the world’s worst dad, who the hell knew?
But he’d damn sure enjoy the other benefits of having a sweet, sexy woman of his own.
Which meant he was definitely on the hunt.