by L. Wilder
“Thanks, glad you think so.”
“Do you mind if I call you Beckett instead of T-Bone?”
“Baby, you can call me whatever you want.”
Before she could respond, I pulled up into the driveway and parked. When she saw the quaint yellow house centered in the middle of the historical district, she gasped. “Oh my … Is this it?”
“Yep.”
“Seriously?”
“Do you want to see inside or what?”
“Are you kidding me? Of course I want to see inside!”
We got out of the truck and climbed up the front porch steps. Excitement was radiating off of Alyssa as she watched me reach into the mailbox and pull out the key then unlock the door. When we stepped inside, I was impressed to see that it looked even better than I’d expected. As she started to walk through the living room, I said, “They just renovated the kitchen. It has all new granite countertops, new cabinets, and tile floor. There are hardwood floors throughout with two bedrooms and—”
I stopped talking when Alyssa started to giggle. “You sound like a realtor.”
“Is that right?”
“Um-hmm. But you don’t look like any realtor I’ve ever seen.”
“What exactly are you trying to say?”
Her brows furrowed. “Nothing ... I, uh ...”
“You don’t think I could do the whole snub-nosed, suit-wearing sales-guy thing?”
“W-wait a minute. I didn’t mean it like that,” she stammered. The freckles that dappled her nose crinkled as her brows furrowed with worry. It was clear that she thought she’d actually offended me. “I just—”
“Don’t sweat it.” I chuckled. “I was just messing with ya.”
“Seriously?” She raked her teeth across her bottom lip, then smiled and shook her head. “That’s just wrong.”
“Sorry, couldn’t help myself.” I laughed as I headed into the kitchen. “So, what do you think of the place?”
“You were right. This is definitely my favorite, but how much is the rent? It has to be insanely high.”
“Actually, it’s fifty a month less than the first place I showed you.”
“Really?”
“Yep. There’s a fenced-in backyard and a full security system, but you gotta keep in mind, there’s no pool and no fitness center.”
“Yeah, but this place is incredible. It feels like home.”
“Well then, it’s yours.”
A bright smile crossed her face. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
Before I had a chance to prepare, she rushed over and wrapped her arms around me, hugging me tightly. I couldn’t deny how good she felt in my arms, too fucking good; she felt even better when I was hugging her back. Damn, this just being friends thing was gonna be harder than I thought.
4
Alyssa
When I’d agreed to have a drink with Beckett at Clay’s party, it was like some task I needed to complete for myself—a way to prove that I could face my fears. I never dreamed it would lead into anything more than just a brief conversation, but the big muscular biker with the intense eyes surprised me. Not only was Beckett easy to talk to, he was charming and funny, and in a matter of minutes, I’d all but forgotten that I was at a party with a room full of bikers.
It was the same way today when we went to look at apartments. Without even trying, he helped set my mind at ease, and now I was actually looking forward to moving. I absolutely adored the house he’d found for me, and I couldn’t wait to get moved in and start my new life in Memphis—and maybe, just maybe, spend a little more time getting to know Beckett.
Hoping to prolong our day together, I turned to him and asked, “Would you like to come in for a bit? Maybe grab a bite to eat or something?”
“I wish I could, but I’ve gotta get back to the garage.” He opened the door to his truck, then walked me up to the front door. “I’ll get the realtor to send the rental papers over later today.”
“Okay.” Trying to hide my disappointment, I smiled at him and said, “Thank you for all your help. I can’t tell you how much it means to me.”
“Glad to do it.” I watched as he walked down the steps and back to his truck. Before he got inside, he gave me a quick wave. “See ya around, freckles.”
“Bye, Beckett.”
Once he was gone, I went into the house and was surprised to find Clay waiting in the kitchen for me. He reminded me of our father as he stood there, leaning against the counter in his work clothes. They were covered in grease and grime, but he didn’t seem to mind. He was too focused on devouring his peanut butter and jelly sandwich to even care. When Duchess came racing towards me, Clay looked over and asked, “Well? How’d it go?”
