“Come on,” I said. “Let’s go. I don’t want to think about my house, or about Brett anymore. The only thing I want to do is make you a huge bowl of mac and cheese.”
“I almost forgot about dinner in the middle of all this chaos. You know things are bad when I forget about mac and cheese. Come on, let’s go.”
Chapter Eleven
Grant
“So, have you spoken to Pop lately?” I asked Brady even though I knew what the answer would be.
“Nope. Why are you bringing this up now?” Brady asked. He seemed angry, which was unlike him. Brady was one of the only Maxwell brothers that didn’t have much of a temper. So when he was angry, it always came as a surprise.
“Why am I bringing this up? Because Pop has cancer, that’s why.”
“You said he was getting better. You said it wasn’t life threatening.”
“It’s still cancer! It’s not something that should be taken lightly. And he needs us right now. Just a phone call won’t hurt you.”
“Look, I don’t have the sort of relationship that you have with him. You were always his favorite, Patriot. You and Gunner. Although Gunner didn’t see it.”
“Gunner didn’t see it. And neither do you. Pop doesn’t have favorites. He loves us all. And he needs us now. I know all about what went down with the two of you. But you can at least talk to him. Think about it, okay?”
“Sure,” Brady said, and I knew that he wouldn’t think about it at all.
“Thanks,” I said and smiled. It probably wasn’t any of my business, anyway. If he didn’t want to talk about it or think about it, I shouldn’t force him. “So, what are you doing today?”
“Probably a bit of work.”
“But it’s Saturday.”
“The ranch doesn’t run by itself just because it’s a Saturday.”
“Ah no, now I feel bad not helping you. Is there anything I can do?”
He smiled. “Nah, that’s okay. Thanks, Patriot. Just because I work like a maniac doesn’t mean you have to. Besides, isn’t tonight your big dinner date?”
I grinned. I hadn’t stopped thinking about the dinner all day. I nodded. “Yep, tonight is the night. Do you have any idea where I can take her? I was thinking of asking her, but I sort of feel bad as I’m the one who asked her out.”
“I’m probably the wrong person to ask. Oh, but wait, I heard someone talking about this restaurant the other day. It’s apparently the oldest restaurant in Wyoming, and it’s been recently renovated. It’s been made to look like an old barn. It sounds nice. Maybe take her there.”
“Hey, that actually does sound nice. Thanks, man.”
“No problem. I’ll get you the details. So, what’s going to happen after the date? Because you live with me and she lives with her friend Terra at the moment.”
“What do you mean? We’re just going for dinner. We don’t need a house to go to afterward. I doubt she’s the sort of woman that sleeps with someone on the first date anyway.”
“Well, that’s true.”
I shook my head. If things did actually go well with Emily, then we’d have to cross that bridge when we got there, but who knew if that would even happen. That was a thought or concern for another day.
Later that day, I got ready for the date. I laughed when I looked at myself in the mirror. Before moving to Wyoming, I spent most of my time dressed in black. It was just what you did when you were part of the motorcycle group. But just last week I’d gone to buy a load of more comfortable clothes, because working in the hot sun wearing only black was not the greatest idea. My go-to outfit for a date would usually have been black jeans, a black or white shirt, and my black leather jacket. But now, I found that I didn’t want to dress that way anymore. It didn’t suit the environment. I still didn’t look quite as ‘farmer’ as Brady did, but I put on a pair of blue jeans, a white shirt with the long sleeves rolled up, and sneakers. The clothes were simple, but they felt comfortable. And if there was one thing I had figured out about the people in this farming community—they liked to be comfortable.
“Wow, you look beautiful,” I said the moment I went to get Emily.
She started laughing. “Look at us. We match.”
I looked at her and chuckled. She was right. She was wearing blue jeans and a white top with sneakers.
“Well, we obviously have good taste,” I said and walked her to the car. I opened the door for her and let her in, and then I climbed into the drivers’ seat.
