Ghost

by Mackenzie, Carson

  “Where is the best place to buy furniture?” I asked as Carly opened the front door and we all walked out.

  Before we reached my bike, we had a plan set for the upcoming week. And as Carly and I talked about the best roads to ride, any nerves about moving and settling into a new place were washed away.

  I was home.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Ghost

  As I rode up, Luna sat on the porch with her feet crossed on the rail, looking more than relaxed. I pulled to the side, shut off my bike, dismounted, and made my way to the porch.

  “Did you have a good day, baby?” I asked as I walked up the few steps.

  “I did. How about you? Is the building going to suit the club’s need?”

  “Yeah, everything looks doable. Already met with the contractor, he’ll work up an estimate. Long as it doesn’t come in outlandishly high, the club will have two more businesses.”

  “That’s great. You want to sit out here with me for a bit or do you want to go in?”

  “Let me grab a beer and I’ll be back.”

  I went inside, grabbed a beer out of the fridge and poured Luna a glass of tea. As I headed back through the house I glanced around the living room and noticed the boxes were gone and the books were on the shelf along with my Blue-rays. My military plaques and the few pictures I had were leaning against the wall. But what caught my attention was the wooden boxes that sat on the mantle of the fireplace with pictures of various sizes spread across with them.

  Sitting the drinks down on the end table, I moved to the fireplace and picked up the first photo. BJ’s gray eyes, so like mine, looked out from it. He was four when it was taken, and he wore elbow and knee pads with his biking helmet on while he straddled the seat on his first big boy bike. I sat it down and moved to the next one. He stood on the top step of the bus, the first day he’d ridden it to school, a smile on his face and his hand waving goodbye. There were various pictures of Stormy with BJ, too. But the picture that captured my attention was the one in the middle.

  I picked the photo up and with my free hand, I ran my fingers down the glass in the frame. Looking at it, the same feeling surfaced as the day it was taken.

  “When the women helped me unpack today, I came across a box with the pictures and a few photo albums in it.”

  I hadn’t heard Luna come in. I kept my back to her and continued to hold the picture.

  “Yeah, I never unpacked them. They were part of the things I had shipped here. I never could bring myself to pull them out.”

  “Are you upset I did?” I heard the unsureness in her voice when she asked.

  “I’d missed BJ’s birth. This picture was taken a few hours after I got back from my first mission as a SEAL. It was the first time I saw and held him. He was three weeks old. I’ve never felt anything close to what I felt in that moment.”

  I set the picture back in its place, then waved my hand to include them all when I spoke again.

  “Out of all of these. I was gone when seventy-five percent of them were taken.” I laid a hand on top of each box. “They were mine to protect and I failed them. These are reminders of my failure.”

  “Bullshit!” Luna said as her arms wrapped around my waist and she laid her head against my back. “You can’t control everything. They didn’t die because you weren’t there to protect them. They died because some asshole spent the night getting sloshed and didn’t care about his own life enough to not drive. Stormy and BJ were the casualty of his disregard. Look at me.”

  Luna loosened her arms enough for me to turn around, then she tightened them again and tilted her head back to look up at me.

  “You’re the best man I know. I didn’t set any of it out to make you feel bad. They were a part of you, Brax. Everything that happens, every fraction of our lives makes us who we are. And you wouldn’t be the man you are without having them in your life. Regardless of the amount of time.”

  “When I first got here, guilt that I was alive ate at me. And now, as irrational as it is, guilt that I’m getting a second chance at happiness.”

  I kissed Luna’s forehead, then led her to the couch. After we sat, I handed her the glass of iced tea and picked up my beer.

  “That is stupid. If the situation was reversed, you wouldn’t want Stormy sitting around brooding. And if every time you walk in this room throws you into the mood, we’ll put the stuff back in the box and shove it in the back of a closet.” Luna took a drink of her tea.

  “Did you just call me stupid and a brooder?” I asked and tipped the beer bottle up and took a swig.

