Braxton

by Liberty Parker

  “It’s good, Daddy. We is reading a new book about kitties!”

  “You are?”

  “Yes, they is silly kitties, too. They thinks there are vampires and ghosts!”

  “Hmm, is Nan reading them to you?”

  “No, Daddy, we is reading them in class. The teacher even has finger puppets!” she whispers, her voice so full of excitement it vibrates through the phone. I can picture her face—eyes wide, grin showing with those damn dimples that will likely cause me a heart attack when she hits her teen years.

  “Well, I’ll look and see if I can find you a copy when I get home, okay?” I ask her.

  “Really?” she squeals, causing me to pull the phone away from my ear.

  “Yes, really. Do you think Luca would like his own copy?”

  “Prolly so, Daddy. Him is learning to read harder books like this one.”

  “Then I’ll get him one too, how’s that sound?”

  “You’re the bestest daddy ever!”

  “Okay, pumpkin, let me talk to Nan, okay?”

  “Bye, Daddy, love you!” she says before I hear Mom take the phone.

  “When will you be back, Braxton?” she asks me after saying hello.

  “Probably another day or so, Mom. I picked up another run on the way back from a customer.”

  “Will you be back in time for the barbeque?”

  “Honestly? I’m not sure. And I don’t want to miss it, but you know we’re trying to get our name out there and build business and unfortunately, the buck stops here.”

  “You work too hard, Son.”

  “Mom, we’ve been over this - until we get a few more of the businesses up and running, it is what it is. How is Caraleigh settling in?”

  “Oh wonderfully, I believe. She is looking for part-time work while Luca is in school but not having a lot of luck. Do you know of anything?”

  I lean my head back against the headboard and groan. Mom’s definitely got her matchmaking hat on right now. “We may have something down at the transportation company. Just not sure if she can do it part-time or not.”

  “If not, we can work something out, maybe I can pick up Luca and keep him after school. She needs to reinvent herself, so to speak.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean, Mom?” I sigh in exasperation. I’m not one hundred percent sure if I want to know what is running through her head at the moment.

  “Son, she’s lost her husband—one not so good if my understanding is right. She’s a single mom, whose whole focus has been on her kid and getting them settled. The only people she’s met is us, other than his teachers and the faculty at the school. She needs to interact with people, meet new faces, find her place in her new world. She needs to learn to live again, for herself and not just for that boy of hers.”

  “Understandable,” I tell her, and I do understand where she’s coming from. I know what it's like to only live for your kid and not think about yourself. My brothers and mom have been my saving grace throughout the years. “Let’s see what we can work out once I get home.”

  “Thank you, Son, I know you won’t regret it.”

  “I’m sure I won’t, Mom, I gotta go, need to get some sleep before I relive this horrible day all over again tomorrow.”

  “Alright, Son, get some rest, love you.”

  “Love you too, Mom, give my baby girl a big hug from her daddy.”

  “Will do,” she says as she hangs up the phone. I sit in the bed and think of what we discussed. Caraleigh does need to get out there and meet people, and I know we need an office manager for when the boys and I are away on runs. I worry though, because I really want to pursue something with her, but I have a policy about dating employees. I guess there is an exception to every rule, however, and I’m willing to make one for her so I can see if this is leading where I’m hoping and praying it is.

  The next couple of days fly by and it looks like I’ll barely make it home in time for the BBQ. From the conversations I’ve had with my mom, Caraleigh has pitched in with getting things set up. She’ll make a damn good old lady...I can’t help but think to myself. She’s a natural and so far everyone that has met her has fallen for her charms. As long as they keep their distance from her their health will stay in good standing. I may not have officially claimed her yet...but she’s mine and all those fuckers can stand down. They may not know it yet...but she is officially off the market.

  I pull into the yard and see the party is getting started. It’s a good feeling to know that while I was away things kept running and there were no major catastrophes I have to put out upon my arrival. My VP—Twisted, keeps things in line, he and his old lady Paisley have been together for years and were both instrumental in getting the Rebel Guardians off the ground and running the way it does now.

