by ML Mystrom
He had taken off his seat belt and turned to face me in the cab. I could see the glint of his eyes in the low light glow of the dusk-to-dawn lamp pole on the property. His question was an easy one.
“Yes, I’m okay. I’m sorry I panicked at the fight earlier. You probably wouldn’t have gotten hurt if I hadn’t.”
He shook his head. “Not the fight, Lori. Me. Are you okay with me?”
That one was harder. I raised a finger to my lower lip, thinking about his kiss in the locker room. It had been brutal and hard, but up until I panicked, I was into it. His taste, the rough texture of his tongue as he touched mine, the memory of it was just as vivid now as if it was happening again. I didn’t know what it meant for us in terms of what we were or what we were going to be now, but I answered him honestly. “I’m okay with you. I can’t promise I won’t have this kind of anxiety attack again, but I can tell you that I’m not scared of you.”
He relaxed a little and leaned back into the seat. “Good enough for now. If you ever do feel scared of me, somethin’ I’m sayin’ or doin’, you just tell me and I’ll do my best to stop it and not do it again.”
I felt more tears rise in my eyes. “You’re a good man, James Boone.”
“Come here, Lori.”
I scooted over as best as I could and curled under his outstretched arm. He just held me as we sat in silence a few minutes. I suppose the quiet can be intimidating for some people, giving them the need to fill the void with some sort of sound. Sitting under Table’s firm muscled arm and being next to his beating heart was enough for me. I could have stayed there all night.
“You gonna be okay up in your room or do you want to sleep in the big house tonight? I can give you my room and bunk on the couch. No trouble.”
“I’ll be fine in my own space, Table. Thank you for the offer.”
“You sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure.”
I stifled a giant yawn as I spoke.
“Better get up to bed then, baby girl. You know Martha will be up with the chickens and bellowing for you to get to the breakfast table.”
I smiled as we separated and got out of the truck.
He walked me to the steps of my room and stopped.
“It’s takin’ everything in my power to let you go up those steps by yourself, Lori. I want you to know that. I really want you to be in the house tonight, ’cause I got this urge to keep watch over you right now. It’s in my blood to protect people and I can feel it deep that’s what you need. I’m also really attracted to you as a woman and I’m scared I’m gonna push you away if I try to guard you too hard. I’m not real sure what to do about it.”
His blunt honesty was making me want to take him up on his offer, but I knew I would be playing a dangerous game with him. If I went to his bed, I may not want to be there alone. He said he would sleep on the couch, but the thought of being next to him, his body heat surrounding me, was very tempting. The invitation would be just sleeping side by side, but that intimacy might make me want even more. That would eventually send him running away from me, angry and bitter. He said once that love died with betrayal and I believed him.
“I’ll be fine, Table. I’m not scared of anything here and I’m not running. I promise, if I get that way, I’ll call your phone or come into the house on my own.”
He looked into my eyes for a long moment and then nodded. “Get on up and lock the door. I’ll wait for a bit.”
I paused as he stayed at the foot of the steps, watching me get to my safe place as he had several times before. I waved and went into my room, clicking the lock behind me. After brushing my teeth, washing and moisturizing my face, I slipped into the bed and fell into a dreamless sleep. The first one in a long time.
Eleven
If anyone had told me if I would still be in Asheville for Christmas, I would have said they were out of their minds. Instead, I found myself sitting down for a whole fried turkey and other foods that were almost a repeat of the Thanksgiving meal. The difference was that the attendees to this holiday feast were only Martha, Carol, Table, Angel, and me. The tree was artificial because Carol had a huge fear of the lights causing a fire, but the ornaments were ones collected over the years from the sisters’ children and grandchildren. Carefully preserved strings of painted rigatoni pasta, paper angels with stickers on them, photos in frames made from Popsicle sticks, and many others decorated the wiry branches. I thought it was more beautiful than any of the color-coordinated designer trees I’d seen before.
