CHAPTER 8
Madison
I decided today was not gonna be the day I figured out the whole job situation.
Nope.
One of my favorite authors has a new release today and I’m in need of escaping into the fantasy world of shifters.
I love all sorts of romance books, but when I need to escape reality, a book with shifters is my go-to.
I love the packs, the alphas, and everything that goes with them.
This one is the start of a new series and I’m excited to see which characters I fall in love with in this series.
I’m almost halfway through the book when there’s a knock on my door.
“Who the hell could it be this time?”
Great, girl, still talking out loud to yourself.
That’s not weird at all.
I go to the door and look out the window.
I see who it is and open the door.
Max stands there with his hands in his pockets.
“What are you doin’ here in the middle of the day? Don’t you have work to do for all your clients?”
He gives me a half-grin.
“Haley kicked me out of the office.
She said she’d cleared my afternoon and I needed to come talk with you because I’ve been extra assholey this week.
Her words.
She said she had things taken care of and she was gonna get some work done without me driving her nuts.
Kierstie is watching Benji for her today so she’s excited for the quiet.”
I can’t help but smile at what he just said.
“I knew I liked that girl.
She keeps you on your toes.
She’s good people, that one.”
I let him in and he nods his head in agreement.
“She is and she’s strong like you too.”
I don’t know what to say to that.
I know he won’t have eaten ’cause he’s always forgetting to, so I head into the kitchen.
I know he’ll follow.
I open the fridge and start getting things out to make sandwiches.
I turn and set everything down on the island.
Max sits on one of the stools opposite of me.
“I know I didn’t technically say anything to you at the reception, but then, I didn’t check on you after… well, after everything.
I tried to think about what to say and then it hit me that you and I haven't talked like we used to in a good while.
I just felt like a shit brother.”
I grab the good bread out of the bread box and start working on a sandwich for each of us.
I can’t help but shrug my shoulders.
“You were busy, first with finishing law school then jumping into a practice with clients as soon as you came back.
I know you work long hours, Max.
You’re doing good and important work.
I can’t be mad at that.”
I slice the onions then the tomatoes, using the task to give me a second to think how I want to say the next bit.
“I can’t be mad ’cause you’re doing great work, representing people who need a voice.
I do miss our talks.
I miss our breakfast conversations.
I know that’s selfish ’cause you’re helping so many people, but—”
He reaches out and grabs my hand.
“It’s not selfish.
What’s the point of helping people and doing the work I am, if I can’t be there for my family? Family is everything, and you’re part of that, Madison.”
He’s gonna make me cry, damn it.
“I know I am.
I guess I felt like everyone was moving on and finding careers they love and making something of themselves and I was here not moving forward with anything.”
Max tilts his head like he’s studying me, so I go back to making his sandwich.
It’s almost ready when he speaks up again.
“I never really thought about it, I guess.
I mean, you’ve always been there, not shouting for attention or anything, but you’ve always been there taking care of us.
Shit, look at now.
I hadn’t said anything about being hungry, but you just knew I hadn’t eaten and here you are taking care of me.
You take care of all of us and ’cause you do it so quietly, I don’t think one of us realized it.”
He stands up and moves around the island and pulls me into a bear hug.
“I’m sorry, sis.
I’m so sorry for not seeing you.
You’re so important to me.
I’ll never not see you again.”
I can’t help but hug him.
“Think you can squeeze in starting our weekly breakfasts together again? I really missed Max and Mads time.”
He chuckles as I used the name we used to give our early morning summer breakfasts together, the ones we had before the rest of the house would be awake.
“I’d love it.
Think Mick will be okay with me stealing you away for breakfast once a week?”
I move to look up at him.
“Yeah, he’ll be alright with it.
He knows what family means to me.”
Enough of this emotional stuff.
“Now get back over there so I can finish and you can eat.
I bet you haven’t eaten since dinner and who knows what you had.”
He scoffs but goes back to the stool he was sitting on.
“I ate at Ry’s last night, so I ate good, but I had to spend the evening with Nicky going on about you and how none of us know just how awesome our sister is.
