He got off his Harley and was halfway to the door when Hank skipped the retractable aluminum step and landed on the ground.
Hank tossed his hair back. "What's up?"
He turned his back in the direction of Bonnie, three RV spots to the east. "Go along with whatever I say."
Hank grunted. "Do I even want to know?"
"No."
"Fair enough." Hank whistled softly when Trip pulled out a roll of cash.
He glanced at his MC brother. "The woman and her two kids? Bonnie Durham-Murphy?"
Hank glanced over Trip's shoulder. "What about her?"
"She'll be staying here until Monday, hopefully, Tuesday. Don't charge her."
Hank lowered his voice. "Trouble?"
"I'll fill you in later." He slapped Hank on the shoulder and walked over to Bonnie, who stood outside the rental motorhome that Hank kept parked for those who wanted to camp but had no accommodations of their own.
The business he had between Bonnie and himself was not intended for every camper along the river with nothing better to do than stare at them.
"Here's the money." He handed the roll of cash over to her. "You're also free to stay here. I've paid the bill through Tuesday."
"You said I could get in the house on Monday."
"You can, but there's no rush. If you want to take your time and move your things in, you can take an extra day." He glanced at her car, filled full of belongings, surprised one of the boys could even fit in the back.
"We won't need an extra day."
"Well, if you need help, let Hank know, and he can give me a call."
Bonnie licked her bottom lip and stared at his chest before raising her gaze. There was a flash of unease before her gaze softened.
"I appreciate what you've done to make things right. I realize it's been a long time since I've been back to Avery Falls. I had no idea someone was living in the house."
"It wasn't me who made it right. It's Avery Falls Motorcycle Club." He hooked his hand in his vest pocket to keep from pushing back the strand of hair that'd fallen onto her cheek. "It was an honest mistake. When the club bought the town—"
"Oh." Her eyes rounded. "I do remember my grandpa talking about the change of ownership. He would tell me how Avery Falls was a populated town when the silver mines were running in the old days, and almost overnight, when the mines closed, most of the people left. He was proud that he'd stayed. Nothing would take him away from his mountains."
Her eyes brightened as she reminisced about her grandpa. Her love for him was apparent.
"I knew Gene," he said before he could stop himself.
She grabbed his forearm. "You did?"
Regret over telling her more than she needed to know. He looked down at her hand, touching him. Being around Bonnie was different than when he hung around the other women around town.
She had him not thinking before he spoke.
During his interactions with Gene, he never heard he had a granddaughter or great-grandsons. It wouldn't have made a difference. His relationship with the old man wasn't a friendship.
"Pretty much everyone knew Gene. The MC bought the town twenty years ago," he said.
She tilted her head. "Is that when you moved here?"
"Yeah."
The leeriness stressing the edges of her expression lifted. She seemed to shrink two inches in front of him as she relaxed, and she was already a foot shorter than him.
A hint of a smile curved her full lips. The frustration always aimed at him disappeared from her face. The blood in his body pulsed through his veins, liking the changes in her.
"Small world," she whispered breathlessly.
That soft puff of breath escaping her left his balls aching. There was nothing small about him, looking at her.
She was a beautiful woman.
Her face free of makeup, she couldn't hide the river of freckles across the bridge of her nose or the green shade of her eyes. Her straight hair was redder in the sunlight and a soft brown in the shadows.
There was nothing about her that showed her claim to be Gene Durham's granddaughter, except her absolute stubbornness about finding the house.
Years ago, Gene went head-to-head with Avery Falls Motorcycle Club, fighting to keep his land while the club wanted to buy him out.
After a yearlong battle of negotiations, a land war, and discovering Gene was more ally than enemy, the club moved ahead with their plans and started blasting the caved-in tunnel on the edge of Gene Murphy's property. While they worked, Gene had kept his distance.
The old man was more concerned about his livelihood and remaining in his house than he was concerned about what the club was doing in the mountains throughout the night.
Until Gene's death, the Avery Falls MC members had to respect the old man for holding up his end of the agreement.
Just because he had trusted Gene, times had changed over the years. Bonnie Durham-Murphy was an added risk.
He'd never known a woman who wasn't nosey. Her kids would get curious and explore. The newness of the area would rub off, and she'd start noticing any activity.
Somehow, he needed to convince Bonnie to leave Avery Falls without her notifying every county and state official of her existence.
"Was he happy?" She let go of his arm. "At the end of his life?"
He gritted his teeth. The last thing he wanted to do was give her more information to bond her to Avery Falls as if her history was rooted in the mountains.
"He loved the knoll more than anything. He was found sitting on the porch in an old rocker when he died, and I'd like to think that was the way he'd want to go." He figured she'd want that information about her grandfather.
She blinked furiously, nodding. "Yes. I think so, too."
He cleared his throat, needing to get away from Bonnie. "I'm going to take off. Enjoy your evening."
She watched him step away,
