Joyride

by DD Prince

  I was freaking out about having to move, having to pack and get us a place when Rider was still recovering from two effing gunshot wounds.

  He was recovering well, and he was definitely enjoying how much I was pampering him. I couldn’t cook well, but I warmed up soup and made him deli sandwiches and bagels with smoked salmon cream cheese. I ordered in food. Pudge did several food runs for us and stayed and ate with us more than once. He wasn’t Mr. Personality, but he seemed to like hanging out at my place.

  Rider and I hung out in my bed and watched movies and played video games a lot.

  I brushed his hair and gave him backrubs. He told me when he was well enough, he wanted me to shave him. He told me he wanted me to shave him in one of my salon chairs and said he’d been having a fantasy about us having sex in one of those chairs with shaving cream all over his face.

  I told him I’d try to make that happen before the salon changed hands. And then I gave him a blow job but didn’t let him take care of me.

  I could wait a few days. He didn’t want to.

  He also asked me about installing a stripper pole in my bedroom, so I wouldn’t have to leave the house to go to stripper-cize classes anymore.

  I’d winced at that comment, but he teased me for it.

  “Hey. I took us to a backroad without protection when we were under threat. Not you, gorgeous. Do not take that on.”

  He acted angry that I was taking any blame, so I relaxed, not wanting him stressed.

  I shrugged and told him maybe we’d set up a pole in our new place. He rubbed my back when I went all sad again, thinking about moving.

  We had outdoor patrol set up. There were constant drive-bys and the Dominion Brotherhood presence on my street was strong.

  The police could not find any sign of a blue cargo van with signs of T-Bone damage. They did, however, have an idea who had been driving the motorcycles due to the footage from some security cameras around the businesses on my street.

  We were waiting to see how that panned out, but Rider told me not to be surprised if it didn’t go far. The shootout happened in a more secluded part of town without cameras on every corner. Unfortunately.

  But, Rider did tell me that revenge was on the horizon, not just because he’d almost been shot dead, but also because they’d tried to shoot us both. It was mentioned more than once that my car was riddled with bullet holes and it was a miracle we’d both survived and an even bigger miracle that I hadn’t gotten shot even once.

  For a change, luck seemed to be on my side. I’d take it.

  ***

  I dragged myself into the bedroom after the phone call from the realtor, which I’d taken in the kitchen while folding some clean laundry.

  “What’s up?” he asked, shifting upright in bed.

  “The salon sold,” I said softly.

  My chin trembled.

  “C’mere,” he patted the bed.

  I climbed up and sat.

  He put his arm around me.

  “What’s the story?”

  “I don’t know, really. There was a bidding war. Someone won. It’s closing in two weeks. We need to find a place to live. I need to find a job.”

  “Don’t worry.”

  “I have to pack and figure out where to put my stuff, and…maybe they’ll take the salon in two weeks and I can get them to give us an extra two weeks before we have to leave the apartment.”

  “Don’t worry about it. We can take a little holiday at the cabin for a few weeks, maybe. Put all your stuff in storage. Then go from there.”

  “Yeah?” I asked.

  He nodded. “Or how about we go to the Caribbean for two weeks? Come back and see what’s what.”

  “I don’t wanna be that far yet, Rider. Not with the Wyld Jackals threat still kind of active.”

  “It’s not gonna be active much longer, believe me.” His eyes were cold.

  “What’s going on?”

  “Don’t ask questions you don’t want the answers to.” He booped my nose.

  I scrunched it up and pretended to bite his finger.

  He pulled me close.

  “You okay?”

  “No. But I will be.”

  “What would you rather?” he asked, using words I’d said to him after we first got together.

  “Hm,” I mused. “I win the lottery and buy the salon off whoever bought it and we live here two more years and then we move into my parents’ house and start planning a wedding and babies.”

  “Two years?”

