by M. Merin
“Got all that decided, did you?” I sigh. “Does she happen to know I own it?”
“That came up,” Amy hedges.
“Huh,” I hold the phone away from my head. I cannot picture Tabitha pleased about renting from me.
“Yes, right when I was driving away she asked about where to make monthly payments, so I told her then,” a light giggle escapes her, letting me know she’s already heard that I’ve encountered my newest tenant.
“I’ll send you your fee, brat,” I end the call.
Amy was best friends with my younger sister growing up. She shocked the hell out of everyone the summer after their sophomore year of college when she announced that she wasn’t going back to school. More importantly, why.
Wrench was an unaffiliated rider back then, just aimlessly crisscrossing the country. Amy and my sister, Michelle, had snuck out to Rusty’s one night and he was there with a couple of the Grizzlies. Michelle swore it was like watching a lightning strike.
That Amy took one look at the tall, black biker and that was it. For both of them, from what I know. A couple of days later, he put down roots and she was fighting her parents, insisting this was it for her. Three kids and over a dozen years later, they’ve blown past all the expiration dates the town busy-bodies set for them.
“Sheriff?” Ellie sticks her head into my office. “Gunner Sorenson’s on the line for you.”
“Michaels here,” I answer, picking up the call.
“Heard you wanted to talk to me?” he growls.
“Yeah, phone or in person?”
“Was planning to be at my shop all day, or you can stop by our apartment tonight,” he replies after a brief hesitation. I knew damn well he wouldn’t want any conversation over the phone.
“Let me see how the day goes, it’ll be one or the other,” I say before disconnecting.
Unfortunately, the next few hours turn to shit. A new series of questions about the Grizzlies rained down on my office, straight from the Governor’s staff. Staff, I think shaking my head. More likely a friend of the Maddocks, who are still reeling from the reprimand they had over unsubstantiated warrants.
Chapter 7
Michaels
Mentally exhausted on my way home, I find myself ringing the doorbell to the apartment that Gunner and Riley live in.
“Hi, Sheriff,” Riley greets me with a smile. “Gunner’s just unloading some inventory downstairs. Will you stay for dinner?”
The apartment smells incredible and knowing it’ll piss Gunner off becomes a check mark in my imaginary bonus column.
“Would I be imposing very much?” I ask in my ‘aw shucks’./ voice.
“Not if you keep it civil and off the record,” she smiles back at me.
“Off the record,” I laugh. “It’s easy to forget your Daddy’s a lawyer until you say something like that.”
“Like what?” comes Gunner’s deep rumble.
“Your wife invited me for dinner, with the caveat that everything’s off the record,” I smirk at him, toning it down after he growls at me.
“Gunner,” she crosses to him and as his body quickly eases, I get to see the affect she has on him first-hand. “I made plenty, let’s just have a nice dinner?”
Tearing his angry glare away from me, Gunner leans down to whisper in her ear. Whatever he says causes a blush to explode across her face but she grins up at him and kisses his chin. Turning away, Riley dishes up three plates while the behemoth she married points to a seat at their table. I hang my hat on the chair next to mine and quickly sit down, not pushing my luck.
Riley serves up a casserole and shortly after I accept Gunner’s offer of a beer, I raise an eyebrow at Riley when he also hands her one.
“Off the record, Sheriff,” she grins at me again. Gunner shifts closer to her on the bench they share and digs into his dinner. Riley manages to keep the conversation light while her husband and I demolish the majority of the casserole.
“No leftovers,” he finally speaks up, looking disappointed.
“I had enough for a second dish, I’ll put it in the oven when I take the dessert out,” she grins up at him. As her words flow over him, one of the two men that set me on edge in this town leans into his petite wife’s neck and tells her he loves her. “I’ve got a lot going on with school, so I wanted to make sure your lunches were decent,” whispers the Maddocks’ daughter to the only man in town that makes me feel short.
“Dessert?” I ask, feeling awkward as I watch the intimate moment between them.
