Spark of Time: MacKenny Brothers Series Book 5: an MC/Band of Brothers Romance

by Kathleen Kelly

  “Is everything okay?” asks Charlotte loudly.

  “Yes. Cutter and I need to have a little chat outside.”

  When we hit the pavement, Cutter whirls on me, and a snarl escapes his lips. “What the fuck, Jamie?”

  “You don’t look at her like that.” I shove him further down the street.

  Cutter shoves me back, and I raise my fist to strike him. That’s when my brother, Kyle, appears out of nowhere. He has one hand on my chest and the other on Cutter’s. Kyle looks at my fist and shakes his head, and then he twists slightly to look at Cutter.

  Cutter is breathing quickly, his nostrils flare, and his eyes are glued to me. After a moment, his gaze flicks to Kyle, who shakes his head. Cutter locks eyes with me, snarls, and walks in the opposite direction.

  Kyle watches him go. Slowly, his hand drops from my chest, and then he turns to look at me. “You can’t lay hands on my men, brother.”

  “He was—”

  Kyle holds up a hand, and I stop talking. “I don’t care. There’s a code, and you just broke it. I won’t interfere again if you go after one of my men.”

  Pulling my hat off my head in frustration, I glare at him. “He was making eyes at the girl in there. She’s—”

  “She’s off-limits. Cutter knows that.” My mouth drops open. “What? You think we couldn’t tell she’s a little slow? Cutter likes her, but not in a creepy way.”

  “Cutter is creepy.”

  Kyle chuckles. “Yes, he is, but he has a code. A fucked-up twisted code but one where he’d never cross the line with the girl.” Kyle looks into the bakery and waves at Charlotte, who looks confused. “He calls her innocent and has warned everyone off. The boys know not to mess with her.”

  Screwing the side of my hat up in anger, I ask, “Then why’d he provoke me? Why’d he make out he was sizing her up?”

  Kyle shrugs. “Because he’s Cutter. He was testing you.”

  “Did I pass or fail?”

  Kyle tilts his head to the side. “I guess we’ll find out.” He looks up and down the street. “What brings you to town?”

  “I had business here, and I wanted a coffee.”

  “Good coffee, isn’t it?” Kyle smirks.

  “Yeah, it is.”

  Charlotte comes out with two coffees in takeaway containers. “Does Cutter still want a cupcake?”

  Kyle takes both coffees off her. “No, Charlotte… and Jamie here is paying for these. Will you make him another one?”

  Charlotte smiles. “Sure!”

  She goes back inside, and I look at Kyle.

  “I’m paying for all the coffees?”

  Kyle grins. “Yep.” He turns and takes two steps away from me, then stops and looks at me. “We’re having a party at the clubhouse at the end of next month. You should come.”

  I nod at him, and he smiles then shakes his head. Kyle knows I don’t like to associate with the MC. For me, they are a magnet for everything bad that has happened in our family.

  He continues on without turning back, and I go into the bakery. Isabelle is standing next to Charlotte, an arm around her.

  “Is everything okay?” I ask.

  “Did you hurt Cutter?”

  Laughter bursts out of me. “Me hurt Cutter? No. We had a chat, is all.”

  Isabelle narrows her gaze on me. “I already had a chat with Cutter about Charlotte.”

  “You did?” asks Charlotte.

  “Yes, honey.” She turns and puts her hands on Charlotte’s shoulders. “I made it clear that you’re special, and he should remember that.”

  “Does he still like me?”

  Charlotte looks like she’s about to burst into tears.

  “I’m sure he does,” replies Isabelle soothingly.

  “He does.” Both women look at me. Feeling the weight of their stares, I rock back on my heels. “I mean, I’m sure he does. Cutter is a complicated guy.”

  Charlotte smiles. “He’s always nice to me.” The tears are still in her eyes, but she holds out a coffee for me. “Here.”

  Hurrying toward the counter, I take the coffee out of her hand. “I’ll have that cupcake for Cutter too.”

  “Are you going to give it to him?”

  “Yeah, something like that.”

  Charlotte gets two cupcakes out of the display cabinet and puts them in a small box. “One for you too, on the house.”

  I shake my head. “I can’t do that.”