  “We need two years for just us at least. Maybe get engaged after a year and then I have a year to plan our wedding. We get married and I get pregnant a year after that and then we have three or four babies, bam, bam, bam. And then I hire a personal trainer and get my body back after all that baby-making and we live happily ever after.”

  “Hm.” He smiled.

  “Sound good? Or am I scaring you off?”

  “You run the salon, I build bikes, fix cars and bikes.”

  “And we ride. And much as possible. Sidecars for the babies.”

  He laughed. I laughed.

  “What do you want?” I asked.

  “Easy. Wanna make all your dreams come true, gorgeous.”

  I smiled. “There’s gotta be something you want,” I said.

  “There is.”

  “What?” I ran my fingers through his hair.

  “You to let me take this ass.” He grabbed my butt cheeks.

  “You know the deal…” I told him.

  “Four carats?” he asked.

  “Yup.”

  “Close your eyes, Jenna.”

  I laughed. And then my heart skipped a beat. What? No.

  “Close ‘em’.”

  There was no way. No way. He couldn’t have bought a ring this soon. Not only not this soon, but he’d gone from the hospital to my apartment and hadn’t been alone to go out and do any shopping. His brothers and the prospects and members had been in and out but surely, he hadn’t tasked someone with a job that important? Please, God, tell me Pudge didn’t pick out an engagement ring for me.

  I heard a drawer open and then I heard some crinkling.

  Crinkling?

  I felt something weird slide onto my finger.

  What? A weird heavy weight was on my finger. Way heavy.

  “Open ‘em’”

  I opened my eyes and I busted up laughing. On my ring finger was a very large, very blue Ring Pop candy ring.

  “That’s gotta be at least twenty, thirty carats, right?”

  I threw my arms around him and busted up laughing.

  That he could make me laugh like this five minutes after I found out my mother had my dream sold out from under me was amazing. And that was because I had a new dream. And it was to be with him wherever that road took us. Whether I had my own salon or worked for someone else? It didn’t matter. Life would be what we made of it.

  I didn’t let him take my ass that night, though. Despite the gesture. He tried to sweet talk me into it, but I said no.

  “Exit only.”

  “C’mon, baby. I’ll make it good. Promise, I’ll convert you.”

  Maybe I’d give it to him eventually.

  He made love to me, carefully, sweetly, since he was still recovering. And of course he got his finger in there again just before I came. He was definitely working on working me up to it.

  ***

  Three Days Later

  I had to meet with some jerk who bought my salon at eleven o’clock. The realtor had left very vague details on my voicemail.

  Rider informed me at eight thirty that morning that he had a doctor’s appointment and I was upset that I couldn’t go with him. He told me not to worry, that his brother would take him. Spencer turned up and they left at 8:45.

  I had Jesse shadowing me. I lackadaisically strolled in at 10:59. The salon was open. My mother was sitting there in the waiting area. So was my father.

  They were arguing. Of course. Debbie was there
, too.

  “You guys need to go. I’m meeting with the new owner in, like, one minute.”

  Mom eyed me up and down.

  I barely looked at her. I didn’t have time for her nonsense. She knew that Rider had almost died. She knew I’d been shot at. And this was the first time I’d seen her.

  “It was requested we were all here,” Dad said.

  Pippa wasn’t here yet. She was busy getting Joe’s apartment painted and looking for a new spot to do nails from. She was thinking of setting up a mobile nail bar and waxing business.

  I was planning to see what was what with this meeting and then ask Jesse to talk to the other prospects about rounding up some moving boxes for me and helping me pack up the apartment. Rider had distracted me (with his penis or his mouth) every time I’d tried in the past three days to get started on packing.

  I’d heard that Deke and Spencer were still staying at the Forker’s house, but that they were thinking about breaking ground on a new compound in the spring, behind the existing property. Deke was in negotiations for the land back there.

  Maybe we’d go see some houses, too. Maybe we’d get a little for-now apartment, or grab a place with Deke and Spencer temporarily and I’d see what was what with my parents’ divorce so that I could consider moving into their house when that was done with.