Neither speaks a word. But at my question, Riley stands and Gunner starts collecting the empty dishes.
“I just made brownies, but we have ice cream and would you like me to warm up caramel or hot fudge to top it?” Riley finally answers as she shifts trays in and out of the oven.
“I’m sorry, I guess I don’t know, but you’re in culinary school?” I ask her, getting an immediate snort from Gunner. My eyes almost bug out of my head when his non-verbal comment earns him a towel-snap-to-his-ass from Riley and I can’t stop myself from watching their easy interaction as they maneuver around the kitchen, Gunner handling the clean-up while she plates the brownies.
“Nope, Cyber Security,” she announces, and I realize my jaw is hanging open at this point. “Make up your mind…” Riley holds up two jars to show me my option of toppings.
“Caramel,” Gunner says looking over his shoulder at me and I nod along, making it easy on her even though I’d have preferred the fudge.
“Gunner, I do need to discuss something with you,” I state, realizing the time.
“Get to it,” he replies and I glance at Riley’s back, thinking he’ll ask her to leave us. “Riley stays.”
My eyes widen at this but he nods at me, so I start in on the business portion of the evening, more than a little surprised that he trusts her, a Maddock, to be in the know.
“Talked to your father the other da…”
“If you want to keep talking in my home, call him anything but that,” Gunner says, slamming the door of the dishwasher closed.
“OK,” I drawl out. “So, Eric has been in Rowansville a bit lately. Seems a woman in his town has asked him to keep an eye out for her missing niece and while the girl apparently has drug issues, she was also a Girlie for a few years. At some point, she told her aunt she was going to be your ‘Ol’ Lady’.”
“You mean Debbie, of course?” Riley asks.
I just sit back and study her again. Her grandmother is a force to be reckoned with but it seems I’ve been seriously underestimating this young woman. I’ll have to learn to control my facial features around her. My eyes dart over to Gunner and I bristle at the laughter I see in his eyes as he watches me catch up to the reasonable conclusion that Riley’s the smartest person in the room.
I let the silence draw on as that realization takes hold and I finally realize what Riley’s grandmother, the waitress at the diner, and probably, more than half the town already knows. Gunner doesn’t hold the reins in their relationship and I was completely off the mark the other night when I told Eric Sorenson that his son ‘adores’ Riley.
What I’ve witnessed tonight is that this fucking scary-ass, well-trained veteran, only cares that Riley’s happy. I’m pretty convinced that there’s one certified psycho in the ranks of the MC. I keep tabs on Shade enough to know that Flint and Jasper keep a tight leash on him. But tonight I’ve learned that Gunner lives, breathes, and has, without any further doubt in my mind, killed for his wife.
Silently, I wonder if a man like Gunner having a tether like Riley should raise or lower the threat I feel from him.
“Sheriff?” Riley cuts into my musings.
“She was never close to being your Ol’ Lady, was she?” I try a different tack with Gunner.
“Fuck no.”
“She said she was sleeping with you and,” I start to counter.
“No. I fucked her. Yes. But Riley is the only woman I have ever SLEPT with,” he rumbles out in hi
s rough voice. “Deb was fucking anyone who showed interest. When I heard she was telling the others I was gonna make her mine, I stopped touching her.”
“When was that?” I’m even more surprised—he’s proud that he never slept next to anyone but his wife. She doesn’t look surprised as she puts down our dessert plates.
He squints his eyes together for a moment, “Maybe late Fall of ’16? It was when Jasper claimed Emma as his Ol’ Lady. He’s the one who told me what she’d been saying and a few others backed it up when I asked around.”
“And how long ago did Debbie cut ties with the MC?”
“Not too long after Riley and I got together, maybe February or March?” he answers, and Riley nods along.
“Ha,” I chuckle, finishing off my dessert. I remember Riley calling me about Kennelly’s visit around that time. That she didn’t want my deputy checking in on her.
