by Wilder, L.
“I do. I just came out to give Travis a hand with Starlight.”
“Travis can handle Starlight, Riley. It’s his job after all,” he scolded.
I could tell from his tone that he wasn’t in the mood to argue, so I nodded and said, “You’re right. I’ll leave you boys to it. Sorry for interrupting.”
“No reason to be sorry,” Murphy told me. “Good luck with your paper.”
“Thanks.” As I started inside, I looked back over my shoulder and said, “Until next time.”
He nodded, then turned his attention to my father. Even though I was curious about what they were saying, I headed back into the house and up to my room. As soon as I stepped through the door, I fell back on my bed and stared up at the ceiling. I started going over my brief conversation with Murphy, and a big, goofy grin spread across my face when I remembered the moment I’d called him badass. At first I cringed at the thought, but then I remembered the expression on his face when I’d said the word. He wasn’t turned off by it. Instead, he was intrigued and egged me on, teasing and testing to see just how far I’d go. I was caught off guard by his playful side, especially after experiencing such a completely different side of him the day before, but I liked it. I liked it a lot. Something told me he didn’t let many see that lighthearted side of himself, and I was glad he’d decided to share it with me, even if it was only for a few moments. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by our little encounter. I just hoped he felt the same and there would be more of them in the near future.
CHAPTER 7
Murphy
I could see the train wreck coming from a hundred miles away, and yet, I was doing nothing to stop it. Hell, I was heading straight towards it with my eyes wide open, paying no mind to the laws I’d created for situations just like these. In my defense, I had good intentions. I’d gone out to the Nichols farm with the mindset that my brothers and I would get the goods and leave, but that plan was blown to hell the minute I spotted Riley racing out of her house like a mad woman. I watched as she ran towards the training ring, where one of their mares was having a damn fit, bucking and galloping around like she had a point to make. When I saw that the handler was out cold, I was worried that she was putting herself in harm’s way, so I rushed over to give her a hand, leaving my brothers to tend to the exchange on their own. I’d barely made it over to the fence when I realized Riley didn’t need my help. Hell, she didn’t need anybody’s help. She’d already taken ahold of the reins, and after a few soothing words, she had the mare completely under her control. It was an unbelievable sight to see, but her little show didn’t stop there.
From the moment we started talking, I could feel myself being drawn in, like a moth to a fucking flame. I knew I’d get burned, but that didn’t stop me from thinking about her relentlessly. I needed to get a fucking grip. I tried to block her from my mind, forcing myself to focus on the club and working overtime at the garage, but even after a week had gone by, she was still fucking with my head, haunting my thoughts and dreams. Out of frustration, I got on my bike and just started riding. I hoped that would help clear my head, but after a few hours of being on the road, I found myself out at the Nichols’ farm. I told myself that I’d ended up there out of simple curiosity, that if I just had a chance to learn a little more about her, I’d be able to get her out of my head, but as I drove down their driveway, I was having my doubts. It had been a week or more since I’d last been there, and I had no idea if she was even home. Taking my chances, I pulled up to the stables and parked. By the time I’d gotten off my bike, one of their farm hands was walking in my direction. “Can I help you with something?”
“Is Mr. Nichols around?”
“No, sir. He’s not. He and Hunter have gone to town to pick up some supplies. Is there something I can help you with?”
Realizing I’d made a mistake by showing up unannounced, I shook my head and said, “Nah, man. I’ll just come back by another time.”
“Want me to give Dan a message for ya?”
“You can tell him that Murphy stopped by,”
As he turned to leave, he replied, “Will do.”
Silently cursing myself, I got back on my Harley and was just about to start up the engine when I heard, “Murphy?”
When I glanced over my shoulder, I found Riley looking at me with a puzzled expression on her face. I couldn’t blame her for wondering why I was there. Like her, I had no idea why I’d shown up unannounced. As I sat there staring at her, I started to question everything, especially my sense of reason. It wasn’t like me to act without thinking things through, but there I was—face to face with Riley Nichols and no clue as to what I should do. Trying to think fast, I got off my bike and started towards her. “Hey. I came by to have a word with your father.”
“Why? Is something wrong?”
“No. Nothing’s wrong. I just had something I wanted to run by him.”
She slipped her hands into the back pocket of her form-fitting, Wrangler jeans as she replied, “I’m sorry, but he’s not here.”
“Yeah, I heard. I guess I should’ve let him know I was coming.”
“I’m sorry you wasted the trip.”
“Don’t be. I enjoyed the ride over. It’s really beautiful out here, and it’s the perfect weather for being out on the bike.”
“You’re right. It is a beautiful day.” Her cheeks blushed with a soft shade of pink as she said, “You know … I could always give you that tour you were asking about. Unless you need to get back or something?”
“I’ve got some time.”
“Great.” She smiled brightly, nearly knocking me off my feet. “How about I show you around the stables first, and then we’ll go from there?”
“Sounds good.”
I followed her into the stables, and I was immediately impressed with how clean and organized the place was. She led me over to one of the stalls where they were housing one of the younger mares. Her eyes sparkled with pride as she scratched behind the horse’s ear. “This beautiful girl is Anna Belle.”