  I saw Spencer’s silver pickup truck pull up in front of my salon and I did a double take. What was he doing here?

  He and Deke got out of his truck and then I saw Rider.

  Wait.

  Rider?

  He was approaching the salon, wearing a suit, holding a file folder. He’d had a haircut.

  A haircut!

  His hair hadn’t been cut super short, but barely grazed his collar bone, and he was in a suit!

  He opened the door and came in. His dad and Spencer behind him.

  “Why did you do that and who the fuck touched your hair?”

  He stopped, looking startled. His lips twitched.

  I folded my arms across my chest.

  “You don’t like it?” he asked.

  I shook my head. “I have a meeting like… five minutes ago. All of you have to go. I…” I shook my head. “Why did you go get a haircut?”

  “I’m your eleven o’clock,” he said.

  I gave him a gawking stare.

  My mother got to her feet. “What’s the meaning of this?”

  I glared at her annoying attitude and my eyes moved back to Rider.

  “I bought the salon for you, Jenna. The building. All of it.” Rider handed me the file folder filled with papers. “Well, Dad helped.” He smirked at his father.

  Deke gave me a big smile. “After we got into a bidding war with your father.”

  My mother snickered. “Right.” She was filled with disbelief.

  My dad was standing there smiling, not looking in the least bit surprised. Deb was smiling, too.

  Mom realized that this was really what was happening.

  She made the most ridiculous huffing noise I’d ever heard come from her. Her face was beet-red and then she stormed out. Storming out, she stumbled on the runner by my shop’s front door and nearly wiped out. I reached to help steady her, but she didn’t allow it. She was gone.

  If I hadn’t been in such shock, I’d have laughed out loud. Karen Murdoch never let people see her sweat, let alone stumble.

  Was this really happening?

  I grabbed Rider’s hand and pulled him into the utility room.

  “Are you serious?” I asked, shutting the door.

  “A hundred per cent. It’s yours, gorgeous. All yours.”

  “How? You had that much money?” I asked.

  “I got a mortgage. My dad co-signed.”

  “No way would the bank my mother works for okay that. She’d find out, somehow, and nix it.”

  “Wasn’t her bank. In fact, I’m thinkin’ she’s got a rivalry goin’ on with that other bank down the street. And I may’ve name-dropped a little over there,” he shrugged.

  “Your Dad really co-signed?”

  “I got a nice down payment down. I had money in the bank. It cleaned me out, but he already has an offer on the house back in Sioux Falls and he’s splitting the money between me, Deacon, Joelle, and Spence. Isn’t even listed yet. Good offer. I’ll have my nest egg back in a coupla months. The neighbor wants to buy it for his son for a wedding gift. Money’s comin’ through for insurance for the Roadhouse to get re-built. Business is pickin’ up at the garage and the dealership is selling bikes like hotcakes. We hired Jesse to help out at the garage while I’ve been laid up, but it’s busy enough, we’ll be able to keep him on. We’re in good shape.”

  “But to co-sign?” I winced.

  “Books looked good to the bank. Your dad submitted copies. Your dad headhunted that realtor, too, that’s how we kept things on the DL with your mother. I told Dad you’ve got money coming to you when you turn thirty, so we’ll re-do the mortgage then if you need one at that point. But, he woulda co-signed anyway. I just told him I believe in you.”

  My God. That felt really good.

  “Besides, when we figured out we were bidding against your dad, he said as soon as we moved the paper to our names, your ma would lay off and he could even switch things, get you access to money to buy it off me soon as their divorce is final. If you weren’t okay with it being in my name... it’d only have to be for maybe six months or so, dependin’ on how long your ma tortures him with the divorce. Then your Dad could buy it from me and give it to you. I got a mortgage with no penalty if I pay early.”

  “How was Dad gonna do this without Mom knowing?”

