Understanding Alice Du-Kane

by Riley Walker

  I turn in a circle, looking at everything that needs to be repaired. “Because this is going to take a lot longer than a few months to get ready.”

  Ridge puts his phone away. “Then it’s a good thing beauty school is nine months long.”

  “Eh, that might be enough time.”

  “You don’t have to go crazy in here, Alice.” I look at him, giving him my best ‘do you even know me’ look. He just chuckles and draws me into his arms. “Forgive me. What was I thinking, asking you to not go overboard? The nerve of me.”

  “Shut up, you big brute. It’s going to be amazing when we’re finished with it.”

  “Of course it will be. Come on, let's get you home. You didn’t get much rest last night and you need to get off of that foot.”

  “I wonder why I didn’t get any rest,” I mumble to myself.

  Ridge parks in front of my house and carries me inside. Instead of stopping, he heads right out the back door. “Where are we going?”

  “You are going to stop and relax for a bit. You’re barely out of the hospital with a broken ankle and a boot on your foot. We’re going to get in this hot tub, and I’m not letting you out until I can’t see any more tension in your body.”

  “Is that an order?”

  Ridge smacks me on my butt. “You better believe it is. Now strip, so I can help get that boot off and get you in.”

  “I can’t take the boot off.”

  Ridge smirks. “The doc said you can take it off to shower as long as you’re not standing on it. I will carry you in and out of the hot tub.”

  I shrug. “Makes sense to me.”

  After removing our clothes and my horrible boot, Ridge lifts me up and places me on the hot tub seat. He slides in next to me and we both sit back and relax. I feel his hand land on my thigh and he begins to rub it up and down.

  “Are you relaxed yet?” Ridge asks.

  “Well, I was until you started rubbing my leg.”

  He smirks at me moving his hand farther up my thigh. I spread my legs hoping that he will take the hint, and boy does he. He slips two fingers between my folds and grabs the back of my neck pulling me to him. Each brother has their own special way with me, but Ridge is by far the best kisser. His expert tongue guides mine in a passionate kiss, while teasing my throbbing pussy with his elegant fingers. My body warms up and my thighs are slick with my wetness. He removes his fingers and lifts my body onto the ledge. He positions himself between my legs being careful to not jostle my ankle. When I feel his tip at my entrance I moan in anticipation. He enters me with one hard thrust and my walls clamp down on him reflexively. He wastes no time pounding into me, and all I can do his grab on to his shoulders and enjoy the hard fucking that relaxes me more than a hot tub ever could. We reach our orgasms together, and are both truly relaxed and exhausted. Ridge gently picks me up and kisses me with such adoration I feel it all the way down to my bones. He dries my body swiftly and puts my boot back on. After drying his own body he carries me bridal style back to my bedroom and we fall fast asleep tangled in each other’s arms.

  Thirty-Seven

  Moving In

  Today is the big day. The one I have been dreaming of for so long.

  The dreaded boot comes off.

  It’s been a long six weeks, but it’s also been short. Ben already finished remodeling the building for the PNS2 and the new salon, New Beginnings. It’s a strange name for a salon, but it fit too well to be ignored when one of the ladies suggested it. So, New Beginnings it is. Everyone has started with their new careers or school now. Before the year is up, we’ll have a new baker, beauticians, manager for PNS2, and an apartment building full of very happy and confident women. It still amazes me to see how far all of us have come since that horrible night when we ran into Sally on the street. Fate has a funny way of working.

  Zoe and I are sitting in the doctor’s office, just waiting for the nurse to come in and do my blood work so we can go home. We want to celebrate tonight, and I can’t wait to walk like a normal person in regular shoes again.

  I’m staring off into space when I hear Zoe clear her throat. “So Al, I need to tell you something.”

  I suck in a breath, dreading what she’s about to tell me.

  She throws out her left hand out and I’m blinded by the rock sitting on her finger. “Ben asked me to marry him last night!”

  “Shut the front door! Oh my gosh, Zoe.” I hop off the exam table and grab her up in a hug. “Let me see that rock again.” She raises her hand and I can’t help the tears that fall. “I am so incredibly happy for you. No one deserves happiness as much as you do, Zoe.”

