by Marti Shane
“He wasn’t from the same circle?” she asked, thinking of Mark’s Company she passed every time she drove to work.
“He wasn’t from the same planet as far as her parents were concerned. He owned two pieces of equipment he hauled around in a truck that doubled as his house.”
“They’re house is massive,” Sam shared, having been taken back with the luxury he grew up in.
“They worked for every square inch, I’m sure. Mark was too proud to take anything from her parents.” Sam thought about Jake explaining shift change and how it was his mom’s idea. “I lost touch with her, but I think they got married as soon as she graduated high school. They’re coming down tonight and staying for the festival tomorrow.” News to Sam.
She’d successfully avoided his parents on her two trips to town, assuming Mary was doing the same. The woman clearly had her doubts and Sam had heard them first hand.
“Can I help with anything?” Her muscles felt stiff, nerves festering at the news. She needed something to do.
“Nah.” Red waved a hand. “We’re all set up. Just praying for good weather.” Mick slid past them gripping the brake. The back tire kicked up a patch of grass. “You’re gonna fix that,” Red scolded, the man meticulous about his green.
“I need one of these,” she announced, her curls springing free from the helmet.
“Not in LA you don’t,” Red scoffed.
“Why?” Sam defended. “Parking’s the best part. I’m taking this back to Atlanta.”
“When?” They asked in unison, wearing matching frowns. Sam opened her mouth, realizing she had nothing to say. Her job was in Atlanta, so it made sense to live there.
“What about Jake?” Mick traded the helmet for her coffee.
“What about him?”
“Sweetheart,” Red spoke up, “I thought you were staying here. At least for a while.”
“I have to have a place to live,” she stammered, reality setting in. “My work’s in Atlanta.”
“You can work from anywhere,” Mick argued. “As in wherever Jake is.” Oxygen wasn’t making it to her brain, her head starting to spin. “You’re not roommates, Sam. He’s not just going to move out when the lease is up.” That was exactly what was going to happen, except it wasn’t a lease. Regardless what they did when his contract in Promise was done, he still had a contract in Texas in the spring. Red gripped her shoulders, his light eyes coming in view.
“You don’t have to figure it out right now, but me and Kay wish you’d stay here.” His big hand rustled Mick’s curls. “You too, kid. We’ve enjoyed having ya’ll around this week.”
Mick leaned into Red, her head resting on his broad shoulder. “Will you buy me a Ninja?”
“One for each day of the week.”
“Sold.” She offered her hand to shake.
“Are you serious?” Sam asked in surprise.
“I’m done with LA,” she said, her voice grim.
“I’m sorry.” Sam’s heart ached. “I haven’t asked how things are. What happened? Did something happen with your job?”
“You’ve had enough on your plate,” Red said. “You sure honey?” he asked Mick, who gave him a smile and shook her head. “I’ll let you girls catch up.” He gave her a quick hug and dropped a kiss on her head.
“You love LA,” Sam said.
“No one can love four-million people.”
“Why do I feel like this is about one?”
“Oddly enough, it comes down to a fish.” Mick looked over the lake, the backdrop of her childhood home. “My fish died.”
“Dory?” Sam asked, wondering how the hell that mattered.
“I couldn’t find one mother-fucker out of fourteen million people to take on the overwhelming burden of dropping three flakes of food in the top of the bowl every other day. You wouldn’t believe how many calls I’ve made in the past two weeks trying to take care of that fish. How hard is it? And then when somebody finally drops by to feed him, he’s dead. Do they get rid of it? No! They leave him there for when I get home.”
“I’m sorry,” Sam offered. “We have people in LA-”
“I wanted someone to give a shit, not be an employee.” This is where they were different, or more like where Mick was normal. She talked about people she worked with, partied with, slept with. Sam assumed she had a circle of friends in LA.
“What about your job?” Mick was in her dream job, transforming teen actors into werewolves and beasts for a hit sci-fi series.
“It turned into a job.” She sighed. “I didn’t realize how much I hated it until I came home.”
“Why? What happened?”
