Page 35 of Reckless and Rooted
I laugh lightly, putting the truck in park and making my way around to open her door. “I thought you’d appreciate it.”
“I haven’t been here since—” She stops, her mouth mid-speak, and then shakes her head. “In a long time.”
“I know, City Girl.”
I couldn’t make myself come back here after she left, so I have no idea if it’s still the same old man Clyde who runs it or if he is gone, if it is the same type of food, or if it has changed.
My phone pings with a text alert, and I quickly grab it, checking to see if it is important and feeling my mood shift when I see the message from an unknown number.
“Everything okay?” Felicity asks, not peeking over my shoulder to see what is on my phone like she may have before, and for that I am grateful.
I look to her and back to my phone before closing the screen and shoving it back into my pocket. I am here with a woman that I still fucking love, who is giving me the time of day, who is kind and gracious and willing to sit down and reconnect.
The last thing I need is for my past to come and haunt me now.
“Everything’s perfect,” I say with a smile and then reach for her hand, relishing in the fact that she just happily slips her fingers through mine and allows me to lead the way.
We enter the nostalgic diner, and I smile at the familiarity of it all. I glance around, seeing that there are a few other patrons tonight, but nothing like it used to be. My eyes freeze when they come into contact with someone I recognize.
My brother.
Somehow, with my mind all wrapped around the woman beside me, I must have glazed over the motorcycles outside. Though, with the way she preoccupies my mind, it isn’t really a surprise that I failed to survey the area.
Mitch gives me a nod but turns back to the people he’s with. The Iron Horse Motorcycle Club. His cut on his back matches theirs, and something about it has my stomach takingan uncomfortable dive. Those are his brothers, according to him. His brothers that he trusts more than he trusts me.
I look away, unsure how to feel.
“Is that Mitch?” Felicity asks, happiness in her tone until I look at her face, and she sees my expression. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, just…” I sigh and look back over where Mitch is still watching us. “It’s not really a comfortable situation.”
She looks at me like I’m crazy. “What’s the problem?”
“He’s part of their club now. It’s almost like he’d rather be their family than mine.”
Felicity gapes at me, her shy and sweet demeanor fading when she looks at Mitch. “That’s crazy. Mitch was one of my best friends in high school.”
Then, surprising me, she marches right over to their table, me on her heels trying to get her attention. “City?—”
“Hey-ya, fellas.” Felicity grins and marches right up to my brother, opening her arms and forcing him to stand and hug her if he doesn’t want to look like an asshole. “I haven’t seen you since the festival.”
“I’ve been busy,” is his gruff reply, but he smiles softly at City, showing me a side to him I haven’t seen in years.
“Aren’t you that singer?” someone at the table asks Felicity, making my hackles stand on end.
“Why, yes, I am that singer.” She smiles politely. “Unless you think I’m Madonna. Then no, I’m not. I don’t quite have her bone structure.”
The guys at the table laugh, and her gaze flicks to Mick’s, someone who was in Logan’s class at school. “Hey, Mick, how’s life?”
He nods, a bemused smile on his face. “Not too bad, Felicity. How are you? I hear you’re back in town for good.”
“For better or worse,” she answers slyly, having the boys at the table eating out of the palm of her hand. I don’t blame them.
“Well, we better leave you to it,” she says, looking back at my brother again. “We need to get coffee and catch up.”
My brother, who has been stand-offish with his own entire family for the months he’s been back, looks at her in surprise and then reluctantly nods his head.
“Good.” She takes that as his answer and then turns to me. “Let’s go eat.”