  “I love you, Alice. Thank you for dragging me down here. This has been the best, and craziest, year.”

  We both laugh. She couldn’t be more right. A knock at the door interrupts us and I get back on the exam table, preparing to let the mean nurse take my blood.

  Zoe and I are laughing again when we come through the front door of our house. I guess it won’t be ours too much longer now with her and Ben getting married. We’re met by four anxious brothers who each take a turn kissing me, lifting me up, and even spinning me in circles. I keep telling Cash one of these days I’m going to throw up on him if he doesn't stop insisting on spinning me everytime we say hello. Dobey is staring up at us waiting for my attention.

  I scratch his head. “Hey big guy. We can go on our walks again.” He wags his tail in excitement.

  “So, everything is good?” Oren asks, lifting my pants leg and looking at my ankle.

  “Yep. Doctor said everything is great and the boot is no more!”

  “That’s great, Hot Lips. I was getting tired of that heavy thing digging into my ass.” Ridge wiggles his eyebrows. Silly man.

  “Alright, we have lunch ready.” Cash informs us as he heads off for the kitchen. We follow him and I stop when I see the cake on the counter. It’s white with blue letters that says ‘Happy No Boot In Butt Day’. I slap my hand on my face. I swear these guys will be the death of me.

  “Let me guess, Ridge?”

  “Nope. Wasn’t me, Hot Lips.”

  “Cash?”

  “No again, Pretty Girl.”

  “Oren? Tell me this wasn’t you.”

  “Ah, Alley Cat, it wasn’t me either.”

  I look to Zoe and she shakes her head no.

  “It was all me, sweetheart.”

  I look over my shoulder to see North. “Really? You did this?”

  “What? You don’t think I can have a sense of humor, too?”

  I pat him on the cheek. “Of course you have a sense of humor.”

  He totally does not have a sense of humor. We just let him think he does.

  “Who wants cake?”

  “I thought we were eating lunch, Zoe?”

  “Al, since when does cake not constitute as lunch?”

  We all dig in, and I’m impressed by the flavor. “Hudson made it for us.”

  I look over at Zoe. “It’s not a pot cake is it?”

  My best friend just smirks at me. Once we finish the cake off, Ridge runs upstairs and comes back down with a bag.

  “What’s that?”

  “We decided to give Zoe and Ben a night alone.” Ridge walks past me, still carrying my bag. “You’re staying with us tonight.”

  “Thanks, guys.” Zoe give me a hug. “See you tomorrow. Love you, Al.”

  “Love you, Zoe.”

  We load up into North’s Tahoe and head over to the Michaelson’s house. Once we get inside, Oren leads me into the living room, sits down in his favorite chair, and pulls me down onto his lap. Cash and North both sit on the couch, while Ridge takes a spot on the coffee table. I look at each of them, trying to figure out what’s going on.

  “Alice,” North begins, “we wanted you here tonight, not just to give Zoe and Ben some alone time, but because the four of us needed to talk to you.” He nods to Cash, who takes over the conversation. “Pretty Girl, we love you. You know that, right?” This t
alk is definitely not going the way I expected it to. Not that I expected a talk at all. “Of course I do, Cash. I love all of you, too.” Cash begins to ring his hands. “We haven’t been spending a lot of time together. I mean, you’re trying to get PNS2 and New Beginnings going, we’re expanding our own company; time just hasn’t been on our side for awhile.”

  I stand up from Oren’s lap. “Just spit it out, Cash.”

  “You are killing this, Cash.”

  “If you think you can do better, Ridge, then by all means.”

  Ridge gets up and walks over to stand in front of me. He tucks my stray hair behind my ear. “We want you to move in with us. You and Dobey.”

  “Way to be subtle, little brother.”

  Ridge turns to glare at Cash. “At least I didn’t sound like we were trying to break up with her.” I hear him mumble ‘dumbass’ under his breath.

  I hold up my hands. “Wait. The talk you wanted to have with me, was actually you trying to ask me to move in with all of you?”

