Chapter Thirteen
Gunner had fun hanging with the kids and then working with Rachel. He’d discussed his idea with Rachel, and she’d adored it.
Now he was waiting for his victims—well brothers in the brotherhood—to show up and help him out.
“Okay, I’m here. The party can start,” Dex called as he and Halligan walked in.
“You didn’t say it was a council meeting, so Dex said I could tag along,” Halligan said.
“Hey, the more the merrier,” Gunner said. He wondered if they’d all be so excited when they heard what he had planned. He had gotten his President on board because it never hurt to have an ace in the hole.
War, Roam, Flick, Brody, Scoop, and Stone walked in together. The line of bikes parked out front was growing.
“Cannon said he’d be here but had to fish something out of the toilet that Hank had dropped,” War said.
“While we’re waiting, I’ve got ice-cold beers here and snacks if you want to eat,” Gunner said.
Roam walked over and snagged a beer. “I feel like you’re trying to bribe us,” he said.
War chuckled, grabbing a couple and passing them out.
Baron, Rascal, and Locks walked in together.
“Did we miss it?” Locks asked.
“Miss what?” Stone asked.
“I haven’t got to see Finn riding the motorbike or announcing himself when he comes in. I didn’t want to miss it,” Locks said.
Stone snickered, taking a sip of his beer.
“You never laugh like that. What did you do?” Rascal asked, sitting down.
“I drained the gas from it to make sure everyone had time to get here,” Stone said.
“Nice job,” Scoop said.
“I might have also added some modifications to his helmet. I thought the penalty wasn’t quite enough,” Stone said.
Gunner handed out plates and napkins, then passed around the trays of snacks.
“I have dessert after we finish our activity tonight,” Gunner said.
“Activity sounds ominous when you don’t explain anything,” Baron said.
Gunner shrugged. Nope, he wasn’t sharing yet.
Slice, Bear, Cannon, and Ben walked in.
“Dumbass is about two blocks behind us,” Ben said.
Gunner directed them to the beers. This was going to be a long three months for Finn, but maybe he’d think twice before he ran his mouth off.
Instead of the throaty growl of a Harley, the buzzing sound of a motorbike came closer and Finn pulled up.
Gunner shook his head at all of the men pulling out their phones to video.
When he saw the modifications Stone had made, he chuckled along with everyone else.
Finn’s helmet now sported a unicorn horn, and the back fender of the bike had what Gunner thought looked like a unicorn tail made from plastic.
Finn walked in and paused at everyone waiting on him.
“Fuck…” he groaned. “It is I, Prospect Finn, tasked with fighting for the rights of majestic unicorns. How may I be of service to the realm?” Finn asked.
“You can take off your hat so we can properly see you,” Ben said, laughing between the words.
“I knew it had to be you,” Finn yelled, running toward Ben.
Chairs scraped as everyone got up to keep the brothers from brawling.
“Stop! If you two want to fight, we can make a time, but you’re not going to damage anything in the business. We’re here to complete a project for Gunner. Suck it up and quit acting like children,” War said.
When both men nodded, everyone calmed down and sat down. War grabbed the hat off of Finn before he sat down, which had everyone laughing again. Finn’s short blonde hair was now a pink color.
“Gunner, let’s get started,” War said.
“Okay, I’d like your help with Valentine’s cards.
Since we’re opening right before Valentine’s and the shop is Broken Hearts Brewing, I want to have Valentine’s cards available for everyone who comes in the first week.
I also asked Regina for a list of widows or widowers who lost their person in the last year.
I’ll be sending them a note with an invitation to come to our opening.
I also want the cards available for anyone who has had a breakup to pick up,” Gunner said.
He looked around the room. He didn’t pick up any negativity about doing the activity.
“Sounds good. Any specifications for what we write?” Stone asked.
Gunner grinned as everyone started discussing what would be best and taking the supplies Gunner had laid out. He should have known he didn’t have anything to worry about since the activity was for others.
He stared at Finn with the pink hair. He wondered if they should have someone dressed up for the holiday—not necessarily Cupid, but maybe something unique to Broken Hearts. He texted what he was pondering to Rachel. She could start thinking about it and they could brainstorm together.
Gunner refilled the food trays and then sat down to write a couple cards. This chapter of his life was coming together, but he was itching to move to the next. He would have never believed he could be all in so quickly.