“I found a place.”
“Really?”
“Yep.” I knelt down to rub Duchess’s head. “I think you’ll agree that it’s pretty great.”
“Glad to hear that.” His brows furrowed. “Things go okay with T?”
“Actually, they did. He was a perfect gentleman” I gave Duchess one last rub, then stood up and stepped over to the fridge for a soda. “I really enjoyed being with him.”
“You did?” There was a mix of surprise and concern in his voice.
“Yes, Clay, I did, but don’t worry”—I feigned a smile—“we’re just friends.”
I felt a twinge of disappointment as the words left my mouth but forced myself to keep smiling in hopes that he wouldn’t push the matter. Thankfully, he didn’t. Instead, he said, “Well, tell me about your new place.”
“It’s really something, Clay.”
I went on to describe everything about the house and the area surrounding it, and when I was done, I walked over and wrapped my arms around him. “Thank you.”
Clay hugged me back and asked, “For?”
“T-Bone told me you offered to help pay for my place.” I took a step back. “I’m going to try to do it on my own, but if I can’t manage it, I’ll let you know.”
“I don’t want you worrying about money, Sis.”
“I know, and I really appreciate it, but I think I can afford it, especially if I get a part-time job and—”
“What? You’re not getting a part-time job, Lyssa,” Clay argued. “You’ve finally gotten your chance to try this cooking thing, and you need to focus on that, not busting your ass to pay the fucking rent.”
“But—”
“No buts, Lyssa. I’m gonna help you pay for the rental house, and I don’t wanna hear anymore about it.”
“Okay, but once I start making money, I’m gonna pay you back.”
“We’ll figure that out later, but for now, let’s focus on getting you moved.” He took a drink of his sweet tea, then said, “I’ll talk to the brothers and see if they can give us a hand.”
“That would be great.” I glanced down at his half-eaten sandwich and asked, “You mind if I make myself one of those?”
“You don’t have to ask, Sis.” He pushed the jar of peanut butter towards me. “What’s mine is yours.”
“Thanks, Clay.”
“I’ve gotta head back to the garage, but I’ll be done early.”
“Okay, I’ll just hang out here until you get back.”
“Good deal.” As he started towards the door, he looked over to me and said, “Make yourself comfortable. Landry should be home soon.”
“Sounds good.”
Once I finished my sandwich, Duchess and I went into the living room; she settled down on the floor while I sprawled out on the sofa. Nestled into the cushions, I thought back to the moment I found out I’d gotten my internship at Chez Philippe and how I had immediately envisioned myself fulfilling all my childhood dreams. Sadly, it didn’t take long for reality set in. I had years of hard work ahead of me, and not only that, I had to move to a big city where I really didn’t know anyone—except my brother. I was feeling completely overwhelmed by it all, but then Beckett came into the picture. I couldn’t help but smile as I lay there thinking a
bout our morning together.
I was lost in my thoughts when Duchess suddenly got up and bolted towards the kitchen. Seconds later, Landry walked through the door. Duchess started pacing back and forth, waiting eagerly for Landry to pet her. “Hey there, sweetie. Have you been a good girl?”
“She’s been a very good girl”—I sat up on the sofa—“and great company all afternoon.”
“I’m glad to hear that.” Landry dropped her things down on the counter, then walked into the living room. “Clay told me that you found a place to live.”
“I did, and it’s perfect. I can’t wait to get moved in.”
“We’ll have to plan a moving party ... Get all the guys and their ol’ ladies to help.”
“Do you think they’d be up for that?”
“Absolutely.” She giggled. “They’ll use any excuse to have a get together.”
“That would be awesome, but I really don’t have all that much to move. I barely have any furniture.”
“I’ve got some things in storage that you might be able to use.” Landry sat down on the sofa next to me. “They’re just a few odds and ends from my old apartment, and if I had to guess, I bet there’ll be others who have some things for you to borrow.”