  “If the biker boots fit,” Luna said unashamedly and placed her glass on the coffee table.

  “You always could pull me out of a mood. Even when we were kids.”

  “Because you were stupid and brooded then, too.”

  I chuckled, sat my bottle on the end table, grabbed Luna and pulled her across my lap. Raising my hand, I placed it on the back of head, then ran it down her short blond hair.

  “Thank you for setting them out. You didn’t have to do that.” I kissed the top of her head. “This is our home and I don’t want you to be uncomfortable.”

  “Brax, they were your family, your life before us. Stormy was my friend at one time. Would I do anything that made me uncomfortable?”

  “No, baby,” I said, pulled her to me until she leaned against me and laid her head on my shoulder. I moved my hand to her back and rubbed.

  “And I wouldn’t do any thing to hurt you. But, Brax, you can’t hide from the past, and you don’t want to forget the things from it that you loved. I don’t want you to ever feel you have to hide your feelings from me.” Luna placed her hand over my heart and turned her head and kissed the underside of my chin before settling back in.

  I rested my cheek on the top of her head and closed my eyes. When I opened them, the light was fading from the room.

  “Did we fall asleep?” Luna stretched in my arms.

  “Looks that way. You hungry, baby?” I asked when I heard her stomach growl.

  “Maybe a little. Come in the kitchen and let’s see what we can throw together. Thank God, they stocked some basics, but we are going to have to go the grocery sooner rather than later.” Luna got off my lap and we headed to the kitchen.

  “We can go tomorrow if you’re up to it. I’ll show you around town, take you around to the club businesses, so you’ll know which ones are ours.” I opened the fridge and pulled out the pack of steaks and set them on the counter. “How about I throw those on the grill?”

  “Okay, and I’ll throw a salad together.”

  “Salad?” I wrinkled my nose, and Luna laughed.

  “Such a guy. Salad is good for you. One cannot live on meat alone. Besides, I saw potato salad in one of the bowls.”

  “Well good, ‘cause lettuce and shit should be left to the rabbits. I gotta have meat and potatoes to survive.”

  “Can’t have you whittling down to nothing,” Luna said and shook her head. I smacked her ass as she walked around me.

  I found a pan and tongs, then unpackaged the steaks and located some seasonings. Luna pulled out the salad makings and a cutting board and knife. We moved around each in the kitchen like we’d done it forever.

  When I brought the steaks in, Luna had the table set and the sides set out and ready. While we ate, she told me about her time with the women, and that they set up a time to go shopping next week. She smiled as she talked, which made me smile. I wanted her to be happy here and accept this as her home. A home with me.

  “You don’t mind if I look for new living room furniture and some other stuff for the house?”

  “Baby, you can change anything you want. The only furniture I bought new was the bedroom. I’ll give you my credit card and you buy whatever you think we need.” I leaned in and kissed her, then stood and carried out plates to the sink.

  “That reminds me. I’m going to need to change banks, switch my insurance and tag for my bike. First, I’m going to n
eed to transfer my driver’s license. Maybe we can hit the driver’s license place Monday or sometime next week?”

  “Both the licensing offices are located in the courthouse. We can swing by next week to do it or another day. You got thirty days to transfer them. As for the bank, I can take you to the one I use. But you don’t have to worry about that right now.” I wrapped her in my arms after she put the leftover potato salad in the fridge.

  “I’ve got money, Brax, and I’m not going let you spend all of yours while I sit on mine. Don’t argue. I’m here because I let you strong arm me. I won’t always be so tranquil.”

  “With me you will be. ‘Cause you can’t tell me no.” I bent and swooped her up in my arms and started toward the stairs.

  “You don’t have to be such a smug bastard,” Luna said and wrapped her arms around my neck. “Maybe I just like using your body.”

  “Well, use away, baby. Don’t let me stop you,” I said and laughed when she smacked my shoulder.