I swear, between him and Haley, you’ve got a fanbase that’s loud and pushy.”
That makes me smile like a lunatic.
I love that I’ve got friends who stand up to my family on my behalf.
Maybe I’m not as much of a loner as I thought.
I finish putting his sandwich together, push the plate in front of him, and turn to look through the cabinets for a bag of potato chips.
I always have a few bags, ’cause let’s be honest, you can’t have a good sandwich without chips.
It’s just not right.
I find the ones I’m looking for and reach for them as Max talks through his bite of sandwich.
“Sis, you seriously make the best sandwiches.
Like I don’t know what you do but they’re honestly the best.
Even better than Ma’s.”
Holy shit, he didn’t just say that did he? Voices from the front door get me out of my head instantly.
“Little brother is right.
Your sandwiches are sent from the gods.
You think you got stuff to make a couple more?”
Rory asks as he and Juan stand just inside the front door both looking a little lost.
Well, shit.
How can I say no to that?
“Yeah, I can make a couple more.
Have a seat.”
I watch Ror sit next to Max, stealing a chip off his plate.
Juan doesn’t sit down though.
He walks around the island and comes and stands right in front of me.
I look up at him and I’m shocked.
It looks like he’s got tears in his eyes, but that can’t be.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen Juan tear up over anything.
All of a sudden, I’m engulfed in a hug.
Juan rests his forehead in the crick of my neck.
“I’m sorry.
I’m sorry for the shit I said.
I might not have known how to talk to you, but I didn’t even fucking try.”
What’s up with my brothers, all trying to get me to cry? I feel like I’ve cried more in the last few days than I have in the last few years.
“I should’ve spoken up earlier, too.
I let things go ’cause I didn’t want to be a burden to anyone.
Let’s put this all past us and move on from here.
I’m tired of crying and, frankly, I’ve missed you turds.”
I get one more squeeze from Juan and he lets me go.
Juan sits in the stool on the other side of Max, exclaiming, “Thank gods ’cause I’m a starving man over here and it’s been forever since I had one of your sandwiches.”
I can’t help but roll my eyes at him, always mister dramatic.
He looks at my reaction and continues.
“I mean, seriously, does Mick know the epicness that is your sandwich making? I tried to get Jane to make them and she admitted that she can’t figure out what you do to make them so good, but she wants the secret too.”
That right there is almost the best compliment I’ve ever gotten.
“I can’t give her that, it’s a secret that’s mine and mine alone.”
I get to work making their sandwiches and just enjoy the banter between the four of us.
I’ve missed this.
The guys all hang around for a while with Max being the first to take off but with a promise of our breakfast next week.
Rory and Juan start to head to the door, needing to get home and help with the boys.
I go to watch them leave and Rory stops on the porch and hugs me.
“Love you, sis.
I meant what I said that night.
My going away was not your fault.
Not one day in there did that thought ever cross my mind.
You’re some of what’s good in this world and I’d do it again in a heartbeat to protect and defend that good.
Remember that.”
I squeeze him back.
“I’ll work on that.
Love you, too.”
He lets me go and heads over to his bike.
I watch them both take off and I can’t help but feel just a bit more settled.
Well, almost settled.
Just missing two in my world.
I don’t know how, but I know Mick had a hand in all of this and it just makes me love him even more.
Mick
The last couple of weeks Madison and I have gotten into a routine and I couldn’t be happier.
We spend most nights at her place ‘cause let’s be honest it’s just more of a home than my apartment.
My place has always just been a place to crash ‘cause I’ve never decorated it or even bothered to get a dining room table.
I knew it wasn’t where I was going to stay forever, but just a place to sleep while I saved for a house.
I’m still saving, but want Madison to help pick out the house when it’s time since it’s gonna be her home too.
Thankfully she’s worked things out with Kierstie and her brothers.
One night last week, Kierstie came over and they yelled at each other then cried and hugged.
I just fucking stayed out of the way.
Shane had warned me that she was on the way over and said if I valued my life, I would hide out.
