Keith had found a small two-bedroom house in his neighborhood that was within the budget constraints I asked for. He had taken care of getting everything set up for me beforehand, so now all I had to do was get there, unpack, and start looking for a job. Granted, he had not sent me any pictures of the house or anything, so it was kind of a crapshoot as far as what I’d be walking into.
Ten hours later we had made it to Cedar Falls; and with the help of my brother’s friends Wren, Bender, and Dragon everything had been unloaded from the truck; and I was already starting to sort through and unpack boxes. “You gonna be okay if I take off now?” My brother asked in the midst of a wide-mouthed yawn as I pulled the silverware from the box labeled kitchen. Everyone else had already gone once the truck had been unloaded.
“Sure, Keith.” He gave me a look and tapped his kutte that he had donned sometime after the last box had been brought in. I rolled my eyes, but smiled at him as I stated, “Chief. You know, that should probably be offensive somehow.”
He just shrugged. “Dad would have thought it was funny as shit,” he told me on a chuckle. He was right. Our dad didn’t have a politically correct bone in his body. Funny was funny to him didn’t matter if it was completely inappropriate or not.
“As long as it comes from a good place, we can find humor in it,” I repeated what he’d always told us. This made my brother’s smile widen. He came over and grabbed me up in a big bear hug, lifting my feet off the floor as he did so. “I’m a phone call away, Sis, but I’m wiped out and needing’ sleep about now.”
“Thanks for everything, Chief,” I told him as I hugged him back and then released him.
“You do not have to thank me for that shit. Should have been here all along,” he murmured the last.
“Hey doll face,” Wren called out, having popped his head back in my front door. I had thought all the men had gone, but apparently Wren had just been outside on a phone call. “My old lady already put word out she’s wanting to meet you. I think her and Leanne are chomping at the bit to take you out to lunch tomorrow if you’re up to the company. They could also help unpack some.” I smiled at Wren’s offer. After the freeze out I got from the old ladies belonging to the club down in Georgia I wasn’t sure I was ready to jump back in to socializing and making friends with the women of the club here. At my hesitation Wren’s face screwed up in puzzlement. Obviously, he knew I’d been an old lady before, so I guess he assumed I’d jump at the chance.
My big brother came to the rescue before I had to stumble over my excuses. “During her split from her old man the women from Sierra High stopped checking on her and speaking to her. Her man was up to no good, they knew about it, and I guess they thought it was too awkward a situation so they stayed away. I think my lil’ sis is gonna be a bit gun shy where the old ladies and club are concerned,” my brother informed him as I marveled at the depth of his understanding.
“Well, shit,” Wren hissed out. “I swear, there are times I think we need to forget the patch, and just kick some much deserved ass to help straighten a brother out instead of allowing him to dig a well-deep hole for the woman propping him up.”
“You and me both,” my brother stated.
Wren patted my shoulder then, and smiled at me. “When you’re ready then. I’ll explain why they need to bottle that shit up for now.”
“Thanks,” I managed to get out quietly.
My brother left, along with Wren, and as I closed and locked the door behind them it took approximately two point five seconds for it to sink in that I was alone. Completely alone. There was no promise of Snake dropping in here to alleviate some of that loneliness with his quick check-ins. The house wasn’t familiar to me like my family’s home had been. Most of the things that would have made this place seem more homey and familiar still sat packed up in boxes. I glanced around the open plan house where the space before me seemed to double, then triple as panic set in about the decision I’d made to come here and start fresh.
I was about two seconds from full blown, can’t breathe, sweat dripping down my back, heart hammering anxiety attack when there was a knock on the door. Oh, thank God. This meant my brother probably forgot something, and maybe I could convince him my couch was the place to be tonight. I moved quickly, turning around and throwing the lock then swinging the door open to a complete stranger. Granted, he was a beautiful stranger, but a stranger none-the-less. The only thing that kept my already accelerated heart rate from ramping up again was seeing the Aces High Kutte he wore.
“You okay, honey?” He asked, taking in what were probably my wide eyes and rapid breathing.
“Um,” I started and failed.
“I came by to see if Chief was still around,” he stated quickly thinking I must be freaking out because of him.
“He, um,” I put my hand to my chest, as if that would help calm my overactive heart and make things better. Then I took a breath, and let it out slowly. All the while the man stood on my doorstep keeping a watchful eye on me as he took out his cell. I held my other hand out – the one not holding my heart in my chest – and shook my head no. He halted his movements. “Sorry, you caught me at the start of an anxiety attack, I think.”
“This happen often?” He questioned with careful consideration.
I shook my head again. “Nope, just when I move from the only home I’ve ever known to a new town, to look for a new job, while I’m in the middle of divorcing my cheating husband,” I over shared.
“Mind if I come in, check to make sure all is well while I’m here?” He asked as he tapped the patch on his chest. “Name’s Smoke. I’m a good friend of your brother’s, and he’s told me a bit about your situation already, but if you need to share more with someone who isn’t family, I’m all ears. Even if you don’t, might help to have someone around for a bit while you adjust. Not sure what Chief was thinking leaving you alone in a strange place your first night here.”