  “He said he was putting it through his company. He was shuffling things around to keep it for you, so your mother wouldn’t know. When we found out we were both trying to bid on it, we talked about a way it’d work out for everyone.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  He laughed. “I wanted to surprise you.”

  “I’ve been so stressed,” I said.

  “I didn’t know for sure how it’d all play out. Only got the approvals four days ago. Started the ball rolling as soon as I was able after getting shot.”

  “But you let me stew for how many days?”

  “You gonna forgive me?”

  “Of course I am,” I said. I was in absolute shock. “I can’t believe you did this for me.”

  He smiled. “It’s for us. Your salon but our future. I’ll live here, too. You okay if it’s in my name for a while?”

  “It can stay in your name forever. I don’t care. I’m gonna build you a garage out back,” I told him. “So you can work on your custom bikes.”

  “Great idea,” he said.

  I stared off into space for a moment, letting it all absorb.

  “No tears?” Rider asked.

  I blinked at him.

  He chuckled and folded his arms. “I make you dinner and you cry. I save your business, Pippa’s business, and your home, and hand it to you and….nothin’. I do not understand women.”

  “Who cut your hair?”

  He laughed. “Ah, that’s it.”

  I backed him against the door. “Did you let some strange woman touch this hair?”

  He looked at me with a heated expression.

  “If I did, would you get in a cat fight with her?”

  “Damn straight.”

  “You don’t like the haircut?”

  “I love it. You look amazing. You looked amazing before. But, yeah. You’re like… a girl’s wet dream. I have a major lady-boner.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Oh yeah.” I ran my fingers through it. It was to his collar. He had a long sideswept bang half in his eyes. It was super sexy. And the dark suit he was wearing? It fit him like it was tailor-made.

  “A gay man at that place a few blocks from the garage cut my hair. No female but you is allowed to touch it.”

  “Good,” I smiled. “Why’d you cut it?”

  “I
’m a respectable business owner. Wanted to look the part.”

  “Grow it back,” I ordered.

  He shrugged. “Okay.”

  “But you need more suits.” I ran my hand down his lapel.

  “Better buy me some.”

  “I will.”

  “Let’s go upstairs and you can start paying off your rent.”

  “My rent?” I asked.

  “Yeah. Since I’m not only your boss now, but also your landlord.”

  I laughed and threw my arms around him. “I fucking love you.”

  And then I started bawling in his arms.

  Epilogue

  Three days after Rider gave me the papers saying he’d bought my salon and the building it was in, we were invited over for a Forker Family game night.

  I won his Harley off him. He had three jacks and two kings. But I had an eight through queen royal flush.

  I let him ride the Harley sometimes. Okay, all the time. But it’s known as Jenna’s Harley.

  This was the beginning of outlandish bets at the Rummoli nights. Sometimes, we made secret bets for sexy time ahead of time. That was fun. We regularly thought up new sex games. We sometimes got weird.

  I still think Ella’s a bigger perv, though.

  ***

  A week after he was back to work and feeling 100%, I took him down to my salon after I closed, and we acted out his sexy hairdresser shave fantasy. It would be the first of many After Hours Hair Salon Sexcapades.

  It started with me giving him a shave, dressed in lingerie, with those thigh-high socks that I teased about at the Valentine cabin. Rider seriously liked those. It finished with me riding him until we both came, while straddling him in one of my salon chairs, never breaking eye-contact. My beautiful biker was so hot it wasn’t funny.

  Many months later, after we got the garage built out back behind the salon, we had sex on his slash my Harley in there.

  ***

  A few weeks after Rider bought the salon, Pippa moved out. I was sad. To cheer me up, Rider took me to the shelter Ella volunteers at and we got a shelter cat who had one of her kittens with her. The others from her litter had been adopted. We took them both home.

  ***

  For a while after all our drama, things had been quiet with my mother. Life without her was good. But, I felt guilty. She was my mother.