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Instead, the uniformed officers all got out, Sherriff Weston leading the group with two paper bags in his arms. “Ya’ll don’t mind us cutting in line do you?” Sherriff Weston called back to the group. “We’re on duty, so we have to grab and go.”
“You want lemonade officer?” Maisie asked, holding a cup in the air with bright eyes.
“Yep, pass that one to my deputy while I get rid of the shopping Mountain made me do,” Sherriff Weston said as he passed Mountain the two bags.
“Thanks, kid here says his lemonade is the best in Montana,” Mountain boasted.
“We’ll have to see about that,” Sherriff Weston said.
“What is going on?” Amber asked her head shaking from side to side.
“Mom, we need more,” Maisie ran up to her with an empty pitcher.
“Gotcha,” Amber said hoping there were enough scoops left in the can of lemonade. “I’ve got to go make up more.”
Mountain followed Amber into the house and set down the bags on the kitchen table.
Flustered Amber turned on the tap, thankful the water came out near ice cold. “Sorry, I’m going to need to run to the store or sell some watered down lemonade.”
Five cans of powdered lemonade were suddenly stacked on the side of the sink and she turned and finally paid attention to the bags.
“I called in a favor, we can get mighty thirsty,” Mountain said. “You start mixing, I’m gonna bring the extra cups out to the kids.”
“This is insane,” Amber exclaimed as she filled the pitcher with water.
“Nah, this is just want family does. You didn’t have to stop. You could have stayed in your van last weekend,” he said. “Most are afraid of the bikes and the leather. You saw the men and women in it.”
“Thank you Mountain, not just for the help and good tips. Callum—I can’t even explain how much this will mean to him and his sister.”
“Good kids deserve to be rewarded,” he said, a smile crossing his lips. “Besides, who doesn’t love a glass of lemonade on cool fall day?”
* * *
Mountain wasn’tsure what amused him more. The way the men and women were joking and having fun with the kids. Or the fact Callum actually believed the single can of lemonade powder had made nearly two dozen pitchers. It was cute, Maisie running pitchers back and forth for the little salesman. Mountain had pulled money from the mason jar a half dozen times and dropped it in a pile on the kitchen table for later calculations. Each time sliding a few more bills from his own wallet to add when Amber was distracted with mixing the drink.
Every biker within a hundred miles must have come by to get a glass. None of which asked for change even though not a single one dollar bill had been in their wallets.
The last of the motorcycles had rolled out over an hour ago, but Mountain stayed. Watching Amber and helping tear down the little stand.
Callum asked if they could do it again the next weekend and Amber politely reminded him he would be with his father.
She gave Mountain a look of thanks in her eyes to him as he broke down the folding table and brought it inside.
With a creek of wood and metal, Mountain leaned back on the couch and patted the soft cushion next to him for Amber to come and sit down.
She’d just come down the stairs from putting the kids to bed. With raised eyebrow followed by a smile, she walked over to him and plopped on the empty spot. “They were exhausted. Callum fell asleep two pages into story time and Maisie was almost asleep too. Think the only thing keeping the girl awake is the stacks of bills she’s dying to count in the kitchen. They worked really hard today.”
“They sure did.” Mountain stretched his arms and let one fall on the back of the couch over her shoulder, before slipping down her arm. “Come and sit a little closer.”
“I’m just looking in that kitchen and know I need to get up and go and clean.” Amber frowned, leaning forward as if she were about to jump up and run to get away.
Maybe he’d misread her signals all day, but he thought they’d shared a few near misses. Defiantly more than smiles than he’d sported in the past year. Retracting his arm, he had to remind himself she wasn’t one of the women that hung around the club. Hoez or otherwise, where all it took was a nod to have them understanding the intentions. Then again, he also knew one night with this woman wasn’t going to be enough. The warmth in the home she created had him believing in a bit more than fresh air and open roads.
“Come on woman, let me go and help you.” Mountain stood and offered her his hand. One tug and she’d been pulled into his arms. He steadied her slightly until she got her bearings down. “My bad darlin’.”
“Not used to a man who doesn’t groan when helping me up,” she said. “Usually, requires a crane and two loading permits.”
“Why’s that?” he asked, his hands rubbing up and down her upper arm.
