by D. D. Prince
The cat was apparently Jojo’s. He’d been cat-sitting for her for her New York stay.
And that ride back was awesome, because the sun was shining, the trees had fresh buds signaling the arrival and renewal of Springtime, and I had my arms wrapped around Spencer, who was mine. I smiled almost all the way home.
***
We were at the clubhouse and I was calling Mom.
“Hello?”
“Hi! I’m back from Sioux Falls. I’ll be there at about eight o’clock in the morning.”
Spencer gave me a dirty look over his shoulder as he shoved my bag near the closet.
I winked at him. He did not like early mornings.
“Great. How was Sioux Falls?” she asked.
“Well,” I smiled. “I guess you could say I sort of batted my eyelashes.”
She held the phone a second without responding. Finally, she went, “Oh!”
“Yup,” I chirped. “Is it okay if Spencer comes for dinner tomorrow?”
“Absolutely!” she answered excitedly.
“Okay, see you in the morning. I’ll text when we’re on our way and you can let me know what you forgot at the grocery store.”
“Got’cha.” There was a smile in her voice.
I hung up with a smile of my own.
“Eight o’clock?” he grumbled.
I nodded. “Yup.”
“Eight o’clock is awfully fuckin’ early for Easter dinner, Sunshine.”
“I have to peel vegetables and help Mom bake pies for twentyish people,” I said with a shrug. “Plus I’ll have to stop at the store on the way when she realizes all the stuff she still needs. She undoubtedly had a shopping cart overflowing with food today, but rushing out for forgotten items is part of the tradition.”
“What am I supposed to do while you do all that?”
“Watch sports with my dad and my brother? Take a nap on one of the four recliners in Dad’s TV room? He and Phil will definitely be napping. Or, drop me off and come back later. Actually, I could just drive straight there. You sleep in.”
“Nope. I’ll take you.”
“Okay,” I said.
He smiled. “What kind of pie?”
“Hm, usually about five kinds. What’s your favorite? I’ll make sure it’s on the list.”
He looked thoughtful a moment. “Lemon meringue.”
“Done.”
“No. Pecan,” he amended.
“We’ll have both.”
“If there’s both, how am I gonna pick?”
“If you don’t eat at least two kinds, Mom and my aunts will be insulted. And there’s always pie to take home, too. We should bring either my car or your pickup to come home. Not easy to balance on a motorcycle carrying pies. Oh, and on our way back take Phil to the airport so we definitely need a four-wheeled mode of transportation.”
My mom was calling back. I answered. “Hey, Mom.”
“What kinds of vegetables doesn’t he like?”
“I’m sure he’ll find something he likes. We make like… fourteen different vegetables.”
“But, what if he hates them all?”
“Spencer,” I called out with an eyeroll, “Are there any vegetables you hate?”
He shook his head. “Not really.”
“He’s good, Mom.”
“But are there any he really loves so we can make sure that we have those?”
I rolled my eyes. “Spencer, are there any vegetables you really love so my Mom can make sure we have those?”
He looked at me with a shrug.
I mouthed. “Humor her.”
“Uh…” he looked lost. “Mashed potatoes?” he tried.
“Mashed potatoes, Mom.”
“Oh good! We’ll definitely have those. Do you think fifteen pounds is enough?”
“Yeah, Mom. Fifteen pounds of mashed potatoes is enough. I’ll be there at eight to start peeling.”
“Maybe we should do twenty.”
“Fifteen is fine. That’s a lot of spuds, Mom.”
“Does he like broccoli and cauliflower with cheese sauce? Can you make your broccoli and cauliflower with cheese sauce for him? He’ll just love it.”
“Yes, I’ll make my broccoli and cauliflower with cheese sauce, Mom. I make it every Easter, Christmas, and Thanksgiving.”
“Are you teasing me?” she demanded.
“Sorry. Yes I am. I’m sure Spencer will enjoy our Easter dinner. Everyone does.”
“What about pie? What sort of pie does he like?”
“He likes lemon meringue and pecan. We will have both.”
“But Uncle Rick eats… usually three slices of lemon meringue. I want to make sure Spencer gets some. Maybe we should make two.”