Most of the presents under the tree were for Angel. It was the practical stuff, like a case of diapers, more clothing, but there was also a gigantic teddy bear that was bigger than even me. I wasn’t sure what was in Table’s mind when he showed up earlier this week with that monstrosity, but I was sure he’d turned a few heads when he drove through town with it sitting behind him on his bike.
I got Angel a set of plastic teething keys, but that was it. The sisters and Table insisted they didn’t need anything and didn’t do a lot of gift exchanging because of it, but they did have a few token presents for each other. Carol received a fancy cover for her Bible that had handles on it so she could carry the book like a purse. Martha got a new set of waders for splashing around in the creek. Table got a necklace made from a silver angel charm on a leather cord. He put it on, and Angel, who was sitting in his lap, immediately cooed and reached for it.
He had a big grin on his face when he handed me a small green paper bag. “Here you go, Lori. I ain’t much on paper wrappin’ and these two have been exchanging and re-exchanging the same gift bags for years.”
I wasn’t expecting anything, but when I pulled out a nice pair of lined leather gloves, I felt my heart catch in my chest. My murmured thank you didn’t seem adequate enough at the thoughtfulness behind the present.
“So what are yer plans for New Year’s? You headed up t’ Bryson City?”
Martha’s voice could cut through steel if she directed it right.
“I plan to. Betsey’s been yammerin’ at me to bring the baby up to see her. I’ve been wanting to take some time there as well. I got some things I need to talk to Brick about.”
“You should take Lori along. She ain’t been anywhere since she got here. It’s nice to have young people around us old farts, but time is y’all need to get out and do stuff with other young people.”
Table barked a quick laugh and shifted Angel closer so she could play with the charm without pulling his neck. “You just want to have your own wild party here.”
“Damn straight, and having my grandson and great-granddaughter around is gonna cramp my style. I might wanna get one a them bubblin’ cajoojee things and go chunky dunkin’.”
“What are you talkin’ about?”
“Well, we’re all too fat to be skinny dippin’, so’s the next best thing is chunky dunkin’.”
The look of horror on Table’s face was priceless.
“I could have spent the rest of my life without that picture in my head.”
I couldn’t help but laugh.
“So what do you say, Lori? Big plans for New Year’s, or would you want to come spend it with me and Angel and the best people I know?”
It didn’t take long before I found myself traveling with Table.
Table talked about the people at this place we were going and I felt like I knew them before we set foot at the clubhouse he referred to as the Lair. His description didn’t do it justice. It was set high on top of a hill, hidden from the main road, and looked like a private resort lodge. Two stories of log cabin, a large parking area, several outbuildings that looked like garages or work areas, and scattered camping cabins were around the property. There was a gated private road to get there. I was glad for Table’s truck, as I didn’t think my van could handle the steep grade.
We pulled up to the front and a redheaded woman in a puffy blue parka came clattering out of the front door in high-heeled boots. I held my breath, expecting her to slip and fall, but
she seemed to be an expert in balance.
“Lord have mercy, Table! It’s so good to see you, darlin’.” She threw her arms around Table’s neck and squeezed briefly. “All right, you done had your hug. Now gimme that baby!”
Table’s face broke into a big happy smile. “Jesus, Betsey, can’t you wait until I get the road off of me?”
She blew out a pshhhht sound and flipped a leather-gloved hand at him. “I done waited long enough. That drive ain’t much to get any road on you.”
Table’s head flew back in a long hard laugh. “Well, come on then and meet my girls.”
Two more women appeared on the front porch and he greeted them with a wave. “Hey, Tambre, hey, Molly! Good to see you!”
“Well lookie what the cat done dragged home!”
All three women were dressed in heavy coats against the chill. Table pulled out the carrier that held the now awake Angel from the back seat of the truck. She screwed up her face and rubbed a cloth-covered hand over her eyes. I could tell she was gearing up for a squalling protest.
