“No, it’s been a rough couple of days, and like I told him, I wasn’t in the mood. I just wanna drop this thing off and head to bed. I need to decompress.”
“Is that bed gonna be at the apartment or at the clubhouse?” Liam asked gently. With the way Jagger was speaking, and the fact that Bianca had to follow him to figure out where he was going, things were even worse than he had assumed they were.
They stopped at a red light, and Jagger pushed his head back against the seat. “Probably the clubhouse. I need a little time to figure out what I’m gonna do, and to be honest, the time that B and I spent together earlier today wasn’t the best. We weren’t exactly nice to one another.” It didn’t make him proud to know that they’d used sex to mask their problems, but he knew they were human and sometimes things happened.
Liam nodded, his mouth set in a grim line. “Don’t let misunderstandings come between you. It’s easy to do, and in the end, and it’s not worth it. Those misunderstandings build on each other, and then you have no trust. You and Bianca have a kick-ass relationship. Right now you’re going through a rough patch. We all do it; it’s how you come out on the other side that matters.”
Jagger knew that the older man was right, and that was exactly why he was going to stay away from the apartment. He knew Bianca had questions she wanted answers to, and he was too tired to give her any. For this night, they would have to be apart. In the end, he hoped they could learn to appreciate each other and what they had built together more.
Chapter Nine
Jagger woke up the next morning with a huge sense of relief. He knew that he no longer had to keep any secrets from the woman he loved, and even though the secret had been self-imposed, it still felt good not to deal with it any longer. He’d known for weeks exactly what he wanted to buy her with the money he was stockpiling; that was the reason he had been pushing so hard. Sitting up in the bed, he glanced at the clock, realizing it was early afternoon. Checking his phone, he saw that he had a few text messages, but the one he was most interested in was the one from Bianca.
I’m sorry I doubted where you were at night. I followed you last night, and I’m ashamed of myself for it. Please come home, I miss you.
Even reading it, he felt like he could feel her loneliness. He wanted to tell her he would be there soon, but honestly he didn’t know how long it would take him to complete everything he wanted to get done. He’d taken off the next three days at the shop, and he couldn’t wait to spend those days with her. It had been way too long.
First thing was first; he needed a shower, breakfast, and then he needed to head downtown to complete the second part of his plan.
“Have you heard from Jagger today?”
Bianca shook her head at Meredith. She was volunteering at the CRISIS house to get her mind off of things. “No, not today. I can’t tell if he’s angry about other things or if he’s upset about the way we left each other yesterday. This isn’t something I have a lot of experience with when it comes to him. Usually he and I are on the same page in everything we do. It’s killing me that he seems to be pulling away from me.” She bit her bottom lip, trying to keep her emotions in check.
“Relationships grow and change, they ebb and flow. I’m sure nothing is as bad as what you think it is now. I can’t see Jagger ever giving up on what the two of you have together,” Meredith reassured her.
“I don’t know, I haven’t felt this alone since he and I started dating. I feel like I did after he had his wreck, when he tried to push me away. I hate that I had doubts and pushed him, and now he’s pushing back.”
“I have a feeling that nothing about the situation is as it seems.” Meredith offered her a smile. “I honestly have no idea what’s going on, but call it a gut feeling. I know him, he’s not leaving you.”
“I hope you’re right.”
And Bianca did hope she was right, but in this moment, she had her doubts. There was a large part of her that was worried she would go home and find he’d moved out of the apartment and back into the clubhouse.
“Are you sure this is the one you want?”
This was the one thing Jagger hadn’t second-guessed. He’d known the minute he’d walked into the jewelry store on the square that the art-deco 1920s estate ring was the one he wanted for Bianca. It was everything that she was to him, all rolled into one. Classy, with flash, and a subtle hint of elegance. It was unique. He’d done some research on the internet with the help of Travis, and he’d only found one other ring that looked remotely like it. That made it all the more special to him; a way to prove how special he thought she was.
“I’m sure.” He took a deep breath. “Yeah, I’m sure.”
“Do you have a special lady you’re gonna give this to?” the older woman behind the glass counter asked.
He had to give it to her, she hadn’t shrunk away when he came in wearing his cut, the beard he still hadn’t shaved, and boots that pounded loud against the hardwood floors; she’d treated him just like any other customer.
“I do.” He nodded, for the first time in a while thinking all of this would be okay. As soon as he could give this to B, she would understand. “I have the perfect lady to give this to.”
She smiled a genuine smile at him. “I’m glad, I truly am. This ring should be on the finger of a woman who knows her worth.”
Bianca wasn’t sure of hers right this moment, but Jagger was going to make sure she knew just how much she meant to him, very soon. “She does, and she will for the rest of her life.”
The sales lady nodded. “Now how will you be paying for this?”
“What’s the total?” he asked, wanting to make sure he had enough cash on him.