  “Yo, Axe,” I hear called out. Axe is my road name and my brothers are the only ones who use it. I tried to get my mom on board, but even in front of the guys she refuses to use it. She says it isn’t the name she gave me and nickname or not, she’s using my God-given name. I tried explaining that in the club using my road name is politically correct, but to this day she calls every single one of us by our birth names.

  “What’s up?” I call out to Hatchet, my enforcer.

  “Met Caraleigh and Luca, they’re amazing man. That kid is something else, and his momma...wow, what a looker.”

  “Keep your eyes to yourself, Hatchet, she’s not a club slut...she’s mine.” I know he’s goading me, but I can’t help respond to his shit.

  “You claiming her then?” he asks me with mischief behind his eyes. Hatchet may be one of my closest friends, but he’s a shit stirrer at every opportunity.

  “Not officially, not yet anyways. Spread the word, she’s not up for grabs.”

  “Uh-huh, you got it, Axe,” he says walking away whistling a happy tune, which lets me know he’s up to something. I may need to bring my enforcer to his knees in front of the club if he tries something too outlandish.

  “Hatchet! Don’t start no shit man!” I yell out at his retreating back.

  “Wouldn’t dream of it, Prez, not one bit.” Yet I can still see something behind his eyes which tells me he’s lying...right to my face!

  Looking around I note to myself that her car is not here yet, which means I need to rush through a shower and get the road grime off myself before she arrives and my guys give her shit.

  Five

  Caraleigh

  Pulling up to the clubhouse I’m a little nervous. I’m worried about what I’ll find, I know that Nan and Braxton say it’s a family affair and that they’ve also invited the employees and their families from the trucking company, but I’ve read plenty of motorcycle club romance novels, and I know to expect the unexpected. I just don’t want my son to be tarnished for the rest of his life at what he may or may not see and witness while we’re here. I breathe out a sigh of relief when I notice that women are not scantily dressed. There seems to be no make-out sessions or open displays of sexual encounters, so I get out of the car and go to open the back door to let Luca out.

  “Mom, do you see Lily?” he asks me. I look around and don’t see her anywhere.

  “Not yet, buddy, but she may be inside or out back,” I tell him.

  He tries to rush out of the car leaving me behind, “Luca! Do not run off young man.”

  “But Mom...”

  “Don’t ‘but Mom’ me mister, we stick together.”

  “Yes ma’am…” he pouts, not deterring me in the slightest. I don’t know all of these people, I’ve met a couple while helping Nan get ready for this get-together, but that doesn’t mean I know them well enough to entrust them with my child’s well-being. At least not with him running off on his own, if he were with Braxton or Nan I’d be okay.

  I grab his hand and then reach into the car and grab the trays of treats I made to go with today's menu. I love to bake, so I wanted to contribute from myself and Luca. I made iced brownies...without nuts in case someone is allergic..
. a carrot cake, some no-bake cookies, some lemon bars and peanut butter fudge. I wanted to give everyone a variety to choose from, I’m sure these guys have a sweet tooth...right? Crap, now I’m questioning myself on if I tried too hard.

  I hear a booming voice and know immediately it belongs to Braxton, “Hey beautiful, Luca. Come on and follow me around back where everyone is hanging out.”

  “I have desserts, Braxton, they need to be refrigerated.” He whistles loudly causing me to cover my ears and Luca to laugh. I see a guy walking towards us, he has on a vest...sorry, cut as Nan explained to me, he walks closer and I see his name embroidered on the front. It says Chef, I’m guessing this guy likes to cook.

  “Yo, Chef, do me a solid and take these trays of dessert to the kitchen and put them in the fridge. I want to take Caraleigh and Luca around back and introduce them to everyone...oh shit, Caraleigh, Luca this is Chef, Chef, my new neighbors and friends Caraleigh, and her son, Luca.”

