by Wilder, L.
Even now, after all these years, I still had dreams about Flynn. I knew it was crazy—especially since we hadn’t even spoken since I returned from college, but I couldn’t seem to shake him from my thoughts as I crawled into bed and turned off the lights. As I lay there in the dark, I realized Flynn was just another reason why I needed to move out. It was time for me to let go of childhood fantasies and grow up.
The following morning, I got up early. Since it was Saturday, I’d hoped to be gone before anyone else woke up, but when I made it downstairs, I found Dad sitting at the kitchen table drinking his coffee. As I went over to pour myself a cup, I smiled and said, “Morning.”
“Morning.” He glanced over at the clock. “You’re up mighty early.”
“I wanted to make good use of the day.”
“I see.” I could tell by his expression he had something on his mind, so I wasn’t surprised when he asked, “You gotta minute to talk?”
“Sure.” I carried my coffee over to the table and sat down next to him. While he’d aged a little over the past ten years, he was still every bit the man he was when I’d first arrived on Satan’s Fury’s doorstep—if not even more so. He’d led both his home and his club with honor and pride and never made a move without thinking it through, so I had no doubt he’d been spending plenty of time mulling over my moving out. I’d hoped to set his mind at ease when I said, “You know, I’m going to be okay. I’m not moving out of the state. Just across town. It’s really not that big of a deal.”
“Maybe not to you, but to me, it’s a very big deal.” His eyes filled with emotion when he added, “I can still remember the day Big brought you here. How little you were, so innocent and young. You’d had a rough go of it with your folks and what they’d done to you, but even then, I saw something in you. A strength ... a determination. Grit. Hell, you were a force even back then. I’m honored that you gave Cass and me the opportunity to watch you grow into such a fine young woman.”
He’d caught me completely off guard. I was expecting a lecture, but instead, he’d melted my heart. I leaned over and wrapped my arms around him, hugging him tightly, and whispered, “You’ll never know how much you and Mom have meant to me. You didn’t just save me from those awful people. You loved me and gave me a life I never dreamed I could have.”
“Just gave you what you deserved.”
He was hugging me back when Darby came barreling down the stairs. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing.” I gave Dad one last squeeze, then stood and quickly wiped the tears from my eyes before I turned to face my frizzy-haired younger sister. “I’m about to go look at some apartments.”
“Can I go with you?”
“Sorry, kiddo. I’m going solo on this trip.”
“But why? I could help look around.”
“I know, but this is something I want to do on my own.”
I could tell she was about to pout, but thankfully, she was distracted by Maverick and Clutch’s arrival—two of her favorite Fury men. I couldn’t blame her. Both were not only extremely handsome, they were charming as well—especially Clutch. He always kept things interesting with his sense of humor and smile. Maverick tapped on the screen door, then stepped inside with a warm smile. “Morning folks.”
“Hey,” Darby answered as she looked behind them. No doubt she was looking for Maverick’s kids. She and Susana adored them, so I wasn’t surprised when she asked, “Where’s Thomas and Lexi?”
Maverick chuckled as he answered, “They’re out at the barn with Hadley.”
“Is Casey with them?”
Casey was Clutch’s daughter, and like him, she was a handful. Clutch smiled as he told Darby, “She was hoping you’d take her out for a ride.”
“I can do that. Susana too!” Darby whipped around and shouted towards the stairs, “Hey, Susana, come on! Thomas and Lexi are here, and Casey too!”
With that, Darby rushed outside and darted to the barn. The door was still wide open when Susana came running down the stairs. “Hey, Darby, wait up!”
Without so much as a hello, she ran past Maverick and Clutch, and out to join the crew. I stepped over to the door and watched as the twins rushed up to Thomas and Lexi. It still amazed me how quickly they’d all grown. Thomas was the same age as the twins. They were also in the same grade in school and the best of friends. Lexi and Casey were both quite a bit younger, but they tried their best to hang in with Thomas and the twins. Unfortunately for them, there’d been times when they were left out, but that wasn’t always a bad thing. The trio often caused a bit of mayhem, which made me wonder if Hadley could handle them all.