“We can make two or I’ll ask Uncle Rick to save Spencer a piece.”
Spencer’s shoulders were jiggling with his silent laughter.
“Maybe you should hit the store in the morning to get extra lemon pie filling.”
“I’ll do that.”
“And eggs.”
“Okay, Mom.”
“Best buy an extra pound of butter, too.”
“Okily dokily. I’ll call you before I leave to see what else we need.”
“Okay, sweetheart. Love you.”
“Love you.” I put my phone down. “So,” I scooted close. “What are we gonna do waiting to go to Ella’s parents?”
“Got a few ideas,” he said into my ear.
“So do I!” I exclaimed.
“What?” His carnal expression vanished, and he looked nervous. “Don’t tell me you wanna go start peeling vegetables now?”
“Nope. Let’s run out and buy Red Dead Redemption 2.” I bounced up and down on the bed on my knees.
His eyes lit up. “I have it. Pre-ordered and haven’t had a chance to crack it open yet. Can’t believe I didn’t open it the minute it arrived.”
I smirked. “Been a wee bit occupied, have you?”
“Wait.” His eyes lit. “You’re a gamer girl and a skater girl?”
I smiled.
“Could you be any more perfect?” His eyelashes tickled my forehead as he moved in. And then he put his lips to mine.
“Yep,” I replied. “Wait’ll you taste my pie. Oh, and you’ll think I’ve leveled up when you finally taste my waffles.”
He began to kiss downwards, his gaze possessive. He pulled me, so I was lying on the bed and was on top of me, shoving his hands up my shirt. “I’ll taste your pie…”
I giggled, then I grabbed his shirt and yanked it off and attacked his warm and muscled chest with my mouth.
***
After a fun afternoon of video games and other indoor activities, we were at Ella’s parents’ house, playing cards with a whack of people in their kitchen, which had wall-to-wall food.
Ella’s little brother was upstairs having a play date with three other little boys who would be picked up soon, and who I’d bet would be up all night after the sugar rush they were definitely all hopped up on. The place was a zoo. And I was going to need to detox this coming week after all the indulging this weekend as well as the indulging of tomorrow.
I was on my way back to the kitchen from the bathroom when I ran into Jojo in the hallway. I grabbed her wrist. “Hey? You okay?”
She’d been quiet, not as sullen as that morning, but certainly not her usual spunky self.
She nodded. “Yeah. I’m okay. I leave Monday and goin’ to New York and have my job starting and that’ll give me time to focus, have some time and space to grow. When I move back here at the end of the summer, hopefully my head will be together.”
I reached over and hugged her.
“I’m so glad you and Spencer are giving things a go. I almost screwed it up. Sorry, Pippa.”
I shook my head. “All’s well that ends well. And hopefully this ends well.” I shrugged.
She smiled. “It will. I’ve never seen him like this. I mean, I’ve seen him obsessive about a girl but never in this way, an
d… I’ll stop putting my foot in my mouth now. Just know that all of us, me, Deacon, Ride, and Dad are all stoked. We all feel really great about things with you guys.”
I smiled. “I’m hopeful I don’t screw it up.”
“You? No. You won’t. He’s got it bad for you.”
I smiled. “Oh. One thing? What kind of candy does he like? I’ve gotta message my mom now. She’s heading to Walmart to get the rest of the Easter stuff for our egg hunt tomorrow. I told her I wanted her to pick up something from me for him and I don’t know what he likes.”
She smiled. “His middle name is George, his date of birth is April 7, his favorite pie is lemon meringue, he loves seafood, going fishing and hunting, video games, and skateboarding. And motorcycles, though I’m sure that isn’t news. He’s grouchy in the mornings and he can be very, very stubborn. Also a little mean when he’s mad. Not like physically, not like that… with words. He’s also very protective. Very. Oh, and Butterfinger is his favorite candy bar. There, your ten second Spencer lesson.”
I blinked. “His birthday is next weekend?”
“Yep. He doesn’t like his birthday, though, so don’t make a big deal out of it. In fact, probably better to pretend you don’t even know.”
“Huh?”