“Has Kennelly ever been tracked down?” Riley calmly asks me. I pause again, trying to see any tells in her eyes. Fuck. She’s got her grandmother’s genes through and through.
“I’ll never leave you unprotected again, Sweetheart,” Gunner murmurs, kissing her temple and rubbing her back.
“Riley, you are an amazing hostess. I really appreciate having a home-cooked meal,” I smile at her, as I reach for my hat and stand up. “But just to put everything on the table, I have no doubt Gunner tracked down and killed my ex-deputy for what he did to you. The jury’s still out on Debbie. But, as promised, tonight is completely off record.
“Gunner, at some point, Eric may need to have an official talk with you. In the meanwhile, I’ll keep him away,” I continue as I reach my hand out to shake his.
Ignoring it, he picks up my plate and heads over to the dishwasher. Riley sees me out, telling me how Gunner has a firm “the cook doesn’t clean” rule.
I still don’t know why Riley’s grandmother protected him even before those two met, but I am starting to understand why she wouldn’t mind Riley being with Gunner. I think that if I had a child or a grandchild, I’d want them to be with the one person who would move heaven or hell to make them happy.
Chapter 8
Tabitha
My first day of work is insane.
It was supposed to be more of an informal tour but quickly turned into one live birth and the death of a woman whose pregnancy was only seven months along.
After that start, Charlie arrives for her first appointment. I had asked her to, not expecting the day to go the way it had. But the sight of her, with Jake and Connal in the room, makes me swear under my breath, thinking of the drama from my arrival.
“Don’t be that way,” Jake growls. “You’re not going to deny service to my wife, making us travel nearly an hour to the next qualified OB/GYN cause you can’t deal with shit?”
He’s right. The point he makes is absolutely correct and I’m the one creating the issue.
I take a deep breath, but most of all take in Charlie’s eyes. She’s worried. I know she’s been through a lot and that us getting along is important. My training kicks in. The pregnant woman must be kept calm.
“Charlie,” I step towards her, with a small smile, noticing how Connal tenses up immediately. “Let me start with the part no one ever wants to hear. No more caffeine.” My tried and true caffeine comment relaxes the three of them, as intended.
“I don’t drink coffee and barely ever have Diet Coke, so I’m good,” she smiles back at me and from there I go through her uneventful exam, sharing an eye-roll with Charlie when I pull the stirrups out and the guys groan in unison.
Moments later, her exam was done and I leave the room so she could change before meeting me in my office.
“Alright,” I begin. “The nurse will set regular appointments for you. You know about the vitamins so what other questions do you have for me?”
As I figured, Jake and Connal have more questions than Charlie did. I strive to keep a professional response to Connal’s questions about permissible sex in the coming months. Eventually, I worked up the nerve to ask the hard question.
“I don’t want you to take this wrong, but will you be doing a paternity test?”
“I’ve read it’s dangerous before birth,” Connal immediately answers, while Jake stays silent. “Besides, Jake and I have different blood types, I guess I figured that would clue us in when Charlie gives birth. Am I wrong?”
“I would recommend the test to be done after birth,” I hedge, not wanting to piss Jake off any further.
“Tabitha?” Charlie looks me dead on. “I was a virgin before them. It’s either Connal or Jake’s child.”
My mouth drops open, I can’t help myself. Connal starts swearing and Jake is glaring at me.
“You’ve each told me your relationship is none of my business and I do understand that. I’m sorry to put it out there,” I sit up straight as I look among them. “Charlie, I do believe that it’s important to know the paternity of your baby, so we will be aware of any medical issues. I will behave professionally in this environment. Except for when I get to hold my niece or nephew for the first time, then I’ll be the proud aunt. If I’m welcome?”
“I want that also, Tabby,” Charlie smiles at me. “A wise woman told me that if this is the right decision for me, I should hold my head high and be proud of my choice. I want you in our life. I know that’s what Jake wants also, but there can never be any favoritism among our children.”