Hadley was Olivia’s younger sister. After their parents were killed, she and her brother Charlie, moved in with Clutch and Olivia. Charlie, Hadley, and I had basically grown up together. As soon as Charlie had been old enough, he’d started prospecting for the club. Hadley decided to take a different route and had gone to Washington State to get a degree in finance. The following year, I joined her at State and received my teaching degree. Right after Hadley had graduated, she came back home and took a job as a loan advisor at a bank in Port Angeles—where she met her husband. Even though they had a place of their own, Hadley still spent a great deal of time at the club and with the kids.
The kids had surrounded her—no doubt pleading with her to ride the horses, and it looked like she might be losing the battle. I was about to go outside and be her reinforcement when Dad asked, “What are you boys up to so early on a Saturday morning?”
“Thought we’d come by and have some breakfast with ya.” Maverick looked over to the stove, and disappointment crossed his face. “But it looks like we might’ve had better luck at the clubhouse.”
“Don’t you have food at your place?”
“Yeah, but no one to cook it,” Maverick answered with a chuckle. “Henley and Liv have gone into town to meet up with Wren.”
Clutch pulled out a chair and sat down next to Dad as he chimed in, “And they left the kids with us.”
“So, you brought them here?”
“Well, what can I say? They love your place.”
“Um-hmm. You’re just looking to get them outta your hair.”
“Maybe.” Maverick motioned his head towards the stove. “So, what’s for breakfast?”
Before Dad could answer, I grabbed my purse and started towards the door. “I’m gonna get going. You boys have a good breakfast.”
Clutch’s brows furrowed with curiosity as he asked, “Where you running off to so early?”
“She’s going to look at apartments,” Dad answered flatly.
“Apartments?” Maverick leaned forward. “You moving out?”
“That’s the plan,” I answered. “If I can find the right place.”
“You want me and Clutch to—”
“No,” I cut him off before he could finish. “I’m fine, but thanks for offering.”
Before either of them could argue, I gave them a quick wave and darted out the door. Even though I was eager to get going, I wanted to check in with Hadley to make sure she was okay with all the kids. By the time I made it down to the barn, Susana and Darby had already gotten the saddles on two of the horses and were working on the third, and Hadley was kneeling down, talking to Lexie and Casey. She was wearing a pair of jean capris with a hoodie and flip-flops—not the kind of clothing for horseback riding—but that was Hadley. She always marched to the beat of her own drum.
When she spotted me coming in their direction, Hadley stood up and smiled, brushing her curly brown hair out of her eyes. “Hey girl, I was wondering if you were going to be here today.”
“Actually, I’m on my way out.” I wiggled my eyebrows playfully and added, “I’m finally going to look for an apartment!”
“Seriously?” When I nodded, she threw her hands up in the air and shrieked, “That’s awesome!”
“I know! I’m super excited.”
“I am too. When you find one, can I help decorate?”
“I can’t believe you’re really doing it.” Hadley placed her hand on her hip and squinted her eyes. “How’d you manage to convince your dad it was time for you to move out?”
“He was surprisingly pretty good about it this time.” I scoffed as I told her, “I’m pretty sure Mom had a talk with him.”
“I imagine so. Either way, I think it’s great.” She smiled as she reached over and ran her fingertips across a strand of my hair. “I still can’t believe you colored your hair.”
“Me either.” I giggled. “It’s been months, and I’m still trying to decide if I like it.”
“Oh, I love it. I think the blonde really brings out the blue in your eyes.” I watched as her eyes skirted over to something behind me. A spark of mischief crossed her bluish-green eyes as she cleared her throat. “Oh, I-uh...I think someone wants to have a word with you.”
