Cole (The Ride Series)

by O'Brien, Megan

  “Endangering not only my woman but also my fucking child!” he was saying. “Whatever we’ve been doing needs to be stepped up tenfold, and that needed to happen yesterday,” he ordered.

  Well, I guess we were telling people we’re expecting. I rolled my eyes a bit at that.

  “I hear you, son,” Cal’s deep voice replied. “How is she?”

  “I don’t know, freaked probably,” Cole answered sharply. “A maniac broke into our house where she thought she was safe, attacked her, and threatened her. She was scared about the baby,” Cole’s voice broke a bit with emotion and my heart lurched for him. “But she handled herself well, like she always does.” And I could hear the pride in his voice.

  “How are you, Bud?” Cal asked, his tone gentle. I felt bad for eavesdropping but I couldn’t seem to stop myself.

  “I’m thrilled as hell I knocked her up,” he said as he chuckled. “I think she’s freaked about that, too, worried about how I really feel about it, probably getting used to the idea herself, but we’ll be fine.” He sighed, sounding tired. He had to be, it’d been a long night for him, too.

  I moved back into the bedroom and curled up on the bed to give them the privacy I should have granted them all along. It wasn’t long before I heard the front door close and a Harley roar to life out front.

  Cole peeked his head in the room and smiled when he saw I was awake. He was just in his boxers and my eyes traveled his body hungrily. “Come lay down with me,” I requested quietly.

  He strode into the room with Chief at his heels. “You and Chief friends again?” I asked with an amused smile.

  “It would appear so,” he nodded while climbing up onto the bed and pulling me into his reassuring warmth.

  “How are you?” he asked quietly, his fingers moving through my hair.

  I shrugged. “Okay I guess, though I don’t feel like anything has really set in yet. I kind of feel like I’m living someone else’s life at the moment or something,” I tried to explain.

  “There’s a lot that needs to sink in,” he agreed quietly as his fingers traced over my belly. He’d done that several times since he’d learned the news, and I found the gesture to be incredibly sweet and comforting.

  “What if we went away for a few days?” I asked shifting my body to meet his eyes. “Just you and me.”

  His brows rose at the suggestion before he turned contemplative. “We could do that, it’s a great idea actually. Any particular place you want to go?”

  “Surprise me,” I invited.

  “I know just the place,” he replied, nuzzling in my neck.

  Cole and I spent the whole day together, wanting to be close, whether we were watching TV on the sofa or reading side by side. I wasn’t sure if it was the incident with Jake or the pregnancy, but either way I welcomed the contact. I felt more connected to Cole than ever.

  We were seated side by side on the couch as he worked on his laptop and I watched some guilty pleasure reality TV. “What are you looking at?” I asked and laughed when I looked over and noticed a picture of a baby on his laptop screen.

  “Just doing some research,” he said with a bashful grin.

  “Oh?” I quirked my brow at him.

  “Yeah, did you know right now the baby is the size of blueberry?” he asked seriously.

  “I didn’t know that,” I answered, trying to keep a straight face. The sight of my formidable biker pouring over pregnancy websites was beyond adorable.

  “You need to be taking folic acid. Are you?” he asked.

  “Yeah, babe,” I assured him. “I did some research of my own and talked to the doctor when I first went in. I’ve got it covered,” I assured him as I patted his thigh.

  “I want to go to every appointment from here on in,” he told me sternly. He clearly wasn’t happy that he missed the first one.

  “Deal,” I agreed softly as he wrapped an arm around me and hauled me into his body to look at some pictures of what our blueberry might look like.

  Later that evening I was just finishing up getting ready in the bedroom. It had taken some convincing, but I’d been firm with Cole that I still intended to go to the barbeque. As much as I enjoyed our cocoon, I wanted to see everyone.

  “Babe, we gotta roll!” Cole’s voice hollered from the living room

  “Two minutes!” I hollered back. Really, I meant at least five if not ten, but he didn’t need to know that.