“Hey, Gunner, do you have any more trash cans or buckets for the paper scraps? I hate to make more work for you because we’re all messy,” Brody said.
“Yeah, let me go grab some. I have some in the smash room,” Gunner said. He appreciated Brody thinking of his time and wanting to help. Honestly, he’d been worried that Brody would do something to the store, but then he realized Brody wasn’t that juvenile.
He pushed the door open and was immediately covered in something wet and cold. He looked at the gelatinous chunks on his arms and his shirt. He knew immediately what had happened.
“Brody,” Gunner bellowed.
“Payback is hell. Now we’re even. You leave me alone and I’ll leave you alone,” Brody said.
Gunner turned—all the guys were in the hallway. Half of them were videoing him. Gunner nodded. He’d call a truce for now. But once the store was open, it would be open season again.
Tonight, Marcus and Chelle both had friends staying over with them. The kids had beamed when she’d told them the plans.
Rachel got to have a fun evening while the kids had friends over too. Clara, Regina, Meg, Beth, and Jesse had come over to hang out and crochet. Clara and Meg were helping Rachel make some more of the cats. Beth was making hand-crocheted blankets, and Jesse was learning from her.
She’d giggled, laughed, and talked while they worked on crafts together. When Meg had mentioned Bluff Creek Crafts & Things had times people could meet to craft, Rachel added to her list of things she wanted to do in Bluff Creek.
“So I heard the kids were trying to convince you to get an animal,” Regina said softly.
Rachel appreciated her keeping it quiet.
“Oh my gosh, do you know how many times I’ve heard the same facts about loneliness and how pets help alleviate it?” Rachel whispered back.
“It’s still too chilly right now to get a new animal that you’d have to take outside to pee,” Beth replied.
“I have to admit that this morning wasn’t my proudest mom moment when Marcus would not shut up about getting two so they could be friends.
I basically said that until we’d been here at least two months, we would not even discuss it.
Of course, it could have been because I was in the shower with the music on and thought I might get maybe five minutes to myself,” Rachel said.
“I think that’s a good way to do it. You didn’t say no but gave them a timeline for when you will be willing to discuss.
If I wouldn’t have been so overwhelmed with all the love the guys and Baron were showing my boys, I would have screamed when Baron bought them German Shepherd puppies that first Christmas.
But everyone helped with them, and my boys had done without for so long that I was ecstatic the way the men in the MC embraced all of us.
You can always take one of the farm animals for an overnight.
The bunnies are good for something like that,” Regina said.
Rachel finished her cat, adding the nose and eyes. She put it in the pile and picked out some different color yarn.
“I love your idea for the cats and everything else. Do you and Gunner need help getting all the books on the shelves? I’d love to help,” Jesse said.
Beth snickered, “Oh, but don’t expect her to work too fast. If her kids are all at home, she’ll probably read the back of each book before putting it on the shelf.”
“Well, of course. I adore the twins and Hank. Finding time to read a book, let alone peruse the synopsis, doesn’t happen very often.
The girls just started walking and they are so fast. Now, not that they need to reach for anything because if they make a sound, Hank is there trying to get them whatever they need,” Jesse said.
“Aww, he’s such a sweet older brother,” Clara said.
Jesse giggled. “Can you imagine how he’s going to act when they start dating? He and Cannon will probably run off every boy who comes over.”
“Oh yes, they will. Think about my Ariel. War and Baron were even keeping tabs on her as an adult,” Regina said.
“How’d that turn out?” Rachel asked.
“Oh, she’s married to Pit, the Saint’s Outlaw MC President, but War didn’t make it easy,” Regina said.
Rachel enjoyed the conversations and crafting with the women. Gunner’s text about Finn’s pink hair making him think about the pink cats she was making had her smiling.
“Oh, that smile has to be about a man,” Meg said.
“Gunner sent me something to think about for the shop,” Rachel replied.
She liked these women but what she and Gunner had was new.
She still had the issue to deal with. Beth had updated her that the plan was in motion, but no updates were available yet.
She only hoped it worked out the way she wanted.
She wasn’t sure what she’d do if it failed.
For once in her life, she was going to hope for exactly what she wanted—not just take whatever life handed her and live with it, keeping a smile on her face.
Beth had told Rachel that she needed to dream.
Rachel decided that was what she was going to do—dream of a life here at Bluff Creek with a certain chef.
A chef who she wouldn’t mind licking more than the beaters from his creation he let her lick a couple of days ago.