Meghan smiled and looked over Austin’s shoulder at his co-worker, Callie, and winked. “Are you talking about Morgan?”
Callie grinned at them, a sketchpad in her hands. If the woman wasn’t working with a client, she was always drawing. “Actually, yes, though we do tons of back pieces so it could have been anyone. Some people have odd reactions to tattoos and ink. If you add in the different sensitivity of nerves, muscle memory, and layers of fat or bone placement, it’s a toss-up for what will hurt more. It’s not like what some random website says about pain levels on different parts of the body. It might seem that way if you average people out, but not in each individual case. I will say that I didn’t press harder on his left than I did his right, but he felt the pain just the same.”
Meghan winced as Austin went over a vein. “I spoke too soon. Ouch, bro.”
He grinned at her, his big beard hiding most of his mouth, but she didn’t care. She loved her big broody, bearded, inked brother. Even if he currently had a needle on her wrist.
“Wuss.”
“Prick.”
“Love you, too,” he said then changed out the needles. “I need to do some shading. I left some space around the sides for more initials by the way.”
Meghan froze then raised a brow at her brother. Her ever-meddling brother. “Excuse me? What do you mean more initials?”
He raised his own brow at her but didn’t say anything.
“What our idiot brother is saying is that he doesn’t want to have to change up the design and try to do a cover-up or some shit if and when you and Luc have more kids,” Maya said from her station. Her sister stood slightly bent over a very large biker who gave Meghan the chills for some reason, but she didn’t really care about that right now.
“More kids?” she asked, her throat suddenly dry. “Luc?” She coughed.
Sloane, another artist and friend, handed her a cup of water. “Drink up, buttercup.”
The word buttercup coming from the bald man, who had to be over six-two and was two hundred and twenty pounds of pure muscle, had her laughing up her water. Austin waited patiently, holding his tattoo gun while she caught her breath and cleaned up the mess she made.
“Buttercup?”
Sloane winked at her before heading through the door that connected to Taboo. Hopefully, he was off to visit Hailey. While she would love to think more about whether those two would ever just get it on, Austin’s words still rang in her mind.
“Kids,” Austin said softly once she looked at him again. “You’re still young. You can have more. Or adopt like Sierra and I might. You never know. Don’t close off your future because you’re still scared about the past.”
“It’s a tattoo, Austin,” she whispered, knowing the ramifications were much, much more than that.
“It’s your life. And I’m not telling you how to live it.”
“That would be a first,” Maya mumbled, and Meghan smiled despite herself.
It was true that Austin tended to try to micromanage his siblings’ lives, but since he’d married Sierra, he’d toned it down. Somewhat. Now he had two children and a wife to try and manage. Or at least keep happy.
“Luc and I aren’t serious,” she lied. She knew it was a lie. Austin knew it was a lie. Callie knew it. Maya knew it. They all did.
“Meghan.” Austin’s deep voice rolled over her like it always had when they were younger. He really was her big brother in every sense of the word. “Don’t be an idiot.”
How could she not be? She and Luc had made love and passed through boundaries she never knew existed, but she still held that innate fear that she’d never be enough. Stupid didn’t even begin to cover that particular feeling, but she couldn’t help it. There was a little part of her that kept telling her she’d never be enough, never be able to hold on to him and he’d leave town. Again.
She needed to kick that little part’s ass.
This whole flip-flop emotional mess was too much. Fuck her doubts.
If only that kind of attitude would stay around longer.
Between her doubts, Richard, her kids, her job, and Luc working overtime on the house because of issues with work, she figured her brain was having its own pity party of doom.
It needed to stop. Now.
“You done overthinking?” Austin asked, his hand still holding her wrist.
She swallowed hard and nodded. “Yeah, but I need a minute before we finish.”
He tilted his head. “We have like ten minutes left on this one, Meghan. It’ll take longer to wrap you up than to finish the shading.”