“Really? Who?” I quickly turned, and my stomach took a nosedive the second I spotted Flynn standing at the fence. He looked like a modern-day James Dean wearing a white t-shirt, tattered jeans, and boots. It was all I could do to keep myself from twitching like a smitten teenager as I thought about running my fingertips across his day-old beard. Damn, I needed to get a grip. I inhaled a deep breath, then turned back to Hadley and said, “I’ll be right back.”
“Take your time, girl.” Hadley snickered. “I’m sure you two have a lot to catch up on.”
“Um-hmm.”
I could hear my pulse rushing through my ears as I turned and started walking in Flynn’s direction. I tried to remind myself he was just Flynn—my childhood friend, but we hadn’t really talked since I’d gotten back from college. Between my new teaching job and the hours he spent down at the Sports Grill, we just hadn’t had the chance. I’d just assumed all the time that’d gone by had taken its toll on our friendship, and maybe Flynn had decided to leave the past in the past. Apparently, I was wrong. His dark eyes were fixed on mine as I made my way over to where he stood.
“Hey, Flynn.” Without thinking, I leaned over the fence and wrapped my arms around him, hugging him tightly. It felt so good to have him close again—so much so, I didn’t want to let him go. I gave him one last quick squeeze, then released him and took a step back. It’s great to see you.”
“Great to see you too.” His eyes slowly skirted over me. “You’re looking good. Like the new ’do.”
“Thanks. You look good too.” In an effort to remain cordial, I said, “It’s been too long. We should get together and catch up sometime.”
“I agree.” Like he’d already had a plan in mind, he quickly added, “How about tonight?”
“Tonight?”
“No time like the present,” he pushed. “I can get Paps to cover me down at the bar. We’ll have a couple of drinks and spend a few hours updating our lives.”
“Oo-kaay, sure. Just let me know when and where?”
“How about my place around eight?”
“Your place...around eight?” I repeated, sounding completely and utterly stunned. In all the years I’d known Flynn, he had never asked me over to his house. As far as I could remember, I’d never even been on his side of the fence, but that was all about to change. “Sounds good. I’ll be there.”
“Great.” He smiled, and my heart literally skipped a beat. “I’ll see ya then.”
If I’d learned anything from living with Dad and the guys in Satan’s Fury, it was that life never played out the way you expected it to. It seemed things with Flynn were no different. Just when I thought our friendship had come to an end, he proved me wrong, and I couldn’t have been happier.
Chapter 3
Flynn
I couldn’t believe I’d finally gotten my chance with Lauren. Now, I just had to make sure not to fuck it up. I needed to show her I was still Flynn but different from the kid she used to know. I was no longer just a busboy at a sports bar who lived in his grandmother’s rundown house. I’d grown up and had finally figured out what I wanted in my life, or more importantly, who I wanted in my life. In truth, a part of me had always known it was Lauren, but my insecurities had always taken over. I never thought I was good enough for her, but I’d worked hard to make something of myself, and I was done letting my doubts get in the way.
As soon as I left Lauren, I went back to the house and started forging my plan for a date she wouldn’t soon forget. Once I had everything set up, I headed over to the bar. When I pulled in the parking lot, I was pleased to see that Paps was already there. I quickly parked, and as I headed inside, I thought back to the day Pappy hired me. At the time, I didn’t have a clue how to go about finding a job. I just knew I needed one.
As Gran got older, her knees started to go bad on her and were causing her a great deal of pain. Standing on her feet all day was killing her. She would’ve cut back on her hours at work, but with me living there, she didn’t have that luxury. I knew Gran couldn’t keep going like she was, so I decided to take matters into my own hands. I didn’t have any experience, so my job options were limited. I went everywhere in town—gas stations, grocery stores—but no one would give me a second look. I was about to give up hope when I came across Danver’s Bar and Grill.