“Six thousand five hundred, sixty-five dollars and forty-two cents.” She showed him the receipt that included the cleaning package and warranty he’d purchased.
“Cash,” he told her, pulling out a wad of bills. “I’ve worked hard for this.” He grinned across the glass at her.
The grin always got women, and she was no exception. “I’m sure you did, young man, I’m sure you did.”
Chapter Ten
After volunteering with CRISIS, Bianca went back to the apartment and showered, changing into her favorite pair of shorts and tank top. Grabbing her e-reader, she settled onto the couch to read the newest book that Jessica had put out. She had texted Jagger earlier, but it had sounded like he was busy, and she didn’t want to disturb him. Whatever they had going on between the two of them, she knew they would work things out. It would be a matter of time and patience.
An hour later, she was getting to a good part in the book when she heard the roar of his motorcycle on their street. Her heart sped up, as it sometimes did when she knew that she would be seeing him. It was the small things like that that let her know the fire was still there, the passion was still there. They weren’t done with each other, they were just going through a rough patch.
His motorcycle boots stomped up the stairs before he let himself into their apartment. Glancing up, she couldn’t believe what she saw. He was wearing a nice button-down shirt underneath his cut and held out a bouquet of fresh-cut flowers.
She opened her mouth, and he reached out a hand to stop her. “Before you say anything, I’d like to do some talking, if that’s okay?”
Speechless wasn’t something that happened to Bianca Hawks normally, but all she could do was nod an affirmative to his request.
“I know you’ve been wondering where I’ve been going at night.” He blew out a deep breath. “Actually I already knew that you and Christine followed me last night, which I have to tell you wasn’t exactly the smartest thing in the world you could have done. I’m willing to give you a pass though, because I know I haven’t been very forthcoming to you in the past few months. You have to know,” he ran a hand through his hair, “I’ve had my reasons.”
He had a seat across from her on the couch, handing her the flowers and wiping his hands on his jeans. “These are for you by the way.
”
She finally found her voice. “Thank you, Jagger, they’re gorgeous.”
“So are you.” His voice was little more than a whisper. “I’ve got to be honest with you. I wanted to tell you so many times what I was doing at night, but I didn’t want to ruin the surprise.”
“What surprise?” she asked, not able to stop herself.
“I said let me talk, remember?” This time, when the words were said, they were accompanied by his easy smile, not the harsh facial features he’d been sporting of late.
She made the motion of zipping her mouth and throwing away the key.
“As you found out, I’ve been doing the repos for the shop. What you don’t know is for the past three months I’ve been doing every repo, which is where I’ve been most of the nights, why my nights are later, and why I’ve been a bit of an asshole. What you also don’t know is why I’ve been doing it.”
Bianca sat on her hands to keep herself from asking questions. She wanted badly to ask him why he’d been doing these things and why he’d felt the need to keep them from her.
“Repos pay the most money in the shop, and since I’m still one of the newer members of the club, my share isn’t the biggest when it comes to pay. Granted, you and I are more comfortable than we’ve ever been, but I think we both know there’s not a lot of money to play around with,” he spoke to her clearly and honestly. “So, when I was visiting Christine at the hair salon on the square a few months ago, I took a walk and went into the jewelry store. There was an amazing ring there that I loved. I knew right then that I wanted to get it for you, but when they told me the price, I knew there was no way in hell I’d ever be able to afford that ring.”
Her eyes watered as she realized what this man she’d given her heart to was telling her. She wanted to blurt out that she loved him, but she knew she had to see this through, she had to let him get this all out.
“I went back to the shop and asked the guys if it was okay if I took the repos. I explained to them what I wanted to do, and they all supported me. They took a pay cut so I could have an increase for you. Do you know how much that means to me?”
She did, because it meant a lot to her too.
“Last night was the final repo I needed, and today I walked into that jewelry store and bought this ring with hard-earned cold, hard cash.”
Bianca watched as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring box. He set the box in her hand and then slid off the couch, getting down on one knee.
“The reason I wanted to buy this ring was because I wanted to ask you to marry me. Really and truly. Take my last name, be my partner for the rest of my life. Have kids with me, grow old with me, ride on my bike with me until we’re so old we can’t stay upright, wear my property patch until the name fades so badly that I’m the only one who knows what it says.” He was breathless as he said the last words. “Marry me because I love you and I can’t see my life without you. The last few months have shown me what that could be like, and damnit, it’s a shitty life.”
She tried hard to speak around the lump in her throat and the tears in her eyes, but she couldn’t. All she could manage was to nod before she threw her arms around him, tackling him to the ground.
“Is that a yes?” he asked, his eyes boring into hers.
“Yes.” She nodded, her voice cracking with emotion.
“Thank you God,” he breathed, kissing her head, inhaling deeply, and throwing his arms around her to hold her tight.