“The same make-up every day. I’ve gotten it down to three hours, but it’s boring as fuck. Plus, I slept with him.”
“You slept with the werewolf?”
“Justin. Yes. He’s twenty-four in real life and the worst lay.” She dropped her face in her hands. “I didn’t know it was possible to be that bad in bed.”
“He looked good at it on screen.”
“He found my fish.”
“Justin the werewolf was watching your fish?”
“I should’ve called him first. Maybe he’d still be alive.” She pulled her phone from her pocket, showing Sam the screen. “He texts me a hundred times a day and I threatened him to keep it down to two calls. What pit of lonely did I fall into to sleep with this guy? And now he’s wanting to come out here.”
“Let him.” Sam bumped her shoulder to Mick’s. “Introduce him to Nick…or Curt.”
“You’re funny.”
“Not that I don’t want you all to myself, but are you sure you want to leave LA?”
“I’m homesick and I’ve been talking to Dad for a while about building me a studio.” They walked together towards the cabin.
“Red knows about the werewolf?”
“Stop calling him that,” Mick said, walking inside. “No.” She dumped her coffee, rinsing the cup in the sink. “Where do you think Jake bought your bike?”
“Why? Are we going to buy one?”
“And leather.” She wiggled her brows. They caught up and laughed as she got ready, deciding to drive Kay’s SUV. Sam grabbed her tablet, intent on researching as Mick drove. She did a quick purge of her purse, making it lighter. “What’s this?” Mick asked, picking up the pamphlet the doctor gave her to read.
“I asked the doctor about it.” She took the paper, throwing it in the trash. “A freak-out moment.”
“Not that I want to hear how fantastic your sex life is, but are you not using condoms?”
“Not anymore.”
“You didn’t take this, right?”
“No. She didn’t give me the pill, just a lecture.”
“No condoms.” Mick gave her a knowing smile. “You’re in deep.” Sam threw her bag over her shoulder, jotting a quick note for Jake. As she penciled be home around six, she had to agree with Mick. She was in way too deep and had no desire to swim to shore.
Chapter Nineteen
Jake finished raking over the grass, intent on schooling Sam. Red wouldn’t appreciate the tracks, even if guests didn’t stroll out by the cabins. Stepping out of his boots by the front door, he liked how they looked next to Sam’s flip flops on the aged boards. He snapped a picture with his phone, aware he was being a sap. They’d agreed to knock off early today. Travis wanted to help Red with the festival and his parents were on their way in. He hadn’t mentioned it to Sam, which he regretted now. They didn’t confirm until last night and this morning was all about her surprise.
“Mick was supposed to do that.” Red caught him off guard. He stepped off an electric golf cart, thanking the employee who gave him a ride.
“Glad you told me. I was gonna get into Sam.”
“Jake.” Red seemed to realize. “Sorry, thought you were Jax. How can Sam tell you guys apart?” Jake shrugged, people always curious how to differentiate between him and Jax. Not Sam, he thought. Not even once. Mason lived with him and Jax for four
years in the dorms, and then slept with Jax four more years after that. He’d mistaken him for Jax the other night. “I told them to be back by dark,” Red said.
“Where’d they go?”
“First they went to a bike shop and bought out everything in their size and probably some that wasn’t. Mick got her a red Ninja H2, just like Sam’s.” Red crossed his arms, the twin engines screaming from the highway. “Sounds like them.”
“I think she likes it.” Jake listened as they took turns goosing their throttles, making a fuss with their new toys.
“You ride?”
“Not while I’m playing ball,” he admitted.
“They write that in your contract?” Red asked, curious.
“Yep. A lot of the guys have bikes, but it’s a breach of contract if you get hurt.”
“Stick to the skis. Water’s a softer landing.”
Sam and Mick broke the tree line of the drive, their long bodies draped over the sleek line of the bikes. They were dressed in black from head to toe, the bikes side by side as they navigated the path. Their helmets faced each other, like they were talking but their shields were down.
“Blue tooth,” Red filled in. “They linked their phones to the bikes.”
