"Thanks for serving me dinner." Spencer cuts off another large bite of his chicken.I shrug while looking down at my plate. It's a chicken breast with some broccoli from a frozen bag on the side. "After the lunch you made, this is no big deal."Spencer takes another bite of his chicken and moans while chewing. I've never had a man moan about my cooking before.We ate lunch in his apartment, and while it was only a sub, it was a delicious sub. All the ingredients were there: tomatoes, lettuce, mayo, cucumbers, and olives. Total perfection. One of those subs you could make at home yourself but are always too lazy."That's where you're wrong. I didn't make lunch. I pulled out what Anessa sent me home with last night.""Oh." One million thoughts run through my head as my fork stops its projections to my mouth. Have I spent the last two days hanging out with someone dating the new town baker? What about Bennett?Spencer crams another bite of chicken into his mouth like he's not
"I can't believe you work at the hospital but have never been to Spuds."The county hospital is set between the towns of Pelican Bay and Whitecap. "During a shift, there's only time for delivery. I'm always too tired after to eat at a sit-down restaurant.""Shit, I keep forgetting you finished a long shift. Are you sure you're awake enough for this meal?""I'm fine. Working tens is a standard. I've been doing it for years." His concern is cute but totally unneeded."Well, if you get too tired and want to head home, let me know.""Spencer, I'm fine." I reassure him for probably the fiftieth time tonight. I'm not going to fall over and pass out from exhaustion. Maybe I should find his persistence annoying, but it's actually nice to have someone looking after me for a change.I haven't had a night out on the town in forever—since my last boyfriend, Thatcher, and I broke up over a year ago. Dating an EMT who reported to the same hospital I did was difficult. When we both had th
I pick the hot guy.It takes another minute to talk myself into it and gather all my courage—I'm not a particularly fearless person to begin with. In one uninterrupted movement, I hit the unlock button, swing open the truck door, jump out, close it behind me, and run for the front door of the house. There are three small steps leading up to the sagging front porch, and I jump over all three like I'm Superwoman clearing a tall building. Both feet land on the porch. One of the boards dips, but it doesn't stop me.The door bangs shut, the crack echoing in the large, mostly empty living room. I stumble and quickly catch myself from the force of no longer running. Looking up, I'm met with the view of a large, black T-shirt-covered chest."Holy shit, Jos. I told you to stay in the truck, not run into the house without warning. I could have shot you." Spencer lowers his large, shiny gun but doesn't put it away.I should be worried. I've never stared down the barrel of a gun before, an
"Are you sure about this?" Spencer hesitates at my open front door.Frankie tugs on her leash, ready to come in, but he doesn't hand her over. "Sure!"I may have the next three days off from the hospital, but Spencer doesn't. He's hard at work, helping to catch whoever left a dead body in the woods."I'm not sure how long I'll be gone." Frankie makes another jump at me and Spencer tugs her back, his face washed with concern."Spencer, we will be fine." I snatch the leash when his head is turned and his guard is down.He lets go reluctantly. "I'll call tonight to give you an update.""Go. Catch criminals." I wave him away.I'm not going to lie, standing on my front stoop waving Spencer off while he leaves to go fight the bad guys and come home a hero is really hot. He may not be in uniform, but I totally understand why woman have a thing for guys that wear one.I woke up next to him this morning—even if there was a big black Frankie sitting between us—I can still say I s
It does no good. By the time I'm able to pull open her jaws and look inside her mouth, the bar of soap is gone."Oh no. No, no, no." I jog to the bathroom off the master bedroom. "No, no, no."I rip the curtain back. A few rings come loose, so it sags in the middle. There, on the edge of the tub, where my rather expensive, homemade, all-organic soap normally sits, is an empty space. It's cute little porcelain dish empty, the dish unbroken but laying sideways on the bathroom mat."Oh, Frankie."A few seconds pass while I mourn the loss of my favorite oatmeal soap. The heavenly bar is only available during the summer farmer markets every Thursday in downtown Pelican Bay. Every fall, I buy two bars. It's enough to get me through the winter months. Thankfully, Frankie caught me at the tail end of my first bar, so she didn't ingest an entire thing.Still, organic soap or not, it can't be good for dogs.Frankie nudges the back of my leg with her nose. She looks the same, but I ca
