After a few more texts, I wished her goodnight and got more comfortable in the armchair, checking up on my mother one last time. Even in sleep, she didn’t look peaceful, which brought an old ache to my chest. I wished for nothing more than to see her healthy and smiling with joy.
Before I knew it, I drifted off to sleep, the smiling face of my mother the last image that had formed in my mind.
Chapter Two
Langley
“Your total is nine dollars, Mr. Brown,” I said to one of our regulars.
“Here you go.”
“Thanks. Have a nice day!”
I waved at him with a beaming smile on my face, thankful that the store was empty at the moment. That would give me some time to get a much-needed rest. I was almost at the end of my shift and my legs were killing me.
I was working at the local grocery store, and since today was Saturday, we were super busy. I had been working here since high school, and since I couldn’t afford to go to college, I never stopped working. It got old a long time ago, but I couldn’t be picky when I had limited choices.
The pay was low, so I also had second job waitressing to make enough money, and it was difficult balancing two jobs at the same time. My boyfriend, Brooks, was my only source of strength, and if I hadn’t had him, I didn’t know what I would do.
Brooks and I were high school sweethearts. We used to dream big, but reality hit us hard and now we were kind of stuck in the everyday struggle. My hope had been for Brooks to go to school, get an amazing degree, and then we would get married and be happily ever after.
But that all changed when his mother got sick, and our happily ever after had never seemed more illusory than now. At first Brooks had stayed in school, but then Mary got worse, and he quit college to take care of her. He had always loved cars and he was good with fixing them, so choosing to be a mechanic was a no-brainer, but it paid so little.
He was bending over backward to meet Mary’s needs, but it was difficult and it was clearly wearing him out. I wanted to help him as much as I could, but he always wanted to keep me at a distance, and it pained me. Not only did he keep me at a distance, but he also didn’t want to listen to a voice of reason when he contemplated quitting college, making a rash decision in a desperate attempt to help his mother in any way he could.
I had tried to convince him not to quit school, but he was hell-bent on quitting, claiming there was no other way, and now that he wasn’t in school anymore, I was even more worried about him.
“Don’t frown that much. You’ll get wrinkles,” Missy, my coworker, told me from the other side of the store. There were only a few minutes left until the end of my shift, and I was too eager to finish.
“Was I frowning?”
“Like it’s the end of the world.”
“I didn’t even notice.”
“Yeah, I’m not surprised. These days you’re looking worn out, and I’m starting to get anxious about you. Is Brooks taking care of you?”
I wanted to conceal my uncertainty, but my lips refused to curl up into a reassuring smile. I couldn’t quite tell Brooks everything that was eating me up these days because he had a lot on his plate already. There was that distance between us that had become more noticeable lately.
“You know Mary is taking up most of his free time. It’s completely understandable.”
Her features settled into a frown. “Still, you’re his girlfriend. He’s supposed to take care of you too.”
I shrugged my shoulders, refusing to acknowledge those nagging thoughts coming from the far corners of my mind. I couldn’t compete with his mother, not that I wanted to. At the moment, she was his priority, so I couldn’t be selfish and ask for more from him. In time, I would have to tell him—
The shop door opened, and Brooks entered, looking gorgeous as always.
Even several years later, he was the most beautiful guy I had ever met. His dark brown hair was cut into a taper fade, which complemented his dark green eyes. I loved his eyes, especially the way they grew darker each time we made love. His face was worthy of the front page of a fashion magazine with its angular jaw, high cheeks, and straight nose, along with his sexy body. He was athletically built with strong shoulders and back—a real eye magnet.
“Speak of the devil…,” Missy muttered. “Hey, Brooks!”
“Hi, Missy.” The sweetest dimples appeared on his cheeks when he cast me a smile, right before he pulled me in for a kiss. My lips parted to let his tongue in, the fiery contact igniting me.
There was something about the way Brooks kissed. Each time he kissed me I felt like it was the first time. I felt like that girl who went on her first date with a popular boy she was head over heels with. We went for an ice cream, and he ended up escorting me back home. It was supposed to be just an innocent kiss on a cheek before we said goodbye, but we moved at the same time and our lips connected. In an instant, I was in his arms and we were kissing like there was no tomorrow.
Even today I get goosebumps just thinking about our first kiss.
“Are you ready for our date?” he told me when we separated. He smelled wonderfully. It was a mix of a soap, his citrusy perfume, and something that was purely him.
Missy’s and my gaze met. “Go,” she said. “There is not much left to do here, so I’ll do it. You go and enjoy yourselves.” She approached me and lowered her voice so only I could hear her. “God knows you need fun.”
“You’re the best, Missy.”
“You covered up for me the last time, so this is the least I can do.” She glanced at Brooks sideways in a way that looked more like a warning. “Make sure our girl here is happy. Okay?” I was touched by her care. She was old enough to be my mother, and she also acted like one.
If he’d picked up on her signals, Brooks didn’t show it. “Sure. See you.”
Without further ado, we were out of the store and on our way to the drive-in movie theater for our date. We hadn’t watched a movie together in quite a while, so I was fired up about tonight.