“That would be incredible. I don’t know how to thank everyone for helping me.” I could feel the warmth building inside. “It means so much to me.”
“You mean a lot to Clay, Alyssa. There’s nothing he wouldn’t do for you.”
“I know. He’s a great big brother, and I’m so happy that he’s found you and his brothers.”
“You and me both.” She smiled as she stood up and started towards the kitchen. “I was thinking about making some dinner. Are you hungry?”
“Starving.” I joined her in the kitchen and asked, “What can I do to help?”
“How about we cook spaghetti? You could brown the hamburger?”
“Sure thing.”
The days that followed went by in a blur. It was as if everything in my life shot into high gear the second I signed my rental agreement. One minute, I was signing on the dotted line, and the next thing I knew, I was standing in my new house, completely decorated with all this amazing furniture. It was absolutely perfect, and I owed it all to Clay and his brothers. With their ol’ ladies’ help, they turned my place into a home, and I was ready to start my new life in Memphis. I was standing in the living room, looking at the pictures we’d just hung on the wall, when Clay came up behind me and asked, “Well ... What do you think?”
“Oh, Clay. I love it. Thank you so much for doing all this.”
“You gotta stop thanking me, Alyssa. I wanted to do it. Besides, the girls did most of the work.”
“They’ve been amazing.” I looked around my living room, noting the sofa Murphy and Riley had given me along with the oversized chair Darcy and Rider contributed, and smiled. “I can’t believe they were willing to give me all their old furniture like this.”
“It’s not like they were using it anymore. Most of it was locked away in storage.”
“Maybe so, but it was still very sweet of them.”
He nodded. “The burgers are ready, and the beer ain’t gonna get any colder.”
“Well then, we best get to it.”
I followed Clay into the backyard where everyone had gathered to make their plates. While the entire club hadn’t come, there was enough of them there that they were all enjoying themselves, especially my brother. When Viper had first suggested that Clay come to Memphis to prospect for Satan’s Fury, I had my doubts that it was the right move for him, but as I looked around at Clay’s brothers sitting around, talking and eating like they were family, it couldn’t have been more clear that it was. I hoped the same would hold true for me and my new life in Memphis.
I reached into the cooler for a beer, and I’d just popped it open when Beckett came walking up. He was wearing a fitted t-shirt with the sleeves cut off and a pair of jeans, and I couldn’t help but stare at his enormous biceps covered in tattoos. The man looked like some kind of Greek god, and I found myself wanting to reach out and touch him. Thankfully, he pulled me from my inappropriate thoughts by asking, “Mind grabbing one of those for me?”
“Oh, uh … yeah, sure,” I stammered, then quickly pulled out a cold beer and handed it to him. “Can I get you anything else?”
“I was about to grab a burger. You want one?”
“Sure.”
I followed him over to the table, and we each made ourselves a plate. We carried our food towards a couple of empty lawn chairs and had just sat down when Rider and Darcy came over to sit with us. A big smile crossed Darcy’s face as she said, “You’ve got a great place here, Alyssa.”
“Thank you.” I hadn’t gotten a chance to get to know many of the ol’ ladies, but the ones I’d met had been very sweet, including Darcy. She was so creative and had a great eye for design. “I really appreciate you helping me decorate today. It looks even better than I imagined.”
“I’m glad I was able to help.” Darcy took a bite of her burger before continuing, “I think you’ll really like living in Memphis. There’s so much to do here.”
“I know. I can’t wait to check out the Pyramid and maybe Mud Island and the zoo.”
“Those are all awesome. It’s been a while since I’ve been to the Pyramid. Maybe we could all go one day.”
“I would love that.”
“So, when do you start your internship?”
“Thursday will be my first day, and while I’m excited to get started, I’m actually pretty nervous about it. I haven’t had much experience with cooking French cuisine before.”