I decided it was the perfect time to watch the game in the bedroom.
I don’t know what was said but an hour later I came out of the room to them eating ice cream on the couch and watching some movie that had them both crying.
That’s when I texted Shane to give him a heads up when Kierstie left still teary-eyed when the movie ended.
I foresee more of those texts between us in the future because those two girls are a roller coaster of emotions when they’re together.
The last holdout was Pres.
It took him till family dinner last Sunday to talk to my woman.
We arrived at Ma and Pa’s and he was sitting on the porch waiting for us.
I don’t know what all was said other than the big guy started off by saying “Jane says I can’t come into dinner till I talk to you and quit being such a grumpy ass.”
I left her alone on the porch with Jon to talk things out.
When Jane greeted me she mumbled something about he’d been sleeping alone for the last week.
She was firmly in team Madison and didn’t have three kids and was done with his bratty ass.
Sounds like my girl has a bigger backing than she ever realized.
She’s amazing and deserves it.
I just finished up at the shop and am gonna go pick up my girl to take her to dinner at Mom’s.
She said she wanted us over and needed me to do a couple of things for her.
That usually means a lightbulb needs to be replaced or some other sort of thing she can’t reach.
She knows I’m always happy to take care of that stuff for her and if it’s something beyond me, I’ll call one of the brothers who can do it.
I know she forgets sometimes, but she’s still part of the club family.
Dad dying didn’t change that.
I remember when Mom was laid up after she broke her hip, which she only did ‘cause she fell off the fucking roof trying to clean the gutters by herself.
Erik gave her a talking to after that and reminded her that she wasn’t fucking alone and that if she didn’t ask for help for shit like that my dad was going to come back and haunt her ass about shit.
That got her to laugh and since then she’s been pretty good about asking.
I pull up to the house and as soon as I turn my bike off, I hear music playing loudly inside the house.
Fuck.
Depending on what’s playing, Madison is either really pissed the fuck off or really happy.
I really hope it’s the latter.
Opening the door, I can tell the music is coming from the bedroom.
I walk toward the bedroom.
Fuck me .
I can’t help but stand in the doorway and watch.
She’s dancing around singing completely off key, but that barely registers ‘cause she’s dancing around in her bra and panties.
I reach up and wipe the drool from my mouth.
I am one lucky son of a bitch to be able to be the one to enjoy every luscious curve on her body.
She’s completely oblivious to me and right now that’s just fine.
Watching her move around and be so free and happy is a sight I didn’t know if I’d ever get to see a few months ago.
She keeps dancing and turns around, finally seeing me.
“AAAAAAAHHHHHHH! Oh my gods, you scared the crap out of me!”
Madison
My heart is beating out of my chest.
Mick just scared the ever loving fuck out of me.
I was just minding my own business, listening to music and getting dressed after my shower since I spent the day helping Ma in her garden.
Mick has this look on his face like I’m a gourmet dinner and he’s about to devour me.
Oh my.
He stomps over to me and picks me up, my legs immediately going around his waist.
He kisses me, and I feel his intensity as he demands entrance.
I know women’s lib and being strong is important, but I can’t help but love when he’s demanding and in charge like this.
It’s so hot.
He breaks the kiss with a growl from deep in his chest.
“Fuck me, love.
Watching you dance around looking like this…gotta have you now.”
He moves as he’s talking and before I realize what he’s doing I’m flying backward and landing on the bed.
He grabs my panties and yanks, ripping them off in one move.
Holy shit, that’s hot.
He takes off his shirt and every time he does that I drool at his broad chest that’s peppered with tattoos and a light dusting of hair.
He’s just solid everywhere.
I want to let him, so I sit up quickly and grab his jeans, unbuttoning them and pushing them down just enough to be able to release his hard cock.
I see the glistening of precum on the tip, and lean over and lick it.
“Oh fuck me, fucking hell.”
I love when he starts getting vocal, it’s hot as hell with his deeper voice.
In one move I take him into my mouth as far as I can without gagging.