“Serious,” she said. And she looked it.
“Thanks for the intel. Let’s make sure we exchange numbers before you go so I can get more 4-1-1 if need be. But, he really hates his birthday that much?”
“I already got your number from Spency. I’ll text you, so you’ve got mine. We’ll talk more later about it if we can get a quiet minute at the clubhouse, later. Sneak to my room and I’ll give you more of the lowdown on the downlow. I’m staying there tonight since Ride and Jenna are stayin’ at the cabin. Gonna pee my pants.” She gestured to the empty bathroom.
“Go, then. Hurry.” I laughed and pulled my phone from my hoodie pocket and texted my mom with:
“Butterfinger stuff. And candy that tastes like cinnamon. Cinnamon hearts and Red Hots and chocolate covered Red Hots and some kind of cute stuffy. XO”
A few minutes later, while I was back at the table, sitting between Spencer and Jojo, my phone dinged.
Mom: “On it.”
I smiled.
“Who’s that?” Spencer asked, looking over.
“Mom.” I gave him a smile and put my phone away.
He smiled back.
The kitchen door swung wide open, sending in a gust of wind, and there stood Ella’s shit-hot cousin, Christian Forker in a leather jacket, black leather chaps over jeans, motorcycle boots, and wearing a scowl on his bearded face.
Every eye in the Forker family kitchen was on him and the room went wired.
Chris was a Wyld Jackal. I say was, but I didn’t know if he was still in that MC or not. He had helped Ella escape his father who was a sick drunk that tried to use Ella as revenge against the Doms as well as for his own perverted purposes. Chris turned on him at the last minute and shot a couple Jackals as well as threw his own father and club president from the moving vehicle. I didn’t think anyone had seen him since. He’d been laying low, I guess. I didn’t really know.
Jojo, sitting beside me, grabbed my thigh so hard I squeaked.
“Who the fuck is that?” she breathed, her fingers digging into my leg.
Ouch. She’d be leaving a bruise.
Chris looked right at her and then looked at Deacon. “Need to talk, junior.”
“That’s Ella’s cousin Fork,” Deke answered for me from the other side of Jojo as he got up. All the men vacated in single file through the door to the garage.
Jojo’s face was pink. She gave me wide eyes and kept squeezing my leg. I pried her hand off.
“One look at me I think I just got pregnant,” she whispered and fanned herself. “An immaculate conception with a virgin. Holy fuck. But, did he just get away with calling my brother, junior?”
Ella made a sour face.
Christian Forker was tall, as tall or taller than Deacon, had long blond hair, he was a badass, and an asshole. And it appeared that Jojo thought he was sex on legs. She was not wrong.
“Who is he? Is he an enemy, or?” Jojo whispered.
“I don’t know. He used to be, but he saved Ella from the drama when they took her.” I was talking low. Ella was at the counter, talking to Bertie, her mom, making a pot of coffee, looking stressed.
“Is he single, is he out of the Jackals?”
“I have no idea.”
“Ella?” Jojo got up and went to the counter. “What’s his story?”
“Who?” Ella looked quizzically for a second and then her gaze morphed to horror. “Oh God, no. Don’t even---No, Jojo. Absolutely do not!”
“Kitten. Here!” Deacon called from the entrance beside the tunnel that went from the kitchen door through to the garage where Ella’s dad and all his buddies hung out.
Ella dashed out.
Ella’s mom, Bertie, turned to me.
“So, Pippa, Spencer told me you’re not teaching at The Yoga Loft?”
I shook my head. “No, it was uncomfortable. People knew about my break-up and the assault and acted weird. I couldn’t cope with it.”
She smiled. “I have a whole bunch of people asking me to teach more Namastwist classes, but I’m so busy helping Rob at the cab office, I just don’t have time. Do you want to use my studio, teach from here?”
My eyes lit up. “Really?”
Ella’s Mom had regular classes in her big craft room, slash yoga studio. She did a combination of hatha yoga and meditation. I’d taken a few of her classes. They were more meditation with mild stretching than yoga, but her students were devout. It was a positive atmosphere.
She nodded. “They’d love it.”