“I’m pretty sure he wasn’t thinking. He was tired; so don’t hold his poor manners against him. It’s been a long couple days.”
“I can imagine,” Smoke nodded his head towards the house again. “You gonna let me in, or I gotta call your tired brother and get his ass back over here? Whatever makes you the most comfortable, honey.”
Holy hell. I moved out of the way to allow the man into my home. As he brushed past I could feel exactly how solid his muscles must be under that kutte. It was obvious by his arms since his biceps were larger around than my thighs, but still the man must have lived in a gym. Combine that with the chiseled features he was rocking, the well-trimmed full beard, and the nearly shoulder length chocolate brown hair, and he was any woman’s dream come true. Then there were his eyes, the ones I’d had to take a moment to look away from, because I swear they were dazzling me with their imperfect perfection. They both appeared to be a jeweled mix of colors; only one was more in the blue green spectrum while the other was a mix of green, brown, and gold.
“Sorry, I don’t think I have much in the way to offer you,” I told him as I closed the door behind Smoke. “Just got here and all.”
Smoke smiled, and his straight white teeth shining out of his full lips and that beard ramped up his beauty ten fold. “You should probably check your fridge and cabinets. Pretty sure the old ladies had you set up before you got here.”
“What?” I asked the question as I moved to the kitchen and started opening the fridge, then the cabinets, and seeing that they indeed had stocked me up on all the basics as well as some of my favorite things. “Chief must have told them,” I stated out loud, using my brother’s road name for the benefit of his brother.
“Imagine he did. That’s how it works around here.” His voice from right behind my shoulder surprised me and I spun to see he was so close I could feel his body heat rolling off of him in waves, or maybe I was just having hot guy hot flashes. Jesus, what was wrong with me? I hadn’t so much as looked at another man in anything other than a friendly way since I started dating Walke
r way back when. Now, here I was practically panting after one of Chief’s club brothers. He was one of Walker’s club brothers too even if he was in a different chapter. I was pretty sure there were rules about picking up another brother’s ex-old lady. Then again, maybe there weren’t since nothing stopped my old man from getting with every available woman around the club while we were together.
Smoke’s fingers came up and caught a curled tendril of my hair between them. He studied that piece of hair as if it had the answers to all of life’s questions. “Chief never mentioned you were beautiful, or a red head,” he muttered. “This is real.” I assumed that was a statement about my natural copper colored hair so in lieu of answering I just gave him a slight nod. The movement seemed to pull him out of whatever trance he’d been in and Smoke quickly took a step back from me, releasing the curled lock of hair, and smiling at me once again. “Did you see any beer in that fridge?” He asked, but proceeded to look inside for himself. He had a beer in hand, popping the top off as I finally got around to answering.
“Sure, help yourself,” I muttered.
“You drink beer?” He asked.
“Sure, it’s a hell of a lot better than wine, but not as good as rum.” At that he laughed and then gave me a once over.
“You don’t look the type to pound down the hard liquor.”
I just shrugged my shoulders. “There’s a time and a place for everything. I don’t drink tequila, wine sucks – mostly, and beer is good for every day things like watching a game or whatever, but when I go out for fun with the girls or something it’s rum and coke all the way.”
“Rum and coke,” he repeated thoughtfully. Then he pulled his phone out and appeared to send someone a text before slipping the thing back into his pocket. “What kind of game?”
“Sorry?” I asked, not really sure what he wanted to know.
“You said beer is for when you’re sitting around watching a game. What kind of games do Georgia girls watch when they drink their beer?”
At that, it was my turn to laugh. “Well, most Georgia girls are probably watching football, but I went to see the Thrashers with my dad when I was sixteen, and it was so damn exciting. I fell in love over three periods, and have been a die-hard fan since. Of course, the Thrashers mostly sucked, and were sold to Canada, but I still go watch the Gladiators once in a while, and hope for those guys to get the call up to the Bruins, because some of them really deserve a shot at the big time.” I crossed my fingers in the tradition of good luck.
“No shit?” He asked, looking completely blown away by my response.
“No shit,” I responded. His grin grew wider still.
“My brother plays for the Penguins,” he stated nonchalantly as he stood there sipping on his beer afterwards like he hadn’t just dropped a major bomb.
“As in the Pittsburghhh Penguins?”
“Is there another?”
“Well, I’m sure maybe somewhere, but…” I laughed then. “You’re kidding, obviously. Making fun of the only hockey fan from the south,” I proclaimed.
“Hardly the only one, and I’m serious as a heart attack, honey. Kent Lewis is my younger brother. He was…” I cut him off before he could finish.
“First round draft pick, right winger, three years ago,” I finished for him. He stood a little straighter as I rattled off the information he had surely been about to tell me.
“You’re from the south, doesn’t that make you a Predators or Hurricanes fan?”
It was my turn to grin now. “Well, yeah, but the game I went to with my dad was the Thrashers against the Penguins, so when my Thrashers were sold I transferred my fandom to the Penguins and they definitely work harder to put me in my happy hockey place.” I glanced around like someone might be listening in. “Do not make that common knowledge though. I’m still not far enough north, and will possibly be lynched for my disloyalty.”
