Before we could reach the door of Sophia’s parent’s bungalow, where we’d be staying for the next few days, it flew open and she ran out to greet us.
“Hey, chica,” she said, pulling me in for a quick hug before crouching to Charlie’s level. “Hey, little one, you got a big hug for your Aunt Sophia?” Charlie flung her arms around her neck, and Sophia lifted her from the ground. “Oh, you are getting so big, Charlie. Just make sure you don’t get too big too fast or I won’t be able to pick you up.”
Sophia motioned with her head for us to go inside. “Let me just grab our bags from the trunk first,” I said and rubbed my hand over the top of Charlie’s head. “Will you be okay with Aunt Sophia for a few seconds?”
“Aunt Sophia,” Charlie echoed and clung on tighter to her neck while bouncing up and down.
Sophia laughed. “She’ll be fine.”
I smiled to myself and returned to the car. Huffing out a deep breath, I took in the views of the town and surrounding countryside. I briefly wondered if we had time to take a hike up to the Castle Rock butte, the namesake of our small town, but decided that Charlie’s little legs weren’t up to it yet.
Maybe when she’s older.
I froze, case in hand, surprised at the thought. Homesickness struck me deep inside. I’d missed this place so much and hadn’t even realized it. A knot formed in my throat. This was meant to be a one-time deal. The town held too many bad memories for me to think of coming back again. Although maybe, being home, the good ones would overshadow the bad.
“Amber,” Sophia’s dad called. Spotting me with the bag, he rushed over and pulled it from my hand. “Come on, let’s hurry you inside. I hope you’re hungry. Caroline has chili on the stove.”
“Thank you, Mr. Cortez.”
He shook his head and hefted my bag over his shoulder. “I’m not sure how many times, I’ve told you to call me Franc.”
“Sorry, Franc. Old habits die hard.”
As soon as we entered the house, Caroline ran over and fussed over Charlie for a few minutes before turning to me and pulling me in for a hug. “Look at you, as lovely as ever,” she said and placed her hand on my cheek. “How are you doing?”
I nodded and smiled. “I’m good. I really am.”
“That’s great to hear. Wait until you see the fabulous dress Sophia has picked out for you to wear. The little one too. One of her other bridesmaids should be here soon. Sweet girl is pregnant. You know what that’s like. Her size is changing daily, so we’re doing one final check before the big day to make sure her dress fits.” She huffed out an exasperated breath and excused herself to the kitchen and her chili.
“I’ll put your bag in the room,” Franc called, as Sophia, still carrying Charlie, and I followed Caroline.
“Banana.” Charlie squealed and pointed to the fruit bowl on the center island. Sophia sat her on top of the counter and handed her the fruit, peeling it first.
“I’m really glad you could make it,” Sophia said reaching over and squeezing my hand.
“Yeah, me too.” I wiped a spot of banana from Charlie’s face. “I just can’t believe you're getting married, and to a man I’ve only met once. I feel like I’m missing so much of your life.”
“I know, chica. Me too.” She glanced at Caroline and me and asked us both if it was okay for Caroline to look after Charlie for a few minutes.
“I would love to,” Caroline said, turning off the stove and turning to Charlie. “Would you like to see the big bed where you’re staying with Mommy? I got a special teddy just for you to cuddle up with.”
“Yay, teddy.” Charlie lifted her arms ready to be picked up before Caroline obliged, and they left me and Sophia alone in the kitchen.
“How are you really doing?” she asked.
I sighed. “I’m not gonna lie and say I wasn’t as nervous as hell coming, but I’m feeling better already. It’s only a few days, and it’s not as though I’m going to see anyone besides the guests at the wedding.”
A frown deepened on Sophia’s brow and she took my hands, leading me to the couch in the living room. “That’s what I’m a little worried about,” she said, her face going pale as we sat. “I swear, I didn’t know until half an hour ago, and it was too late to call you then.”
“Know what?” I asked, my palms suddenly sweating.
“Well, you know I mentioned meeting my other bridesmaid a few months ago?”