I walked into the rundown sports bar, and there wasn’t a customer in the place, just a bunch of empty tables and an older, black gentleman standing behind the bar. As I approached him, his brows furrowed and his dark, tired eyes narrowed into an inquisitive squint. He was sizing me up long before I ever spoke a word. I knew what I had to do. Gran had taught me that everything you needed to know about a man was in his posture and his handshake, so I drew my shoulders back and stood tall as I reached over the counter to shake his hand. “Hey ... Uh, my name is Flynn Michaels, and, uh, I wanted to see if you had any job openings available.”
“Is that right?” He shook my hand, firm and self-assured, then smiled. “What kind of experience you got?”
“Well, to be honest, I don’t have much experience. I just help my grandmother around the house with the cooking and cleaning. Help out with the animals too. I know it’s not much, but I’m willing to do anything you need me to. Just need a chance, sir.”
“How old are you, son?”
“I’m fifteen.” It was at this point that so many of the others had turned me away, so I quickly added, “But I turn sixteen in a couple of months, and I’ll do—”
“I got it,” he interrupted. “You don’t have to repeat yourself.”
He studied me for a moment, and when I saw that spark of doubt flash through his eyes, I knew he was going to send me on my way. I inhaled a deep breath, trying my best to brace myself for the rejection, but it never came. Instead, the guy just kept eyeballing me. After several long moments, he finally said, “You seem mighty invested in gettin’ this here job.”
“Yes, sir, I am.” When he didn’t respond, I told him, “My grandmother is getting too old to work as hard as she does. I gotta do something to help her out, or she’s gonna end up spending the end of her days in that stupid Five and Dime.”
“Wait a minute.” He crossed his arms. “You mean to tell me that Mona Jean Michaels is your grandmother?”
“Yes, sir, she is.”
“So, you’re Janice’s boy?”
I was hoping the gossip mill hadn’t made its way all the way out to Danver’s, but apparently, I wasn’t so lucky. I don’t know why I was surprised. Rumors ran through our town like a damn two-lane highway. I did my best to keep my shoulders from slumping as I admitted, “Yes, sir, but I haven’t seen her in almost six years.”
“Shame she didn’t have more sense than to run off with that Dale fella.” He shook his head, then pondered a moment. After giving me one final once over, he placed his hands on his hips and said, “You come by tomorrow after school. I’ll find somethin’ for you to do.”
“Thanks, uh ... I didn’t catch your name.”
“Don’t reckon you did.
” He smiled. “Folks around here call me Pappy.”
“Okay, I’ll see you tomorrow.” As I headed out the door, I shouted, “Thanks, Pappy.”
I’d done like Pappy told me, and every day after school, I headed over to the bar and did whatever odd jobs he had lined up for me. I washed dishes, filled the coolers, swept, mopped, and wiped down tables—basic grunt work, but it was a job, and I made enough for Gran to cut back on her hours at the Five and Dime.
Over the years, he’d given me more and more responsibilities. Pappy learned he could trust me, and when I’d turned twenty-one, he took me up on my suggestion to make some upgrades to the bar. I gave the place a fresh coat of paint and a new countertop, and it’d made a world of difference. Even Paps was impressed with how it had turned out. Hell, the old tightwad even invested in some new tables and chairs, and our efforts had paid off. Our customer base was up by fifty percent.
Pappy was so impressed with the way things were going, he’d decided to make me a partner. I wasn’t exactly surprised by his offer. Pappy didn’t have any kids of his own, but from the first day I had started working there, he’d treated me like a son. It meant a great deal that he trusted me with his legacy, and I gave him my word I wouldn’t let him down.
When I entered the bar, I found Paps sitting at the back table with Jackson, one of our cooks, and from the looks of it, they were having a heated exchange. I walked over, and as I sat down, Pappy turned to me and said, “Tell him a ninety-one is unacceptable for a health inspection.”
“We got a ninety-one?”
“Sure fucking did.” Pappy motioned his hand over to Jackson as he grumbled, “Someone forgot to clean the damn ice machine. It was a mess, and if that wasn’t enough, the same person turned down the heat on the dishwasher.”
“It was an accident,” Jackson argued. “I didn’t even know I’d done it.”