“If I had to guess, I’d say there’s a story behind this horse.”
“Yeah. You could say that.” She glanced up at the mare with a solemn look as she said, “My dad gave her to me right about the time when my mother found out she had breast cancer. It was really hard to see her so sick, but it helped to have Anna Belle to distract me, not to mention that she’s about the sweetest, most beautiful horse on the planet.”
“I’m sorry to hear about your mother. Cancer can be tough, especially when it’s effecting someone you really care about.”
“It’s the worst.” She started walking towards the next stall as she continued, “Mom fought hard. I can’t tell you how many different treatments the doctors had her try; they did nothing but make her feel worse. She died a couple of years later.”
“Damn. I really hate to hear that. Must’ve been awfully hard on you.”
“It was hard on all of us. To make things worse, the treatments were really expensive. Much more than we could afford, and we got in over our heads. That’s one of the main reasons my father started selling those guns. I wasn’t exactly pleased when I found out about it, but after the shock wore off, I realized he had good intentions.” Riggs had already told me about her mother’s death, and everything that had followed thereafter, but hearing it from her gave me a new perspective on things. Everyone knew that desperate times called for desperate measures, but some measures have greater consequences than others. When we made it down to the next horse, she let out a deep breath. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I’m telling you all this.”
“I’m glad you felt like you could talk to me about it.”
Quickly redirecting the conversation, Riley motioned her hand towards the horse in the second stall and said, “This is Starlight. She’s the who showed out the last time you were here and bucked off her trainer.”
“Yeah, she put on quite a show. Any idea what spooked her?”
“We’re still
trying to figure that one out. She’s always been a bit of a handful. She does fine until you get her out in that ring. I don’t know what it is, but something sets her off every time.”
“Have you noticed her having difficulty transitioning between gaits?”
“I haven’t noticed, but I’ll watch the next time we take her … Wait a minute.” She took a step back as she faced me. “What do you know about transitioning gaits?”
“My mother once dated a guy who raised horses, and we spent a lot of time out at his farm.” Of all the men my mother dated, Joe was the only one I ever gave a shit about. He was a decent guy and tried to do right by my mother. Unfortunately, after years and years of being mistreated, my mother didn’t know how to deal with a man who was actually good to her. Trying to be as vague as possible, I told her, “He saw that I had an interest in his horses and ended up hiring me as one of his hands. I only worked there a couple of summers, but I learned a lot from him.”
“Obviously.” She placed her hands on her hips and smiled. “I can’t believe you worked with horses. You’re just full of surprises, aren’t ya?”
“You have no idea.”
She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear as she started walking forward. “So, while you were out at his place, did you do any riding?”
“Some, but that was a long time ago.”
“Would you be up for giving it another try sometime?”
“There’s a chance I could be persuaded.”
A light blush crossed her face as she turned to me and said, “Well, I guess I’ll have to get working on my persuasion skills.”
Damn. With every smile, every small twinkle in her eye, she was drawing me in closer. I wondered if she knew the effect she was having on me. “If I had to guess, I’d bet you don’t have any problem in that area. I bet you always find a way to get what you want.”
“I wish.” She chuckled under her breath, but her smile faded when we passed by several empty stalls. “I know it’s hard to tell now, but there was a time when we would’ve had every one of these filled with foals.”
“Oh, really? What changed?”
“We ran into some issues with our stallion.”
“What kind of issues?”
“The breeding kind.” She cocked her eyebrow and shrugged. “You know how some men can be. He wouldn’t cooperate, so we’re looking into bringing in a new one. Hopefully, that will get us back up and running again.”
“You seem pretty invested in all this.” As we left the stables and headed towards their enormous pond, I asked, “What are your plans for after you graduate?”
“I don’t know. I’ve always pictured myself being here with my brother and dad, helping them manage the farm. I’ve always felt like I belonged here, that the farm and horses make me who I am, but lately I’ve been thinking I might want to try something different.” She stopped and looked me in the eye as she continued, “I’ll always love riding and spending time out here with the horses, but it’s a big world out there with all these wonderful possibilities. Sometimes, I worry if I stay out here on the farm, I’ll miss out on something really great.”
“I get it.”
“You do?” she asked, sounding surprised.
When we got closer to the water, she sat down on a patch of grass and waited as I sat down next to her. Once I was settled, I turned to her and said, “We all have doubts, Riley,”
“Even you?”
“Yes. Even me.”
“Okay.” Her eyes danced with mischief as she asked, “Here’s a question for ya … What’s your biggest pet peeve?”
“Hmm. I might have to think a second on that one.”
“Oh, you’ve got that many, huh?” She giggled.
“Yeah. I’ve got a few.”
“Okay. Let’s start with your biggest and go from there,” she pushed.
“Well, for starters, I’d say dishonesty is a big one of mine.” My eyes met hers as I added, “If somebody breaks my trust, there’s no getting it back. From there, I’d say they’re pretty typical: clicking the top of a pen over and over or hmmm … someone who is constantly late, and …. uh, those people who scuff their feet on the floor when they walk. God, I can’t stand that.”