I did. I’d been glad Sophia had made a new close friend, although a little jealous too. She’d stopped working at the airport not long after I transferred my position to Denver International, and started working as a receptionist at a Doctor’s surgery. That’s where she’d met Thea. Sophia had said that they’d hit it off straight away, and that as well as being pregnant, Thea had an interest in mental health. I’d also heard a little about her past and it made my own problems seem small in comparison.
“Well,” Sophia continued, “in all the times I’ve met up with Thea, I’ve never actually seen her boyfriend. I mean, I’ve spoken to him on the phone and he seems lovely, but I’ve never met him. She phoned just before you got here. He’s worried about her being too... well, pregnant, to drive. You know how some guys get. Way overprotective and all. Although given what Thea’s been through, there’s no surprise there.”
My stomach churned and worry about where this was going had me feeling like I was about to throw up. “You’re going a little off track,” I said while trying to hold back a burst of hysterical laughter. “What are you trying to tell me? It’s not Caleb, is it?” Just saying the words caused a lump in my throat and a knot in my stomach.
“Oh, God, no.” Sophia reached over and squeezed my hand. “No. No. It’s—”
Before she could say another word, the doorbell rang and I jumped up, unsure whether or not I needed to run and hide.
Franc, oblivious to our conversation, ran in from another room and opened it. “Thea,” he said, and pulled a stunning brunette in for a quick hug. When she stepped aside and introduced the man behind her, my breath hitched in my throat.
“I’m so sorry,” Sophia whispered and held on to my hand as tight as she could for reassurance. “Maybe he won’t even know who you are. It’s been a long time and you couldn’t have met all the brothers, right?”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Franc continued. “Don’t just stand there. Come in, come in.”
Thea entered, and a face I hadn’t seen in four years stepped through the door behind her. Sophia clearly had no idea who he was, other than a member of Forever Midnight Motorcycle Club. How could she? We’d been no more than work buddies until that fateful night changed everything. She’d never met Caleb. She’d never met his blood-brother.
Cane froze in the doorway as soon as he spotted me. A deep frown furrowed his brow, and his eyes never left my own. At the edge of my vision, I noted Thea’s face fall. Her hand rushed to her belly as she took in the look that must have been on my own face. Following my gaze, she turned to Cane and stepped towards him as though seeking protection. Although, maybe it was reassurance she was after.
“It’s good to see you, Cane,” I said, managing to find my voice, even though it sounded hollow in my ears.
Franc cleared his throat and, noting the tension, suggested maybe it was best if Cane left.
“No.” Sophia stepped between me and the newcomers. “You can’t tell Caleb she’s here,” she said, rushing to protect me, even though she had no idea who she was speaking to. “You have to promise. She’s only here because of me. I won’t see her hurt.”
Cane looked as though he was about to say something, but Thea brushed her hand along his bearded cheek and turned his head to her. His face softened when he looked at her in a way I never would have thought possible during the time I knew him. It became clear to me then how much Sophia’s new friend meant to Cane. It was hard to reconcile the man I knew, the one who liked to screw everything that moved, with the one who looked at Thea as though she was his whole wor
ld. Those changes made me wonder how much Caleb had changed too, and whether or not those changes had been for the better or worse.
Cane grabbed Thea’s hand and took a step towards me and Sophia. “Thea,” he said by way of introduction. “This is Amber. Amber, this is Thea, my fiancé.”
“Amber,” Thea said as though sounding my name out for the first time. “As in, not just Sophia’s Amber, but Caleb’s Amber too?”
I smiled wistfully despite myself. “No-one’s thought of me as Caleb’s in a long time.”
Thea stepped forward with her hand extended. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“Not all good, I’m sure.” Her face dropped to the floor, and I had a momentary pang of guilt at making her uncomfortable. She was Sophia’s friend and none of my past had anything to do with her. “I’m sorry,” I said, taking her hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” I glanced over her shoulder at Cane. “You must be one hell of a special woman for Cane to call you his fiancé. When’s the wedding?”
