“Don’t you need someone to look after the kids?”
“Yuma is sittin’ this one out,” Brick informs her. “He and Lissie are taking them. They’re covered.”
I used to love going to rallies that would quickly turn into weekends of drinking and debauchery, but in recent years they lost their shine. I like the ride, don’t get me wrong, but the partying is getting old. Or maybe it’s me who’s getting old. Not that the club frequents meets like that often anymore. A lot of the brothers have families, the club runs legitimate businesses, and we always have a handful of boys in our care.
Long gone are the times when the entire club would be riding out to two, sometimes three, events for each of the summer months. These days we stick closer to home and hit two, maybe three for the season.
The Moab rally is put on by a local club, the Mesa Riders, and their president, Red, is a good friend to Ouray. Moab is only a three-hour ride, but it’s a pretty one going from the lush green of the Rockies to the red rock formations of Arches National Park.
I reach across Finn’s high chair and grab one of Sophia’s hands.
“Come with us. You’ll have a good time, and I promise I’ll be on my best behavior.” Brick makes a laughing sound and I kick my boot out, hoping to catch him in the shin. “Not helping, old man.”
“Who are you calling old? I’m not even ten years old than you are.”
I ignore him and focus on Sophia, who seems to be looking at Lisa for answers. I give her hand a squeeze so her eyes come back to me.
“Come on, Fee,” I plead. “Have a taste of the life. I swear, just a nice ride and a few drinks with good friends. No strings attached.”
I throw that last line in hoping that might convince her. I’m not going with the expectation something will happen, but that doesn’t mean I won’t be trying hard.
When she says, “I don’t even have a helmet,” I know the battle is won.
“Lots of helmets around, you can borrow one,” Lisa says.
I make a mental note to hit up the Harley store this week to pick her up her own lid. I plan for her to spend more than only this one trip on the back of my bike.
I fucking hope she likes it.
CHAPTER 6
Sophia
“HEY, BOSS?”
Emme sticks her head around the door.
“There’s someone here to see you.”
“I’ll be right out.”
Emme is my second bartender and a complete opposite of the preppy-looking Mack. I liked her right off the bat: direct, brutally honest, and completely comfortable in her skin. Skin that is covered in colorful ink.
She works hard, doesn’t take shit from anyone—not even from Chris, who has most of the staff shaking in their boots—and doesn’t hesitate to lend a hand where needed. Doesn’t matter whether it’s bussing, helping in the kitchen, or cleaning the bathrooms.
She and I are the same age, but as different as night and day. Her uniform is jeans or cargo pants and a T-shirt, while I try to get some wear out of my former office wardrobe. Her blonde hair hangs straight down to the small of her back, while mine is dark, cut in a short bob, and wavy. The only ink I ever got on my skin is the small tattoo on my ankle depicting two peas in a pod. Kelsey had one of those too. We had them done right before she discovered she was pregnant with Finn.
I miss my girl so much.
Lisa is becoming a good friend, but she’s at a different place in her life than I am. Most of the women at the club are, and I haven’t really had a chance to make new connections here. Not that that was ever my forte; making friends.
Kelsey and I developed a friendship in the break room at the company we both worked at. Workplace friendships make sense, given that I spend most of my time at my job and have never been a barfly. The women who work here are either unapproachable—like Lauren Harris who works with Chris in the kitchen—or a different generation, like most of the waitstaff. I could see Emme as a friend, though.
I sure could use one right about now. In three days I’m supposed to climb on the back of Tse’s bike and head for Moab for a biker rally. Talk about being completely out of my comfort zone. Heck, I don’t even know what to wear. I haven’t seen him since the clubhouse on Monday—Wapi showed up every night, though—and am hoping maybe he forgot about it, but something tells me I won’t be that lucky.
Entering the last item on the liquor order form, I send it off to the supplier, close my laptop, and head to the dining room to see who’s looking for me.
“Hey.”
Lea Hemmingway, wife to Kaga, who is Ouray’s second in command, is sitting on a stool at the bar. She quickly gets up and smooths her hands on the black slacks she’s wearing before reaching out to shake my hand. I don’t know her well, other than an introduction at the clubhouse at Christmas and seeing her around at Lisa and Brick’s wedding in May.
“Sorry to barge in unannounced,” she says, appearing a little nervous. “I was hoping to have a word, but if you’d prefer me to come back another time…”
“No, no, not at all,” I reassure her, as I quickly look around the restaurant. We’re between lunch and the dinner rush so only two tables are occupied. Since my office is small and not really outfitted to receive guests, we’ll probably be more comfortable in a booth. “Would you like to sit down?” I point at a booth in the corner where we’d have privacy.
“If you’re sure.”
“Absolutely. Would you care for a drink? Or a coffee?”
“Coffee would be nice.”
I look at Emme, who apparently heard us because