"The kind? You know, the organic oatmeal bars. Molly makes them.""Oh." His demeanor lightens. "Did you buy it from the farmers market? I prefer her lavender bar myself.""Yes, but Dr. Pike, the dog?" Does no one understand the significance of my problem? The whole town has gone mad.He's quiet for a moment. "How much of the bar did she eat?"I stop and think about what was left the last time I showered. "At least a quarter of the bar.""Hmmm, did she chew it up or eat it whole?"Shouldn't we be calling the dog ambulance right now? Is there a dog ambulance? What do dogs do in a time of emergency? "I'm not positive, but I think pretty much whole.""Ah, you're fine, young lady. Frankie will throw it up in a few minutes. Keep an eye on her and get her to drink lots of water when she's done passing the soap.""Really? Are you sure?""Absolutely. She'll be right as rain in about thirty minutes or so. You should even be able to continue using the soap.""Um... Okay." That
"Spencer here?" The older gentleman wraps his thick, dark brown trench coat around his body and leans closer, trying to see inside the house.I instinctively lean back to keep my distance, and so the smell of stale cigars doesn't suffocate me. Frankie growls, then circles once around my feet and stops, sitting directly in front of me, working as a blocker. The old man peers nervously down at her, both his hands clutching the trench coat."No."His eyes slither up and down my body. I cross my arms to cover up my chest, failing to ease the dirty feeling his gaze creates. "You the girl with him when he found the body?"This damn town and its gossip. "Yeah.""Tell Spencer to stay out of our business, or you'll both and up like Kevin." He turns, slinking to the side, his boots crunching on the light covering of snow over my walkway.I step out the door after him, stopping at the end of my front porch. The snow seeps through my socks and freezes my toes. "Who is Kevin? What happe
"So how are we going to do this?" I ask, standing beside Spencer's imposing bed but making no moves to get myself under the ruffled covers."Like last time." Spencer's eyes rake me up and down, but not because he's checking me out. It's definitely more him making sure I'm not suffering from shock or an alien abduction.Whatever the reason, his leering gaze forces my arms over my chest. My lips pinch together, and I look sheepishly at the top of the bed. I'm wearing on one of his long T-shirts—NAVY written in big, bold font across the front—underwear, and a pair of shorts. It's way more clothing than he's sporting with his black boxers covered in small four-leaf clovers.As if the universe needed to give me more signs of him getting lucky tonight."We haven't done this before." I'm not one of those simpering-virgin types, but a few alcoholic beverages might help. Plus, why did I eat a second helping of fries at dinner? It was stress eating—there's no other explanation.Spencer
ElliotFive years later"No, sweetie, we only get one puppy today." I squat getting on the same level as my daughter, Brandise.The round ball of fluff she squeezes onto with all her might so he doesn't run away licks her across the face and she giggles. "Daddy, they're twins just me and Bray. They have to stay together."My eyes flick back and forth between each dog. One held in the tight grip of Brandise and the other being sized up by my son. Their mother, Harley, a woman who took too long for me to figure she meant everything stands between the two of them with her lips pinched together not helping me in this situation. She's left me out in the cold on my own.The two puppy siblings look alike, but in my eyes every Yorkie looks the same. How can you tell them apart? The puppies my babies held both had a lighter colored face than Rocky, but other than that they were big puffballs of fur."Sweetie, Rocky only needs one brother," I try again hoping to talk sense into her.
Elliot's steps are slow but sure as I hold open the bakery door to let him get through the space. Once he's cleared the way, I stand beside him in case he needs me for support as he makes his way to the first table in the busy sitting section. You wouldn't expect a shoulder injury to cause issues walking, but with each movement his body makes, his shoulder sways with the force and his face grimaces.It's too soon for him to be up and moving, but I couldn't make him listen to reason.He finds his seat and plops in it heavily, the chair legs scraping on the tile. The people around us stop what they're doing and turn before a small round of applause starts from behind the bakery counter and then picks up including people from every space in the bakery. Elliot turns to the noise, catching everyone in their adoration, and scowls until the clapping fades."Cupcakes for everyone," Anessa says smiling from her spot at the counter. "Especially for our new hero."Elliot's scowl deepens.