  I walked through the doorway of the bedroom and kicked the door shut. After I stripped her naked and removed my own clothes, I let her use my body until we both were exhausted and our eyes were heavy lidded.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Luna

  It had been a good week. Even my morning sickness hadn’t seemed too awful. Brax and I had spent time together getting reacquainted. Being with him every day and night, it was easy to forget we’d had years apart. We went into town and he showed me the businesses, introduced me to his brothers. We had lunch at the diner where I met Tank and Bull’s mother, Thelma. I transferred my driver’s license and tagged my bike. I was now a legal resident of the great state of Washington.

  The women and I had spent an entire day together and literally shopped till we dropped. Somehow, we squeezed in a visit to Bailey’s work. She introduced me to Dr. Monroe and my first appointment was scheduled. All in all, the day had been productive. I purchased new furniture for the living room. A bedroom set for one of the spare rooms. A desk for the small room off the kitchen. The only room empty was the one closest to our room, it would be fixed for the baby when it was time. The kitchen even had a new table. One that would seat six. After towels, linen, and rugs, we hit a couple clothing stores and the Harley shop. Warm weather wear was a necessity I hadn’t thought about until my first morning when I stepped outside on the back deck with my juice. I was going to miss coffee, but when Brax found out I was still sucking it down, it wasn’t worth the fight.

  “Baby, I know that look. The room is fine as it is.” Brax wrapped his arms around me and rested his chin on the top of my head.

  “You’re only saying that because you don’t want to move the furniture around again.”

  “As it is, I’m not sure any of the brothers will drop by again.” Brax chuckled and released me. “You ready to go? I want to check in with Mick, see how far they’ve gotten, then catch Dare at Soft Tails.”

  “Please, like they would pass on unlimited beer and food because a little work might be involved.”

  “True.” Brax chuckled. “But no matter, the couch has been on every wall and it looks best where it is. You even said so yourself as we moved it to that spot—twice.”

  “Aww, you’re so funny,” I said and turned my head and gave him a quick peck. I’m ready. So after the gym, we are swinging by Soft Tails?”

  “Yeah, but didn’t we discuss you weren’t working there?”

  “Don’t get your panties in a wad. Tank asked me if I would look over the list of headliners he put together. That was a really good idea he had about bringing a new one in each month for a variety and to boost business. He wants to see if I recognize any of the names and if I know anything about them.” I sat and pulled my boots on, then stood. “Are you going to have a problem if I help out at the garage three days a week? They can really use the help, Brax. Their filing system sucks and while we were there, the phone rang twenty-five times in an hour.”

  “Not happy ‘bout you working at all.”

  I sighed. We’d been round and round about me going to work. But I knew if I didn’t have something to fill a little time, I would go nuts.

  “If you would start up your own company, I could handle your books and paperwork.” I grabbed my jacket, and he took it from me and held it open for me while I slipped my arms in.

  “You really think I could run a construction company?”

  “Sweetie, you can do anything you set your mind to. You said there was a lot of guys in the club that had experience. And you can always hire outside the club to find skills none of you have. Even Flirt and the others thought it was a good idea.”

  “I’ve got two businesses to get up and running for the club.”

  “Once those are ready to open, there won’t be anything to do but oversee the every day operation of them. And can you honestly tell me that sitting in an office each day is your dream job?”

  “Working with my hands every day has its appeal. That’s why I wanted to stop at Soft Tails. Dare should be there, and I was hoping to chat with him about it. Now let’s get going. We can go out the back. I rolled the bikes out of the garage. Might need to build onto the garage this spring. Tight fit with my truck and the bikes in there.”

  “Probably because the truck is a monster.” We headed out the back door and walked across the yard to the detached garage. My bike sat beside Brax’s. As I reached them, I looked at his and then at mine.

  “What’s wrong, baby?” Brax asked as he straddled his bike.

  “Well, I like your Black Hawk symbol on the gas tank. Did you get that done somewhere in town?”