“I could totally pay to use it if I can sign some people up,” I said.
“No need to pay. Just use the space and it’ll make my friends happy. They only pay me $5 each for half an hour and I have about twelve to fifteen regulars, and that’s all yours, but you could probably raise the price a little and have two or three classes a week. Oh, and maybe you’d give me the odd manicure. You do such a beautiful job.”
“Free manicures whenever you want, Bertie. You already know that.”
There was a knock on the door and Jojo dashed off to get it and then I saw her conversing with parents who were picking up friends of Beau’s.
Bertie came over and hugged me. “I’m so proud of you, honey. You’re really bouncing back.”
My expression fell.
“It’s so good to see you happy and thriving. You know, I’ve been with Rob a long time. When he and I first started to date, we hung around with a couple and the four of us were always together. I miss her so much. We used to have such fun. But, as time went on, his drinking got out of control and he used to get drunk and take out his frustrations on her.”
I jolted.
“She was afraid to leave. One night, she died. As far as we can guess, he must’ve hit her so hard, either she fell and banged her head, or he may have even hit her in the head. We don’t know. She didn’t go to the hospital. Just went to bed. Never woke up.”
I gasped.
“You were smart to report what he did to the police. You were smart, too, to move on. A lot of women would hide from love. I’m so happy you didn’t. Spencer’s a good man. He’s a bit of a bad boy, has that attitude about him, but he’s had to endure a lot of pain in his young life, so it makes him walk around with a bit of a guard around himself. But, you can handle him. I see a difference in him already today, a new light in his eyes and it’s a beautiful thing to see. And I know he’d never, ever strike out at you physically.”
“I tried to hide,” I whispered. “He wouldn’t give up on me.”
She smiled big. “Good. Don’t give up on yourself, either.”
She gave me a big hug.
Ella and Spencer were coming back into the kitchen.
Spencer looked at me with concern. Agai
n, tears filling my eyes. I sniffed and waved. “I’m okay. Ella, your Mom is the bomb dot com.”
“I know,” Ella said with pride.
“Hey Trouble,” I said to Spencer. He gave me a grin.
“Ella’s mom is gonna let me use her yoga studio to teach a few classes.”
“Fantastic, Sunshine,” he said, with warmth.
Ella’s mom beamed. “I call Ella Sunshine, too. That’s lovely and a great way to describe Pippa. I best go say bye to Beau’s friends. Be back.”
Spencer smiled at her and wandered over to the counter to scoop another cookie off a big platter of baked goods. “Ready to roll, baby?” He looked at me.
“Yep.”
I hugged Ella and Jojo bye and said bye to everyone else. Rider and Jenna had skipped cards, opting for a night at the cabin. When we left, the garage was still crawling with bikers, including Deacon, Deke, and Christian, aka “Fork” was also there, drinking a beer and talking to Deacon in the back corner of the garage.
Deke hugged me goodbye, as did Ella’s dad and a few of his buddies, and then we headed out in Spencer’s pickup truck. Chakotay was staying until Monday, having an extended sleepover with Ella’s little brother.
“Chakotay spends a lot of time here,” I remarked as we were pulling out.
“I know,” Spencer grumbled. “When we moved back to the clubhouse, Beau had a sit-down negotiation with me about my dog. Kid wanted joint custody.” He rolled his eyes.
“It’s sweet that you let him spend time with him.”
“He’s a great kid,” Spencer said with a shrug. “My dog loves him, too.”
“Everything okay with that Christian scene?”
“Hm?” He glanced at me and then his eyes went back to the road.
“Ella’s cousin, Chris. Is everything okay?”
“Yeah. Moves’re bein’ made soon.”
“Oh?”
He didn’t offer more information.
“Should I not ask about MC stuff?”
“Probably shouldn’t. But if you do, I’ll tell ya.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah. It’s about to amp up again. Gonna get dirty.”
“Really?”
“Fork’s been underground since he shot two members, plus his Prez in the leg and threw his dad from a movin’ car and delivered Ella to their enemy. Boys never caught up to them. We took out a few members that day, though. If any of the rest of them see Fork, he’s a dead man.”