I went to get some of our luggage from the truck’s bed, but the red-haired woman called Betsey stopped me.
“No need, darlin’. We got prospects for that.” She motioned to two strapping young men to come move the stuff we’d brought into the lodge. “I still got a lot of baby stuff from my grandkids, so you ain’t gotta worry about a crib and linens and such. I got a couple of them fold-up strollers and a bouncy chair too. You’ll be set for a spell. Come on in and I’ll show you around.”
We shuffled onto the porch and I entered the Lair for the first time. The main room was cavernous with lots of inviting couches where several people were playing video games on a big flat-screen TV. A few others were playing pool on a full-sized table over in a large windowed alcove to the side. There was a built-in bar area and behind that, I could see what I thought was a large kitchen. An open loft overlooked the spacious room from the second floor. I wasn’t sure what to expect from a biker clubhouse, but this wasn’t it. The people scattered about the room were smiling and welcoming Table back into the fold as if he had never left. The whole place was permeated with a rare, open friendliness that I had not experienced in a very long time. It didn’t feel like a club. It felt like a home.
A large and slightly rounded older man approached us, and the others moved away respectfully. This could only be Brick, the man who was the club president and in charge of this group. His aura was one of controlled power, commanding, but not in such a way as to make me afraid. He walked up to Table and the men regarded each other in silent communication.
“Welcome home, son.” Brick stuck out a hand and Table grasped it. “Good to see you back.”
“Good to be back. More than you think.”
They hugged with hard back slaps and I saw a piece of the brotherhood Table had talked about. Brick was more than happy to have Table back in the fold. Apparently, Betsey was as well.
“All right now, you done had your male bonding. Quit stallin’ and gimme!”
Angel was alert and curious as Betsey cradled her. She had her father’s beautiful brown eyes and regarded Betsey with a wrinkled brow. Apparently she decided Betsey was a good person, as she treated the woman to a big toothless grin and immediately grabbed a handful of bright red hair to stuff into her baby mouth. Betsey just laughed and gibbered at the tiny child.
Other Dragon Runners came to meet us. Table stood by my side, and when so many of his friends appeared, he placed his arm around my shoulders, pulling me close, giving me the comfort and security of his body.
“I got your old room ready for you, darlin’,” Betsey mentioned as she detangled her hair from Angel’s grip. “Cody’s old crib is set up in the upstairs apartment with me. I can have some prospects move it to your room if you want, but it’s gonna be awfully tight in there.”
Table grinned. “You just want to play grandma, don’t cha?”
“Damn straight, darlin’. ’Sides, this way you can get some privacy with your girl, right?”
Table’s lips tightened for a moment. “Lori may want her own space. You got a spot?”
Betsey blinked. It was clear she had made the assumption I would stay with Table. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it was a bit of a shock to me that I didn’t mind.
“Stud ’n’ Eva ain’t here too often no more. I’m sure you can use his room if you want.”
“I appreciate anything you got to help us out, Betsey. I knew I could count on everyone. It’s sure as hell great to be home again.”
Betsey’s eyes shone briefly before she became all business. “Alrighty then! Sleeper ’n’ Max, get them bags where they go and move Table’s truck to the garage lot. I ’spect he wants to unload his own bike from the trailer, but take care while you’re moving it. Donna, go get some food ready.”
She expertly jiggled the baby while she barked out orders, and the people around her scurried to obey. I heard Table’s light chuckle.
“Come over here, Lori. Let’s you and me sit a spell. You need to meet Tambre an’ Molly. The other ladies will be here later for the party.”
“Shit,” Table muttered under his breath.
Betsey evidently heard him anyway. She whirled to face us. “Course there’s gonna be a party! One of our own has come home! Ain’t gonna be a wild free-for-all, but we’re gonna have us a homecoming celebration with just the club family and the prospects. No hangarounds or others tonight.”
My stomach fluttered with dread at being around that many people at once. Table must have felt my thoughts, because he squeezed my shoulder to get my attention. “You okay with this?”