  “Coast painted it on for me. All our bikes have it. We can get yours done. Carly has it on hers. I honestly hadn’t thought about it. You’ve not been by Speed and Sami’s yet. The garage they build the custom bikes is behind their place. I’ll check with Coast, see when he can get to it. They’re busy with an order right now, though.”

  I got on my bike and ran my hand over the Ops’ and Lady Riders’ symbols. It would be sad to see them gone, but like the old saying ‘Out with the old and in with the new.’

  “Thanks, sweetie.” Brax nodded and then our helmets were on, and the bikes were cranked. It was my first time riding my bike since I moved here. The vibration and the rumble of the pipes as we pulled out were familiar and comforting. As we reached the gate, the prospect on duty had it open, and we hadn’t even had to slow. At the end of the drive, we turned right toward town, and I opened the bike up. Nothing compared to the wind and open road in front of you.

  The ride had felt great and ended all too quickly as we hit the outskirts of town. We slowed as we rode on the main road until we reached the building and pulled to the curb and parked. I killed the engine and pulled my helmet off while Brax did the same.

  “Looks as if they’re working in the back. Shouldn’t be in there too long, then we’ll go by Soft Tails. Being as Monday they’re closed, but Tank, Dare, and a few of the others should be there, its delivery day for the bar and kitchen.”

  “Sounds good,” I said as I dismounted and stepped on the sidewalk.

  After Brax talked with Mick, the contractor, and we looked over what they had done so far, which was splitting the storage area up and building the wall between the two, we were back on our bikes and headed to the strip club in under an hour.

  The parking lot at Soft Tails had several bikes lined in the front of the building when we pulled in. Once we were off the bikes and walking through the door was when we heard the raised voices coming from the kitchen area, which was behind the bar. Stem looked over his shoulder from his spot at the bar where he emptied a box and lined the bottles of liquor on the shelves.

  “Enter in there at your own risk,” Stem said and thumbed toward the kitchen.

  “What is Perry bitchin’ about?” Ghost asked.

  “Does the man need a reason?” Tank came through the swinging door just as Stem spoke.

  “Hey, brother. Luna,” Tank said and
ran his hand down his face. “Jesus, I didn’t know how much Sami kept his ass in line.”

  “What set him off this time?” Brax asked.

  “Hell, the liquor delivery came, and Dare was checking off as Lock stacked the boxes inside the door until they were done unloading. The extra inventory would go in the storage room after the bar was stocked. Perry yelled at him because the food delivery pulled up and the boxes were in the way. Then Prez sent Cobalt to help after he was done on his shift at the gate. He pulled up in time to help with the food and Perry jumped him because he put the shit in the wrong place in the walk-in,” Tank said, blew out a breath, and grinned. “I came out because I heard him yelling from the office. Shit, I thought someone broke into the kitchen.”

  “I’m pretty sure your mention of a change in the menu didn’t help either,” Dare said as he joined us.

  “What the hell, Tank?” Brax asked.

  “I thought it would give the old bastard something else to focus on.”

  Dare shook his head. “Oh, it worked. Took his focus right off Lock and Cobalt and moved to thoughts of stabbing you,” Dare said and slapped Tank on the back.

  “Crazy, is what he is. Now, please tell me you are here to help me, Luna?” Tank asked.

  “If it’s to go over the list of strippers, then yes. To help with the kitchen tyrant, no,” I said, and Dare laughed.

  “Damn, she catches on quick, Ghost,” Dare said, and Brax slung his arm over my shoulders.

  “Brains and beauty,” Brax said, leaned over and kissed the top of my head. “And mine.”

  “Like that isn’t obvious,” Tank said and chuckled. “It won’t take long to go over the list. It’s back in the office if you can look at it now.”

  “Yeah, that would be good,” I answered.

  “Dare, if you got a few minutes, I’d like to talk with you while Luna’s with Tank,” Brax said, and Dare nodded.