“We’ve decided to wait until after the baby is born.” I nodded. Thea bit her bottom lip, and stepped back to Cane, grabbing onto his arm and pulling him forward. “Sophia,” she said. “Cane. You’ve spoken on the phone, of course, but I guess that’s different from meeting in person.”
Cane nodded his head at Sophia and gave her a wry smile before rubbing the back of his neck. “I, umm, hadn’t meant for our first meeting to be so dramatic,” he said. “It’s great to finally meet you.”
Sophia looked torn between protecting me and driving away her new friend. Before she had the chance to decide, I interjected. “Cane is Caleb’s brother.”
Sophia’s eyes widened in shock.
“You don’t have to worry. I won’t mention a thing to Caleb. And despite what you might have heard, he would never hurt Amber,” he said to Sophia before giving me a pointed look. “It’s actually the other way around.”
“You have no idea what you’re talking about,” Sophia said as anger clouded her face.
I wanted to scream at her to calm down, to stop before she spilled my secrets. I was about to say something when Charlie chose that not-so-perfect time to run into the room.
“Mommy,” she said, waving a teddy in the air. “Lookit.”
My heart leaped into my throat as I bent to scoop her into my arms. After she’d waved the teddy in my face for a second, she decided to introduce it to the rest of the room.
“It’s so cute,” Thea said as her eyes darted from me to the bear. “Does it have a name?”
At that moment, I knew she must know a little about my history in the same way I knew a little about hers. She’d just never put Sophia’s Amber and Caleb’s Amber together as the same person before. Sophia must have realized the same thing too, as she gave Thea an almost imperceptible shake of her head. Thea, in turn, gave me a reassuring smile, and I realized that no matter how much she knew, she wouldn’t share it.
“Teddy,” Charlie said. “My bear from Aunt Caroline.”
“It’s a really lovely bear,” Thea said, smiling.
Charlie turned to Cane as if seeing him for the first time. “Big bear,” she said, before reaching out to his neck. Her hand stopped and she turned it, lifting her head high before stroking her own neck. “Paint body. Mommy, me paint.”
“Oh, no, no, no,” I said, pulling her hand down. “You are doing no such thing.”
Cane chuckled. “You are way too small to paint your body,” he said. “It’s a grown-up thing.”
“Aunt Sophia say Charlie big girl. Big girl can paint.”
Cane laughed. “It looks like you’ll have your hands full there when she grows up,” he said before turning to look me in the eye. As soon as he did, they darted back to Charlie and then to me again. I could practically hear the thought-clogs circling in his mind. “Jesus, Amber. Charlie?” he said and shook his head. “How could you be so cruel to keep this from Caleb?” He turned to Thea and then Franc and nodded. “If you’ll excuse me. I should have left when you said to go.” With that, he turned and stormed out the front door.
Charlie buried her head in my neck, and I pulled her close, tears falling from my eyes. “Cane, please?” I called after him, my voice breaking on the words.
Thea rubbed Charlie on the back. “Don’t worry,” she said. “Leave him to me. Everything will be fine.”
“Don’t tell,” I said.
“I won’t. Trust me.” Thea left the house hot on Cane’s trail.
I stared after them, not sure what to do. “I’m so sorry, Sophia. I always cause you so much trouble. This was meant to be a celebration for your wedding.”
She rubbed my back in much the same way as Thea had rubbed Charlie’s. “It’s no trouble at all.”
After a few minutes, Thea returned, knocking on the open door before stepping tentatively inside. “Cane won’t say anything,” she said. “At least not straight away. But it will eat him up inside to keep this from Caleb.”
“I know.”
Caroline stepped forwards and reached for Charlie. “You know what I completely forgot about?” she said. “In the backyard, we have the best apple tree in the whole of Castle Rock. How would you like to help me pick some apples, and then we can bake a pie?”
Charlie nodded and allowed Caroline to take her away again.
Thea sat on the sofa next to me, while Franc cleared his throat and excused himself. He went to the kitchen and returned a second later, carrying a couple of beers he must have grabbed from the fridge, and took them outside to join Cane.
“How did you get him to agree?” I asked Thea.