  I couldn’t explain exactly why, but looking my best mattered a lot to me tonight. Perhaps it gave me a sense of control, maybe I wanted to assure Benny and Henry that I was okay. Whatever the reason, I was obsessing about my outfit despite it needing to be simple for a casual barbeque. I finally decided on my jean shorts that showed off my toned legs, paired with a kick ass brown belt. I threw on my white V-neck blouse that flattered my chest, and I left my long, red hair down and wild, the way Cole liked it. I completed the look with cowboy boots and light makeup.

  Cole let out a low whistle when I finally appeared in the living room.

  I blushed.

  “Ready?” he asked, pulling me into an embrace and kissing me soundly.

  “Ready.”

  We took the truck so that Chief could come with us, and we had about a cow’s worth of ribs to bring. I bought all the ingredients earlier in the day and they’d been marinating to what I hoped was perfection for hours.

  Chief had become a regular at the clubhouse and all the guys loved him, now even more so after learning what he’d done for me. He loved being around everyone and I wouldn’t dream of leaving him at home.

  “Babe, let’s not tell everyone about the baby okay?” I asked after we hit the road.

  “Why not?” he asked, clearly disappointed. If I knew my man, he would hire a blimp to scream the news across the sky if he could.

  “Because it’s really early,” I replied turning to face him. “We should wait until we’re out of the first trimester. And with everything that’s going on, I just want to keep this between us for now,” I explained.

  “I already told my pop,” he admitted, telling me something I already knew.

  “That’s okay, obviously Kat already knows, too. I don’t mind if Sal and Wes know either since they’re so close to us, but that’s it okay?”

  He put his hand on my thigh intertwining our fingers and squeezed lightly. “Okay, darlin’,” he agreed.

  A few hours into the evening I was feeling content lounging on a folding chair by the fire pit with Connie. I kept a plastic cup filled with water in my hand so no one would suspect why I wasn’t drinking. Chief lay contentedly at my feet. My ribs had been consumed with vigor, and though I was glad they were so well received, I feared that I was now on the hook to provide them at every get-together.

  Despite the recent drama, all the guys seemed ready to relax and have a good time. The vibe was a positive one and I soaked it in.

  “Where’s Kat?” Connie asked as she plopped down next to me.

  “She’ll be here later, Sal is picking her up from work,” I replied.

  “How are things between those two?” she asked.

  I shrugged not wanting to divulge much. Not much had changed as far as I could tell. Kat loved him, but she still felt like she wasn’t getting what she needed from him. I wasn’t sure what would hurdle them in one direction or the other, but something was going to have to give.

  “Rosie, can we talk for a few?” Henry’s deep voice rumbled through the night air as he and Benny stood as a formidable pair over us. We’d already exchanged pleasantries, but I knew there would be more of a talk to come.

  “I’ll go find Wes,” Connie excused herself with a “good luck” smile toward me.

  “Having fun darlin’?” Henry asked.

  “Yeah,” I said with a smile as they both sat across from me. Benny had greeted me warmly despite us not having known each other well when my father was alive. He was in his mid-50s with a shaved head and a goatee. He was on the shorter side but no less menac
ing than Henry when he wanted to be.

  “How you holdin’ up?” Henry asked, concern darkening his gray eyes.

  I shrugged. “Doing the best I can.” I didn’t know what else to say about it.

  “We’re doing everything we can to find that fucker. He’s a slippery little weasel,” Benny grumbled.

  “I know you are,” I assured him.

  “Rosie,” Henry started, “now that those fucks are long gone from the club you could come home you know,” he offered, surprising me. That was the last thing I’d been expecting. “I know you left because of them. I don’t know all the details, but what I do know makes me want to kill him even more now,” he added. I didn’t doubt that was true. “But they’re gone,” he said quietly. “You always loved the club and we all love you. I just want you to know there’s always a place for you with us even though your daddy’s gone,” he said sincerely.

  “I appreciate that, guys. But my place is with Cole now,” I said softly as both men’s eyes lifted to look up over my head and I felt a firm grip on my shoulder.

  I looked up to meet Cole’s warm blue eyes. “Trying to steal my girl fellas?” Cole asked in a light tone, though there was an undertone of threat to it.