His concern over my anxiety meant more than he knew.
I took a breath. “Yes, I’m okay, I think. It’s just a lot to take in and I’m not sure about all this yet.”
He leaned in to press his lips to my hair, and his unique scent blend of leather, cologne, and man wafted to my nostrils. I breathed in a lungful.
“Yeah, a lot has happened and I’m sure as shit that more is comin’, but you can trust me, baby girl. You’re in the best hands in the world right now.”
Brick made a humphing noise. “A word, Table.” It wasn’t exactly a question.
Table nodded again and released me. “You go on with Betsey and the other ladies. They’ll take care of you and get you settled. I’ll catch up with you in a while.” He leaned in and kissed me again, this time on my forehead, before letting me go completely.
The places he touched me tingled as I followed Betsey to one of the sitting areas. She sat on one end of the couch and propped Angel in front of her. “Who’s a pretty girl? Who’s a pretty girl?” she crooned as the two other women took their places near her. I sat in an overstuffed chair across from all three of them, feeling like I was being set up.
“Table tells me you been helping around his gramma’s farm for a while. I met Martha once years ago when Brick was helping get the Asheville chapter set up. That woman is hard as nails and soft as butter at the same time. She’d give you the shirt off her back in a heartbeat but still give you grief for getting yourself to where you need it. I liked her a lot. She done real good when she raised Table.”
Molly’s blonde curls bounced as she plopped down next to Betsey. She made a few faces at Angel, sticking out her tongue and wrinkling her pert nose.
“Table’s a helluva man. My old man, Cutter, thinks the world of him. Says there’s no one more trustworthy and the best man to have at your back when you need someone.”
Tambre was sitting on Betsey’s other side in a chair matching to mine. She reached a finger to Angel, who promptly grabbed it and tried to shove it in her mouth.
“She’s cutting teeth soon.” Her quiet aura was peaceful and self-assured. This was a woman who knew her worth and was comfortable in her own skin. All the women around me seemed to be that way. I envied them a bit.
“I remember when my first grandbaby, Michelle, started cutting teeth. Lord, have mercy, that child
fussed! Chewed on everything! I think my left shoulder stayed wet for a month ’cause she drooled on it so much!” Betsey laughed and jiggled Angel. The baby let out a belly laugh and waved her arms in the air.
“Table’s a good daddy.” Molly blew a raspberry and earned another baby laugh.
“He’s a great artist too. Have you seen his work?” Tambre chimed in.
I shook my head.
“You need to see some of his drawings. They’re just beautiful! Did you know he was the biggest tattoo guy around here before he moved to Asheville? Folks is still callin’ for him down at the Dragon’s tattoo place over near the soap store on Main. He ran the place for us and we still cain’t find no one as good as him. I know Brick would love it if he moves back and takes over again.”
Molly placed her hands over her face and proceeded to play peek-a-boo with the delighted Angel. “What about the farm? ’S been in his family a long time, right?”
Betsey let out a pshhhht. “I know he inherits a piece of it, but he’s said before, he don’t want it. He’s got a cousin who’s interested in keeping it going and Table’s plans were to sell his part to him. At least that was his plan before this little one came along. I still can’t believe the gall of that woman! Dropping her baby off like that at a biker bar! Table told you what happened, Lori?”
It took me a moment to realize Betsey was addressing me. “Yes. Yes, he did.”
She nodded and went back to playing with Angel. “Good riddance, I say. That bitch never deserved a man like Table.”
For the next thirty minutes or so, I was regaled with stories of everything wonderful about Table. I had thought when I sat down that the women would be putting me through an inquisition of sorts, but instead it seemed they were determined to sell me on Table and all his goodness. It was a little over the top and I was getting uncomfortable when the subject of their discussion appeared.
Table came up to me and sat on the arm of the chair, leaning down and looking into my eyes. “Tired, baby girl?”