“So, where are we going? Or do you need some suggestions?”
“Actually, I have a place in mind. Brady was telling me about it. He’s obviously never been but he knows someone who has, and they said it was great. Have you heard of Wyo?
Her eyes widened. “Yes! The oldest restaurant in Wyoming. But it’s been closed for the past few years sadly. Brady must be out of date.”
“Nope. They reopened it just a few days ago, and I got us a booking.”
“Really? That’s so cool,” she said. Then she chuckled. “I can’t believe that you are the one showing me a new place and not the other way around. Nice detective work.”
“I just can’t believe that Brady is the one who told me about the place.”
“He doesn’t go out much, does he?” she asked.
I shook my head and started the car. “No, he’s a homebody for sure. I don’t mind staying in either; the ranch is really nice. But it’s also nice to go out a bit. Thanks for coming with me by the way. Other than Brady and some of the firefighting guys, I actually don’t know many people here.”
“Well, thanks for inviting me. I know most of the people in this town, so a new face is actually such a pleasure.”
When we got to the restaurant, I was pleased to see how happy she was. Wyo was just as nice as Brady had heard it to be. The entire place was made to look like a barn, with wooden walls, and hay bales for seats. The room was dark and lit only by candlelight, and soft country music was playing in the background.
“This is so awesome!” Emily said as we went to find our seat.
“I’m glad you like it. I’ve lived in this town all my life, you know.”
She chuckled. “Oh, if there’s one thing I know for certain it’s that you’re not a small town boy.”
“What? Why do you say that?” I looked around at the room and then back down at myself. “I look like everyone else.”
“I don’t know. There’s something about you. Don’t get me wrong, you fit in well, but you’ve got an edge about you that most people here don’t have. Or maybe I’m just remembering the first time I saw you.”
“The first time you saw me?” I said. I remembered her hiding behind the car and wondered if she was finally going to admit to spying on me.
He cheeks went a little pink, but she didn’t admit it. “Oh, I was coming home from work the day you arrived. You didn’t see me. You were dressed all in black.”
I chuckled. “That sounds like me.”
She raised her eyebrows. “Oh yeah? Tell me a bit more about yourself. I want to know about this man in black.”
The waiter arrived at that moment and we both ordered a glass of wine and the special Wyo pizza. When the waiter left, I laughed.
“Clearly we have great taste. Same clothes and now the same food.”
“You know, I pegged you as more of a beer drinker,” she said.
“I guess I am. But wine and pizza just goes so well together.”
“I do agree with that. So, about the man in black . . .”
There was a lot that I could tell Emily about my past, but I didn’t want to get into my Navy SEAL days. There was just too much history there, and I didn’t want to spend the rest of the evening talking about the things that I did or the things that I saw. That was another lifetime ago. But I could at least tell her about the man in black.
“That man is called Patriot,” I started.
“What? What do you mean?”
I chuckled. “My father runs a motorcycl
e shop in Arizona. Motorcycles are his life. I’m not kidding when I say he lives and breathes it. And other than the shop, he also runs the motorcycle club. It’s a pretty well-known club in the area. Anyway, I’m part of the club too, and when you’re part of the club, you get a nickname. I and my four brothers all have nicknames.”
“Whoa, you have four brothers? So does that mean Brady also has a nickname?”
“He sure does. He’s been Shotgun to me for as long as I can remember.”
She chuckled. “Shotgun. And you’re Patriot. I like that. Any reason for the names?”
“Oh, plenty reasons,” I said without saying much at all. “Ian, my other brother, is Gunner. He runs the bike shop and is heavily involved in the motorcycle business, too. But he’s the only brother that’s really that into it. The rest are all doing their own thing. Ryan is a professional MMA fighter, and his nickname is Knuckles. No explanation needed there. And Reed is a doctor who we call Moneymaker. Oh, and my father is known by everyone as Pop. I think Ian is the only one that doesn’t call him that. For some reason, he’s always just called him Dad. And my father refuses to call any of his sons by their nicknames.”