“I need a minute to breathe. Plus, I have to pee.” She smiled softly when he rolled his eyes at that last part.
“Fine then. Pee but don’t fuck up your wrist. Use your other hand to wipe.” He lathered goo on her wrist so it wouldn’t dry out in the minute she was gone and stood up from his stool. “I could use a break to stretch my back anyway. Got a new client coming in right after you.”
“You’re busy these days,” Meghan said as she stood on her toes. Her big brother leaned down so she could place a kiss on his bearded cheek.
“I’m always busy, but I like it. Now go pee so I can finish up your ink.”
She took her phone with her to the bathroom and locked the door behind her. She’d missed a call when she was in the chair so she might as well listen to the message while she went about her business.
As soon as she heard the snide tone on the other line, she knew she’d made a mistake in not checking who’d called.
“I’ll be seeing the kids this weekend. I have visitation rights, and you can’t keep them from me. Ambrosia wants to meet them so she is prepared for when they eventually move in with us. Because, Meghan, they will move in with Ambrosia and me. It doesn’t matter what little lawyer you bring in. I will always win. You are nothing, and you need to remember that. That spine you found from fucking that blue-collar pissant won’t last long once I’m through with you. It never did.”
He hung up, and the message ended, leaving her shaking. She put her phone away then washed her hands, splashing water on her face. A single tear hadn’t fallen, and for that, she was grateful. However, just the man’s voice made her want to curl in on herself—new spine be damned.
God, that fucking bastard. He thought he could just come in and take whatever he wanted. There was no way he’d take her babies that weekend. Their agreement stated he needed to ask through his lawyer and get approval ahead of time. He couldn’t just show up when he wanted and take them. He’d never gone through the process before—never bothered to see his children in the past year, so he didn’t understand that.
Richard didn’t understand a lot of things. Well, she was about to make sure he understood everything.
She looked down at her phone, ready to call Luc and tell him what had happened. Before she could dial though, she stopped herself. He was at work dealing with other people’s errors. She couldn’t bother him every time something happened. However, she would tell him that night. There was no way she could hide that from him, and she’d promised them both she’d learn to rely on him, even if it was only for a shoulder to cry on.
Besides, she had her family outside the door waiting for her. She could talk to them. Meghan looked at herself in the mirror, surprised at the woman she saw. Yes, her face had paled since the phone call, but that darkness in her eyes she’d long since taken as her new look was absent. Instead, the fire inside shone through. She’d fight for her children, and Richard couldn’t take that away from her.
After taking a deep breath, she opened the door and slammed into a redheaded woman. Meghan took a step back, teeth rattling.
“Shit,” the other woman muttered. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know anyone was in here. I shouldn’t have been so close to the door.” She had an accent Meghan couldn’t place. It was more of a mix of accents rather than one particular one. Just a slight lilt that told Meghan that she wasn’t a Denver native, where the lack of accent was their claim.
The woman’s long auburn hair lay in soft curls around her head, and her bright brown eyes looked truly apologetic. Meghan probably had an inch on her height-wise, but the other woman had curves to kill for.
“No, I’m sorry,” Meghan said. “I shouldn’t have stormed out of the bathroom like that.”
The other woman smiled, and Meghan did the same. “Well, anyway, are you done? Because I had a really long drive and I kind of have to go.”
Meghan laughed and stood out of the way. “Sorry about that. All yours.” She made her way back to Austin’s station and sat down on the chair.
“Looks like you met my new client,” Austin said, his attention on his wrist.
“I did. She’s gorgeous.”
Austin looked up at her, a smile on his face. “I thought you were taken. And, you know, straight.”
“She can look and not touch,” Maya put in. The biker in the chair laughed deeply.
“Thank you both for that,” Meghan said dryly. “And it was just an observation.”
Austin snorted. “Which Montgomery do you want to set her up with? I thought that was Maya’s job.”