“I understand. Completely,” I smile at Jake and get a nod from him in return. “Oh, I found a house to rent. Any chance someone can do some painting over the next couple days?”
“We’ll talk tonight, Tabs,” Jake nods.
“Mick is good at that shit,” Connal adds, getting an elbow from Charlie. “What? He’s a probie, being asked to paint a few rooms is the least of his worries.”
Wrapping up their appointment, I do have to smile at how easy they all are together. Charlie and Connal may sass back and forth with each other but they both turn to Jake when there’s a decision to be made. Plus, Jake’s livelier with them than I’ve ever seen him. I sigh as I turn back towards her file, completing my notes before heading out for the day.
Charlie made an excellent point earlier—when the baby is born, no matter whom the father is I have to commit to being its aunt.
Chapter 9
Michaels
The rest of the week goes along at its normal pace, and really I’m just counting down the hours until my date with Tabitha. I’ve made reservations at a restaurant an hour from town, to hopefully avoid the gossips, even though I know that’s impossible.
While I’ve seen her in passing around town and saw the moving truck outside of the house she’s renting, I find myself more and more impatient to get time alone with her. To figure out if she’s worth taking a risk on or if I should ignore how stiff my dick gets every time I get a glimpse of her. And how the fuck I can rectify being with the sister of an MC member.
Leaving work early on Friday, I hurry home to get ready.
Too impatient to kill any more time, at twenty to seven, I’m standing on her porch, ringing the bell. The open blinds tell me what I’m starting to figure out. She isn’t fucking here.
I’m standing around like a jackass, getting more pissed off by the moment and finally, I cross to my truck wondering if I should drive out to Jake’s place. Just as I throw the vehicle into reverse, she’s pulling into the driveway.
“What are you doing here?” she asks once she’s pulled up alongside me and opened her window.
“We have a date,” I growl before I really take in her face. She’s in scrubs and looks exhausted.
“You were serious?” she asks, before throwing her hand over her mouth. Too late for that, I think as I get pissed off at the wary expression in her eyes.
“I sent you flowers yesterday, the note said…”
“There wasn’t a note. There were flowers on my porch when I got home last night, I just didn’t know who from,” she says. “Loo
k, I don’t know anything about the MC. I can’t help you with that, and I’ve had a long week…anyway, there’s no point in us spending time tog…”
“Park your truck,” I nearly hiss at her. “Now,” I insist when she hesitates. This time she continues to the garage and I pull up behind her, quickly getting to her door to open it for her.
“What are you doing?” she looks up at me, her eyebrows knitted together as she slides out.
“You go on in, take a bath or whatever. I’ll cook you dinner,” I smile down at her, enjoying the confusion on her face.
“I don’t have much food,” Tabitha looks like she’s about to shut me down, so I reach under the step that leads into the mudroom and snag the spare key to unlock the door, hitting the button to close the garage door behind us. “Hey!”
“It’s been there since I was a boy, Princess, go take your bath now,” I walk in behind her. Pulling off my sports coat, I walk straight into the kitchen and start nosing around, pointedly ignoring her as she stands watching me. Letting out a sigh, I pull out a bottle of wine and pouring a glass I hand it to her. “Go on now, Tabitha,” I urge her.
She finally listens and I decide that omelets will be the easiest based on what I’ve found. Cutting up some veggies, I prepare everything that I’ll cook up once I hear her coming back out. When that’s done, I grab one of her boxes labeled “kitchen” and start unpacking it for her. I’m halfway through the third one before she emerges.
I look over my shoulder at her soft step and smile, seeing her dripping wet hair, fresh face and a loose T-shirt over jeans. Without thinking, I walk towards her and cup her cheeks before my lips descend upon hers.
Tabitha
Coming out from a long, gloriously hot shower, I’m more than a little surprised to see the work he’s done in my kitchen. Before I know it, he’s striding towards me, almost like he’s angry again. And just as I start to question him, his lips are crashing down on mine. I open my mouth without thinking, and just as quickly, all thought leaves me.