Restraint (Heaven Hill Generations Book 5)

by Laramie Briscoe

  My ridiculous thoughts make me chuckle at myself.

  Damn this is gonna be a long night. Especially since I’ve been spending much of mine recently, not sleeping with Justice.

  “You doing okay?” Dalton asks as he comes into the room, holding a cup of coffee out to me. “Figured you might need this. Noticed the dark circles under your eyes, but also noticed you ain’t been talkin’ about it,” he smirks.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “I dated the daughter of the club president before you.” He raises an eyebrow. “It’s a hard line to toe. Difficult to be excited for what’s going on in your life, and at the same time be respectful of what’s happening.”

  I run a hand through my hair, blowing out a breath. He’s just hit the nail on the head. “With any other relationship I’ve been in, I’ve made inappropriate jokes with my friends, talked about how good the women were in bed.”

  “But now you can’t?”

  “Not only can’t I, but I don’t really want to. I knew the minute Justice and I decided to take a shot at this, everything would change. I guess I didn’t realize how my core relationships would change too.”

  “No, I get it. Not only was I dating the president’s daughter, but it was my best friend’s sister too. Situations and feelings I would normally talk to Drew about weren’t things we could discuss. They weren’t even broached as an exploratory question type of way. It’s difficult. Harder than you can even imagine to begin with. Eventually you’ll get into a routine where you know who you can talk to about what and you’ll feel more like yourself. The first few months though, they’re the fuckin’ wild, wild, west. All the way around.”

  Hearing Dalton say all the things I’ve been thinking is not only refreshing, but what I didn’t know I needed. To know someone is able to understand where I’m coming from, and not call me a pussy for having the reservations I have, is one of the best gifts anyone could have given me.

  “Drew gave me his blessing, but we still haven’t officially announced being together to the club.”

  “I guess that’ll happen at family dinner tomorrow night?”

  Shit.

  I’d completely forgotten about the club having a dinner. This will be the perfect opportunity, but at the same time it’s already making me sweat. Knowing we’ll have to be in front of everyone, and they’ll be wondering how long we’ve been going behind everyone’s backs. If there’s anything this club excels at, it’s being nosey as fuck. “I guess, I’d forgotten about it. Any tips on how to keep us from becoming the center of attention?”

  “Too bad you don’t have a kid.”

  “No.” A thought pops up. “But we do have a puppy.”

  “Even better, everyone loves dogs. Bring her. Is this the one you saved from CRISIS?”

  “Yeah, although I’m not sure who saved who. Me and Justice both love her. Her and the puppies she has are the cutest things I’ve ever seen.”

  “Then bring the dog. It’s gonna be the best way to take the heat off the two of you.”

  “Thanks for the heads up,” I tell him, taking a drink of the coffee.

  “No problem, we gotta stick together, and real talk? You and Justice look so damn happy, no one can deny that.”

  “I mean, they can.”

  He laughs. “Touché, but I don’t think anyone would. Be safe on your way home tonight. I know it’s gonna be a late one.”

  “See ya.” I wave.

  He isn’t lying about it being a late one. This will take most of the night. So I allow myself one last look at Justice and Joanie before getting started on what I’m really supposed to be doing.

  Six hours later I’m draggin’ ass into my apartment, trying to figure out how the hell I even got here. It was a long night, and the only thing I wanted was to get home and crawl into bed next to Justice. Glancing at the clock, I realize I’ve only got two hours before I have to be up for work at the garage.

  Taking my clothes off, I scoot in, but freak out slightly when I feel something very hairy. “What the fuck?” I push the blanket down, and out pops Joanie’s head. “What are you doing here?”

  Justice mumbles in a sleep-roughened voice. “The puppies seem to be older than we thought. They’ve opened their eyes and are active. She’s hiding from them.”

  I chuckle deeply. “Poor thing. Where are they?”

  “In the spare bathroom. I lined a laundry basket with a towel, but they’re smart and figured out how to climb out of it. I had to end up going and getting a gate. I put pads on the floor, we’re gonna need to figure out how to potty train puppies.”