  I see four heads nodding yes. Give me strength.

  “We have a room set for you and everything. It’s cleaned out, you can decorate it anyway you want.” Ridge grabs my hand, tugging me up the stairs and to the once guest room. “We figured, you’d want your own space, that way you can take a break from us when you need it. This could be a space for only you.”

  I walk further into the room, already knowing what my answer is. I turn, looking at four very nervous brothers. “Yes. Yes, I’ll move in with you.”

  I’m suddenly being twirled around in a circle before being passed to the next brother. Once I’ve sufficiently kissed each of them, I throw myself onto my new bed. Oren lays down beside me. “You happy, Alley Cat?”

  I roll on my side, looking him in the eyes. “I’m very happy, Oren.”

  The next day, the five of us meet Zoe and Ben for lunch at our favorite BBQ joint. For some reason I have been craving BBQ spaghetti like crazy lately. We’re finishing up our meal when my phone rings. I excuse myself to go answer it.

  “Hello?”

  “Is this Alice Du-Kane?”

  “This is she.”

  “Miss Du-Kane, this is Barbara, Doctor Napal’s nurse. I have your blood work back.”

  Epilogue

  Six Months Later

  “Can you believe today is finally here?”

  I stare at my best friend, thinking back over the last six months. We opened Puff N’ Stuff #2, and even I’ve started calling it PNS2. The coroner found the evidence needed to charge Craig Forrester with the murder of my dad. Craig sang like the proverbial canary, telling Detective Duff that it was Uncle Richie who paid him to do it. Uncle Richie was charged with embezzlement, breaking and entering of Dad’s house, and conspiracy to commit murder. Needless to say, he won’t be getting out anytime soon. I attempted to speak with him after he confessed, but Uncle Richie refused. All he wanted to do was yell and tell me it was all my fault. That the company should have been solely his, and he would never let a little spoiled, rich bitch take it from him. In the end, my dad paid for Uncle Richie’s greed with his life, and this spoiled rich bitch did in fact take over Du-Kane, Inc. It’s continuing to grow, Zoe is still making new marijuana hybrids, and the ladies we’ve been helping are all adjusting to either school or their new jobs wonderfully. CronCorp is still my biggest competitor. It’s become a game to the five of us now. Every month we compare numbers and products. Who had the best profit margin? Best new edibles? Did John yell at them more than me? It’s been pretty even so far, but with Zoe’s new hybrid getting ready to roll out, I know I’ll be winning for the next several months.

  I did discover one thing about myself. I love real estate. Buying up old and run-down property, refinishing it, and flipping it has become an obsession of mine. Ridge has even found his happy place working with me on a few properties. Maybe there is a place for a Du-Kane and Michaelson merger in the future.

  I’m pulled out of my memories when Zoe snaps her fingers in my face. I laugh before I can answer her question. “No, Zoe. I really can’t believe today is finally here.”

  Zoe is beautiful today. She is dressed in a cream toga style dress, with a gold roped belt around her waist. Zoe is a Bohemian Goddess. Her dreads are pulled back on the sides with thin gold strands braided into them, courtesy of her makeover at New Beginnings. On her wrists are bangles in gold, silver, and turquoise. She is simply stunning.

  She turns from the mirror to face me. “You look beautiful, Al.”

  I can’t help the snort that escapes as I rub my protruding belly. “This is not beautiful. I look like a whale dressed in turquoise drapes.” I’m pretty sure there’s enough fabric in my dress to cover half the windows in mine and the Michaelson house.

  Sally runs into the room yelling, “It’s time guys!”

  Zoe grabs my hand and we walk out toward the double doors keeping us hidden from everyone seated in the church.

  “Are you ready to become Mrs. Ben Erickson?”

  Zoe hip bumps me. “I’m so ready for this.”

  We hear the opening of the Wedding March and the doors open. Instead of Zoe walking down the aisle alone, she asked me to escort her. I told her I was honored to do so.