“Matchmaking isn’t a job I take lightly, thank you very much.”
Meghan just shook her head and let the buzz of the needle wash over her as her siblings bickered. They settled her in ways she couldn’t understand, and she loved them so damn much. Once Austin had the needle out of her skin, she’d tell them what Richard said on the phone then deal with it. She’d deal with it all, but maybe this time she’d learn to lean on someone. Luc was teaching her that.
Another part of her heart ached, and she took a deep breath. The man had taught her so much, and if he ever opened his eyes and left her…
Well, she didn’t know what she’d do then. She didn’t want to learn that lesson.
Ever.
Autumn
Autumn Minor walked out from the shop bathroom, drying her hands on her pants as she did so. She hoped the woman she’d bumped into was okay. It looked as if she’d needed a hug or someone to talk to, but Autumn didn’t have the time to see if she could help. She saw the other woman getting her ink done by Austin, the man who would work with her soon, so she held back, waiting in the wings while the other woman composed herself. It took only twenty minutes, and it didn’t matter too much to her. She didn’t want to intrude, and she’d heard the woman mention she was related to the artists so she gave them space.
Maybe she’d see her again one day and be able to do something about it.
That was Autumn. Full of the need to help and “one days”.
“You ready to go?” the big, bearded tattoo artist asked. “Thanks for waiting.”
Autumn nodded. “No problem. I was early.”
“I know we talked about your ink, but let’s talk more.” He patted the seat in front of him, and she noticed the big band on his finger. He was hot, but married. Too bad.
Oh, well, it wasn’t as though she was looking for someone. She’d just moved to town and didn’t need to put down roots. She held back a shudder. Hell no, she didn’t need roots. Or connections.
“I just need a touch-up today, but if things go well, I’d like to get something fresh.”
Austin nodded. “Where did you get your other work done?”
She shrugged. “Everywhere. I’m a nomad.”
“Well, you have nice work from what I can see,” he said with the tone of man appreciating art, not picking up a woman. Good for him. She hated cheaters.
“I don’t like shit ink.”
“Good, because I don’t give shit ink.” He sat back in his chair, studying her tats. “So, you’re new to the metro area then?”
She didn’t like questions, but being cagey would just raise flags. “Yeah. Pretty new.”
He raised a brow at her tone. Apparently, she hadn’t hidden her worries enough. “Okay then. No more questions. Tell me about your ink.”
She let out a breath and talked about the things she could without having a panic attack.
She didn’t know these people and didn’t want to. Because once she did, they’d be in the line of fire.
Others always were.
Chapter Fourteen
“I now pronounce you, husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”
Luc threw his head back and laughed as Decker dipped Miranda practically to the floor, devouring his new bride with his mouth. He wasn’t the only one laughing amongst the catcalls and hollers inside the Montgomery house.
Of course, not everyone laughed. Each of the Montgomery brothers who stood by Decker’s side up front looked as though they were ready to pound their new brother-in-law into the ground. The ladies on Miranda’s side just smiled and wiped their eyes.
He met Meghan’s gaze and smiled full-out. She stood next to Maya in a light blue dress that fit her curves perfectly. She did a little finger wave, and he tipped his chin at her. He couldn’t wait to have her in his arms, and he swept her across the dance floor the Montgomerys had made of the dining room.
Decker and Miranda had done as Luc had suggested and planned a very small wedding with just family and the closest of friends in the parents’ backyard. Of course since Colorado winter had set in, they’d opted for inside the large home that had raised the family. Since they were Montgomerys and pros at having parties at the house, they’d gone all-out to ensure it was a day they’d never forget—even if it was small and intimate.
Each of the siblings was there, standing up for their family. Decker had chosen Griffin to be his best man while the others stood in order of age. Alex wavered on the end. The man looked worse for wear. However, Luc couldn’t quite keep his eyes of Meghan. The sisters were by Miranda’s side, of course, and Miranda had added Sierra, Callie, and Hailey to even out the numbers. There were a few too many Montgomery men out there to make things perfectly even without help.