I haven’t been able to take all of him in my mouth just yet, but I’m gonna one day.
I’m not an expert at this, but effort is the important part, right? I move my hand around his cock close to the base to help and get a rhythm going.
“Oh fuck.
Oh shit yes!”
After what feels like just a minute or two.
He pulls out and moves away from me, breathing heavily.
“Fuck you’re good at that, but I wanna come buried inside of you baby.
Get on your knees.
This is going to be fast and hard.”
Oh I love when he’s teetering on the edge, he gets so bossy and in control and that does something to me.
I get on my hands and knees on the bed.
Mick grabs me by my hips and scoots me to the edge of the bed.
I can’t help the moan that comes out when he smacks my ass. “Ohhhhh.”
He slaps the other cheek and in the deep voice that seems to only come out when he’s turned on he tells me, “Ass up in the air now.”
I stick my ass up more and am dying for him to get inside.
“I need you in me, now!”
Ugh! He smacks my ass a couple more times.
“You’ll get me when I fucking say.”
See? Hot and in control.
Fuck me.
I’m about to beg again ‘cause I need him inside of me when he enters me all the way in one stroke, completely filling me.
“Oh gods!”
I hear the sound of him smacking my ass again before the feeling registers.
“Not a god, your man.
The only man who’s ever going to get to feel this amazing pussy.
Fuck! Shit! You’re so tight, baby.”
He’s got such a fast pace going, pulling what feels like almost all the way out and slamming in hard and hitting the spot that’s already got me tingling and I can feel it building.
I’m not sure if I’m speaking words or just gibberish at this point.
He always gets me there and this time’s even faster than the last.
Mick
Fuck! I’ve never felt anything so good.
Her pussy sucks me in every time and just when I think it can’t get better it does.
“Mmmm oh yes! That! That! That!”
She always says the same word when she’s right on the edge.
Wanting to come with her, I grab her ponytail and pull slightly.
“Yes! Fuck!”
I love how she’s not quiet, and she just feels and everything comes out when we have sex.
The tingle starts and I slam into her over and over again, feeling the moment she begins to come and shake as the orgasm hits her, setting off mine.
“Fuck! God damn, baby, that’s it.
Come for me.”
I keep slamming into her till I stop coming, wanting all of my seed inside of her.
The wish that’d I get her pregnant only gets stronger every time we do this.
I pull out and can’t help but push back in to make sure nothing leaks out.
I’ve never had that urge before Madison.
Shit, I never even thought to have sex without a condom before her.
She turns me all feral.
I always want to claim her in every way possible.
She’s crashed face down on the bed, still breathing heavily.
I lay down next to her.
“You all good baby?”
She turns her head to look at me and has a big smile on her face as she nods.
“Oh yeah.
I don’t know what brought that on, but we could do all of that again sometime.”
I can’t help but smile at her answer.
“So you liked the spanking and light hair pulling?”
She nods emphatically.
“Oh yeah.
I love when you go all alpha during sex.
It’s hot.”
I can’t not kiss her right now.
She’s so fucking it for me.
When I break the kiss, I have to ask, “So you like what we’ve done before, is there anything else you’ve been thinking you might be interested in trying?”
I can tell she’s thinking, but fuck if I can stop myself from adding in.
“With me.
Just you and me.
No one else gets to see you like this.”
She fucking rolls her eyes at me.
“I know, I don’t think I’d ever be comfortable doing anything with anyone else and besides I don’t want to share you either.”
Why the hell does she bring out this growly part of me? She does though and I kiss her again, a nonverbal reminder that she’s fucking mine.
Reminds me I wanna talk to Mom soon about the ring.
She’s an artist and I think she would love to help me pick out a ring.
“Not that I minded obviously, but why were ya dancing around only wearing your bra and panties this late in the day?”
Madison gets up and opens a drawer to get a new pair of panties out.
I might have to buy her some more ‘cause I think I’m gonna end up tearing a few of them.
She makes me lose control like that.
She starts grabbing other clothes as she answers me.