  Isabelle smiles at her sister, then at me. “Hey, she’s the boss around here, so if she wants to give you a cupcake, you best say thank you and move on.” She winks at Charlotte and walks toward the back of the store.

  “Ah, see you next time?” I ask.

  Isabelle turns around and smiles at me. “Maybe.” Then she keeps walking.

  I’m left staring at her retreating back while Charlotte stares at me. Digging into my pocket, I grab out a twenty and hand it to her. She gives me my change.

  “I’ll see you next time,” she replies happily.

  Nodding at her, I say, “Yes, you will.”

  For the next couple of weeks, I ventured into town for coffee and a cupcake every chance I got. Sometimes Isabelle was there, but most of the time, it’s only Charlotte. I swear the woman is as skittish as a cat on a hot tin roof. Some days she’ll talk to me, and others, she avoids me. I can’t tell if it’s just me or all men.

  Today, it was only Charlotte. I purchased two cupcakes and took them out to the Loyal Rebels MC as a token of peace for Cutter. Pulling up in my truck, Sean is the first to see me. He bounds over with a grin on his face.

  “Jamie! What brings you here?”

  Holding up the box, I say, “I’m looking for Cutter.”

  Sean swipes the box off me and opens it. His face twists into a smirk. “You bought Cutter cupcakes?”

  “They’re from Baked Goodness in town. According to the girl there, they are his favorite.”

  “You know Charlotte?” Sean asks.

  “Yeah. How do you know her?”

  “They make great coffee, and she’s sweet to everyone. Beth loves their rye bread.”

  I steal the box back off him and walk into the clubhouse. “Is Cutter here?”

  Sean rubs his chin and grins at me. “Wait here while I go find him.” Sean wanders down the hallway where most of the MC sleep, while I sit at a table, and Bags saunters over and sits opposite me.

  “Hey, man, how’s the farming business?”

  “My tractor is fucked.”

  Bags chuckles. “I could take a look at it?”

  Scrubbing a hand over my face, I nod. “I only need it to last the season. If you could get her running, I’d appreciate it.”

  “You coming to the party next week?”

  “I don’t know, Bags. This is Kyle and Sean’s thing, not mine.”

  “Tell you what, if I fix the tractor, my payment is you come to the party.”

  With a sigh, I sit forward. “What’s the party for?”

  Bags screws up his face and holds his arms wide. “Do we have to have a reason?”

  Cutter flops down next to me on a chair. “You called?”

  I push the box toward him. “For you.”

  Cutter frowns and tentatively opens the box, then he looks surprised and rears back. Sean takes this opportunity to swoop in and steal a cupcake.

  “Hey!” yells Cutter, shutting the box and pulling it off the table. “They were for me!”

  “Pansy,” Sean taunts as he takes a huge bite.

  “Fuck you, Sean.” Cutter scowls at him then turns to me and asks, “Why?”

  “I was hard on you the other day.”

  “Fuck, yes, you were.”

  “Hence, the cupcakes.”

  “Did you bring coffee?”

  “Don’t push it.”

  Cutter grins at me and holds out his hand. I place my hand in his, and he pulls me forward. “Don’t do it again.” There’s a glint in his eyes, a warning, one I won’t ignore. I nod at him, h
e releases me, stands, and goes back down the hallway.

  “These are good,” says Sean with a mouthful of cake.

  I shake my head at him and look at Bags. “When can you come out?”

  “Now.” He looks up at Sean. “Is it cool, VP, if I help your brother?” Sean nods, and Bags looks back at me. “But first, do we have a deal?”

  Begrudgingly, I nod. “But only if you fix it.”

  Bags gives me a shit-eating grin. “Yo, VP, your brother here is coming to the party.”

  Jamie

  Bags got my tractor working, and as part of the deal, I said I’d go to the party. So here I am at the clubhouse. I’m sitting in a corner watching the MC members drink, dance, play pool, and have a good time.

  “Why are you here?” asks Lola, Kyle’s woman, as she sits next to me.

  “I made a promise to Bags.”

  Lola barks out a laugh. “That must have been some promise. The only time you come here is when there’s a family emergency.”