That sent Smoke into a fit of laughter that only served to ramp up his insane handsomeness by another bajillion notches. Jesus.
“Fuck, am I glad you showed up just before the season kicked off. These fuckers are all about football and baseball around here, now I know where to go to find a hockey buddy to swill beer with while I yell at the screen.”
That had my grin amped up too, and before our hockey bonding could commence there was another knock on my door. Smoke’s grin did not die as he announced, “I got it,” and proceeded to saunter over to answer my door like he was at home here. He spoke to someone outside, not letting them in, and then grabbed a brown paper bag from them while handing them money. “Thanks man,” I heard him say as he shut the door on whoever had been there and brought the package to the kitchen.
He held it up victoriously when he got closer to me. “You have some glasses unpacked yet? Maybe a spoon or something too?” I gave him a funny look and just pointed to the box I’d been working on before my brother took off. He reached in, came back with two glasses and a spoon, and set it all down on the granite countertop with the mystery bag. Then he began unpacking the bag. Two, two liters of coke, one of them diet, and then a bottle of Captain Morgan Black was set beside them. Oh dear lord.
“First night in a new home seems just the thing that requires rum and coke instead of beer, honey. Figured we could kick this shit off right, especially since we’ll be best hockey buds from here on out.”
“You know what?” I asked quietly.
“What’s that honey?”
“I like you,” I stated simply as I snatched the rum from his hand and poured a healthy double shot into the glass he’d just rinsed out, not realizing as I did so that I had forgotten all about my earlier panic, the mess my life had become, my failed marriage, the lack of babies in my belly, and pretty much everything else that had been on my mind and bogging me down lately.
“That’s real good, honey, because the feeling’s mutual.” His beautiful, multi-colored eyes twinkled in the minimal light of my kitchen as I splashed Coke into my double shot of rum and stirred it. He laughed as he took the bottle from me and began pouring his own. “So much for southern hospitality, huh?”
I graced him with a large, toothy grin as I responded. “You seem capable enough,” I told him before tipping my glass up for another healthy gulp. His top row of straight, white teeth bit into his plump bottom lip as he continued to mix his own drink while not taking his hypnotic eyes off of me. Once he was finished he glanced away long enough to take a swig of his own and then he turned those eyes back to mine.
“Honey, fair warning, I really like what I see before me, so you keep throwing challenges out there and I will end up showing you exactly what I’m capable of.”
Oh. My. Wow. He did not just say that.
Our eyes still locked, his twinkling with both amusement and seriousness I realized quickly that yes, he absolutely did just say that. The truly disturbing thing was how my body reacted to his words, because I know he took in the full body shiver that ran through me. Thankfully, he couldn’t know the state of my panties, because that would have been super embarrassing. Good lord, what had I gotten myself into when I opened up that door?
He tipped his head in a gesture indicating my living room area. “Let’s go settle in, and you can tell me how you think my baby brother’s team is looking for the coming season.”
Just like that, he’d tamped down the fire blazing in my belly, but not so much that he didn’t leave me behind, smoldering a bit as he took off for the couch while I watched his fine – and I really do mean fine – ass walking away from me. ‘Lord, Jesus, if this is not part of my moving on plan, you might want to send some help!’ That prayer was sent up while attempting to look through my ceiling into heaven itself. I knew when I met Walker that he was the one for me, but even our immediate – or subsequent – chemistry hadn’t been this combustible.
Chapter 5
Shots happened.
How in the heck we went from sipping on rum and coke to straight shots of Captain Morgan Black Label was beyond
me, but it definitely happened. The other thing that took place was the laughter. Smoke was a funny guy, and he kept me in stitches with stories about the guys at the club, my brother, and the men he worked with at Cedar Falls Fire and Rescue, which was apparently what he did for a living outside of the club because it was ‘his calling’ as he put it. I had to admire that in a big way, because any man who found his calling tended to be passionate in a way those who hadn’t found it weren’t.
“So, did you ever play hockey like your brother?” I asked after his last story about Kent Lewis, the famed right-winger.
“Sure. I was damn good at it too. I had to quit so that Kent could look better,” he stated solemnly and with such a straight face I damn near believed him. Instead, I threw the hand towel I’d been using to mop up a spill at Smoke. He caught it and tossed it on the floor with a wet-sounding plop.
“You did not!”
“Well, I did quit, but long before my baby brother got good.”
“Why’d you quit?”
“I was at my high school girlfriend’s house, and her grams lived two doors down. When I was headed out that night I smelled smoke pretty strong and when I turned I noticed Gram’s house was ablaze. I yelled for Stacey to call 911 and I took off like a rocket. Grams was no spring chicken, and I knew she’d need help if she was even awake. I tore into that house, fought through smoke that immediately blinded me since there also weren’t any lights on, and made my way back to the bedrooms. Her house was a smaller version of the one Stacey lived in so it made finding my way easier.”
Redemption Duet (Aces High MC - Cedar Falls Book 0) Page 5