  “Shit.” I put my palms up to my eyes, rubbing them tiredly.

  “Yeah, so now you know why she’s in bed with me.”

  I reach down, rubbing her head. “Don’t blame ya, mama.”

  Justice reaches over, grabbing my hand with hers. “But we can still hold hands over her. She’s not a bad bed partner. She doesn’t move much and she makes it super warm.”

  This dog has already wormed her way into each part of my being. I don’t think I could give her up, even if I were asked to. If she wants to sleep in here, then that’s where she’s going to sleep. “I get it.” I yawn.

  Turning on my side so that it’s more comfortable to hold Justice’s hand while also allowing room for Joanie. Who knew this would be my life a year ago? Sharing my bed with not only a woman, but a dog, and not even being bothered by it. Amazing how changes come when you least expect them, but when you need them to.

  Having this right now? I know I’ll never let it go, and it’s exactly what I needed. I’m never going to take it for granted, or be irritated, simply because I remember my life before this. The girl and the dog? They make it a thousand times better than it’s ever been, and I’ll always be thankful for it.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Justice

  “I think we’ve got everything we need to take the kids with us.” I grin as I look over my shoulder at Caelin.

  “You keep saying that and someone is going to think we’re actually having children.”

  “They are ours,” I argue.

  He rolls his eyes, leaning down to make sure everyone is comfy in the box we’re taking the puppies in. The clubhouse is in for a dose of cuteness they haven’t seen in years.

  “Is there anything else we need?” I go through the bag we’ve packed for Joanie and the puppies, prepared to take whatever we may need with us. It’s almost like having a child, or at least what I would imagine having a child with Caelin would be like.

  “No, I think we got it all.”

  I watch his retreating back, thankful he loves them just as much as I do. “You’re gonna have so much fun,” I coo to Joanie and the babies. “Everybody wants to meet all of you because they’ve heard so much about you. Our family is loud, but they love hard, and they’re going to love you so much.”

  She wags her tail, her brown eyes looking up at me like I’ve given her the world. In some aspects I guess I have, but I would do it for all of them if I could.

  “Alright, we can be gone.” Caelin grab his keys and wallet, putting them in his jeans pockets.

  There’s something so intimate about us sharing these little moments with each other. I wonder if he’s had them with other women, but I don’t ask. It’ll break my heart if I know the truth. I like to pretend he wasn’t with anyone before he met me. Which I guess can be damaging in its own way, but it’s how I get through the day.

  We head down to the ground level, going to my car since it’s where we have her car seat. Caelin beeps the doors, and I encourage her to hop in. This time she isn’t as scared and she goes without much prodding on my part. “Good girl,” I praise her, giving her a treat I had in my hand. “You’re doing so well with all of this.” I reach over, patting her on the head. “I know it’s a lot to take in, but you’re thriving.”

  “She is, isn’t she?” Caelin says as I check one more time that she’s secure. He stands beside me,
gazing at her. “I swear the other day she was smiling in her sleep.”

  “She does that sometimes,” I confirm. “It’s the cutest.” I grab my phone out of my purse and show a picture of him and Joanie curled up on the bed. He’s got his head buried in her neck, an arm around her stomach, and she’s got a smile on her face.

  “When did you take that?”

  “The other night when I was late getting over here. You two were so cute I couldn’t pass it up.”

  “That’s sweet.” He leans in, stealing a smooch from my lips. “I’ll have to sneak in my own picture of the two of you.”

  “We’ve got each other’s backs. We’re girls, we need to look our best at all times,” I tease.

  “You always look fucking hot, especially your ass in these jeans.” He smacks the back pocket, making a loud noise.

  I gasp.

  “Did you like that?” he asks with interest.

  I’m not sure if I did or not, because I have no experience with it. “I’m not sure, but I didn’t hate it.”

