“It is now.” He leaned back and stared into her eyes. “I liked waking up with you in my bed.”
She touched her hand to his face, the other she placed over his thumping heart. “Me, too.” She loved being here with him. The quiet house surrounded them. They’d made love, but more, they’d strengthened the bond between them.
Blake picked her up with her legs wrapped around his waist.
“Where are we going?”
“I need another shower, and so do you. I’ll wash your hair.”
“You just can’t wait to get your hands on my hair.” The frizzed-out, tangled strands proved it. She hugged him close and looked back at her empty plate and coffee mug next to his on the counter. “I like your place.”
“Want to stay?”
She leaned back and stared at him as he walked her through his bedroom to the bathroom. He stopped and kept his steady gaze on her.
“Just saying you do is enough for right now.”
He got her. She wasn’t ready to move in, make this her home. Their home. She wanted it, but it frightened her. Mostly because of how much she wanted it and feared something would happen, and she’d lose it. Him.
She whispered, “I do.”
Chapter 24
Blake pulled into the gas station in Crystal Creek. “I’ll just be a minute, sweetheart.” He left her in the truck and stepped out to pump the gas.
It took some fast talking to get Gillian to agree to go to Wolf Ranch with him for Gabe’s bachelor party/Ella’s bachelorette party. Ella already had a bash with her girlfriends in New York, but Gabe, who just wanted to get the deed done, hadn’t wanted a party. Instead, they’d planned a quiet evening at home with just the brothers and the women in their lives. Caleb and Summer flew in yesterday and were staying with Blake’s mom and dad. Summer was five months into her pregnancy. Blake couldn’t wait to see her. Dane was helping out, staying at Wolf Ranch to oversee things while Gabe and Ella went on their honeymoon after the wedding tomorrow.
Blake knew that Gillian didn’t want to interfere in the family occasion. He wished she believed with her whole heart that she was part of his family. He loved her. He wanted to marry her. But she still held part of herself back. It had to do with her seeing her dead father and whatever happened when he’d been away in Nevada. She’d never said what happened between her and Ken, but something had. Every time he tried to coax her to tell him what it was, she shut him down and said she handled it. Well, as far as he could tell, the only way she was handling it was by avoiding the asshole. Fine by him. Still, Blake kept Ken busy and as far away from Gillian as he could.
Lost in thought, he didn’t understand why Gillian had her back pressed to the driver’s side door.
Gillian waited for Blake, her hands in her lap, nervous about being with all his brothers and Ella and Summer. She’d never been good in social situations. Spending a night with Blake’s family seemed too close to their being something more serious than boyfriend and girlfriend. Of course it was. She knew it was. But this made it real. Which in her warped mind meant all this good could be taken away and she’d be right back where she used to be—miserable.
Plus, she was still embarrassed about the scene she made when she met Gabe. She didn’t want something like that to happen again. They’d think her crazy and warn Blake away from her.
The rumble of a motorcycle engine drew her attention as the rider pulled into a parking spot by the gas station store entrance. She absently watched him stand and pull off his helmet. The sun lit his blonde hair to a golden gleam. He turned and looked at her, but didn’t move. Her gaze met his hazel eyes and held. The world fell away. His eyes narrowed. She swore she heard her father’s hysterical laugh. The one he couldn’t stop the night she shot him.
The man walked toward her, and everything inside her wanted to run. She couldn’t go out her door. He’d be on her in a second. She scooted across the seat and tried to make herself as small as possible against the other door.
The man stood two feet from the door and called, “Gillian.”
“Blake,” she screamed.
He came out of nowhere and slammed both hands into the man’s chest. Her father, but not. How did he know her name?
“Who the fuck are you? And what the hell do you want with my girlfriend?” Blake demanded, his words laced with steel. He stood between the man and the truck. Tensed to do battle, no way Blake let him anywhere near her.
“Most people I know call me Lumpy.”