After a few moments, he pulled back. “Don’t you want to see the ring?”
“I do, but I want you to put it on me.”
He pried the box from her fingers and opened the lid, revealing the ring inside. Her gasp was everything he had hoped it would be, and he couldn’t help but give himself a pat on the back. Sliding that ring onto her finger was the happiest moment of his life.
Epilogue
Two Days Later
“You know, I thought sliding that ring on your finger was the happiest moment of my life,” Jagger told her as the two of them lay in bed. It was mid-afternoon, but they were on nobody’s timetable except their own. “I was wrong.”
“You were?” she questioned, turning so that she rested her head against his bare chest. “What was the happiest moment of your life?”
He pulled her hand to his lips, placing a kiss there. “When I slipped this ring on your finger, earlier today.” He indicated the plain gold band they had exchanged at the courthouse.
As with most everything to the two of them did, they were on their own time frame, and they had decided they’d waited long enough to make it official.
“I think that’s the happiest moment of my life too.” She grinned up at him.
He pulled her so she was tucked underneath him when he turned them over. “I’m looking forward to making sure you have many more happy moments in your life to come,” he told her, promise in his voice as he captured her lips with his. He’d already had her twice, but he wanted her again. When she made room between her thighs for him and he slid home, he knew that this was the best, most right thing he’d ever done in his life.
“You’re gonna get sick of this,” she taunted, reaching up to thread her fingers through his hair.
“Making love to my wife?” He shook his head. “Never.”
His wife. Bianca loved the sound of that, and she told him so as she moaned her approval at the way he moved inside her body. Running her fingers down his neck and around to grasp his shoulders, she threw her head back, giving her body over to him.
As he shuddered against her, she hid a small smile against his neck. If there was one thing this experience had taught her, it was that it would always be worth it to work on their relationship, and sometimes the best thing in the world was a rough patch.
The End
Book Seven
The Beginning of Forever
Heaven Hill Book #7
Laramie Briscoe
This book is for every reader who said they wanted more Tyler and Meredith…I hope I did it justice and I hope you enjoy!
Summary
Love
Fear
Hope
Danger
Tyler and Meredith Blackfoot have a long and complicated history. A relationship born out of the worst thing a woman can endure has blossomed into a greater love than either of them could have ever imagined. Now, with answered prayers and Addie a permanent part of their family, they are ready to move forward.
Meredith is working as Director of the CRISIS center. Tyler busy mentoring younger members of the club and the teenagers that look up to him with wide-eyed amazement.
Life is going exactly the way they want it to when a woman shows up at CRISIS that could threaten everything they’ve worked so hard to achieve. She’s dangerous, and only a select few know why. Secrets are kept and stresses mount as the Blackfoot’s get the biggest surprise of their lives.
Tyler will do anything to protect the woman he loves and the young family they’ve created together. When the reason he breathes is threatened, he does everything in his power to prove it’s not the end, but the beginning of forever.
Chapter One
Meredith Blackfoot tensed as she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and did her best not to bite down. Her hand gripped that of her husband, who stood at his full height next to her, as still as she was. They were both, it seemed, holding their breath. In actuality this breath had been held for the past eighteen months: the length of time since Addalynn had come to live with them, how long it had taken for their petition for adoption to be seen before the court, and how long they had lived their lives looking over their shoulders.
The obstacles they faced had, at times, seemed overwhelming—yet here they stood. As one united front.
“Whatever they say, we’ll make it through.”
She heard the soft words spoken by the man who held her heart, who’d held it since he’d saved her on the most awful night of her life. He was right, they
would, but goddamn, it would hurt if they took Addalynn away. Their attorney had cautioned them before they walked in that if things went to shit there were always appeals, but Meredith wasn’t sure her heart could take it. There were only so many times that a heart could be broken, and hers was about at its limit.
His larger hand held hers tightly, his thumb rubbing circles over the skin there. The touch soothed her as the judge took his seat before the court and the hearing started. The whole thing went by in a blur until she heard the words that she had wanted to hear for so long.
“This adoption has been approved, and the minor child will be able to remain in the custody and home of Tyler and Meredith Blackfoot.”
Those were the sweetest words Meredith had ever heard in her life. They were free to move on and enjoy their time together. There would be no more looking over their shoulders, wondering if they hadn’t been as thorough as they had tried to be when searching for Addalynn’s family members. She did research every day in her job for CRISIS and knew that she’d done the best she could.
“Let’s take our daughter home,” Tyler told her, the smile on his face as wide as she had ever seen it.
Taking their daughter home. Words she had always longed to hear, but never thought she would.
Two Months Later
“You go ahead and go on home, Mer. I know Tyler and Addie are waitin’ on you,” Christine told her friend. “I’ll take care of getting this family settled and signed in. You’ve worked more than your fair share this week.”
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