We arrived right on time for the romantic comedy I had picked. Brooks wasn’t a fan of romantic comedies, but he watched them for me. It was no wonder that I was too invested in the movie, while he looked like he would fall asleep any second.
“I’m not sure if you’re going to fall asleep any minute because of the movie or because you’re tired,” I told him when the movie credits started rolling. I had been laughing like a maniac for the last one hour and a half, psyched that the main characters had their happy ending. I was a sucker for happy endings.
“Maybe because of both?”
I pecked a kiss on his cheek. “Thanks for watching it with me. You’re so sweet.”
“Everything for my girl.”
He cupped my cheek and leaned in to kiss me, the taste of popcorn in his mouth matching mine. Soon, our kiss deepened, and I was close to straddling him despite all these cars surrounding us. I placed my hand against his erection, my pussy pulsating with need for him.
“I want you, Brooks.”
His groan spoke volumes. “Fuck. We can’t do anything here. Let’s go somewhere private.”
I tried removing my hand from his dick, but he pressed his hand over mine, keeping it there.
“Leave it.”
He didn’t need to say it twice.
He shifted into reverse and drove us out of the lot in no time, driving way more fast than it was allowed. We reached a nearby, industrial neighborhood that had a lot of secluded places where we would have our privacy. With a screech of tires, he parked in between two dilapidated buildings that were separated only by a thin path that could be easily missed in this poorly illuminated area.
“Get out,” he growled and unfastened his seatbelt. I followed him out of his car, letting him drag me to the backseat of his car.
The seats, just like the rest of the car, were scruffy and in need of serious refurbishment, and the springs poked my back and ass, but at the moment nothing mattered.
At the moment, we were entangled limbs, urgent kisses, and mixed breaths. His lips were on my neck, kissing my most sensitive spots as his hands found their way underneath my shirt and bra. He latched onto my breasts, his deft fingers rolling my nipples in the way I liked the most, and I was all wet and ready for him.
“I missed you so much, Langley.”
“Take me. Please.”
He snatched his belt away and lowered his jeans and boxers, positioning himself in between my thighs. I shimmied out of my skirt and panties, leaving them hanging off my left ankle, and moved so that I could wrap my legs around his waist. This position in the cramped backseat wasn’t the most comfortable, but I didn’t care.
He guided his cock to my entrance and plunged inside of me, filling me all at once.
“Fuck me. You’re so wet and tight, babe.”
“Always for you.”
“Mmm. You always respond so good to me.” He pulled out only to ram back into me, and a loud cry left my lips. I didn’t have to bother staying quiet, because there was not a living soul in a two-mile radius. “You’re my girl. Are you my girl? Say it.” He thrust forcefully into me again, stealing my breath.
“Yes! I’m all yours! Only yours, honey.”
He increased his pace, holding my breast with one hand while supporting himself with the other. His lips were all over my neck, shoulders, cheeks, until they connected with my mouth and claimed me.
I fisted my hands in his shirt, moving my hips to meet his, and pleasure spread through each part of me. His eyes held mine as he brought me to higher heights, and soon I was exploding all around him, my walls squeezing him like a vise.
“Damn. You feel too good.” His eyes rolled to the back, his muscles becoming more strained. “I’m going to cum. Ah fuck.”
Speeding up, he buried his head into my neck and drove into me until he reached his climax. My name on his lips was a strangled shout, repeated a few more times as he spurted his load deep into me.
I closed my eyes and wrapped my arms around him to keep him close to me, my chest filling with adoration. If only we could be like this more often… “I love you,” I whispered to him.
“I love you too.”
His lips caressed my lips slowly, and it was too sweet. Just like him.
I wished this night could last.
Chapter Three
Brooks
“You make me feel like a child here,” mom said, a resemblance of a smile forming on her face. “You’re going to spoil me.”
She had been reading in her armchair, but I managed to convince her to go to sleep. She usually liked to stay up late reading her favorite romance novels, but I didn’t want her to tire herself. She needed all the rest she could get.
I tucked her in bed and sat down next to her. “You deserve to be spoiled, mom. You deserve the best.”
“How is Langley? I haven’t seen her in a while.”
“She’s okay, but she’s working hard these days. She isn’t telling me anything, but doesn’t look so well. I think she’s pushing herself too much.”
Worry clouded her features. “That child. She was always diligent and so sweet. She’s a true gem, Brooks, so you need to make sure she’s fine. I need you two to be happy.” She caught my hand and squeezed it. “And I hope to see my grandchildren soon.”
I responded with a nod and a tight smile, not wanting to oppose her. She’d been mentioning this a lot more often lately, but I didn’t have the heart to tell her that Langley and I weren’t going to have children anytime soon. Hell, we were in over our heads with bills and other necessities, so how could we think about children now? We were poor and with no prospect of getting better jobs in near future. Making a child in these circumstances would be madness.
She sighed. “I just want you happy, but you don’t look so happy.”