  He gets closer to me, standing so that we’re touching one another. “Did you feel it here?” His hand runs down my body, cupping the heat in between my legs.

  I close my eyes, melting into his touch. Never did I think I would be the girl to get all fucked up when a man touched her, but here I am. “Yeah, yeah I did.”

  He removes his hand, smirking when my eyes pop back open. I’m rudely brought back to the present, instead of being able to slip into the dream-like state he takes me too. “Good to know, maybe I’ll give it a smack some other time when you’re least expecting it.”

  I’m not stupid, I know he means during sex, but I can’t help but be excited by the prospect. Harley talked to me about it once, and it’s definitely something I don’t think I would be opposed to.

  “Come on.” He grabs my hand. “We gotta get out of here and head to the clubhouse.”

  I almost groan, because now, the only thing I want to do is spend the evening with him. It’s becoming a slight obsession, and now I tend to understand why Harley wanted to spend all her time with Bishop.

  “Okay, let’s go.”

  Pulling up to the clubhouse, it’s easy to see how much bigger our families have gotten. There’s more trucks, cars, and bikes than there’s ever been. From what I hear there’s even a few friends of the club here tonight, too.

  “You ready for this?” Caelin asks after he parks and shuts the car off.

  “I don’t know,” I answer honestly. “Not because I’m worried about us going in there together, but I don’t know if I want the hazing to happen.”

  “Once they get it out of their systems, they won’t do it again, and if anyone makes you feel uncomfortable, all you have to do is tell me. I’ll gladly knock some heads around for you.”

  “Always my hero.”

  “It’s the best name I answer to.” He brings my hand up to his mouth, dropping a kiss there. “Let me come around and get the door for the two of you.”

  I’m pleased as he gets out and opens Joanie’s door first, unhooking her leash from the seatbelt, and allowing her to jump from the car. She’s shaking out her fur when he opens my door and helps me out. I grab her leash, holding her tightly. He reaches in and grabs the carrier with the puppies in it. “Are you ready for your big entrance, girl?” I ask her as we slowly walk to the door.

  She barks good-naturedly and I wonder what she thinks about this new place she’s in. From experience, I know it can be overwhelming, and I’m used to it.

  The group of us stop as we come to the entrance of the club, Caelin juggles the carrier, holding the puppies. It’s stupid that we’re acting like this. The people housed here are our family, and for the longest time this has been our home. Reaching forward, I open the door and lead us in.

  No one notices us at first, but then Joanie, not getting the attention she’s used to, barks loudly, letting everyone know we’re here. All movement stops and all eyes are on us as we stand in the doorway. I do the first thing that comes to mind.

  Wave and smile.

  “Hey, everybody. So if you didn’t know, Caelin and I are together, and we’ve got a dog - her name is Joanie. And these are her puppies. If you’ve got a problem with it, get over it. If you’re okay with it, then we appreciate you. If you’re indifferent, fuck off.”

  The crowd laughs softly as I say the last words. I’m not even sure where they came from, it just felt right. Dalton grins at me from where he stands with a drink in his hand. He lifts it toward us.

  “You heard the lady. Fuck off, or continue about your night. Either way, let’s welcome the doggos into the fold, and eat some good food. Tyler should have the steaks done right about now.”

  With his announcement, everyone turns to the patio and starts dispersing, not paying any attention to us. Caelin chuckles. “Well that was fucking anti-climactic.”

  I breathe out a long sigh. “Dude, it’s my favorite way to be.”

  The next morning, I’m deep into dreamland in Caelin’s dorm, wrapped up in his arms when I feel something on my hand. I push it away, thinking it’s a dream, but then I realize it’s wet.

  “What the…?”

  Opening my eyes, I see Joanie sitting in front of me, her tail wagging. When she notices I’ve awakened she goes toward the door. This is typically her way of telling us she has to go to the bathroom.

  “Okay, give me just a second,” I groan as I slip out from under Caelin’s arms and look around quickly for some clothes.