“What the hell kind of name is that?”
“Ask her. She gave it to me when she was four. Ever since then, the biker gang I belonged to called me by that name.”
Gillian slid over to her side of the truck and stared out the open window. “Uncle Lumpy,” she whispered.
“Hey, baby girl. You look good. Even more beautiful than I thought you’d be.”
“Uncle?” Blake asked.
“Toby Tucker. Ron’s older brother. I came back to town about a month before you arrived, baby girl. Got a call from the San Francisco coroner’s office about Ron’s death and taking care of his body.”
“You live here now?” Blake asked.
“Dad died of liver failure near ten years ago. Meanest son of a bitch you ever met. I’m not saying it’s an excuse for the way your father and I turned out, but it’s an explanation. Bad men like us aren’t born, we’re made. You took care of your father. Jail and God took care of changing me. I’ve been living a good, clean, free life going on five years. I quit my old friends and went to mechanic’s school. I work. I keep my nose clean. I’ve been sober going on eight years. Mom passed this last summer. I came back to sort out the family home.
“I tracked you down through the doctors, police, and social worker. Found out about your brother. Cute kid. I meant to go and get you, but they said you were coming here. I’m sorry I scared you those times you saw me. I was just trying to keep an eye on you. Make sure you’re settled. Happy. Being treated well.” Uncle Lumpy eyed Blake up and down. “So, you like this one?”
Her heart had settled into a normal rhythm again. Snippets of memories of this man teased the back of her mind.
“He’s okay.”
“Thanks, sweetheart. A real ringing endorsement.”
“He’s one of the best men I know. The other is my grandfather.”
“An upstanding man. I checked him out. Not a single person in this town has a bad thing to say about him or the Bowden family. You’re in good hands, baby girl.”
Yes, she was.
“So, uh, where have you been? Besides jail?” she asked.
“California. Texas. Nevada. Arizona. Sometimes jail in one place or another. I’ve done some bad things in my life, but I never hurt anyone more than myself. Though there are a few crazy women out there who’d tell you different.”
“Do you have any kids?”
“Never been that lucky. Maybe that was a good thing back in the day, but I sure do wish I’d gone the family route. Maybe if I had someone who needed me, counted on me, I’d have done better by them than I ever did for myself.”
“You stole a doll for me.”
“You remember that, huh?”
“You snatched it right off the shelf, pulled off the tag, and stuffed it inside your jacket. You walked out of the store like it was nothing.”
“Not my finest moment.”
“It’s the only doll I ever had. My father took it from me, tore off her head, and burned her body. I kept that doll head for a long time.”
“Why’d he do that, baby girl?”
“Because hurting me made him laugh. I thought you were him. I thought he came back, or I hallucinated him. I thought I was going crazy,” she admitted, making him frown and Blake come forward and put his hand over hers on the truck door frame.
“I’m sorry, baby girl. I thought ma
ybe you remembered me, and all I did was bring back bad memories. Maybe that’s exactly what I did, but you didn’t remember, did you?”
“Not until you said I named you Lumpy.”
“Anyone want to explain that?” Blake asked.
“He came in and out of my life when I was real little. Every time he showed up, he had a bashed-up face. Swollen. Lumpy. I can’t remember ever not calling him that.”
“It became my biker name. I only wish I’d been more your Lumpy than the bar fighting Lumpy who showed up on your father’s doorstep drunk and broken and miserable and looking in all the wrong places for something to make me feel better. You always did though, baby girl. I loved seeing you and that sweet smile of yours. I’m real sorry about your parents. Sorry you had to put that no-good brother of mine down.”
Blake’s fingers slid across her neck and into her hair. “That’s over now.”
Gillian grabbed Blake’s hand, turned it, and checked the time on his watch. “Oh God, we’re late. Uncle Lumpy, I’m sorry, we’re supposed to be at Blake’s brother’s house for a family get-together. Um, do you know where Three Peaks Ranch is?”
