AllFreeNovel
Share Us
A knock at my door brings me out of my thoughts. I open my door and there stands Mom. I swear the woman can’t sleep eight hours to save her life.
“Coffee and cinnamon rolls are ready downstairs if you want to come down and welcome the day with me.” That means she has more she wants to say to me and now is a suitable time before the crazy day starts. I change out of my pajamas and brush my hair and my teeth. I toss my covers up over my bed and then walk downstairs to see what my mom has to say. I know it isn’t too serious or she would have talked to me in my room behind closed doors. I smell the rolls and fresh coffee and it makes my stomach roar to life.
Mom is sitting at the table with her coffee sitting in front of her. She never eats first thing in the morning. “Come sit and talk to me.” My mom motions to where she has my coffee and a roll sitting there.
“What’s up, Mom? I thought we talked things out last night.” I sit in the chair and take a bite of my gooey roll and then wash it down with some strong coffee. I hate the way the coffee taste but it opens my eyes in the morning.
“That’s my girl, straight to the point. It’s time for us to have another mother and daughter talk. I know that you took on the majority of the workload here after your dad died. I was never as strong as your dad made me out to be. I leaned on him for my strength. I’m sorry I sort of checked out for a while after his death. It just hurt me so much. I know it hurt all of you too. I buried myself in schoolwork and then work at the hospital.” She stops and takes another drink of her coffee I do the same. “You not only took over the farm responsibilities but you took on taking care of Ryan and Maggie along with it. You missed most of your teen years from me being irresponsible. I’m sorry for that.”
“Mom, it’s alright. We are doing fine now. I can handle it.” I smile at her. I take another bite of my roll and then drink some more coffee. I don’t take my eyes from my mom. I know she’s fighting her emotions but there’s something else there too. I can’t put my finger on it.
“You’re always so strong for the family. It’s time I take some of those responsibilities back from you and I intend to, starting today.” I don’t know where this is coming from. Mom is too melancholy.
“Mom, what’s wrong?” I ask her.
“There’s nothing wrong. I’m just proud of the person you’ve become. It’s time that you have extra time for you. Not the farm, or your siblings, and not even your online classes. This young man who is coming to see you today, you need to take the time to get to know him. He may even ask you out on a real date. You haven’t been on a real date ever. Just the grandmothers in town trying to get their grandsons hooked up on our farm. It’s no secret you’re inheriting the lot of it. I will not let you settle. You work too hard when we have Cap as a foreman. You and Dad handpicked him. You trust him, don’t you?” My mom is worrying about too much.
“Mom, Dad never went to bed without checking the farm over one more time. I don’t want to let him or you down.” I see tears running down her face.
“Oh, baby, you could never let either one of us down. You need a personal life of your own. That’s why I want you to go to that book signing event in Conroe. It’s the Motorcycles, Mafia, and Mayhem book signing put on by Sapphire Knight, right?” Mom has made me so happy. I know I’m nineteen years old and I don’t need her permission to go, but I wouldn’t go without her it.
“Yes, Mom. Thank you. My favorite indie authors are going to be there. I promise I’ll be careful. I’ll watch Ryan and Maggie until then so you can get extra sleep. I won’t ask for anything the rest of the year. I’ve been preordering some books all year just in case you said it was alright for me to go.” My mom said it was too dangerous for a girl my age to go by myself.
“I’ve read some of Sapphire Knight and Penny Anglene’s books. They were lying around your room and I like both those authors.” My mom reads the paperbacks I have here? I knew she liked to read but I didn’t know she read romance books. A thought comes to my mind. “I think it’s time you had a social life too. It’s been five years, Mom. I know you still love Dad, but a couple of dinners here and there wouldn’t hurt you or a movie. If you need to work yourself up to a real date then maybe a wine tasting with some female friends or book signings.” I go all in. My mom is too young to spend her life alone. I’ve been meaning to talk to her about this for a few months.
“I’m not ready for that right now. Maybe one day, but not now. Your dad and I were soulmates and I think that’s a once in a lifetime thing. Besides, We’re talking about you, young lady. Let Mom take care of Mom.” My mom puts her hand on top of mine and squeezes. We both take a drink of our coffee.
“I want to meet this boy who has you taking a step outside your comfort zone. Tell me about him.” My mom waits for me to start talking. I take a minute to arrange my thoughts.