“Oh, I can’t either. Man, those are good ones!” she announced excitedly. “For me, I really hate it any time someone chews with their mouth open or … ugh, when skinny girls talk about the crazy diet they’re on. Oh, the absolute worst is when people say ‘no offense’ and they know for a fact that they’re being offensive but want to play it off as nothing.”
“Yep. Those are good ones, too.”
We spent the next hour talking about one random topic to the next. I was enjoying my time with her. It was easy, like we’d known each other for a lifetime, but the truth was, we didn’t know each other at all. She had no idea who I really was, and her curiosity was growing by the minute. Her eyebrows furrowed as she looked over to me and said, “So, I’ve been trying to put the bits and pieces together, but I just don’t get it.”
“Not sure I’m following you. What don’t you get?”
“You. It’s not making any sense. How do you go from working out at a farm with your mom’s ex-boyfriend to”—she pointed her finger towards me—“who you are now?”
“You mean, how did I become a biker?”
“Yes, but not just any biker.” She motioned her hand towards me and her words were overly dramatized as she asked, “How did you become this tough looking, muscled up … badass biker who belongs to a motorcycle club?”
I shook my head and chuckled as I answered, “It’s complicated.”
“I’m sure it is.” As she toyed with a blade of grass, she said, “But I’d still like to hear about it.”
“I don’t know. It’s not like I’d planned on joining Satan’s Fury.” I thought back to those days when it seemed like nothing was going my way, and it was hard to believe how much my life had changed. “After a tour in Afghanistan, I was faced with some hard truths and decided it would best if I came home to find work. I managed to find some odd jobs here and there, but I had a hard time finding anything permanent. I was out of money and was about to find myself on the streets when I met Gus. He took a chance with me and offered me an opportunity to prospect. From day one, I knew I’d found what I was looking for … a brotherhood like no other. The brothers of Satan’s Fury may not share the same bloodline, but they’re family just the same.”
“Not sure I would call that explanation complicated. I would guess that the brotherhood you found with the club is a lot like what you had in the service.”
“In a lot of ways it is, but it’s much more involved. We get to decide who’s brought into the club … who we think will be a good fit. That isn’t the case in the military. There, it’s just the luck of the draw, and that isn’t always a good thing.”
She shrugged and replied, “That makes sense.”
“There are other differences, too, but I’ll save that for another day.” I stood up and added, “For now, I should probably get going. I’ve kept you long enough.”
When she started to get up, I offered her my hand and helped her to her feet. “But what about my father? I thought you needed to speak to him.”
“I’ll catch up with him some other time.” We headed back to my bike, I grabbed my helmet and said, “Thanks for showing me around.”
“I really enjoyed it. I wasn’t expecting you to be so easy to talk to.”
“I could say the same about you, and I had a really good time, too. We’ll have to do it again sometime,” I suggested.
“I would like that. Maybe when you come back, I can persuade you to take that ride?”
“Only if you’ll agree to take a ride on the Harley with me afterward.”
“Your motorcycle?”
“Yeah, unless you’re scared.” I teased her.
“Oh, no. I’m not scared. In fact, I’d love to go for a ride.”
“Consider it a plan.”
As I gave her one last look, I found myself wanting to reach for her, to kiss her long and hard, but I forced myself to resist. I got on my motorcycle and reached for the ignition. “Until next time.”
“Be safe, Murphy.”
“Always.”
I started the engine, and while heading down her driveway, I realized I wasn’t ready for my time with her to end. That’s when I knew I needed to put Riley Nichols behind me even though it wasn’t something I wanted to do. The plans I’d made to see her again would have to be broken. I didn’t have a choice. I knew what would happen if I didn’t. The one thing I’d learned from my mother and the fucked-up choices she’d made was when you care about someone, you protect them from the pain, you don’t become the cause of it. Deep down I knew I was broken in every way that’d matter to a girl like Riley. I didn’t believe in happy endings. To me, love was just a figment of the imagination, and if I pursued her, I’d only end up breaking her heart. I couldn’t do that to her, and I sure wouldn’t sacrifice her happiness for my own.
CHAPTER 8
Riley
Every time I thought back to that morning I spent with Murphy, a warm, fuzzy feeling would wash over me, and I’d start smiling like a loon. I couldn’t believe it. The bad-boy biker had actually swept me off my feet. The very thought of it baffled me. I would’ve never dreamed a man like him could be such a gentleman, so charming and sweet, but he was. In fact, he was all of that and more—much more. I’d had a great time with him and the thought of seeing him again excited me, but sadly, that feeling didn’t last. It had been three weeks since the day Murphy came out to the farm, and I was disheartened by the fact I hadn’t seen nor heard from him since. I simply couldn’t understand it. I’d seen the way he looked at me, and while I hadn’t had a lot of experience with men, I knew enough; a man didn’t look at you like that unless he was interested. It’s possible I’d read him wrong. Maybe he was just suffering from allergies or the sun was in his eyes. Or maybe he was just being nice when he mentioned seeing me again and had no intentions of coming back. There was no way to know what was going through his head, so I was left with no other option. I had to face the facts and come to terms that I’d been blown off.