  Sucking in a breath, I let it out slowly. “That’s not true.”

  Lola smirks. “Yes, it is.”

  “Why is he having a party, anyway?”

  Lola looks around the room. “Your brother is the President. Does he need a reason?”

  I give her a lopsided smile and shake my head. “I guess not.”

  Cutter walks past us, a smile on his face as he yells out, “Catering has arrived!” Then he walks swiftly outside.

  “Catering?”

  “Kyle got that new bakery in town to make desserts and—”

  I don’t wait for her to finish before I am up and stalking out of the clubhouse and down the stairs. Cutter is helping Charlotte out of the van, laughing and smiling at her. Isabelle is already at the back unloading.

  “Hey,” I say to her with a big grin.

  She takes a step back and smiles. “Hey.”

  “Do you need some help?”

  Isabelle opens both doors and nods. “That would be awesome.” She points to a plastic bag. “There are filled with bread rolls. If you could take those in while I carry in some of the cupcakes?”

  Cutter comes around to the back of the van, and to my surprise, Isabelle hugs him.

  “Cutter! Could you help me carry in some cupcakes?”

  “Did you make my favorite?” he teases.

  “You know she did,” replies Charlotte.

  Cutter reaches past me and picks up two boxes. I smile at Isabelle and take the bread rolls inside. Kyle has his arm slung around Lola while talking to Sean. He sees me and raises his head by way of a greeting.

  “Hello, Kyle, where do you want these?”

  He grins at me and nods toward the kitchen. The clubhouse has its own kitchen, surgical center, and sleeping quarters for most of the MC. I’ve been in and out of here for years, so I know my way around. Kyle kisses the side of Lola’s head and follows me.

  “I’m glad you’re here.”

  “Bags bribed me.”

  Kyle chuckles and nods. “He told me, but I’m still glad you’re here.” He watches me put the plastic bag on the kitchen counter. “You like the woman?”

  “What woman?”

  Kyle presses his lips together and sort of smiles. “You know who I mean. The boys tell me you’ve been in town two or three times a week getting coffee.”

  I give him a blank stare and shake my head.

  “Right, so you aren’t interested in the baker?”

  “She seems nice,” I concede.

  Cutter walks in with Charlotte, and Isabelle is close behind. I gesture toward the bread rolls.

  “What, do you want a fucking medal? You brought in one bag, and there’s a van full of stuff to bring in,” says Cutter with a grin and a shake of his head.

  With a growl, I walk past him and back out to the van. Reaching in, I pull out another bag of rolls and two boxes of what I assume are cupcakes.

  “Wait!” Turning, Isabelle stands behind me. “Please don’t drop those. Kyle requested them specially.”

  “Kyle did?”

  She grins at me. “Yeah.”

  We both load up with goods, and Charlotte, accompanied by Cutter, bring in more things as well. Kyle whistles and points at the van, and a group of men and women all wander out to bring in the rest.

  Kyle follows us into the kitchen, pulls out a stool near the back door, and takes a seat. “So, Isabelle, do you and Charlotte want to stay for a while and help us set up? We’ll pay you extra, of course.”

  “I don’t know,” replies Isabelle.

  “Please? Can’t we stay for a little while?”

  “Yeah, Isabelle, can’t you stay for a bit?” Cutter mimics Charlotte’s tone.

  Isabelle rolls her eyes at him, and he laughs. “Okay. But only until we’ve got them organized.”

  “Yay!” Charlotte squeals.

  “Cutter, will you please take good care of her while I unpack everything?”

  He grins at Isabelle and nods. “It would be my pleasure. Come on, gorgeous, let me introduce you around.”

  I put a hand on his chest. “You take care of her now.”

  “Jamie,” says Kyle in a warning tone.

  Cutter looks past me to Kyle. “It’s cool, Prez, he’s just looking out for her.” Then he levels his gaze on me. “Touch me again, farm boy, and I’ll break you in two.” I remove my hand, and Cutter winks at me. “Come on, Charlotte. Come meet some members of the MC that you haven’t met yet.”

  I look at Isabelle, who’s watching Cutter as he guides Charlotte out of the kitchen, and she’s smiling. It’s obvious she trusts him.

