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“Calls happen every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday, with the occasional option of Sunday if they all get together and FaceTime to chat,” she says. She talks about Ava and Vi coming in for a visit and how great they seem. It seems the Lady Pride have made multiple visits. Willow, Abby, and Izzy stopped by the other day as well.
“They’re great. Ava is the leader in a sense. She’s married to our prez, Guard. And don’t let Vi fool you. She can be bossy, but she has a heart of gold.”
“I sensed that. I love her style. They’ve all been super sweet. They want me to do lunch or coffee, but the weekdays are too hard. I’m barely breaking even and won’t be able to hire for a while, but it’s worth it. I love my little shop.” She grins before taking another bite of her burger.
“You did a good job, although I was expecting fairy dust to drop from the ceiling. With my luck, I would have been turned into a toad.”
“No way, silly. You can’t turn a handsome biker prince into a toad. That’s just not right,” she says with a giggle.
Shit! This could be the beginning, if we can get past the past.
THREE
Saturday Night
ROSE
Time with Thunder is both wonderful and painful. Seeing him again, even as a friend, was just like it used to be, fun and light. After our heart-to-heart, we moved on to his time on the road and the colorful characters he’s met. Thunder’s always been all about seeing the world and meeting people.
He tells me about the club and how when he was ready to come back into the fold, Guard welcomed him with open arms.
“No questions asked. I got ‘Welcome home, brother,’ and that was it,” he said. He explained the commitment of the Pride and told me about his brothers. Each one is so unique, and I was captivated by their stories.
I felt like I should have been taking notes, or that someone should write a book about the club and the people in it. When Thunder told me War is married to Maddie of the Smoking Guns, I nearly fell out of my chair. Maddie is one of my favorite singers and I have all her CDs. Then there’s Risk, who’s an incredible contractor, and he’s married to Hanna. I nearly cried when Thunder told me about Hanna’s ex-husband beating her. I wanted to hunt him down myself to teach him a lesson.
Thunder explained why they call Ava the queen of the club and how she put herself in danger to save Guard and the Pride. Starting over in a new town after losing her husband was difficult for her, but it seems that Guard set his sights on Ava and was relentless.
I’m not sure which escapade was more dramatic, Vi almost being beaten to death and Orion losing his mind, or Steady’s wife, Camille, being extorted by her own family. She was rationing food while her mother continued to persecute her.
Each love story is more powerful than the next. Then finding out that Demon is Lucien Bardon,theLucien Bardon, the famous rocker, made my jaw drop. I had posters all over my room of him and his group when I was a teenager. I gasped, and Thunder had to put his hand under my chin to close my mouth. The minute he touched me, no one else existed, not even the talented and superhot Lucien. That’s all it took for me, one gentle touch from Thunder, and I was right back to the feelings I’ve locked away for so long.
When he walked me to my car, I was nervous because I wanted him to see me for me. The woman I’ve become, not the ridiculously shy baby sister of his ex-girlfriend. I swore for a minute he was going to kiss me, really kiss me. He leaned in, and I held my breath, waiting, then his lips found my cheek. His breath was warm, and the brush of his lips made my heart beat so fast, I thought I was going to pass out. It was over in a second, but the feeling of gushiness stayed in my belly all night.
In the cold light of day, though, Thunder is a nice guy who is making me feel welcome in his town. I’d rather have him as a friend than nothing at all.
In the shop, I go through my normal routine, turning on lights, my computer, and coffeemaker. I look through all the emails and prioritize the orders first. I’m holding my own financially. They say that businesses can take up to two years to turn a profit. I consider myself lucky that I’ve been able to cover the costs so far. Steadily the orders are picking up and the walk-ins are increasing daily.
It’s time to put all thoughts of Thunder aside and concentrate on work. Fresh deliveries of flowers are set to come in within the hour, which means I need to make room for the new and create some bouquets and centerpieces with my current stock. I hate the idea of tossing flowers and will sell them at a reduced rate, hopefully tempting passersby to take them home to put them on their dinner tables.
Later that afternoon, elbow-deep in peonies, dahlias, miniature pink roses, and greenery, I look up at the door when the bell dings. Willow and Abby come through with several other ladies carrying trays of coffee from Millie’s Diner and the beautifully designed box from Hanna’s Bakery.
“Hi, Rose. I hope you don’t mind us dropping in,” Willow says, filled with sunshine. “Abby and I have been telling everyone about your place, and Charli, Sofia, Maddie, and Quinn wanted to see how amazing this place is.”
I watch them file in and put names to the faces of the women Thunder spoke about last night. These women are beautiful. Sofia has an elegance about her, very tailored and put together. Such a different look from her rocker husband, Demon. Charli is fresh-faced and just has a natural glow about her. I know that she and Wildcard are a couple, and I hear that she’s a wonderful fashion designer. If I remember correctly, Charli’s father was trying to sell her off to some nasty people to whom he owed money. Quinn is tall and svelte, just like a model. I hear that she was Priest’s saving grace. Priest’s mother blamed Quinn for alienating Priest. His mother shot Quinn in her moment of hysteria, looking for Priest. But when Maddie walks in with her glorious auburn hair and rocker chick look, I’m stunned into silence.
“I think she knows who you are,” Sofia says, laughing.
Maddie does a little wave. “Hi, Rose. Nice to meet you.” She looks around my cute shop. “I love this place.” Her eyes go to the newly put-together bouquet with hydrangeas and pink and cream roses. Her fingers delicately touch the petals. “This is gorgeous. Can I buy this one?”
I nod, still struggling to find my voice, but immediately regret my nod because I know the flowers will only last a few more days. “They’re on sale. They won’t last too long. I have new flowers in the back and can make you a fresh bouquet.”
“All flowers should be enjoyed, and these will look perfect in my studio,” Maddie replies, lifting the vase and holding it to her chest to take in their scent.
“Then you’re in luck because I’m having a sale on everything in that section. Whatever is left over, I’m going to deliver to the hospital and senior center.” I wave my arms to encompass the table I set up near the window.
Quinn peruses the table and picks out a lavender and cream array of flowers. “I’ll take these, and I’ll take two more, but deliver those to the hospital for me, please. If it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t be here right now with my new friend.”
“That’s an amazing idea!” Willow says, clapping her hands. “I want in on that.” The others jump in, wanting to participate.