  I spot a pair of my shorts and one of his shirts. Fumbling, I curse as she paces in front of the door. “Okay, okay.” I rush toward it, my feet making noise on the concrete floor. On second thought, I reach out, grabbing the carrier with the puppies inside.

  Opening the door as quietly as possible, we slip out, only to hear a throat being cleared behind me. Turning, I see my dad standing there, his arms crossed over his chest.

  “Morning.” I wave with my fingers, motioning to Joanie. “She’s got to go out, otherwise she might make a mess.”

  “I’ll walk with you.” He reaches down to pet her on the head, leading us to the door.

  “So you and Caelin are spending a ton of time together.”

  I laugh. “What you mean is you never expected to see me coming out of his dorm wearing his t-shirt.”

  We get to the backdoor, and we let her go out.

  “You’re growing up and I’m having a hard time dealing with it,” he admits.

  “You can deal with Harley, surely you can deal with me too?”

  His blue eyes, so like mine, gaze back at me. “You’re teaching us slowly but surely we’ve been coddling you for far too long.”

  Smirking, I cross my arms over my chest, matching the way he stands. “Maybe one day you’ll actually listen.”

  He chuckles. “Trust me, Justice. I’m all ears.”

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Caelin

  “How’s it going?”

  I’d know that voice anywhere. It’s the one that’s constantly made sure I’m okay, and has always been who I’ve looked for in a crowd if I’m ever worried. Rolling out from under the car I’m working on, I glance up, seeing my dad. “Not bad, how are you? What are you doing here?”

  “Can’t I swing by and see what’s going on?”

  “Yeah, but it’s not an everyday occurrence. Is everything okay?”

  “I’m good, I promise. Wanna ride down to the store and grab some lunch?”

  I can’t remember the last time he came and asked me to come to lunch with him. It all but guarantees I’ll be there with fucking bells on.

  “Sounds great, let me go clean up and I’ll meet you down there. Will you go ahead and get me a sub ordered?”

  “Will do.”

  I watch as he turns from me and strolls away. He still walks around like he owns this place. To be fair though, he does that any place he is. Tyler Blackfoot makes no bones about being very comfortable in his own skin.


  One thing I do know is not to keep my dad waiting. While he’s patient for most everyone, he expects more from me. Quickly I head to the bathroom and wash as much of the grease from my hands and under my nails that I can. When I’m done, I stick my head into the office, letting Drew and Harley know I’m out for lunch, even though it’s slightly early.

  “Tell Tyler I said hey.” Drew waves as he looks at something on his laptop.

  “Will do.”

  Getting on my bike, I realize how much I’m looking forward to having lunch with him. We don’t get to do this type of stuff as often as we used to, and I definitely miss it. He spends a lot of time with Meri T and helping out at CRISIS while my priorities are slightly different than they used to. In the grand scheme of things, they’re way different than his.

  I’m lucky to still have him around though, because so many others don’t have their parents. To be able to see mine and to spend as much time as I can with them is a blessing I’ll never be able to thankful enough for.

  Pulling into the parking lot, I park next to his bike and get off, walking quickly inside. Once there I take off my sunglasses, letting my eyes adjust to the muted lighting of the store. Looking around, I see him sitting at one of the tables, our food already in front of him.

  “Hey, took a little bit longer for me to leave than I thought it would.”

  “It’s fine.” He takes a drink of his Root Beer. “They weren’t busy, and when I walked in, they knew exactly what we wanted. They started making it before I even got to the counter.”

  “One of the perks of living in a small town.” I grin.

  “Huge perk,” he agrees.

  I dig into my sandwich while he does the same. I’m slightly nervous as the silence stretches between us, worried about what he wants to talk about. Used to be when I was younger, we’d have these conversations when I fucked up and he wanted to get me back in line. Now that I’m a grown man who doesn’t live with him, these are few and far between. For the life of me, I can’t think about what I’ve fucked up with. Patience is a virtue when it comes to Tyler Blackfoot, so I cool my heels, waiting for him to say whatever it is he needs to say.