Home Forever

by Cee Bowerman

  Home Forever

  Texas Knights MC, Book 1

  Cee Bowerman

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

  All rights reserved as this is the property of Cee Bowerman.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronick, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the author.

  A note from the Author:

  Dear reader,

  Thank you for taking a chance and stepping into the world of Knights MC. The stories and characters in this book started as an idea while I was driving home from work one evening and gradually snowballed into an entire series of stories highlighting family, friends, loyalty and most importantly love.

  I would like to thank my Granny for giving me a love of books, but most especially romances. Granny gave me a sack full of paperbacks one day and since then I haven’t been without a book (in all honestly usually two or three at once) in progress. Even while writing, I take breaks to read some of my new favorite authors. Look for me on FB and let’s chat about what we are reading – I love discovering new authors and their series.

  I would like to thank my friends for being supportive and being the first people to read my story, giving me much needed feedback and encouragement. I would never have had the guts to go through with this without your input and excitement:

  Victoria Mannin-Abadie

  Judi Paul

  Laura Camp

  Rebecca Christ

  Also, a big shout out to my own tattooed, long haired, biker husband – he has taken care of me and the entire family while I realized my dream of writing. He has listened to me go on and on about these characters with nothing but a smile on his face. I’m lucky to have him and I tell him so every day. All the best parts of the men in my books are taken from the man in my life. Love you, B.

  1.

  I interrupted Metallica and grabbed my phone from the cup holder beside me. Before I could even say hello, I heard the phone drop and bounce, some muttering and cursing and then finally a loud sigh.

  “Good morning, Lisa.” I said to the air. Lisa Styles, my loyal assistant, was waiting for me in Rojo, Texas. She had been at my new house for two weeks while I wrapped things up in Chicago to get ready for my big move.

  “Good morning, Carlie. Are you close?” She sounded so excited. I could picture her brown eyes bright and her curls bouncing as she paced around my empty house. A ball of energy that rarely ever stopped, Lisa was the yin to my yang. Always busy, always perky, quick with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.

  “In Texas travel measurements I would say I am about an hour out. For the rest of the population that means probably 70 miles away. We got an early start this morning.” I glanced in my rearview and saw my Uncle cruising along in the truck behind me.

  “They have a different measuring system in Texas? How does that work? I know that Europe uses kilometers and such, but I thought miles were the thing all over the U.S. Do they use the metric system here too? I never learned the metric system. I am going to have to look into that so I don’t look foolish.” For such a bubbly person she was always so serious, even when she rambled. I had to smile.

  “Texas is so big, most people just unconsciously measure in time, rather than miles. It’s a quirk they have. You’ll get used to it. No research necessary. Do you need me for something specific?” I put on my blinker to get into the left lane and pass the car in front of me. While I navigated around him, Lisa filled me in on current events.

  “The fence guys are scheduled to be here by Noon so at this rate you will beat them here. If that’s the case then I don’t really need to talk to you after all. I wanted input on exactly where you want the gate. The lawn guy was here this morning. He was beautiful. Not hot, or gorgeous, Carlie, he was beautiful. I got his card. I want to make sure I am here when he comes back next week just to see if it was a fluke that he is the most beautiful man I have ever laid eyes on. I must say, so far the scenery in this town is spectacular. There was a man on a motorcycle next to me at a red light when I was on my way here this morning and I thought that he was the most beautiful man I had ever laid eyes on. Then, I show up here and there is another one!” Lisa paused for a breath and I giggled. “The neighbor has a motorcycle too, I have heard him but haven’t met him yet.”

  She was all hot and bothered about those two men, if things went well I could soon take her to a place crawling with bikers and let her drink in her fill of beautiful men. She started back up, talking quickly which was her normal speed.

  “Brenda brought you flowers. I set them on the bar. They are your first step to beautiful home décor.”