  “What can I do to help?” I ask.

  Kyle stands. “How many helpers do you need?”

  “Three should do it.” Isabelle looks around the kitchen. “Do you have platters?”

  Kyle shrugs. “No idea, but the women will know.”

  He leaves the kitchen, and Isabelle looks at me. “The women will know?”

  “Kyle is part barbarian, but he means well.”

  Isabelle laughs. “Does that run in the family?”

  “No, it skips certain members,” I joke.

  She shakes her head and opens up one of the plastic bags. “Kyle said they’d be making barbecue, and they’d need a lot of bread.”

  “Yeah, they normally have a lot of meat at these things.”

  “Do you come to these often?”

  “No, never.”

  Isabelle gives me a quizzical look but doesn’t pursue the conversation. We work in silence unpacking the mountains of boxes.

  Beth walks in with Cherie and immediately hugs me. “Jamie! They didn’t tell me you’d be here!”

  She releases me, only to pass me over to Cherie, who squeezes me tight.

  “Hey, you, it’s so good to see you!”

  “Hello, ladies.”

  Cherie smiles and looks at Isabelle. “Kyle said to look for the pretty blonde lady in the kitchen. That must be you.”

  “Isabelle,” she says, holding a hand to her chest.

  “You know Beth, and this is Cherie,” I offer.

  “We met at the party, but you were kind of busy,” replies Isabelle.

  “You brought the cake,” says Cherie with a nod.

  “Yep, that was me.”

  “What can we do?” asks Beth.

  “Platters?”

  Beth smiles and opens a cupboard, pulling out half a dozen mismatched platters and hands them to me. I put them on the kitchen counter as she pulls out more and hands them over.

  “Is that enough?”

  Isabelle nods. “Should be.”

  The women get to work unpacking boxes, and I try to help but feel I’m in their way, so I back out of the kitchen and make my way back to my seat in the corner. Cutter is showing Charlotte how to play pool. Kyle’s favorite psychopath is surprisingly good with her. I’d leave only I want to keep an eye on Charlotte and get to know Isabelle a little better.

  My younger brother, Lochlan, walks i
n with Annette. She’s the granddaughter of our grandfather’s oldest friend, and until recently, Annette was declared off-limits. Observing them from my vantage point, I can tell she’s not happy. Lochlan runs a hand through his hair, and she pulls her hand out of his. He turns around and throws his hands in the air, and she shoves him hard.

  I’m up and across the room, walking him backward before anyone else moves. “Calm the fuck down, little brother.”

  “I don’t need you telling me how to handle my love life.”

  “This isn’t me telling you how to handle your love life, this is me telling you to calm the fuck down.”

  Lochlan looks surprised. “What the fuck are you doing here, anyway?”

  “I got invited. You?”

  He looks past me and says, “Shit. She’s leaving.”

  Looking over my shoulder, I see Annette stalking out of the clubhouse and down the stairs. “Yep. You’d best catch up with her.”

  When Lochlan doesn’t move, I look back at him.

  “Nah, let her go.”

  “Don’t be a dick, Lochlan. Go make whatever you did right.”

  He straightens his shirt, pulls down the sleeves, and shakes his head. “I’m done with her.”

  “You know, I always knew you were stupid. Annette is the best thing that’s ever happened to you. Go after her.”

  He purses his lips and slightly shakes his head. “I’ll talk to her tomorrow.”

  “What did you do?”

  “She’s upset as I didn’t tell her I’m opening a series of medical centers that will deal with everything from exercise, diet, and rehabilitation. Grayson Moore from the New England Warriors is heading up one in Boston, and he’s investing a good chunk of money in it. But I’m going global with it. Which means I’ll be traveling a lot.”

  “And you didn’t discuss this with her first?”

  “You know, brother, not all of us are content to stay in one place and be Mr. Boring.”

  Lochlan gives me his back and walks toward Sean, who hugs him. He’s the baby of the family, and we’ve all looked after him at one point. He took Heather, our youngest sister’s death, worse than any of us. She was his twin, but that was years ago, and it’s time for him to grow up and be a man.

  “He was kind of mean to you.”

  Turning around, Isabelle is standing there, staring at Lochlan.