“He’s cute and the women in town drool over him in the grocery store. They stop and stare at him with their mouths hanging open. His eyes are intense even if he tries to hide them behind his shades. I first met him three years ago on the farm when his club would come out and pick up vegetables for the special market we have. His club does all the pickups and if any family needs them to, they deliver to their houses. Their club also does the Christmas drive for toys for the children.” I tell my mom. “He and his club members have always been respectful of me and my age. His bike is loud but he looks so good on it, and his truck is jacked up. Ryan would give his right arm to drive it.” Mom laughs softly.
“Let me get this right… he’s a cute boy, his club helps the community, he looks good on his bike and his truck is to die for. That’s all you have. That’s infatuation.” Mom speaks her mind.
“No, Mom, he is a handsome, hot man. He and his club help the community and that has always been important to me—giving back and helping. He does looks good on his bike but he rides the bike and owns it. It doesn’t own him. His truck is the same thing. He is a man and there is no question about it. You can see it in the way he carries himself. No one will question it. He demands respect and everyone gives it to him. The intense eyes, it’s not just the intensity, it’s how he makes me feel when his eyes are on me. I feel butterflies in my stomach and my legs feel like Jell-O. He makes me bold when it comes to him.” I just blurted it all out without stopping. I look at my mom and see her eyes have softened. There is a shiny sheen over them.
“That’s how I felt about your dad. Trust me, baby girl, if he’s the one for you, it will only intensify. Hold on tight, sweety, this is going to be the ride of your life. Your dad swept me off my feet and we had such good times over the years. He was my one and only.” Mom looks like she’s in deep thought and then smiles. “I want to talk to this handsome man who gives my girl butterflies in her stomach. I will never tell you who you can or can’t be with, but I will caution you to never let a man make you feel less than who you are. You know who you are in here.” My mom points to her chest. “Don’t change that for anyone. Never let a man disrespect you. You oversee you and no one else. If you don’t respect yourself, then no one else will either.” Mom takes a breath and then looks me back in the eye. “Never take advantage of a good man because you’re a woman. Respect him like you want to be respected. Everyone starting a relationship needs a good foundation to build on. No lies between the two of you and don’t play petty games. You are above that. That’s all the wisdom I have for you except if that man hurts my girl in any form, I will bury him in the back forty.” Mom pats my hand and gets up. She leaves me there finishing my roll. She gave me a lot to think about. I clean up after myself and go out the back door to check on the farm before I come back to help Mom prepare for our guests.
6
Raider…
Buzz and I arrive a little before ten. Billie is driving up in her truck at the same time. I see that Billie has already been working. Her hair is in a high ponytail and she has on work clothes. My guess is she just came in from checking over the farm. I thought they had farmhands for that. I would think so, anyway.
“Good morning!” Billie says with enthusiasm.
“Hey, beautiful!” Buzz dismounts from his bike and is all smiles for Billie. I already want to throat punch him. I shouldn’t have brought him with me this early. There are a few club members who are going to show up later. I dismount my bike and make it to Billie before he does. I draw her into my arms and give her a hug and a kiss on the top of her head.
“Good morning, Billie,” I say to her. She doesn’t stiffen in my arms so that is a plus. I wanted to stake my claim in front of Buzz so he knows to back the hell up from my woman. Buzz doesn’t take the hint. He just smiles at my woman. If he wasn’t my best friend and has been since forever, I would gut him like a fish.
“Well, don’t you two greet each other like you’re old friends?” Buzz is being a dumbass. He’s trying to get me to claim Billie in public. I want to make my claim on Billie in front of people, but last night, when I was back at the club, it worried me. The club still has an ongoing battle with the Brotherhood. I don’t want to put a target on Billie or her family’s back. I realized the right thing to do was take this slow. Maybe by the time that Billie and I go public, we’ll have everything with the Brotherhood finished and they will no longer be a problem for us. They haven’t made any moves on our club but it’s only a matter of time.
“We are good friends, Buzz. Leave it be.” Buzz just turns up his smile.
“I thought you said I was your woman,” Billie speaks up. This takes Buzz by surprise.
“Did he now? That sounds like more than good friends.” Buzz is pushing me.
“We are only good friends, as I said.” I watch the smile from Billie’s face fall. I’ve hurt her and I don’t know how to fix it. I see Billie stiffen and then she puts her hand on her hip and looks at me.