“I was at Ma’s and helped her in her garden and replanted some of her flowers so I was all dirty and had to take a shower before dinner at your mom’s.
You’ll be happy to know the cherries on her tree are almost ripe so you can have your cherry pie.”
I start fixing my clothes and redressing the bit I had taken off.
“Ma does make the best cherry pie.
She always has.”
She turns and looks at me with her jeans and bra on, but shirt in her hand.
“You know, last year she taught me how to make it.
If your mom shows me how to make her scalloped corn like she said she would, I'll have two of your favorites I can make.”
I reach over to her and pull her into my arms.
“You’re my favorite everything.
I think you wanting to know how to make my favorite stuff is icing on the cake.
I’d love you if you couldn’t even boil water.”
Madison
Well shit.
How’s a girl not supposed to melt at that? I kiss him with all the emotion he just brought out in me, but break the kiss ‘cause if it kept going we would most definitely be late to his mom’s.
I love looking into his blue eyes, they show his heart and I love that.
“Yeah, well, I am Ma’s daughter and I can’t let you starve and you can’t have sandwiches for every meal.”
I put my shirt on and go to grab my shoes.
“Baby, if they’re sandwiches you make, I sure as fuck could have them every meal.
Jameson, Saxon, and Micah all called me a fucker when they found out you’ve been making me one for lunch at work every day.
Asked what they had to do to get that.
I told them to get their own fucking women ‘cause you’re mine.”
I can’t help the eye I give him.
“I don’t think sandwiches was an innuendo for anything else.
Those three are like brothers to me and just eww.
I can make them sandwiches if they want, it’s not a big deal.
My sandwiches aren’t like a state secret or anything.
They’re just sandwiches.”
I grab my wallet and keys and start to head out of the room, but Mick stops me with a serious look on his face.
“Madison.
I say this not ‘cause I was inside you just ten minutes ago, but because it’s the fucking truth.
Your sandwiches are amazing.
People would pay good money for them.
Don’t sell yourself short.
Own that shit, ‘cause everyone who’s had one of them would agree with me.
Now get your jacket, let’s take the bike over.
I wanna go on a ride with your arms around me.”
How could any woman say no to that?
***********
We went for a ride, taking the long way to his mom’s place.
I love that we have some of the same childhood memories of our dads taking us on rides out here.
I know someday in the future, Mick will take our kids on this same ride.
That thought just settles me in a way I can’t really explain.
Mick grabs my hand as soon as we’re both off the bike and we walk to the door together.
Romona opens the screen door.
“Well, it’s my two favorite people.
Glad you could come for dinner.”
She’s wiping her hands on a kitchen towel and leans in to let Mick kiss her on the cheek.
“Hey, Mom.
You know we’ll always come for dinner.”
I can see the motherly love in her eyes when she looks up at him.
“That’s because you’re a good son.
Now as that good son, while your gal and I finish getting dinner thrown together can you change the porch light and the one in the hall? They both went out this week.
Can you also go in the attic and get the easels I have up there and bring them down to the sunroom? I’ve been wanting to paint some smaller pieces again.”
He squeezes my hand and goes off to do what Romona asked.
She loops her arm around mine.
“I’m so happy you two finally figured things out between each other.
You both look so happy, in a way that can’t be faked.
I know you treat my boy well and if he ever does something stupid, which, let’s be honest will happen at some point, well, you just send him to me and I'll give him a talking to.”
I can’t help but laugh and nod.
“Yes, ma’am.”
I follow her into the kitchen, her jeans stained with paint and her silver hair hanging down her back with half of it up in a knot around a pencil.
She’s always been my definition of what an artist looks like—flowy clothes, woven bracelets, hair held up by paint brushes or pencils, and almost always a smudge of paint or charcoal on her somewhere.
She always seems so free to wear what she wants and doesn’t worry too much about other people’s opinion of her appearance.
“Now, let’s get to work on dinner.
Mick has simple tastes, a lot like his dad.
Doesn’t mean he doesn’t like flavor, he just likes more home cooking than some of those fancy-schmancy places.