“You sound like the mafia. So you all wear black?”
He chuckled. “No, not all of us. I mean, not the other brothers. But when you’re part of the motorcycle club, you tend to stick to the same muted tones. And most of the time you’re in your leather jacket and on your bike. But it’s nice. They’re a cool bunch of dudes. And if you ever hear stories about the club, ignore it. The media likes to . . . sensationalize things.”
“Wait, I did actually hear something recently. I was scrolling through the news on the internet, and I came across some story about this guy who knocked some other guy out cold. I’m almost sure the motorcycle club was mentioned.”
I sighed. “Wow, news travels fast. I can’t believe you heard about that here.”
“So, it’s the same club?”
“It is. And the guy that punched the other guy was my brother Gunner, or Ian. But he was in the right. It’s a long story, but the media turned it against him.”
“That sounds like something a newspaper would do. Your poor brother, though. Not cool that he got put in a bad light like that. Hmm, so what did you do with your bike?”
I smiled. “I still have it. It’s in Arizona, though. I’m going to have to take a trip one of these days to get it. I left it at the bike shop with my brother. I didn’t want to bring it because I had no idea how long I was going to stay here for.”
“Oh yeah? And now, you think you’re going to stay?”
The wine arrived, and we both touched glasses and took a sip.
“Oh, this wine is really good,” I said. Then I smiled at her. “Yeah, I think I might stay for a while. I’m starting to really like it here.”
“I’m glad,” she said and smiled at me.
“So, how are you doing? You know, with everything that’s been going on. Are you okay?”
She sighed. “I’m okay right now. But . . . I have my ups and downs. I’ve had a good few crying sessions, but I’ll be okay. It’s not a very nice feeling to know that your home is gone, but Terra has been amazing to me. And now I’m out to dinner with a very nice man, drinking very nice wine, and about to eat what I’m sure will be very nice pizza. So it’s not all that bad.”
I smiled at her. She wasn’t all that bad either.
The rest of the night went by quickly. Too quickly. It had been a long time since I’d gone out with a girl that I could talk to that easily. There was something about her that intrigued me, and I wanted to know more. After dinner, I took her home and walked her up to the front door. I knew that the date was over since we both didn’t have our own home to stay in, but I still wanted to at least kiss her. We’d been standing at the front door for at least a full five minutes, and I’d been leading up to the kiss when the door suddenly opened up.
“Oh, hi. Sorry, I thought I heard voices. Hi, you must be Grant. I’m Terra.”
A small, pixie-looking girl stood in front of me. I shook her hand and was surprised that someone as small as her could have such a firm grip.
“Hi, Terra. It’s good to finally meet you. Thanks for helping Emily out with a place to stay.”
“And thanks for helping her out with the fire,” she said and beamed at me.
I wondered if she’d leave, but she just stood there waiting for Emily to go back in with her. I turned to Emily and smiled.
“Thank you for a wonderful evening. I had a great time. And I’d love to do it again.”
“I’d like that too,” she said shyly.
I thought again about kissing her but didn’t want to do with her friend around. So I smiled, waved, and walked back to the car. I was definitely going to ask her out again.
Chapter Twelve
Emily
I watched as Grant drove away and then turned to Terra.
“You bitch!” I said.
“What do you mean?”
“I am sure there would’ve been a kiss if you didn’t open the door,” I said. But I wasn’t angry, and Terra knew it. “Ever since I said I’d marry you if I didn’t find anyone by thirty, you’ve been all over me.”
She chuckled as we walked inside. “It’s true. I don’t want anyone to come and take you away from me.” Then she looked at me with suspicion. “Have you had a lot to drink? Because you look sober.”
“Just a glass of wine. And we ate pizza too, so I’m not drunk at all. Why?”
