Chapter 4
Hush
My heart climbed into my throat as I saw Jamie run down the side of a deep wash. My eyes flicked to the sky, looking for dark clouds that would signal a monsoon. I ran down into the wash just slightly behind her and grabbed her by the arm as soon as we got to the bottom.
“What-”
I cut her off, gripping her other bicep and pulling her up onto her tip-toes so we were almost eye to eye.
She was tall, five-ten at least, and I liked that.
Hell, I’d enjoyed the view running behind her until she’d barreled down into the wash.
She was a delightful handful even though I shouldn’t be touching her.
“You shouldn’t go runnin’ in here this time of year.” I couldn’t help the snarl that was in my voice. To anyone who didn’t know my story it might have seemed like I was overreacting.
Jamie’s eyes widened and her pretty lips made an ‘o’ of surprise.
I had to fight back the desire to kiss her.
The fact that I wanted to just made me angry.
It was disrespectful to my wife…my late wife’s memory.
I’d been single a few years now and women had been the last thing on my mind.
Until this morning when this gorgeous being I held in my hands had hopped out of her truck.
Now my libido was going crazy and I couldn’t seem to stop imagining her naked and begging me for my cock. Her skin was warm where I gripped her upper arms below the sleeves of her t-shirt.
Her dog circled back around and slowed as he caught sight of us. He walked up to us, eyeing me with dark, knowledgeable eyes. At least he wasn’t attacking. He seemed to be studying me, trying to determine if I was a threat to his owner. She was giving me the same look.
“Auron,” Jamie said, her voice steady, those beautiful blue eyes of hers locked on my face. They were the color of the sea out where the depths below the waves were too great to number. They dragged me down, hypnotizing me. “Sit.” The dog planted his ass in the loose sand at the bottom of the wash.
It was as though that command snapped me out of my panic. I slowly lowered her until her heels touched the sand and let her go. Swallowing hard, I scrubbed a hand over my face. “Sorry,” I muttered before she had a chance to say anything to me.
“That’s okay,” she said in a soothing voice. At least one of us was being sensible.
My dick kicked behind my jeans, because somehow her naturally husky voice had dropped in tone and I imagined that’s how she sounded in bed.
My emotions were all over the fucking board and I couldn’t seem to bring myself under control.
That almost never happened—anymore. After the accident it’d been a daily thing, but here we were, four years later and suddenly this woman was raising protective instincts inside of me that were invasive.
My eyes found their way back up into the sky again. It was a clear, blue-sky day, hardly a cloud in sight, but as a long-time Tucson resident, I knew how fast a monsoon could blow in.
Her eyes followed mine and when she glanced at me again I saw sympathy shining there. “It’s still early,” she told me. “If a monsoon is going to start up, it’s usually in the afternoon. I’ve developed a good eye for them.” She was trying to reassure me. If only she knew.
“They’re unpredictable,” I told her, as I glowered at her. My wife had thought the same the night she’d gone on her last motorcycle ride. Pain pierced through me at the thought of Daphne. “You should be more careful.”
“You’re right,” she said, trying to appease me. I knew what she was doing, but it worked anyway. My muscles relaxed a little.
“But Hush, Dex is out here alone. Even if there was a chance of a flash flood, if he was in this wash, I’d have to get him out.”
My jaw clenched and all the rigidity I’d lost in my muscles came roaring back. I was one huge tense bundle of nerves and all for a woman I’d known for less than two hours. It didn’t make any sense. I wasn’t sure what to say, so I just nodded at her. “Let’s get goin’.”
“Auron, search.” She gave me a faint smile, then turned and started jogging up the wash, following her dog.
I stayed behind, keeping my eyes peeled on the sky and the brush.
The heat and potential flooding weren’t the only threats out here.
There were mountain lions, bobcats, rattlesnakes, and all manner of other vermin that could harm us, though Jamie kept running like none of it mattered.
I could appreciate her singular focus, especially since she was intent on rescuing one of my brother’s kids, but it was dangerous out here and she didn’t seem to realize it.
It made my temper reach a boiling point.
I didn’t like that she put herself in danger.
And I wasn’t sure why her safety mattered to me.