“I’ve been out that way a few times. Seen you ride, baby girl. You’re a natural. Like me on my bike, you love the wind in your face.”
She smiled. “I’d like it if you came to see me again. Justin will want to meet you.”
“I don’t want to scare the boy.”
“I’ll talk to him. Tell him who you are.”
“I’d like that. I’ll let you get to your family thing. I hope when you see me again, you won’t see him.”
“I don’t think I will anymore.” She felt a weight lift, and she squeezed Blake’s hand to let him know she was okay. His eyes softened when he read the relief that washed over her, knowing she wasn’t crazy.
A car honked behind them. Someone waiting for the gas pump.
“Better get a move on. Nice to see you, baby girl. Blake, you treat her right, or I’ll break your face.”
Her uncle walked away without a backward glance.
“I think he meant that,” Blake said.
“My father slapped me once when he was visiting. He beat my father bloody and knocked him out. He spit on him. They were both drunk and high. He left. We moved again. I never saw him again, but I wished all the time for him to come back. One day, I stopped wishing.”
He cupped the back of her neck and leaned in for a soft kiss. “Do you want me to take you home?”
“No. I’m fine. Really. I want to meet your brothers and sisters.”
Blake, Gabe, Caleb, and Dane sat around the living room waiting to get this show on the road. All the guests had gone down to where the wedding would be held in ten minutes. It was a last chance for the brothers to be together before Gabe married the woman of his dreams, the love of his life. Blake couldn’t be happier for him.
“Was Gillian pissed you were hungover this morning?” Gabe asked.
“Good thing you had a designated driver,” Dane chimed in.
“He wouldn’t have needed one if you hadn’t broken out the whiskey and called for shots.”
“Hey, we needed a toast. Beer just doesn’t cut it. Besides, Gabe’s lady drank us under the table and won every damn poker hand once she started playing for him.”
“Gillian and Summer were having a good time watching us. They really hit it off,” Blake said.
“That’s because they were the only two sober people in the room,” Dane pointed out. “Summer’s pregnant, and your girl’s not old enough to drink.”
“Like that ever stopped any of us,” Caleb pointed out.
“When did she get her driver’s license? Last month?” Dane teased.
Blake smacked him on the back of the head to shut him up. Their mother and father walked into the room, keeping him from laying into Dane.
“She’s ready,” his mother announced. “Let’s go, boys. We’ll walk down first. Your father will escort Ella.” His mother waved her hands to get them moving out the door. No one had to prod Gabe. He couldn’t wait for this day to be over and for Ella to be his wife.
Blake wondered if Gabe suggested their father walk her down the aisle just to be sure Ella didn’t run out on the ceremony like his first fiancée did. He dismissed the idea immediately. No way Ella backed out. She loved Gabe. The way she looked at him said it all.
He followed Gabe as they walked down the rose-petal-strewn path between the rows of family and friends waiting for the ceremony to begin. Gillian sat on the right. He caught her eye. Yep, that’s exactly the way Ella stared at Gabe.
The brothers stood shoulder to shoulder at the front of the small crowd, the preacher next to Gabe, ready to start the ceremony.
“I was just messing with you, Blake. I like Gillian. She’s nothing like the young girls who follow me around the rodeo circuit,” Dane whispered.
“No, she didn’t flash her boobs, despite how much you flirted with her.”
“That was just to mess with you. Territorial much?”
“Leave my woman alone,” Blake warned. Dane didn’t mean the flirting. He did it with every woman he met, young or old. One day, Dane would find a woman who’d give him a run for his money and call him on all his bullshit.
“You two looked pretty serious last night,” Gabe pointed out, talking out the side of his mouth in low tones, so no one overheard them.
“We are serious.”
“How serious?” Caleb whispered, eying him.
“I’m going to marry her.”