“Because I have a bottle of wine with our name on it. Too tired or do you want to join me?”
I laughed. There was no way that I could go to sleep just yet. I still felt wired from the date. “Wine with you sounds amazing. Hey, is this my second date for the night?”
“It sure is. He gave you a glass of wine. But I’m giving you a bottle.”
“Ah, you might be winning.”
“Take a seat. I’ll be back with the wine. And then I want to hear all about it.”
She came back moments later holding a glass of wine in each hand. The glass was huge. I took it from her and held it up. “This thing is like the size of my face,” I said. “How much is in here?”
“Half a bottle in yours, and half a bottle in mine.”
I burst out laughing. “Seriously? Wow, these glasses are impressive. If I ever ask you for just one glass of wine, you know what to give me.”
“Hey, listen, I’m sorry about opening up like that. I didn’t mean to ruin your night. Although, you might want to thank me for it.”
“First, you didn’t ruin my night. And second, why would I thank you for stopping a kiss?”
“Because you, Miss Emily Wessler, are the sweetest girl that I know.”
“What does that have to do with the kiss?”
“We don’t even know who this guy is. I mean, usually, with the other men in this town, we know what we’re getting. But this guy is not from around here. We don’t know if he’s one of the good guys or not yet. I think you should save the kiss for until you know more about him.”
I laughed. “You have a point. But since when did you get so protective? I thought you were all for dating and having fun.”
“I am. Trust me. But I guess I’m just protective over you.”
“You just want to marry me,” I said and laughed.
“This is true. I mean, you do make the best mac and cheese. Also, what if you kissed and then you wanted to do something more? I mean, I like you staying here and all, but I don’t really want to listen to you having sex with the man. This house is small.”
I could feel the blush rising to my face. “Terra! I’m not going to have sex with him on the first date. And I’m certainly not going to have sex in your house.”
She chuckled. “I bet you thought about it.”
“I did not!” I lied.
“Sure, whatever. Hey, he’s really cute. I’ve got to say, Em, you have good taste.”
“He is cute,” I said.
“It’s weird though; he’s super clean cut, and yet he comes across as a bad boy to me. Don’t you think?”
“Yeah, he definitely comes across as a bad boy.”
“But then he speaks, and he’s so nice. He’s pretty confusing.”
“So, tell me about the date. First, where did he take you?”
I told Terra all about Wyo and she squealed with delight.
“I didn’t know they had reopened that place. Wow, it sounds like they did a good job at renovating it too. I need to go one of these days. If I don’t find a date, then you’re coming with me. Deal?”
“Deal. Trust me; it’s worth it. Their pizzas were so good. I stuffed my face.”
“You stuffed your face on a first date?”
“How else am I going to figure out if he’s the man for me?”
“That’s true. I like the way you think. I think I’m going to employ the same tactics on my future dates. The last thing I need is a man who thinks I’m going to eat salads all day.”
I pulled a face. “You and I are not salad girls.”
“We are mac and cheese girls,” she said and giggled.
“You seem drunk already. Whoa, how did you drink so quickly?” I said and looked at her glass, which was already missing half the wine.
“Oh, I’m a master at this. And anyway, it’s only one glass, what’s the big deal?”
“I really like living with you.”
“I must say, that was nice of Grant to thank me for taking you in. He’s quite the gentleman. And I like living with you too.”
“It won’t be for long, though. I’m waiting for the insurance to pay out, and then I’ll start looking for something else.” The last thing that I wanted to do was to overstay my welcome. Also, as much as I enjoyed living with Terra, I was used to living alone, and I needed my own space.
“You don’t have to leave so quickly, Em. I don’t want you to think that I don’t want you here.”
I smiled at her. “I know. You’ve made me feel nothing but welcome. Thank you. I’m honestly not sure what I would’ve done without you. I would’ve been a wreck.”
Just then we heard a sound outside, and we both looked at each other. Terra lived on a quiet road..
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