  “They sound lovely, I can’t wait to see them. Was Brenda like you imagined she would be in person?” I asked Lisa. Brenda had been a friend of mine years ago. She had grown up in Rojo with the Duke’s and she and Kari were the best of friends. Sam and I had been on double dates with her and Sonny, her boyfriend, more than a few times.

  “She really was. A little taller than I imagined. A little more laid back too. She has a stunning tattoo on her forearm. The most vivid colors. I didn’t expect that. I thought all realtors were dressed to the nines and wore skirts and high heels. She gave me three sets of keys and said that she would call you to meet later this week after you have settled in. She hinted that she wanted to know about all the secrecy, but I didn’t budge.” I could tell that it frustrated Lisa to keep such a secret in person.

  “Thanks for that, sweetheart. It’s a small town. I know it doesn’t seem small, but it is. Everyone knows someone that knows someone else. Or they are related somehow. It’s not hard for things to get spread around and I am not quite ready for that yet. I need to settle in and catch my breath. I’ll sleep in tomorrow and get my office set up. I want to get Tuff settled and make some lists of things I need from the hardware store so we can get started on the paint and floors before the movers get here with my things. I have a few visits to make in person before I venture out and see someone who might recognize me.”

  “Okay, I will run to get us some coffee and have it ready when you get here. I saw a little coffee shop – the sign has a rooster on a weather vane sitting on top of a coffee cup. Cute marketing.” she stopped as I suddenly talked over her.

  “That is Roosters. I want Roosters coffee. You will want Roosters coffee. Forever. Trust me. You know my usual so grab me one and get an Americano for Joe. The. Best. Coffee. Ever.” That glowing endorsement was well deserved if Roosters had stayed the same in the years I was gone.

  A frown crossed my face as I had the fleeting thought that nothing else was going to be the same, and I would have to brace for that, but hopefully at least my coffee dreams could come true.

  “Okay, Roosters it is. With that glowing endorsement I can’t wait to try it. I am going to make a quick run to the grocery, grab the coffees then meet you here at your new house! I can’t wait for you to see it!” Lisa sounded excited, even about the tile and flooring that I wanted to replace. And the wallpaper that was going to need to be ripped off or textured over. And the brick fireplace that was covered in what I assumed was layer after layer of paint. The thought of that work brought a smile to my face. I must be crazy.

  “I’m ready. I’ll want to put in the sweat to make it my own. I don’t plan on moving again. Ever. Be safe on your errands, don’t trip over anyone or hurt yourself. I’ll see you soon!” I pushed the button to disconnect the call and music again filled the car.

  I relaxed back in my seat and put my hand over to touch the sleeping passenger next to me. I
ran my hand along the side of his face and he opened one big golden eye. Tuff, my rescued Pit Bull, lifted his big head for a second and swiped his tongue on my wrist before gravity became too much for him to bear and he had to rest his head on his paws once again.

  Tuff was my first ‘big move’ two months ago when the drama in my life came to a halt. Lisa went with me to a meeting at the Federal court house in a Chicago and when we were done there we left the business district and went straight to the shelter. We saw dogs of all sizes on either side of the aisle as a volunteer named Frannie led us through the kennel while giving out little details about some of the dogs.

  A small mutt with big ears caught my eye first and I heard Lisa squeal at the sight of a little furry ball bouncing behind the second fence. And then I saw my Tuff. He sat silently on his butt, his tail still, and watched as we started to get closer. I stopped in front of him and leaned down to read the details on the paper pinned to his gate. As my eyes moved past the page to see the dog behind it, Tuff made eye contact with me and held it for quite a bit. He seemed to be daring me to take a chance. He slowly blinked and turned his head away from me. I had been dismissed. I didn’t move quick enough to suit him, so I didn’t deserve his attention or his hope.