Scalloped corn is so easy to whip up, but they think it’s just the greatest thing.
You ready to learn?”
I nod.
“Yeah, I’d like to.
Thank you for being willing to share it with me.”
She grabs a bowl out of the cupboard and looks over at me.
“I love the idea of passing things on to you.
I can see you’re it for him, so things like this dish are a bit of his childhood that you can pass on to your kids someday.
Now you’re gonna have to just learn by doing ‘cause in all my years making it, I always have made it by feel and never had a recipe.
That’s how my mom did it and how she taught me.
You ready?”
I take the spatula she hands me.
“Yeah, I can’t wait.
I had a feeling this was gonna be one of those recipes that’s really easy but the guys think is complicated.
I know you bring it to Thanksgiving and Christmas every year, so it’s gotta be something you can make for a crowd pretty easily ‘cause I know you wouldn’t want to slave over it for hours for guys to just consume it so fast.”
She gives me a side hug.
“I always knew you were a smart one.
Glad I was right.”
We spend the next twenty minutes putting together the scalloped corn, sautéed green beans and a green salad to go with the roasted chicken she already has in the oven.
I help her by setting the table and she has a seat, taking a sip of the wine she opened up.
I can tell she’s got something she wants to say.
I wait and must look at her with a raised eyebrow in question.
I swear my face can’t ever hide what I’m thinking.
“Have a seat.
Dinner’s got a few more minutes.”
I sit and pour a half glass of the wine and take a sip.
She tilts her head and looks at me.
“You know over the last couple of years, I thought we were a lot alike, and I still do.
But you’ve got a strength I didn’t realize before.
That’s a good thing.”
Doesn’t she realize she’s a strong woman herself? “You know, growing up, I always counted you as one of the three strongest women in my life with Ma and Anna.”
She shrugs her shoulders.
“I’ve been strong ’cause I had to be, not ’cause I naturally am.
I thought you were the same, but these last few weeks I’ve seen your strength come out.
I think that’s gonna serve you well, ’cause the part I do see that we’re the same can make life more challenging if you let it.”
I look at her, like really look at her and besides her smile lines that are etched on her face, I see a tinge of loneliness, one I’ve seen in myself.
I take a sip of wine and wait for her to continue.
“You see, we’re the pleasers.
The ones who’s love language is acts of service.
That in itself is not a bad thing, but when you’ve got a family like we do, it can make you feel forgotten at times.
I think the best way to describe it is… people like us don’t have people.
We are the people that people have.”
She’s right.
That’s exactly how it’s been, especially with my brothers.
“How do I make sure I don’t fall into that again?”
She reaches over and squeezes my hand.
“By being vocal like you’ve been recently.
By finding a passion where you’re helping others and not available to them all the time at a moment’s notice.
I’m not saying to not be there for them, but if you find something that’s just yours, you won’t be sitting at home and able to rush to help them in the blink of an eye.”
I look at her again and the question comes out before I think.
“Do you regret a lot in your life, Romona?”
She gives me a small smile and shakes her head.
“No.
Do I wish I’d been strong enough to do a few things I always wanted to do? Yes, but I don’t consider those regrets.
How can I regret my life when I had a marriage with a man I loved with all my heart which as a result of that I got my greatest gift ever of my amazing son? Mick is the best thing I ever did and if someone asks me to describe myself, I’m a mom first.
I know I’ve done well with my paintings and I love that I’ve been able to make a living at it, but it still doesn’t compare to motherhood.”
She gives me a big smile and adds, “Course, I have a feeling being a grandma would be just as amazing.”
I feel a hand on my shoulder.
“We’re talkin’ about it, Mom.
I know you’re gonna be an amazing grandma, though maybe we need a rule about painting…”
Romona scoffs at Mick.
“I’m gonna do what a grandma’s gotta do.
You just work on giving me grandbabies and I’ll worry about the rest.
Now go wash up, dinner’s ready.
“Yes, ma’am.
Mick leans down and kisses my cheek before he goes and washes up.
Dinner smells amazing.