She glanced from me to Sophia and smiled. “Cane’s a big softy at heart. He doesn’t want to see anyone hurt.”
I shook my head and gave a wry laugh. “I’m not sure anyone within a two-hundred-mile radius has ever called Cane a softy before.”
“Sure, they have. Cherrie does it all the time.”
“Cherrie.” I sighed. “There’s another name I haven’t heard in a long time.”
“You still okay?” Sophia asked. “I never meant for this to happen. I just didn’t realize Thea would be connected to Forever Midnight in any way.”
I patted her on the knee. “It’s okay. I suppose when I agreed to come, a part of me wondered if I’d cross their paths. It’s a small town, after all. I just hadn’t expected Cane to walk straight in the front door five minutes after I arrived.”
Thea looked to her feet. “I know it’s not my place to say anything,” she said after a moment. “But maybe this is for the best—” she glanced at Sophia “—The timing sucks. But... well, I know a little bit about what happened.”
My eyes darted to Sophia. “It’s fine. You’re friends. Friends share things with each other. I know a bit about your past too,” I added, addressing Thea.
“The world can be a shitty place.” She rubbed her baby bump. “But it can be amazing too, and I have Cane now. I’ve dealt with my past and moved on. Maybe... maybe it’s time for you to do the same thing.”
“Thea’s right,” Sophia said, but she’d always thought I should have come clean with Caleb.
“It could start a war,” I said.
“Maybe.” Thea sighed. “And I’m not going to pretend to be happy about that. But some wars are just.”
I looked at her earnest face and saw what drew both Cane and Sophia to her. She’d been tortured and beaten for almost a decade by her psychopathic stepbrother, and none of her compassion for other people had faded.
But I didn’t have her strength.
I stood and paced the room. “I can’t,” I said after a moment. “How can I face him after all this time? He must hate me.”
Thea shook her head. “I didn’t know the Caleb you knew, but I know the man he is now, and I can tell you for sure, he doesn’t hate you.”
“How? How can you know that?”
She looked me in the eyes. “He’s too angry at you. Too hurt and broken, not to
love you.”
“Don’t be fooled.” I scoffed. “Caleb’s good at angry.”
“He is. They both are.” Her gaze shifted to the front door where Franc stood next to Cane. The pair of them knocked back their beer and chatted, for all the world, like old buddies. A smile twitched at the corner of Thea’s mouth before she said, “In all the time you’ve been gone, Caleb has never looked at another woman. Not even for a throw-away, one-night stand.”
“I doubt that.” The Caleb I knew had one hell of a healthy appetite for sex. That didn’t disappear overnight.
“You might doubt it, but it’s the truth. At least, that’s what Cane believes.” Thea stood and placed her hand on my arm. “You named your baby Charlie,” she said. “His dad’s name. That has to mean something.”
Sophia stood and gave me a look. That was the one thing I’d kept from her, knowing that I’d get another lecture about returning home and facing up to everything that happened if she found out.
“But I don’t know if she’s his.” My hand flew to my mouth and I tried to stop the tears from falling again.
Sophia was there in a second, pulling me in for a hug. “I know, chica, I know.”
“He won’t care,” Thea said.
She meant it nicely, but that’s what I feared the most now, that Caleb wouldn’t not only care that Charlie wasn’t his, but he also wouldn’t care if she was.
I huffed out a breath and pulled away from Sophia. “You think Cane could do me one more favor?” I asked. Thea nodded. “Ask him to tell Caleb I’m here and want to speak with him but ask him not to mention Charlie. I need to tell him about her myself.” If he showed. Though why would he if I’d caused him as much pain as both Thea and Cane seemed to think I had?
Chapter Two
Caleb
I pulled my bike up along the road from the bungalow and stared at the building unsure what to do. When Cane arrived at the clubhouse and told me he’d seen Amber, my first reaction was one of disbelief, my second was to punch him in the fucking face for bringing her name up. Thank fuck, I didn’t. My third was a desperate need to see her.
Forever Midnight MC Collection: Books 1-3 Page 16