Sam popped a wheelie, Mick doing the same.
“Buyers remorse,” he murmured, not sure if he liked feeding her adrenaline fix.
“Nah,” Red said, no concern in his deep voice. “They were on dirt bikes before they lost all their baby teeth.” A sound rang from the side of the house, Kay ringing the brass dinner bell on her way off the side porch. Jake had gotten used to it, his mouth salivating like Pavlov’s Dog. They rang the bell an hour before dinner was served, so guests had time to come in from the lake or nature trails.
Kay made her way across the back lawn, wiping her hands down her apron. She made yeast rolls for all the meals and kept a basket of crumbs for kids to feed the ducks. Her silver hair was pulled up in a clip, and her smile was one she wore just for Red.
“It’s like old times having them home.” Red folded her into his arms, resting his cheek atop her head. “You been in there working too hard?”
“It’s not work when you love what you do,” she said. “Where do they think they’re gonna park those things?”
“We’ll figure all that out,” he said, rubbing small circles on her back. “You wanna go for a quick ride?”
“Absolutely.” She pulled the string from her apron, tossing it to the porch. Sam and Mick parked side by side facing their porch. Popping up their face shields, they let the cycles purr while they dug out their phones.
Sam pulled off her helmet, her hair pulling free from her braid. She awarded Jake a truly happy smile, one he wanted to see every day.
“Hang on. I gotta make a call,” Mick said, leaving her helmet on. Sam stayed put, her attention solely on Mick as she pressed send. After a few beats, Mick spoke into the microphone of her helmet.
“I’m not coming back to work,” she announced to whoever picked up. “Do not touch my shit. I’ll come pick it up next week.” She shook her head, as they all looked on. “It’s not about money, I’m just bored.” She played with her throttle, listening and ignoring at the same time. “Alright, speaking of bored...I gotta go.” She dropped the call, cutting off her new bike.
“Martina Isabel!” Kay snapped, hands planted on her hips. “You will write that man a formal letter of resignation,” she demanded.
“It’s LA, Mom. No one cares,” Mick replied, pulling her helmet free. Her platinum hair was pulled tight in a braid, same as Sam.
“Isabel?” Jake asked, thinking Izzy fit her crazy hair and personality.
“M-I K.” She spelled out her initials.
“Sam and Mick just stuck one summer,” Red explained, walking Kay to Mick’s bike. “Sam used to be Anna and Mick used to be Isa.”
“The kids snuck off one night, or at least they thought they did,” Kay said, her hand over her heart as she lingered on the memory.
“Sound carries over water,” Sam explained.
“And we carved our initials in the dock,” Mick added, folding her forearms over her handlebars. “Instead of just punishing us, they called us Sam and Mick, our initials to let us know they knew what we did.”
Jake watched and listened as they reminisced, Sam so open and free. He still hadn’t broken the news his parents were on the way, but he hoped somehow she could stay just like this. They climbed off their rides in unison, new leather boots tough as hell over snug black moto pants and fitted leather jackets. No buyer’s remorse there.
“They’re here.” Jax called over from next door, looking freshly showered on his porch. His dad’s truck was crawling down the main drive aimed for the guest parking next to the B&B. The chatter ceased, and Jake’s heart thumped a little harder in his chest as he chanced a look at Sam.
“Nice truck,” she commented on his dad’s latest and greatest Denali. Jax headed over and Jake felt compelled to do the same. Damn, he wished he’d told Sam instead of blindsiding her.
“I guess they made it in time for dinner.” Kay went to retrieve her apron, but Red kept his hold.
“Let Jax walk them in,” he sternly persuaded, his hand making circles on her back. “We’ve got people to fuss over guests.” Jake wanted to add they weren’t guest. They were, but they were his family.
“Family fends for themselves,” Sam chimed in supporting Red. He’d heard the motto plenty around the kitchen the past week. The breath he’d been holding rushed out in relief, her reaction not what he’d expected. Bonus, she referred to his parents as family.