Dominick releases a breath and sucks in another one as if preparing himself for this new life. "Are you positive? Because there are very eligible bachelors in my club. A brother could keep you safe."I don't argue with him that Elliot kept me safe. Well at least until he got shot, and no one can blame a man for that. He literally stuck his body in between me and a loaded weapon. How much more could he have done?Plus I could never live life in the club again. Now after experiencing life on my own. "Yeah, and then they'd cheat on me or go to prison."Dominick shakes his head. "My men aren't that way. They love hard and deep. I changed the club here, Harley. It's different from how we grew up in Colorado."There's honesty in his words, but it will never be enough to bring me back. "Elliot is mine."Dom shakes his head once, admitting defeat. "Fine. Onto topic two. I met your father," he says father accusatorily like I've been keeping something from him.Which, in a way, I hav
Without warning there's another harsh pop in the air like someone shooting off a firecracker, and then red blossoms in the middle of Pete's forehead. His body falls back hitting the ground once again. The thud is too far away to hear, but I swear my body feels the vibration.Holy fuck.My ears ring from the gunfire as men pool around us each of them yelling things back and forth. It's coordinated chaos. An ambulance with its lights flashing speeds over the highway."That man took three bullets to the chest," Huxley mutters to himself shaking his head. "I haven't seen anything that crazy since Thailand."... The steady beat of Elliot's hospital machines lulls me into a restless sleep as my head rests on Elliot's hand."Harley," a deep voice whispers in my ear, shaking my shoulder. "Har."In a start my head pops up and my eyes search Elliot's face, but his hand still rests underneath my head, a pool of my drool sticking between his fingers."Still drool, huh? I wouldn't
"Dominick won't pay anything for me," I lie.Pete laughs. "Don't want money. I'm looking to trade you for a free get-out-of-town card. If he won't offer me his protection, you'll be a going away gift to my men. They're upset with having to leave. I'm sure you understand.""What?" Fear causes me to choke out the word as a hundred images flash through my brain of what he could mean, but only one is sick and depraved enough for this man.He smirks. "They'll love you if the Impaler doesn't."I fall to my knees against the back of his seat. "No, please don't." I'd rather he shoot me now than do what his smile promises. He means I'm to be a sexual gift given to his men and passed between them. I'd never survive. Sure, Dom trained me in basic self-defense skills, but my mother sheltered me from club life so I only heard the evils of the world through others. Until now, I never once felt concern for my safety. Not the way I do now.The cargo van travels on the highway, passing a bill
"Stand up, Fucker."Elliot scoots away from me as I claw deftly on his leg trying to hold on and keep him close. He turns, not making any sudden movements and puts his body in front of mine to shield me once again from the nasties of life."Let's not do anything drastic, Pete." Elliot takes a step forward with his hand held out defensively.I twist seeing the old man wearing a pair of board shorts, a blue Hawaiian shirt with palm trees, and flip-flops on his feet standing in the middle of the beach. He resembles a tourist who belongs in Florida not a man running a drug ring in Pelican Bay. He sneers at me taking the tension from Elliot for just a moment and waving the gun in his direction as if either of us could forget it's there."She's the only one who can name me. Without her I can pick up shop and start somewhere fresh and there's nothing you can do about it. You guys don't have shit on me.""You're standing in the middle of a public beach during the day, Pete," Elliot t
He flinches as of my question has hurt him, but I'm the child who didn't have a father. "I got out early for good behavior and I looked up your mother. I learned what happened. Sorry about your loss," he says. The words are stagnant as if he knows what he's supposed to say but struggles with the meaning. Yet, something in the inflection makes me believe he means each one. His eyes turn soft, possibly remembering his time with my mother.My life has never been cupcakes and cookies, but the last month has been indescribable except for the word surreal. First, I had no father, then I picked up a club president for a stepdad, lost him, and now gained back the original. What is happening to my life?"What will happen now?"My father shakes his head and stares at me with a touch of a smile tweaking his lips. "I'm out of the club life. Plan to take the straight and narrow from here on out."I hold back the cringe at his promise. It's one I've heard from club brothers my entire life. E
Elliot shakes his head, his fingers curving around the handle of his gun. His face pinches together as if he has so much to say, but is staying silent for me.Until he doesn't anymore."Would someone mind telling me what the fuck is going on?"He's not the only one looking for answers. "Me too. Mom said you died in a motorcycle crash. Drove your bike over a mountain ledge one night." She hadn't said he'd been drinking, but I've filled in the blanks for myself as I aged.My father's teeth come together hard making a gnashing sound I hear even from my position. "Yeah well. She thought it would be better than the true story. Easier for both of you to move on rather than wait around on me living only a half-life.""Then what is the true story?" After my mom left Dominick's dad, it was the three of us together. I always believed we never hid any secrets from one another.My father shakes his head and stares at me but looks past me as if he's reliving the memories himself. "She s
My gaze and thoughts flip to the back door, but I'm too far away to reach it before he could shoot me.The man is younger than Pete and not the person I saw put a bullet in someone earlier this month, but he's old enough to be my father. His skin is leathered and wrinkled as if he's spent a lifetime in the sun. His jeans are loose and a leather jacket lacking any MC cut is wrapped around his body. Not a Bloodhound.I stand next to the kitchen island breathing heavily while trying to come up with an escape plan as the two of us stare at one another unmoving.He speaks first. "Now, Harley, is this any way to greet the old man who named you?"His words scatter in my brain, startling me into paying attention, all my plans of escape lost. "Excuse me? My father named me."It was one of the few stories I had of the man who shared such a brief relationship with my mother. "He wanted to pay homage to the best...""Damn motorcycle company the US has ever seen," he finishes my sentenc