Page 21 of Trip

11

Trip

The sun had set a while back and his stomach was rumbling, but he was loathe to leave the bed. JJ was curled up on his chest and it felt so right.

He wasn’t sure if he’d convinced her to give them a go, but he wasn’t giving her up. She’d either get on board or he’d fuck her senseless until she did. There was no way he was letting her go again.

When she said she’d barely survived losing him the first time, he felt that in his soul because it had been the same for him.

If it hadn’t been for the military, he was one-hundred-percent sure he wouldn’t be alive today. Not a doubt in his mind.

His text messages had been going off for a while, but he ignored them to be JJ’s pillow. When he heard his phone again, he decided it was time to check. Besides, Granite took it as a personal issue if his texts went unread. And Trip had no desire to piss off his prez.

When he reached for it, JJ rolled away and snuggled into her pillow. Trip swung his legs over the side of the bed, snagged his pants and phone before heading to the living room.

Granite had texted twice. Nothing urgent, but he wanted to check in and see how things were going with his family.

Granite didn’t know all the details of his aversion to Christmas or tension with family time, but he knew it had to do with an ex and his sister’s ex. He was a smart man, so he’d figured it out.

He had his prez to thank for having JJ back. Trip fired off a text.

TRIP: Everything’s going great. Meri and kids held up, will be here tomorrow. Dumped my bike on the way in, minor, but tweaked my shoulder. Should be able to ride home a day or two after Christmas. I won’t be coming back alone.

Trip hit send and started the next text to let him know he’d fill in all the details when he got home, but his phone rang.

“Yo.”

“So, you dumped your bike, and I didn’t get a call when it happened?”

“Sorry, prez, it wasn’t like that. It’s embarrassing as fuck, actually.”

“And?”

Yeah, Granite didn’t give a shit. He wanted to know about all his brothers and anyone else he took responsibility for, and he didn’t care if it was embarrassing. There was only a minimal age gap between the prez and most of them, but he really was more of a father figure.

“It wasn’t a wreck, per se. I was rolling up in the driveway doing less than five miles per hour when a snow pile gave way and my stupid ass thought I could save my bike with a hand to the ground.”

And that’s when he heard it. Snickers. And not just one.

“Really, prez? You got me on speaker?” The snickers turned to laughter, and Trip couldn’t help but smile.

“Don’t church it up like you wrecked. Your ass tipped over and got a boo-boo.” Taps’s voice grated on his nerves and his laughter grated on his soul. Maybe it was the truth of his statement that did it or the fact that he gave his woman one of those damn chicken flingers of his.

Granite quieted everyone down a bit. “So, you wanna tell us about why you won’t be alone?”

Before he could answer, Pound spoke up. “Let me guess, Meddlin’ Meri?”

“Yep.” Trip found it funny that she’d earned that nickname, yet none had spent more than a day with her. Trip didn’t think he shared much with his brothers about family, but they paid attention. “Actually, a few of you’ve already met my Jess. Thank you, Pound, for having her back, and Taps?”

“Yeah, man?”

“Keep your little rubber chickens and everything else away from her.”

Trip heard Taps huff and puff. He could practically see him looking around the room indignantly.

“So, when did we have the pleasure?”

Again, Pound answered for him. “The shoot at the garage.”

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