All of his brothers turned and stared at him, but he only had eyes for the beautiful woman sitting in the audience staring back at him with a pretty smile on her face. Lovely in her blue gown, she fit in with the rest of the female guests wearing similar shades of blue, as Ella requested.
None of his brothers got a chance to comment on his announcement. The music played, and Ella’s bridesmaids, two friends from New York, walked down the aisle ahead of Summer, who served as the matron of honor. Her round belly filled out the front of her blue dress, which draped down to her knees. Beautiful in her pregnancy, she glowed.
Blake wondered what Gillian would look like round with his baby. He glanced at her, and she cocked her head, probably wondering why he stared so hard. He couldn’t help it. Being at the wedding today made him even more anxious for the kind of life his parents shared for over thirty years, Caleb had with Summer, and Gabe was just beginning with Ella.
Their father stood with Ella at the end of the aisle. Her gaze found Gabe’s, and she smiled so brightly that even Blake thought her the most beautiful bride he’d ever seen. The white beaded gown hugged her curves to her knees and draped down to cover her feet. The neckline dipped low. The sleeves encased her arms, one tucked into his father’s, the other holding her bouquet of white roses and lilies.
Blake glanced at Gabe’s face. Mesmerized by his bride, he never took his eyes off her as she walked down the aisle toward him.
“Breathe, man,” Blake prompted.
When their father placed Ella’s hand in Gabe’s, his brother finally took a deep breath and smiled like a lunatic at Ella.
The ceremony was beautiful and sweet. When it came time to exchange rings, Gabe turned to him. An old gag, but Blake went with it anyway, patting his pockets, waiting for the look of panic to come over Gabe’s face, thinking Blake had lost the ring. Blake pulled it out and smiled wickedly at his big brother.
Just the moment they needed to break the tension. Gabe’s shoulders relaxed. Ella laughed and the rest of the ceremony flew by, ending with a steamy kiss.
The wedding party finished the photos and headed into the elegant tent that looked more like a ballroom, with a hanging chandelier, dark blue, cloth-draped tables covered in gleaming silver, crystal, white dishes, and overflowing blue vases with white flowers. Blake found
Gillian talking to a few of Ella’s friends.
“Hey pretty lady, come with me.” Blake took her hand, smiled at the other ladies in apology for interrupting, and drew Gillian toward the dance floor.
“The wedding was beautiful. This place is amazing.”
“You’re beautiful. You’re stunning in that dress.”
“I’m so used to you in jeans, I can’t get over how handsome you are in a tux.”
“Only for my brothers—and you—would I wear one of these monkey suits.”
He didn’t know if she got the meaning of what he was trying to tell her, but he hoped she understood that unless it was their wedding, or one of his brothers’, you wouldn’t catch him dead in a tux again.
As instructed, Blake, Caleb, and Dane stood to one side with their ladies. One of Ella’s bridesmaids stood beside Dane, since he didn’t have anyone special in his life right now—or ever.
Someday, the right woman would show up and take him on the ride of his life.
Ella and Gabe walked in to a round of applause. The singer of the country cover band Ella hired announced, “Please welcome Mr. and Mrs. Gabe Bowden for their first dance as man and wife.”
They stepped out onto the dance floor and lost themselves in each other’s arms. Halfway through the slow song, Blake, Caleb, and Dane escorted their partners to the dance floor and joined the newlyweds. Over the next few songs, Blake, Caleb, and Dane took turns dancing with the bride—their new sister. Ella danced with their father, making him tear up, and Ella looked forlorn for her lost family. Gabe put the smile right back on her face when he pulled her close for yet another kiss as everyone tapped their spoons to their champagne glasses.
The rest of the night was a lot of food, fun, and more dancing until Gabe shot Ella’s garter right into Dane’s face with a “You’re next, bro.”
Dane shook his head no and swore, “Never going to happen.”
Ella tossed her bouquet to five single ladies, including Gillian. Blake’s mother had nearly dragged her to the dance floor to participate. She caught the bouquet.
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