  “Nah, man. Just want her to know she can always come home,” Henry explained.

  “She is home,” Cole replied without hesitation.

  I looked up at him with a slow smile as we exchanged a knowing look. Not only was I home, but we were building a family. In that moment any trepidation I’d had about the pregnancy evaporated under his reverent stare. I knew I could do this, I could do anything as long as we were together.

  “Yeah, I am home,” I agreed, beaming.

  Chapter Seventeen

  We took off for our getaway after breakfast the next day. Cole had shared that his family owned a small cabin near the Nevada-California border in the mountains. It sounded private and beautiful, just what I wanted.

  Pete had yet again given me time off. I was probably close to losing my job, but I couldn’t bring myself to care with everything else that was going on. Chief seemed to sense that we were embarking on some sort of adventure and happily panted his way through the drive. We both would have loved to take the bike, but we had the dog and too much stuff. I might have slightly over packed. But Cole had just chuckled as he hauled my huge suitcase into the back of the truck.

  It was a beautiful fall day and I hoped it would be warm enough to lay out in the sunshine. I smiled blissfully as we headed up into the mountains, Cole’s hand on my thigh.

  It took us just over two hours to get into town, where we stopped at a local grocery store to load up on supplies before we headed to the cabin.

  It was late afternoon as the truck left the paved road and began to kick up gravel as we headed down the private lane to the cabin on the outskirts of town. My curiosity peaked as we traveled down the pine-filled lane and stopped at a rustic looking cabin. The scenery was breathtaking with its lush pine surroundings and turquoise blue water beyond. I was shocked that the cabin was on the lake. I hadn’t expected that.

  We grabbed our groceries as Chief bounded off into the wilderness to explore. Cole unlocked the door, which opened into the living room. It was a cozy space with hardwood floors and pale blue painted walls. The sliding glass door directly in front of us led to the lake and what looked like its own private pier.

  “Wow, this place is amazing,” I breathed. The cabin was small but obviously well maintained. And having private access to the lake was unusual.

  Cole shrugged. “It needs a lot of updating, but the scenery makes up for it. I haven’t been here in years,” he told me as we walked through to the white tiled kitchen. I put the bag I held on the counter and looked around. The appliances were old but looked to be in decent condition. The whole place smelled a bit musty and I started opening the windows to let the fresh air in. There were two bedrooms off the living room, one a bit larger than the other, and Cole put our suitcases in there. The bedrooms had a thick blue rug that made me smile.

  “Like I said, needs a bit of updating,” he said as he chuckled.

  “It’s charming.” I grinned sincerely, placed my arms around his waist, and kissed his neck.

  “It was my ma’s family’s place,” he added while looking down at me.

  “Oh?” I asked with a raised brow. He’d never talked about that side of his family and I was curious.

  “Yah. My grandma left it to my pop in her will,” he explained, letting me go but taking my hand as he led me out to the back patio.

  “Was she close to your dad?” I asked, leaning on the rail next to him as we looked out to the gorgeous blue water.

  “Yeah, I was little when she died. But she spent a lot of time with me. I remember bits and pieces…wish I remembered more,” he said with regret. “And she stayed close with my pop when Mom left us.”

  “Do you ever wonder about her?” I asked, referring to his mother. I’d always wanted to ask him this question since I’d learned that she’d walked out.

  He sighed and looked thoughtfully out at the landscape. “I’d be lying if I said I never thought about it. Of course I have. But I try not to spend too much energy on it. She left us,” he said casually, though I could sense an undercurrent of pain in his words. “Her loss.”

  “Absolutely,” I agreed readily. “Thanks for bringing me here,” I said quietly, sensing he didn’t want to talk about it further. “It’s beautiful. I’d never expected it to be so private.”

  He put his arm around my shoulders and pulled me into his side. “It was a good idea to get away for a few days.”

  “Yeah,” I sighed.