After years in the military, working in some of the most inhospitable terrain the world offered, I was much more aware of my surroundings than the woman in front of me seemed to be. Maybe she was just more familiar and confident with the terrain. But her comfort made me nervous.
My eyes fell to her ass as she jogged along in front of me.
Her pants were stretched tight over a luscious ass that was far more tempting than it should be.
Berating myself, I went back to searching for danger as we ran.
I needed to keep my mind off her. She was far too captivating and I wasn’t sure what to do about her.
Why this woman? Why now? I was already dealing with all the trauma and emotions of coming home, I didn’t need this piled on top of everything else.
I was impressed with her stamina. We’d walked for half an hour and now she was running along despite the deep sand and heat. Granted, it was still relatively cool compared to what it’d be in a few hours’ time, but something told me that wouldn’t be a problem for her.
The sound of barking reached my ears and Jamie poured on more speed as she tossed over her shoulder, “Auron found him!”
Relief was thick in my chest. Since this morning, when Dash had told us that Dex was missing, my gut had been twisted up.
They’d come out here to celebrate my homecoming and while we all loved sleeping out in the desert—it reminded me of my many deployments—it’d turned sour once he’d gone missing.
Most of our club had stayed behind to work, or were out on missions for the club, so our full force hadn’t been here to search for him.
Considering how far he’d come, I wasn’t sure we’d have found him even with all our brothers out here.
We rounded a bend and I heard Dex’s giggle before I saw him.
“Dex,” I called out as soon as I saw him with Auron in his lap, licking his face.
Dex jumped to his feet and ran over to me.
I fell to a knee and scooped him up, holding him close.
I’d been there the day he’d been born and though I’d been gone for four years, the kid and I were close.
His parents had helped him write letters to me weekly while I was in Austin and I’d missed him.
Kids were a joy to me, I fucking loved them even though I didn’t have any of my own.
Daphne and I had always planned on it, but by the time we’d started getting serious about it—after I’d retired—the accident had happened.
Now I knew I’d only be able to enjoy spending time with my club brothers’ kids.
I never planned on marrying again and thus wouldn’t be having any children of my own. It hurt too fucking much to think of moving on in that way without the woman I’d loved so completely for so many years.
Looking over, I saw Jamie watching us with soft eyes. “Hey, Buddy,” she said, squatting down near us. “My name is Jamie, but my friends call me Seek.”
Dex stared at her from the safety of my arms. “Hi,” he responded in a shy voice. It surprised me. He was usually outgoing and mischievous. It was probably just the stress of the day catching up to him.
“Do you hurt anywhere?” she asked, her eyes roaming over him, trying to see if there were any bruises or cuts on his skin.
“Nope,” he responded, shaking his head.
“Okay, good.” Her smile sucker punched me in the gut.
It was bright and open and I knew I was in deep fucking shit with this woman.
Something inside of me wanted to see that smile when I woke up each morning.
That need battered right into my old, oppressive longing for the love of my life who’d died and left me alone. Guilt struggled to drown both emotions.
“We should go,” Jamie said, her eyes meeting mine.
“Yeah, alright,” I told her, carrying Dex in my arms. He must have been exhausted from the day’s events because he snuggled up against my chest and fell asleep before I even had the chance to pick my way out of the wash.
“Want me to take him?” Jamie asked as she waited at the rim of the wash.
She’d chosen a less steep spot to climb out of the deep bed of sand. The sides were more compacted here, making the way up easier since I had my hands full. “Thanks, I got him,” I told her.
Auron was prancing around at the top, tossing his toy and pouncing on it. Once we started moving again, he ran ahead with it in his mouth, his tail held high like a proud flag waving in victory.
He’d done a damn fine job. I’d give him a fucking steak if I had one handy.
It seemed all he needed was the toy Jamie had brought for him.
“That’s his reward?” I asked, voice low so I didn’t wake Dex.
Though the way he was snoring, I doubted a bomb would wake him.
I envied the way kids could sleep through everything.
Some of the guys on my unit had working dogs over on our deployments, but I’d never paid attention to the way they were trained.
Just like everything else about her, this intrigued me.
I was walking side by side with Jamie, our pace much slower than on the way out here.
It was partially because we’d found what we’d come here for, but also she wasn’t setting a breakneck speed since I had the boy in my arms. It was unnecessary, but it meant there was a bit more time to find out about her.