  “Nice to meet you ma’am, kiddo. Sure thing, I’ll take them and put them away for ya,” he says, relieving me of the trays and taking off with no other words said.

  “Wow, these guys and their muscles come in handy,” I say, joking around.

  “Eyes off the muscles, babe, unless it's mine you’re admiring,” Braxton says to me then adds a wink. I can feel the blush travel from my face down my body, the things he does to me with words and actions alone are terrifying. If we went any further I wonder what he could do to me. Jeez, I shouldn’t be thinking things like this with my son not even a foot away from me.

  “Later, you’ll have to tell me what you’re thinking about that caused that blush to take hold of your body,” Braxton says as he walks away with me and Luca trailing after him. Yeah, like that’s gonna happen, mister!

  “We’ll see,” I reply. Without warning, I find myself pulled closer to him as he intertwines our fingers together. There’s something so...intimate, for lack of a better word...about holding hands. I glance up at him and see him smiling down at me before he gives my hand a squeeze.

  “Someday, I’ll know all your secrets and you’ll know mine,” he murmurs. “Now, let me introduce you around.”

  “I got a chance to meet a lot of them while helping your mom,” I say as he walks over to a couple.

  “Caraleigh, I’d like to introduce you to my VP, Twisted, and his old lady, Paisley.”

  “Hey, darlin’, how did this brute manage to find someone as beautiful as you to agree to come with him?” Twisted asks, holding out his hand.

  “Don’t listen to him,” the female says as she smacks him on the bicep. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Caraleigh. Is that your little boy?”

  “Yes, that’s Luca.”

  “What is he...five, six?” Paisley asks.

  “He just turned six.”

  Paisley turns and lets out an ear-piercing whistle. Within seconds, a little tow-headed boy comes running up saying, “I’m here, Mommy.”

  “Tig, that little boy over there is Luca. He’s the same age as you are so go on now, and introduce yourself, y’hear?” Paisley tells the little boy.

  “Another boy? Yippee!” Tig yells, bouncing up and down. “We has too many girls around here today. Sorry, Uncle Axe,” he says before rushing off toward Luca.

  I’m looking at my son with wide eyes because there seem to be kids everywhere. Mostly girls, but even still, he’s got a look on his face that’s a cross between excitement and fear. “He’ll be fine, sweetheart,” Braxton says in my ear. “Nothing will happen to him with all of us watching out.”

  “Okay, that’s good. He’s just so shy sometimes,” I muse.

  “He won’t be after today, darlin’,” Twisted replies. “You ladies want something to drink?”

  “I’m in the mood for a wine cooler, how about you, Cara?” Paisley asks.

  “That sounds good.”

  “You ladies find someplace comfortable and we’ll bring them on over.”

  “C’mon, Cara, let me introduce you to the other women around here,” Paisley says, grabbing my arm. It just hit me that’s she’s calling me Cara...I like it, my own nickname…makes me feel instantly welcome.

  As we walk away, I overhear Twisted tell Braxton, “Quiet little thing, isn’t she?” I hear the rumble of Braxton’s voice, but unfortunately cannot make out his words.

  “So, tell me what brings you to our quaint little town,” Paisley says once we find a seat in the shade.

  “Well, Luca’s dad died and I felt it was time for a new beginning,” I tell her. “His parents didn’t like me and were making my life hell. It was starting to show in Luca’s behavior.”

  “What assholes!” Paisley exclaims. “Oh, thanks, babe,” she says as Twisted comes up and hands us each a wine cooler.

  “Thank you, Twisted,” I tell him, popping the top off and taking a sip. Twisted...what an odd and unusual name, I bet there’s a story behind that one. As a matter of fact, I notice they all have odd names...note to self, grill Braxton at a later date and time.

  “Now, scoot,” Paisley says to her old man. “I want to get to know my next best friend.”

  Her comment makes me laugh and I’m still grinning when I see him lean down and kiss her lovingly before he heads off toward the group of men who are standing around the grills talking.

  “How long have you two been together?” I ask, curiosity overriding my normal shyness.