  The next few days were utter bliss. We slept in late every morning and had coffee out on the patio, watching the water. We’d wander down to the lake and I even got a few chances to don my bikini, though it was too cold to swim. Cole seemed to appreciate the view, judging from how he pounced on me the first time he saw the skimpy red suit. I figured I better wear it while I still could.

  In the evenings I cooked, and we again sat on the patio bundled in sweatshirts against the fall chill. We made love every chance we got, which was a lot. And we talked. We talked about our childhoods and about our families. We talked about our friends, both past and present. And we talked about the baby.

  “I think it’s a boy,” Cole asserted confidently as we sat out on the patio watching the sun go down.

  I laughed. “There’s no way you can know that!”

  He shrugged. “It’s a hunch.”

  “Well, then I think it’s a girl,” I replied just to be contrary.

  He groaned. “Christ, the last thing I need is a little girl, especially if she looks like you. I already have my hands full,” he grumbled.

  “You’ll be a wonderful father,” I said seriously, ignoring his teasing. I knew he’d be happy with either sex.

  “And you’ll be a wonderful mother,” he said, wrapping an arm around my shoulder.

  “I hope so,” I whispered, feeling a small knot begin to grow in my throat. “I wish my mom was still here to show me the ropes. I have no idea what I’m doing,” I admitted thickly.

  He squeezed me close and kissed my head. “We’ll figure it out together, darlin’, just like we do everything else.”

  That made me feel better and I nodded.

  “I think we’ll need a bigger place,” he noted, surprising me. The thought hadn’t even crossed my mind.

  “Really?”

  He nodded. “More bedrooms, bigger backyard.”

  My brows knitted with confusion. “But we have two bedrooms already.”

  He squeezed me firmly. “I grew up an only child, babe. We’re having at least two.”

  “At least?” I gulped. I was just now getting used to having one. “Why don’t we see how this one works out before we start planning on a fleet,” I quipped.

  “At least two.” He grinned, kissing me.

  “We’ll see,” I grumbled.
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br />   “Gonna put a ring on your finger, baby,” he added seriously. “You won’t know when or where, but just know it’s happening.”

  I stiffened in his arms and pulled back to look at him. “Just because we’re having a baby together doesn’t mean that we have to get married,” I replied, watching as his blue eyes narrowed. I rushed to continue, wanting to get this out. “I just don’t want you to feel like you have to…propose,” I explained as my eyes scanned the horizon, unable to face him. “We could just see how it goes for a while…” my voice drifted. This had been my biggest fear, that he’d feel forced to marry me. It was the last thing I wanted.

  “You’re afraid I feel obligated,” he surmised correctly.

  “Yes,” I answered simply.

  “Already have the ring, babe,” he replied quietly, putting his finger underneath my chin to turn my face to his. “And I’ve had it for a while,” he admitted.

  I let out a small laugh in surprise. “Really?”

  “Really,” he replied seriously as he stared intently into my eyes.

  “You’re crazy,” I teased him, though I was beyond relieved at this news even if it meant he was moving a million miles per hour as usual. I was tempted to ask just how long he’d had it but I decided against it.

  “Maybe so, but you’re stuck with me,” he said with a grin, his mood lightening.

  “Yeah, I am.” I grinned back, leaning in to kiss him.

  I felt far from ready when we packed up and headed home. After three full days of nothing but Cole and relaxation, I wanted nothing to do with going home. But duty called for both of us and I reluctantly piled into the truck with Chief.

  “Ready?” Cole said as he grinned and started up the truck.

  “No,” I grumbled.

  He reached over and gave my leg a reassuring squeeze. “We’ll come back darlin’,” he promised when he sensed my disappointment.

  “Good,” I replied with a small smile.

  Chapter Eighteen

  We’d been home for two weeks from the cabin and so far all had been quiet. Sal had painstakingly replaced the security system in our house, adding even more bells and whistles. He’d been beyond pissed that Jake had breached his original system. The thing seemed impenetrable now, which was both reassuring and annoying. I felt like I lived in the CIA headquarters with all the different motion detectors and codes I had to remember. Cole had stepped up all security when it came to me, but I accepted it without complaint, knowing it was needed and that he worried.