Not that I wanted to keep Susie or Dash waiting, but I was reluctant to hurry back.
“Yeah,” she responded with another of those smiles.
The affection and love was easy to read on her face as she watched her dog.
“He’ll search for anything I ask him to as long as he gets that toy when he finds it.
” She laughed softly as the dog turned his head and growled, shaking his head with his jaws clamped around the toy.
“He’s good at his job,” I commented.
“The best,” she said, then sighed. “He’s going to be retiring soon.” Her eyes darted over to me, and I could see her gauging whether I really wanted to hear this or not. She must have liked what she saw because she continued, “I’m going to be sad when he does.”
“Will you get a new dog then?”
“Oh, I already have another. I left him behind in the truck. Jecht.”
My lips twitched. “Auron, Jecht. Those are some odd names.”
Her eyes widened as her steps slowed. She stared at me in disbelief. “Haven’t you ever played Final Fantasy Ten?”
I blinked at her trying to puzzle out what in the hell she was talking about. “Played…what?”
Her jaw dropped open and I piled on just to see that animated look on her face. “No idea what you’re talkin’ about, lady.”
“Seek,” she insisted.
“So, we’re friends then?” I asked as she started walking again. Falling into step beside her, I cut her a side glance.
Her cheeks had pinkened and I knew that it wasn’t from the heat, despite the soaring temperatures. I hadn’t imagined the immediate connection between us. She felt it, too. It was easy to flirt with her, natural.
“Sure,” she told me, giving a shrug as though she couldn’t care less one way or another.
We walked a ways in silence before she spoke again. “What do you do, Hush?”
“What’d ya mean?”
“Do you work?”
“Retired,” I told her. Technically true, seeing as I didn’t tear down cartels, gangs, and corrupt cops anymore. I’d left that behind in Texas and my military days were long over as well.
She nodded and shoved her hands into the pockets of her khakis. “Tommy mentioned you guys were some kind of club?”
“Tommy?” I asked with a scowl, not liking the irritation that spiked all because another man’s name had passed her lips.
“The Sheriff,” she explained.
“We’re a motorcycle club.”
“So, you get together on the weekends and ride?” Her eyes were steady on my face. The look in them was honest and curious.
I had to hold back the urge to laugh. If only she knew what we really did. I wondered if she’d run the other direction if she knew how many men I’d killed over the last couple years in Austin, helping my Texas brothers sort out the mess they’d found themselves in.
My mood darkened as I remembered what’d brought me to Texas in the first place. “Yeah, somethin’ like that,” I finally answered.
“Sorry,” she said, “My mom always says I ask too many questions.”
She was so damn sweet. I’d been with her for only a few hours and I knew her heart was made of pure fucking gold.
This woman wouldn’t be interested in a man like me.
Even if she was, I was a broken soul. My other half had died and left me here to rot alone.
I wouldn’t desecrate her memory by loving another woman.
“You’re alright,” I answered and we fell back into silence.
That little voice from earlier was begging me to continue asking her about herself. The other half warned that it was dangerous—not to mention pointless—getting to know her.
Stubbornness kept my mouth sealed shut as we walked back to the camp ground. As we walked up out of the desert the flurry of activity separated us.
Susie sobbed and tossed herself at me. I had to shift Dex into my right arm so I could catch her in my left. “He’s alright, Suz,” I murmured to her, accepting her hug of gratitude before handing her the sleeping boy.
Dash was standing back, blinking back tears. As soon as the mother had her son, I stepped over and we embraced in a hard hug. The poor fucker had been out of his mind with worry over his boy and it was written in every tense line of his body.
Dex woke and I watched as the family sank down to the ground in each other’s arms. The parents listened to their son tell them the story of getting lost and how some dog appeared out of nowhere and brought him Uncle Hush.
The hairs on the back of my neck lifted and I looked around. Silently, I watched as Seek loaded her dog up into her truck, shook the Sheriff’s hand and drove off. She hadn’t even let Susie or Dash thank her. She hadn’t said a word to me.
My mouth flattened out as I watched the truck drive off. My emotions were using my heart as a battlefield. It rocked me to my core how badly I wanted to get on my bike and take off after her. Instead, I sat down at a picnic table next to my family and watched them celebrate.