Jax handed off two bags to an employee, Travis having walked out for a meet and greet. They led his parents across the back lawn, Travis engaging his dad while Jax chatted with their mom. They pointed between the cabins and out towards the barn, giving them the lay of the land.
“Can your parents tell ya’ll apart?” Red turned and asked. “Or did he just say Hey, Dad, I’m Jax?”
“Most of the time they can,” he answered, scrubbing his hand over his short hair. Usually he was scruffier than Jax, but he’d cleaned up for the funeral, making them truly identical for the first time in years. It didn’t help that they dressed alike for work in their safety yellow t-shirts he still had on. His dad pointed to him, the group in earshot now.
“You just knock off?” he asked, gesturing to his clothes. “Your brother’s all fresh and clean.”
“I’m management,” Jax said, presenting their mom to Kay. Everyone exchanged pleasantries, Travis taking the lead on who was who.
“I know you.” His dad wrapped his arms around Sam, hugging her like she was his own. She hugged him back giving a quick hello to his mom before his dad locked in on the bikes. “This yours?” he pointed to Mick’s. Sam corrected him, pointing to hers, a sheepish grin on her face. His dad shook his head, a disapproving frown on his face. “You girls need to slow down.”
Sam and Mick shared a look, two kids needing an escape from the trouble they knew they were in.
“We weren’t really going that fast. It just seemed fast because you were going so slow,” Mick said.
“Seventy isn’t slow.”
“I didn’t know you rode a motorcycle,” is mom spoke up, diffusing his dad the way she did when he and Jax were kids. It didn’t diffuse Jake. Sam was an adrenaline junky, that much he knew. He didn’t like her being reckless and wanted the whole story from his dad.
“Jake gave it to me.” Sam turned on a bright smile, her five words putting the blame on him.
“And Jake will taketh away,” he warned, returning her smart-ass smile. His dad inspected the bike, falling into chatter with Red. Mick engaged his mom, serving as a social crutch for Sam who seemed surprisingly relaxed. He took note of the way Mick pulled the best from Sam. They were closer than any two females he knew, proving Sam was capable of more.
“I’m not digging the orange,” his dad said, even though the body was mostly black.
“That’s lame,” Jax accused. “He wanted the whole thing to be orange because it’s safer. You’re welcome,” he told Sam. “I talked him into just the stripes.”
“I thought you were colorblind.” She laughed, making her way to the porch.
“I should get you guys settled in before dinner,” Kay offered, she and Red delaying their ride for another time.
“We’ll see you guys at dinner?” his mom asked, and he realized he hadn’t told her hello.
“Yes ma’am,” he assured her. “I’m gonna clean up.”
Sam waved next to him, her hand wrapping his waist as Kay and Red herded everyone inside. The sun dimmed overhead, ready for the final plunge behind the trees. He caught the scent of exhaust and leather mixed with Sam in the afternoon breeze. Willing his dick to stand down, he offered the apology he owed for springing his parents on her. Then, she could hear his wrath on slowing the fuck down.
“Sorry. I knocked off early to let you know they were coming in.”
“Seriously?” Her green eyes flared with heat, narrowed with frustration. “I’ve been straddling a vibrating rocket all day and you want to talk about your parents?” She unzipped her jacket, the leather parting to her sweat-sheened skin. Tight nipples pushed through white fabric of her tank, her body fully aroused as her jacket hit the floor of the porch. His cock drained all the blood from his head, coherent thought going dark.
His jaw ached from his restraint, this mix of nerves and need was a dangerous brew Sam stirred in him. His nerves were on edge with his primal need to shield her, make sure he didn’t lose her. His body was wound tight, muscles pumped with adrenaline and arousal prickling his spine. Sam grew impatient, starting to toe off her boots.
“Leave them on.” Pulling the screen door, he appreciated her ass in those pants as he followed her in. He let the screen slam, kicking the door stand aside, slamming the wood door. His hand wrapped her wrist, tugging her towards him but stepping aside so she caught her weight against the door. This was how he needed her, hands covering hers at either side of her head as his cock nested against her ass through his jeans. “How fast were you going?” he asked, his teeth grazing her ear.