Rider’s brows narrowed. “Not sure I’ve ever eaten any French food before.”
“You probably have and just didn’t know it—for example fondue, meringues, crème brûlées, mousses, and crepes. And a good roux has become an American staple.”
“What the fuck is a roux?”
“It’s a fat and flour base that cooks use to season their dishes.” I could tell by his expression that he had no idea what I was talking about, so I added, “You know ... like what you use for a good gumbo or a gravy.”
“Or a chicken pot pie,” August added.
“Exactly.”
“Damn.” Murphy complained. “I just ate, but hearing y’all talking about all this food has got me hungry again.”
I looked up at the club’s sergeant-at-arms and smiled. “Well, thanks to you, there’s plenty of food. Go back for another round or take some with you when you go. I’ll never be able to eat all that.”
“Don’t mind if I do.”
Several of them followed Murphy back over to the table for another helping, but even after they’d each made another full plate, there were enough leftovers for an army. I was staring over at all the mounds of burgers, chips, and beans when August, Gunner’s ol’ lady, leaned over to me and whispered, “Don’t worry. By the time the guys finish grazing, most of this will be gone, and whatever’s left, we can always carry back over to the clubhouse.”
“Well, that’s a relief. I had no idea where I was going to put all this.”
“Just leave it for now, and come have another drink. We’re celebrating, after all.”
“That we are.”
I followed her back over to the cooler, and after we each grabbed a beer, we headed over to the others. Clay had started us a fire in the small fire-pit that one of his brothers had given me. While it was nothing like the big bonfire they had at the clubhouse, it was cozy, especially with all the little white lights we’d put up around the trellis. I sat down next to Clay and Landry and sipped on my beer. We hadn’t been talking long when August announced, “I think we need to take a trip somewhere.”
“I would love that,” Darcy agreed. “Where should we go?”
“I have no idea.” August shrugged. “The weather has been great, so maybe we could do something outdoorsy?”
“Have you ever floated the Buffalo?” I asked.
“I’ve heard it’s a lot of fun.”
“Yes! That’s a great idea,” August replied. “We could take a cooler with food and drinks and spend the entire day on the water. What do you think, Darcy?”
“I could definitely go for that,” Darcy answered. “I haven’t been since I was a kid, but I had a blast.”
With a hopeful look in her eye, August turned to Gunner and asked, “Hey, babe, would you and the guys take us to float the Buffalo next weekend?”
“Umm ... I don’t know about that,” Gunner answered, sounding less than enthused. “We have a lot going on down at the garage.”
“Come on. It would be fun,” August pushed. “Besides, it’s the weekend. You guys could use a break.”
Gunner nudged Rider. “You hearing this?”
“Mm-hmm ... I’m with you.” Rider’s eyes skirted over to Darcy as he said, “We’ve gotta a lot of work to do.”
“You both know I work at the garage too,” Darcy fussed. “I know we aren’t that busy. If you don’t wanna go, just say so.”
“Canoeing isn’t my kind of thing,” Rider told her.
“That’s all you had to say.” Not giving up so easily, Darcy turned her attention to Beckett. “Hey, T-Bone ...What about you? Would you take us to float the Buffalo next weekend?”
A mischievous smirk crossed his face as he replied, “A canoe full of hot women in bikinis? Are you kidding me? Hell yeah, I’ll take you wherever you wanna go.”
“Oh, hell no,” Gunner argued. “No way that’s gonna happen.”
“What?” August fussed. “You don’t want to go, so what’s wrong with—”
“August, this isn’t up for discussion,” Gunner cut her off.
“But—”
“But nothing. If my ol’ lady is going somewhere, I’ll be the one taking her.”
A hopeful smile crossed August’s face. “Does that mean you’ll take us to float the river?”
“Nope.” Gunner smiled. “But I’ll take you anywhere else you wanna go.”
“Oh, good grief.” She gave him a silly look. “Just forget it. We’ll figure something else out.”