  He was covered in scars and was missing part of his left ear. His coat was shiny but I could see the outline of his ribs on his side. He didn’t look my way again, just stared past me through the gate. Such a tough guy. All the other dogs were bouncing and barking and jumping on the fences, but my boy sat there and calmly waited for this new set of strangers to walk on and pick out a cute ball of fluff to take home and love. I could see that he and I shared some the same scars, visible ones and even more lethal internal ones. We seemed to have the same inner turmoil and the same general distrust of the human population. I had just found my four-legged soul mate and there was not a doubt in my mind. I stood up, motioned to Lisa and the shelter worker and said, “He belongs to me.” Frannie looked down at the quiet dog and frowned. She started to speak but I interrupted, “He is the one. I’m going to call him Tuff.”

  After having moved more than 20 times in the last 16 years, living in 7 different states including Texas, I promised myself that I was going to plant my roots deep and nothing would be able to take me away again. To me, the logical first part of planting those roots was becoming a dog owner again. Before my life exploded I had a dog who was my world. He was my cuddle bug when I slept at night, he laid on my feet while I sat at my desk and did homework and he sat calmly by my side while I ate dinner at the table with my parents, on alert in case I dropped even the tiniest morsel of food. I had not owned a pet since I left my childhood home. It was finally time again.

  Tuff wasn’t quite as quick to recognize our destiny. He stayed under the kitchen table in our apartment unless I grabbed the leash to take him out. He sat silently under there watching and waiting for the other shoe to drop. I knew exactly how he felt.

  The next morning the sun woke me up through the half-closed curtains in my bedroom. I laid there and stretched a little bit at a time, feeling the skin and muscles pull at my side by my hip, and another pull under my arm. Physical therapy was helping but damn my body was tight. I thought about rolling over for some more sleep before I remembered my new roomie might need a bathroom break.

  I rolled to my side and saw Tuff sitting beside my bed, his entire head visible above the mattress. We stared at each other a second. He had never walked this close to me unless he knew I was preparing to take him outside. I slowly brought my hand up and patted the bed in front of my hips. “Come up and snuggle with me, big guy.” He took just a few seconds to think about it before he jumped up and fit himself with his back to my front.

  That was how I lost my heart to the male in my bed. He thought it through, waited a bit and found me worthy of his time. Maybe I should send Tuff in to get people warmed up before I hit them with the big gun. Big gun being me and my sudden reappearance after all these years away. That morning I snuggled up to the hairy and just a little bit smelly new guy in my life and we went back to sleep for a bit. Cuddling up to my 85lb snoring, snorting sweetheart was the first time I had another living being in my bed since I left Rojo eleven years ago.

  My thoughts came back to the present. The Goo Goo Dolls serenaded me with Iris as I watched the ‘Welcome to Rojo’ sign fly past. I sang along and watched businesses start to come into view on the sides of the highway. The tourist trap that I had seen so many signs for was to my right. It looked the same as it used to, with a big sign about live rattlesnakes and free birthday steaks.

  Maybe I could finally restart the life that had been snatched away from us all those years ago. I checked the rear-view mirror to see that Uncle Joe was quite a distance behind me, I followed the signs and slowed the car and saw him begin to move in closer. Maybe soon he would get close enough that I could help him start his life again too. But first I had to start mine.

  2.

  Sam Duke dropped the hood on the ancient minivan and shook his head. He pulled the greasy rag out of his back pocket as he walked toward the office just through the door from the bay. He smiled grimly at his sister, Kari, as she looked up.

  “A little tune up? New battery? Spark Plugs? Life support?” she asked hopefully.

  “Best bet would be to hope that it spontaneously combusts, and she has full coverage insurance.” Sam dropped into the chair behind his desk and tossed the rag into the overflowing bin with all the other rags he kept forgetting to wash.

  The sound of an old rock song by Lynrd Skynrd started to dim as Kari closed the office door. Sam watched his sister. She was dressed in her usual attire today – tight jeans, a loose shirt and her high heeled boots. Today her jewelry was a little flashier than usual, the earrings in her ears dangling longer than ones he had ever seen her wear. The little beads were getting twisted in the dark brown hair hanging on each side of her face down over her chest. She perched on the chair directly in front of him and rolled her big brown eyes to the ceiling.