  She leans her head back and I can see her thinking before she says, “Holy shit, if you count the fact that he told me in kindergarten he was going to marry me someday, we’ve been together for twenty-three years now!”

  “So did you get hitched on the playground or what?”

  Her laughter rings out across the yard before she says, “Oh, you’ve got a wicked sense of humor. I can see I’ll have to be on my toes around you!”

  “My mouth tends to get me into trouble,” I confess.

  “How so?”

  “Eh, my in-laws hated that I would speak out, so I stopped doing it. Seems the move has adjusted my thinking.”

  “I hope so. Nan speaks very highly of you,” Paisley says.

  “She’s absolutely wonderful. Luca has started calling her Nan, which is good because my folks live too far away now to see him as often as they used to.”

  “Do you work?”

  I think about her question—I don’t have to work ever again if I don’t want to, but that’s not how I was raised. “I did before Luca was born, then became a stay-at-home mom. When Graham got sick, I helped his mother take care of him. Now? Well, honestly, I don’t have to work again if I don’t want to, but I like the challenge of working, so I’m looking for something, at least part-time.”

  “You should see if there’s anything at the trucking company.”

  “I can’t impose like that,” I say, taking another drink from my wine cooler.

  “Somehow, I don’t think it would be an imposition,” she says, looking over my shoulder. Curious, I glance back and catch Braxton watching me. As a blush steals across my face, I turn toward her and shake my head no.

  “It’s not like that with us, he’s my neighbor and our kids are friends.”

  “Yeah, you keep telling yourself that, Cara,” she says causing that damn blush to spread through my body again. Only this time it's accompanied by goose bumps and a shiver that runs down my spine

  * * *

  Braxton

  * * *

  Watching Caraleigh talking and laughing with Paisley has me all tangled up. She’s easily the prettiest woman here, and I don’t miss the looks all my single brothers have been giving her. In fact, I’m about to make an ass out of myself and beat my chest and claim a woman I haven’t so much as kissed...yet, just to keep them from looking her way. Sighing, I turn my attention back to Twisted, who is filling me in on another business we’ve been looking at buying, only to see his smirk.

  “What?” I ask.

  “Yeah, just a neighbor, huh?” he retorts. “Thinking
you better not take too long to decide what you wanna do with her or one of these other assholes will beat you to the punch.”

  “Not happening,” I growl out. “Hatchet’s passing the word. Not ready to claim her yet, but she’s not fair game. This lifestyle is new to her, and I want her to adjust and get to know everyone.”

  “Well, y’know that Paisley will be happy to add to her little girl posse.”

  “They seem to be getting along rather well,” I tell him, reaching down to the cooler and grabbing a fresh beer. “Want one?”

  “Yeah, man,” he says. Tossing him a cold one, I pop the top and down half of it while surveying the yard. Mom and the other women did a great job setting it all up. Of course, I’m going to have to talk to her about the play area she had built.

  “Mom did that, didn’t she?” I ask, pointing to the new play area where the kids are running around and screaming.

  “Yeah, she said that the kids needed their own space whenever we have barbeques. I happened to agree, so I sent the prospects out to get the stuff and we built it ourselves while you were gone.”

  “I like it. And the smaller kid-sized picnic tables are perfect as well.”

  “Hope you keep that mindset when you see what she did inside,” Hatchet says, coming up with his own beer.

  Shaking my head, I look at my VP and Enforcer and ask, “What did she do inside?”

  “Ah, let’s show you. I’d rather see your expression,” Hatchet says, grinning. “Your woman okay for a few?”

  “She’s fine, Hatch.” Seeing the women have finished their wine coolers, I fish two more out of the cooler and say, “Give me a sec,” before walking over to them.

  “Having a good time?” I ask her as I hand them both a fresh wine cooler.

  “I am, yes, thank you. I love the play area for the kids!” she tells me.

  “Seems Mom was busy while I was gone on this latest job,” I reply. Paisley starts laughing since she knows how my mom can be when she gets an idea.