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Mountain turned his head to the side.
Amber wasn’t sure if it was embarrassment or if he was trying to find a nice place to lay out the blanket. “You okay?” she asked.
“Maybe we could have a realtor look at it and see if we could get it sold and you could buy one of the houses we’re fixing up? What do you think?”
“A little premature there,” she said. “Red may like me, but I still need to see if he wants to hire me, hours, pay.”
“Trust me, you need a job, he’ll make it work for you.”
“And Callum?” she questioned.
“Steels take care of people. It’s why I switched—” he halted his words and continued bringing her deeper into the woods.
“Why you switched what?” she questioned and he stilled.
“You know the group that used to tear up the streets of Berrington?” he asked. “The reason you got such a great deal on your house?”
“The reason the realtor took detours I didn’t understand when she was showing me around,” Amber said.
“I was one of them,” he admitted. “Not for long, but long enough.”
“Oh.” Amber’s blood ran cold, remembering the patients that had come into the clinic. The women with the excuse that very violent tables and chairs that for no reason whatsoever had jumped up and attacked them. Everyone knew the biker club was the reason, but fear and later ?they found out a sheriff in their pocket? made it so none were charged.
“Turnabout’s nicer than Berrington,” he said. “The Steels are a better group that take care of more than their own. Moving there, you could make a home. A real one.”
“Why are you being so nice to me?” Amber asked the man who was a practical stranger, one she literally met on the side of a road. Yet, here he was finding her a job and a home.
“Because I like you. I think you are a wonderful mother and person. You have some experience in the nursing field and we need good help around the club.” He let out a light sigh. “Red wouldn’t have offered a job if he didn’t think you were cut out for it and more importantly, could fit in. Come on, I can see the wheels turning too quickly in that brain of yours. Let’s just enjoy this picnic and not think about it too much. Everything will work out.”
He had a belief in him she’d lost years ago. So many plans interrupted by life. Callum’s disease, her husband’s blame of her genetics, and the babies they’d lost in between from stress, fate or a hard left turn in the road. God’s plan bringing her to a town only to have her lose her job days after meeting Mountain. Her life like a turtle upside down and here this man had pulled over to set her to rights.
Mountain led her along a narrow path until they reached a wide opening and a small lake. The trail ran a little more than five feet around the edge of the water, until there was a space with a fallen down tree by a flat area.
“Here we go.” He spread out the blanket, using the helmets as counterbalancing anchors. “Come on, sit with me.” He pulled on her hand until she folded her body down onto the blanket and made herself comfortable between his legs.
He reached for the first bag and pulled out a sandwich and some veggies. “I asked Maggie to make up the lunches for us, so I wasn’t sure what she packed. But all of this looks good. I can always trust her to provide a nice meal.”
“Who is Maggie?” Amber wondered, and if the woman knew she was making a meal for him to share with another woman.
“She is Red’s mom. She helps us out and cooks for the club on occasion.” Mountain slipped two bottles of water from the bags and handed her one. “Drink up.”
She opened the water and took a long drink, the ride had dehydrated her a bit. The entire drive she had been wishing for some water. “This is good. Thank you.” She took the sandwich out of the baggie and took a bite. The sandwich was perfect, roast beef tender and juicy…no wonder he asked the woman to make him lunch. “This is really good.”
“I told you. She is a good cook.” Mountain was eating his sandwich too.
After they finished the food, Amber quickly cleaned everything up and put the trash inside a bag. “Here you go, we can carry this back out with us I saw a trash can by the entrance.” She sat down, pulling her knees up to her chest and watched as ducks glided along the surface of the lake. “This was a wonderful idea. Thank you for bringing me here. I haven’t really explored outside of soccer fields and the ice cream shop.”
“Well, thank you for coming along.” Mountain took his thumb and rubbed it along her jaw bone. “You have a beautiful mouth, Nightingale. Just perfect for kissing. Can I?”
Her eyes fluttered, as she nodded, unsure how to take the rough man with gentleman manners. Scooting closer he bent down, the rough of his beard sending shockwaves through her body as he took her mouth with his. Her lips open and inviting as their tongues danced between the fused lips and Amber became lost in the moment. Her knees falling to the side as his hand cupped the side of her face. Tilting her head back and to the side. Finding a way to make her open more, allowing him to fit, but not overtake her.
When he broke away from the embrace, she regretted it immediately. His lips had been warm and they tasted sweet from the cookies Maggie had packed. She hadn’t even noticed her hands her clutching his shirt for dear life and she quickly released the fabric.
Mountain stood and pulled her up to him. “Let’s go.”
Once again, she floated as if she were light as a feather to the man. Go? Had she missed something? Was she that out of practice when it came to being with a man? Why had he chosen that moment to decide to leave this peaceful place?
Glancing down at his watch, he asked “What time do your kids get out of school?”
