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Diesel shuffles his feet and grunts under his breath. “Word has it you’re here for some girl. Levi’s daughter. Does he know?”
I blow out a heavy sigh. “It’s on my list of things to do. The accident slowed that down.”
The men nod. “He’s lucky to be alive. Something tells me that isn’t the reason you haven’t told him your intentions, though.”
“Look, I’ve made a million wrong decisions. I trusted the wrong people. I got mixed up with a club before I was old enough to realize what I was doing. When I was young, I needed to belong to something. I guess I wasn’t ready to make such a big decision when I did. And as far as why Rugged Mountain, my grandfather owned a cabin out here. I used to visit for months at a time.”
I clear my throat, seeing on their faces it’s time to cut to the chase. “Yes, I’m in love with Levi’s daughter, and while I hope to high hell she decides she wants to be with me, it’s her place to tell her father what she feels. I’m sidelined until further notice, and I respect her decision.”
The men go quiet for too damn long before Kane speaks. This time, his voice isn’t as hard. “You planning on living up your grandpa’s place?”
“He passed about five years ago. The cabin needs a lot of work, but that’s the plan. It’s out on Old Fields Road.”
“And what will you do for work?”
“Odd jobs. Construction, or work the land. I have no formal training in anything, but I’ve done enough to fill in with any crew.”
The men nod, and though I’m talking about work and the MC, I’m really trying to downplay Piper. Truthfully, deep inside, she’s all I’m thinking about.
Will she show up at the ranch today? Will I get another second with her? Will she let me hold her like she did last week? Will she let me kiss her again? Will she finally admit to what she wants?
I stand in the lodge's hallway and stare at the two men that hold my fate in their hands. If they don’t accept me, I’m not sure where I’d go. Everything I need is here in Rugged Mountain.
“We’ll have a vote about this tonight,” Diesel says, stroking his beard. “We’ll get back to you as soon as we have an answer.”
I nod and shake their hands. “I appreciate your entertaining this. I know this is a lot to ask.”
“Tex was a lot too, but he’s proven to be valuable here.” Kane steps toward me and places his hand on my shoulder. “If I can give you some advice…”
I haven’t been a fan of the advice I’ve been getting lately, but right now I have to grin and bear it. “What’s that?”
“If you love Piper, like really love her, don’t give up. Love like that is worth it… but do it right.”
I stare toward the man and nod, an uncontrolled smile lifting my face. “Giving up isn’t in my nature. When I look at her, I’m home. I’ve never felt like that before, but I know I can only let her know it. If she wants it, she’ll have to reciprocate it.”
The guys dismiss themselves and I head back out toward my bike. The sunny weather is nice for a change, and so is hearing some positive advice about what to do with Piper. Most everyone thinks I’m a fucking idiot for holding on to her as long as I have and they’re not afraid to tell me.
With renewed hope, I press into the throttle and set out on the open road, breathing in the fresh mountain air as wind blows into my face. I haven’t been back to my grandparents’ cabin in years. There are a thousand things to look forward to. The old woodpile where I helped Grandpa chop as a kid. The front porch rocking chairs where they had their morning coffee. The old barn where they kept their treasures. The windowsill with the dent in the wood where Grandpa rested his shot gun before bed every night. Those memories are some of the best I’ve ever had.
Still, none of them compare to the hundreds of hours I’ve spent talking to Piper. The stories she’s told me about her love for terrible indie music, or how passionate she gets about her daily horoscope. The way she buries her face and wrinkles her nose when she laughs. The sound of that woman’s voice has been the highlight of my day for over a year and holding her the way I did in the truck last week only cemented how I feel about her.
She embodies forever, and whatever happens with the MC, I have to find a way to make‘us’work.
Chapter Nine
Piper
The address Romeo sent takes me down a long dirt path toward a rustic cabin set beneath towering balsam.
Long grass and wildflowers grow against log walls and a pile of wood sits stacked on the front porch beside a single rocking chair.
To the left of the cabin is a cutting stump and a covered well with a thicket of trees reclaiming the land. The sun is shining but a whistling draft creaks through the boards of the house as I climb up out of my car. I’m desperate to focus on anything but the tattooed goliath who’s leaned against his bike in the driveway.
The dirty windows, the gun-rack by the door, the mosquito buzzing by my ear… anything but him. If I focus on him, I’ll lose it. My brain will turn to mush and every sensibility I came with will fly right off the edge of this mountain and into the valley. This time, for good.
He leans up from his bike and stalks toward me.
I look away, stumbling over the landscape for something to focus on aside from his biceps, his shoulders, the dark ink traveling up his arms and across his chest.
