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We stand there looking at each other and I know she has to feel the pull between us. Hell, I can even tell her body is reacting to it, but she doesn’t reach out.
“Ready for lunch?” I ask when it becomes clear that she’s not going to give in. I feel more than a little stupid, but I’m not giving up. I want Torrent, and I want her in ways I’ve never wanted another woman.
“You did promise something better than peanut butter and jelly,” she says, smiling at me. There’s a sadness in her eyes that I don’t like.
“That I did,” I respond, leading her over to a clearing by Grotto Falls. Grotto is a hike that I like to take often. It’s not that far from the main road and though I hate the busy nature of the Smokey Mountains, I do love the scenic areas. It’s also why Diesel decided to relocate our crew here. He wanted the privacy the mountains offered him and thought it would be a good place to raise Ryan.
Once we make it to the clearing I spread out a blanket. There’s no one here today, which is good. During the peak season for hiking there’s usually quite a few here. I’m thankful I seem to have it and Torrent to myself. I sit down first and look up at her, reaching my hand out. She takes it almost reluctantly and sits down across from me.
“What’s for lunch?” she asks.
“First, a little something to wet your whistle,” I tell her, handing her a cold soda from the small cooler tote I’ve been packing.
“Oh… Dr. Pepper…fancy.”
“Only the best for you, Angel. Next the appetizer.”
She looks at the candy bar I handed her and laughs.
“Snickers?”
“In case you get… Hangry.”
“You really are insane, Logan.”
“Eat up before it’s time for our main course.”
“I can hardly wait to see what it is,” she says, shaking her head.
“Tell me more about you,” I urge her as we unwrap the candy bars.
“Like what?”
“I don’t know. Anything. What made you decide to become a nun?” I ask. I should have waited to spring that question on her because I asked it mid-bite and she chokes and starts coughing. I lean over to maybe slap her on the back or something, but she motions me away and gets the cough contained. I open up her soda and hand it to her to drink.
“Did you seriously just ask me that?”
“It’s a legitimate question. I mean, there had to be something to trigger your decision. Maybe you watched too many Whoopi Goldberg movies.”
“What?”
“Sister Act?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Logan.”
“You’ve never seen that movie?”
“I don’t really watch a lot of movies.”
“Oh… Okay. So tell me something else. Anything. What was your childhood like?”
“Good.”
“You’re going to have to give me a few more words than that, Angel.”
“How about you tell me about your childhood first?” she says instead.
I study her for a minute and decide to give in. I want to know more about her, but maybe if she finds out more about who I am she will finally realize she’s safe with me.
“What do you want to know?”
“Where did you grow up?”
“New Orleans.”
“Why doesn’t that surprise me?” she laughs. “Was your mother a voodoo priestess?”
“Fuck no,” I laugh. “But those women scare the fuck out of me.”
“It’s not very manly to admit a woman scares you,” she points out.
“Christ. Have you seen some of those women? I swear it’s enough to make your balls shrivel up.”
“I don’t really know about that, since I don’t have that particular part on my anatomy.”
“Thank God for that, woman.”
“You’re horrible,” she laughs. “Okay, so what was your mom like?”
“She’s truly one of the best people I’ve ever known in my life.”
“That surprises me,” she responds, pulling her legs up against her chest. Her gaze studies me and I leave myself open. I want her to be able to see everything. I don’t want secrets between us, and I know that keeping them is not the way to make her feel safe with me.
“Why is that?”
“Well, you’re a biker. Every biker I’ve ever met has childhood issues.”
“Have you met many bikers, Angel?”
“I’ve known my fair share.” She shrugs, and something about the way she says that piques my interest, but I decide to let it slide for now.
“Hate to break it to you, but my old man is a pistol who retired from the army and still gives everyone around him hell, and I had the sweetest mother ever to take a breath.”
“Had?” she asks, quick to pick up on my words. I like that. It shows she’s really paying attention.
“She passed away two years ago. Breast cancer.”
“Oh, Logan, I’m so sorry.”
“Life is hard, Angel. She was a good woman, she got a shitty draw that she didn’t deserve, but she fought like a warrior. Cancer is a fucker that doesn’t give up sometimes.”