  We begin to walk arm in arm down the aisle toward Ben and the minister. I kiss my best friend on the cheek and give her away to Ben. Zoe passes me her bouquet and I take it, then turn to take my place by her side.

  The ceremony is beautiful and perfect. I tried not to cry, but being seven months pregnant, with twins no less, has made me a blubbering fool most of the time. The other day I cried because North ate the last piece of string cheese. The next day he came home with about a hundred sticks of it. After the ceremony, we leave for the reception that we’re hosting for the happy couple at the Memphis Country Club. I’m standing off to the side, swaying my hips to the music while I watch Ben and Zoe dance their first dance. I smile when a pair of strong arms wrap around my waist.

  “Have I already told you how beautiful you look tonight?”

  I turn in Cash’s arms. “Not tonight, no.”

  He leans down, giving me a long, passionate kiss. “You look beautiful, Pretty Girl. Did you give Zoe her gift yet?”

  I laugh thinking back on last night. “I did last night. I didn’t think I would be able to hear anything after she screamed at me for doing it.”

  Last night Zoe and I decided to stay home and pamper ourselves. The guys and I talked about it, and since I’ve moved in with them, there is no real reason for me to keep Dad’s house anymore. I decided instead of selling it, I would gift it to the best friend I could ever have. To say she was surprised is an understatement. After she got over the shock of receiving the deed to the house, she ran around screaming like a loon.

  Cash lets go of me as the other Michaelson brothers walk over to us. My guys form a tight circle around me, each one rubbing the baby bump and kissing me either on my cheek or the top of my head. I’ve never been so happy, so in love. I can’t wait to see where life takes us from here.

  The End...or is it?

  Also by Riley Walker

  The Chess Series

  Knight

  Rook

  King

  Queen (October 2018)

  Becoming Alice Du-Kane

  Anthologies

  Rook - Between The Sheets RH

  Ghost Girl - All Hallowed Tales (October 15, 2018)

  Madame X - Between The Sheets Halloween RH (October 29, 2018)

  Acknowledgments

  Amy Naylor:

  Acknowledgement: To my husband and son who think I’m crazy, but support everything I do. To my parents, thank you for telling me I’m brilliant, even when I’m not. Last but not least, Kelly, the best author wifey ever. You are constantly trying to keep me focused and I love you for it. I’m actually surprised you haven’t killed me yet.

  Kelly Stephens:

  Richard and Brett, you two are my life and I love you both madly. To my Momma, tha
nk you for everything you do. I would be lost without you. To my Book B&*#es, you girls make me laugh everyday and I adore you all, even you, Jane. Amy, thank you for pushing me into this crazy world. I’m honored to be on this journey with you. You definitely make me a better, and more patient, person.

  From Both of Us:

  We had a lot of help along the way with Alice. If we leave anyone out, it was Amy’s fault. Thank you Kaila Duff and Cynthia Williams for being fabulous Alphas. Nikki Thompson for the teasers, banners, and anything we ask of her. Ashley Leanne for the cover that inspired the story. All the RH authors whose names we stole for the book, surprise! To Lynne, our favorite Aussie. Your humor is weird but we still love you. To the Renegades, we wouldn’t be publishing book four if it weren’t for you. To all our readers, thank you for taking a chance on us. We hope you love Alice as much as we do.

  About the Author

  Riley Walker is the writing duo of Amy Naylor and Kelly Stephens. They are both from Arkansas, both a little loud and a whole lot of crazy. Amy writes kegger-style and is the “bun” queen. Kelly is the cotillion writer of the two and has perpetual frizzy hair (thank you Southern humidity).

  Amy (aka Biscuit) is the alter ego Riley of Riley Walker. She has one husband, one kid and three dogs. She loves to read RH, PNR, UF and Dystopian. She a hairdresser by day and a football mom by night.

  Kelly is the Walker half of Riley Walker. She has been married to her husband for almost twenty years and is a proud mom of a future MMA champion. They have two rescue dogs that unapologetically rule the house. Kelly reads anything she can get her hands on, from contemporary to paranormal and everything in between. She survives on coffee and will be the first in line if they ever start giving it out in IV form.