  “She couldn’t collect insurance on that heap even if it would pay out and you and I both know it. We have to find her decent transportation so she can get back and forth to town as she needs to. She just started leaving the apartments on her own and I don’t want this to put a halt to that. She came into town the other day just to get a coffee. No other reason. She just felt the urge to leave so she got up and did it. She has come so far!” Kari leaned back in the chair as if all that emotion and the accompanying wild hand gestures had exhausted her.

  “Let’s go get some food and figure this out. My treat. Benson’s?” Sam suggested. He stood up and grabbed the jacket that was covering the back of his chair as he moved around his desk to the office door.

  “If you’re buying I am going to have a milkshake and then two deserts. I ate fruit for breakfast and I can just workout twice as long tomorrow.” She followed him out the door and walked towards the large open area past the crumbling minivan.

  “Tink,” Sam yelled over the music in the direction of a much newer and in much better condition mom type van. “We are headed over to Benson’s to get my girl here some sweets. Want anything?”

  A large man with an even larger belly slid out from under the ‘mom car’ over in the second bay. His gray and black beard was long enough to lay on his chest. His long hair was held away from his head with a grungy red bandana and earrings could be seen in both of his ears. “I’m good. The wife brought me a healthy lunch to follow up the healthy breakfast with no eggs or bacon she fed me this morning. It wasn’t breakfast. It was fruit, Sam. Fruit. She’s trying to kill me.” Sam and Kari both laughed at the grimace on his face. He looked like he was in physical pain. “Actually, bring me back a malt. If she finds out I cheated she may just go ahead and do it quick.” With that parting thought he used his hands to start rolling himself back under the vehicle.

  Sam swept past Kari, grabbing her hand and putting it in the crook of his elbow. He walked out in the
sunshine and paused to put his face up to the sky.

  Today was looking to be a beautiful fall day and that meant once he finished sorting things with his sister, listening to her try and boss him around and try to make changes to almost every part of his life, he could get on his bike and take long ride. When he checked the books earlier today he saw that there were no major appointments listed for him to consult with customers, and the roster of scheduled mechanics meant that there might not be enough room in the shop for him to move around and do his thing anyway. A perfect recipe for some much needed time off.

  Sam started walking again and made sure to take it slow so his much shorter sister could keep up with him. She was shorter but tried to make up for that be wearing sky high heels on almost every pair of shoes he had seen her in these past few years. She tapped along beside him as he came to the curb and paused before crossing the street. Sam could hear her pull in a big breath. He put his hand over hers that was still in the crook of his elbow and waited patiently for her to start talking. Kari always had things going a mile a minute in her head and was probably formatting a long list of topics that she needed to cover with him today.

  Usually she would drop in an idea of something that he or one of his guys could do to help her. Or something she needed one of the men in his club to do. She was the reigning princess of the Knights MC, and she used that tiara to her advantage to help ‘her girls’ as they were all referred to. Whatever she needed she would get, that is how it worked around her. He either gave in right out or she hounded him until he gave in anyway. She was a small dark-haired angel, and it was his mission in life to make sure she got anything and everything she needed now. He had failed in that job for years and almost lost her. Now she reaped the benefits of his guilt even though she had no idea that was his reason behind all of the things he gave to her.

  Sam and Kari stepped up on the curb and he moved ahead to open the door for her to enter Benson’s. The bell over the door dinged as Kari walked through the door ahead of him. The smell of fresh baked bread and a hint of cinnamon washed over him with air from the diner. His stomach rumbled, and his mouth watered at the thought of one of those sweet rolls he could smell. As the door closed behind him, Sam raised a hand to Macy Benson, the young girl behind the counter holding a coffee pot over a little gray-haired man’s cup. Macy tilted her chin to the booth over in the corner to her left and threw them a wink. Kari turned to head that way and Sam followed close behind.