I sent her a flashing smile and winked at her. “You’re imagining things. I’m fine. I’m just a bit tired, but it’s nothing I can’t handle.”
“I wish you would divulge your problems to me. You can’t deal with everything on your own. You have your ma who loves you a lot. I’m here for you.”
“I know, but everything will be fine soon. You’re going to recover and then we will go on some picnic or travel across the states. I promise.”
Her eyes that were a deeper shade of green than mine were filled with softness, and now there was a full-on smile on her face.
“Oh, I would love that! We can go fishing and camping. We haven’t done that in a long time.”
My father loved fishing, and he used to take my mother and me with him to various lakes and rivers. Those memories were one of a few I had of him. After he died, mom continued bringing me to his favorite places, learning to fish herself, so now it was one of our favorite pastime activities.
However, we hadn’t been able to do anything since she got diagnosed with breast cancer, and I missed those times with her.
“Then it’s a deal. We’re going fishing together as soon as you recover.”
I glanced at the IV pole next to her bed, concerned that Kelly had to administer another infusion today. Mom didn’t make a fuss, but I knew she hated those IV things.
She yawned, her eyes slowly closing. “Are you sleepy?”
She opened her eyes only for a brief second before she closed them shut. “A little. I was reading a lot today and didn’t take a nap.”
I covered her hand on her stomach and leaned in to kiss her forehead. She looked so fragile, and it was killing me. She was almost chained to her bed, unable to do even the simplest things without it being strenuous.
“I’ll be downstairs. If you wake up, just give me a ring.” I pointed at her phone on the nightstand. “And I’ll be here right away.”
“I know.” She moved her hand through my hair slowly, her brows slightly furrowing. “I don’t think I’ll wake up before morning, so you should go home.”
I wouldn’t put it past her to wake up during the night. “I’ll stay here tonight, okay? I’ll make myself comfortable on the couch.”
I went downstairs to go through medical bills after she fell asleep, planning to stuff myself with energy drinks to get through the next few hours. I seated myself on the couch and switched the TV on. I needed sounds to fill the reverberating quiet in the living room.
The more bills I looked through, the more stressed out I was. Nothing was adding up, too many expenses pilling up each week. The chemotherapy cost, the drugs cost, the nurse… Thousands and thousands of dollars, and I wasn’t sure how I was going to be able to pay for it all. The hospital didn’t pressure me to pay the bills right away, but they wouldn’t wait for me indefinitely. Even with double shifts and no days off I couldn’t earn enough money. I would never be able to pay for her treatment this way.
Langley was persistent in trying to help me with money, but I didn’t want to accept even a cent from her. I would never take her hard-earned money, even more so considering the fact that she struggled with money issues herself. I had to do this on my own.
I felt like each step I made could lead me to something worse, and I hated being cornered like this. What was worse was that I feared the expenses would only double. Mom wasn’t well, which meant that she would have to go through more rounds of chemotherapy, and my gut twisted at the thought. What if I wasn’t able to provide for her anymore? What if she was forced to stop her treatment because we were out of dough?
The sounds of gunshot on TV drew my attention to the screen, and the images of soldiers in action greeted me. It was an ad for the marines.
“Find the strength in you. Follow the path of the thousands before you.” The ad showed battle images, the faces of brave soldiers zoomed in in crucial moments. “Protect your country. Protect your people. Find the right way.”
The emotional music in the video reached a crescendo that brought me goosebumps, and for a moment I could imagine myself there—right there—in the military.
The Marines logo appeared on the screen
shortly before the ad finished, and a commercial for Coke replaced it. My heart rate increased in the moment of epiphany.
The thought had never crossed my mind before, but now I wondered if joining the marines would be the right answer. The pay was more than good, so it would allow me to pay for all her medical bills, and there would be no chances of running out of money before her treatment was finished.
I would never be able to earn enough as a mechanic, but as a marine, her medical bills wouldn’t be a hurdle. The downside of joining the marines would be being away from mom and Langley, but it was only temporary. It wouldn’t last forever.
Maybe this was the solution. Maybe that ad wasn’t a coincidence but a twist of fate. After all, it did come at the right moment.
It would be difficult to leave mom during her treatment, but this would be for the best. I had to give it a shot.
Chapter Four
Langley
I was humming “Radioactive” by Imagine Dragons, shimming as I placed the products on the shelf. We weren’t busy today, so I had energy to spare.
I was deep in my thoughts, so I didn’t even hear anyone approaching, flinching when someone’s hands ended on my hips.
“Hey—”
‘It’s me,” Brooks whispered into my ear before I could turn around and planted a feathery kiss on my earlobe. I shivered, melting under his touch.
“Brooks.” I swiveled and wound my arms around his neck, pulling him closer to me. I didn’t even give him the opportunity to answer me, because I was already kissing him, not caring about my colleague or customers in the slightest.
“Wow. Are you that excited and happy to see me?” he asked, beaming.
“Definitely. I like when you’re here.” I raised up to my toes to kiss him again, hungry for his soft, sensual lips.
Baby and the Biker: The Ghost Riders MC Page 17