That was one reason Luc hadn’t felt slighted at not being asked to stand for Decker. He might be as close to the man as some of the Montgomerys—more so in some cases—but the Montgomerys were Decker’s family—blood or not. Luc would go home with his own Montgomery tonight, so that was all that mattered.
Cliff, Leif, and Sasha had acted as ring bearers and the flower girl before sitting down next to their grandparents in the front. Baby Colin slept peacefully in Marie Montgomery’s arms as she leaned into her husband, the same husband who had surprised the hell out of all of them when he’d walked his baby girl down the aisle. He’d told the hushed crowd that he’d be damned if he’d let his baby walk alone—cancer or no cancer.
Of course, the crowd wasn’t all that big. Since the wedding party was filled with Montgomerys, there was only one row of seats for the rest of the crew. Marie and Harry took up Miranda’s side with the children while Decker, Sloane, and Jake took up Decker’s side.
Small, but perfect for Decker and Miranda.
After all, Decker once said he’d lost everything before he found Miranda and the Montgomerys. What else could he need?
“If I ever get married, I’d want something like this,” Jake said from Luc’s side.
Luc turned to Maya’s best friend and nodded. “I get that, though I don’t think my parents would let that happen. My mom would want all her friends to be there, and it’d turn into a big thing.”
Jake looked toward Maya and Meghan, who stood laughing as Decker continued to kiss Miranda. Seriously, the two of them were animals.
“Well, as long as Meghan is happy, I guess your wedding will be whatever it needs to be,” Jake said then stood up and whistled. “Get a room!”
“Or not,” Harry called out. “Get your hands off my daughter, son. Time to party. Then you can take your new wife away, and I don’t want to hear about any of it.”
Luc laughed again and shook his head as Decker carried his bride down the aisle. Instead of waiting for the wedding party to follow, Luc stood and took Meghan by the arm. “I’m walking you back, sorry to Austin.”
Sh
e rolled her eyes. “He can take Callie,” she quipped then kissed him softly. That she’d kiss him in front of her family spoke of how far they’d come in the past couple of months.
“Kiss me, too!” Sasha bounced up and down, and he picked her up, settling her on his hip. He placed a small kiss on her cheek, and she sighed, resting her head on his shoulder. “Thank you.”
He chuckled and wrapped one arm around Meghan’s waist. Cliff stood on the other side of Meghan and gave him a shy smile. Progress.
Again, he didn’t miss the knowing smiles of the Montgomerys and crew at the picture he and Meghan presented. Like a family.
God, how he wanted this. He’d never realized he wanted more than just the open road and a roof over his head when needed. But, damn, he couldn’t help but picture Cliff and Sasha growing older with him by Meghan’s side through it all. Yeah, Richard might be huffing and puffing, and doing his best to fuck up everything, but they’d prevail. There wasn’t another option when it came to Meghan and her kids.
He still hadn’t said he’d loved her yet. That would come. The shell she’d encased herself in for so long was just beginning to crack, and he knew the words were ready. She wouldn’t run away from them. That didn’t mean she’d say them back. One thing at a time, he reminded himself. One thing at time.
“So now that the vows are said, and it’s just us, we can eat and dance,” Meghan put in as she played with Cliff’s hair. The kid rolled his eyes but didn’t move away. Again, progress.
“Save me a dance?” Luc asked. “Or all of them.”
Meghan smiled and leaned forward. “You can have as many as you want.”
“Kiss! Kiss!” Sasha squealed from his arms.
Well, he couldn’t disappoint her. He lowered his head and brushed his lips softly across Meghan’s and sighed. Damn, this was perfect. So fucking perfect he was afraid for it all to come crumbling down. He pushed that thought from his mind knowing it was best to worry about things he could fix, rather than what he couldn’t prevent.
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