Page 30 of Gunner
I gripped my hands into the soft leather of his leather cut and tugged him closer to me. He pulled back and rested his forehead against mine, the soft mist of our warm, panted breaths mingling between our lips. I licked my lips, and he stepped back, adjusting his length in his blue jeans before wrapping his arm around my shoulder and escorting me into the house.
When we walked in, the groceries were spread out on the table as Jacob made sure I picked up everything he wanted for their weekend away. Dalton was on his laptop again, typing furiously as he studied whatever was on the screen intently. He raised his head when we walked in and smirked at me before turning his attention back to the computer.
He spent more time with us as a family, and sometimes, he crashed on the couch after eating dinner with Jacob and me. It was nice, but there was always something behind his eyes that told me he was carrying around something deep and painful. The one time I brought it up, he brushed off my worry and I trusted that if there was something I could do, he would tell me. Other than that, it was either club business, business for Mr. Callahan, or personal.
“Did you remember to get extra batteries for the flashlights?” Jacob asked as he opened a bag of potato chips and stuffed a handful into his mouth.
I shifted from under Kade’s arm and opened my purse to hand Jacob the batteries. He smiled and took them before he sat down next to Dalton and began to test out the new flashlights Kade bought him for his ‘men’s weekend’.
Uncle Mick spent a lot of time with Jacob, and I knew my little brother was struck with the same love of motorcycles as Dalton. I wouldn’t push my opinion of the MC life on anyone, and if my brother wanted to prospect one day, I would support him. I had no room to speak when I was in love with a member and still yearned to be his old lady.
Hopefully, this weekend would help remove the final obstacle in our relationship, but there was a small part of me that still worried I would freeze up, again.
I was lost in thought when Kade brushed his hand across my cheek, drawing my attention back to him and away from my worry. Since I was able to tell him what happened, and he shared his own past traumas with me, he always seemed to understand when I got lost in my mind and was there to bring me back to the present.
Bear helped too, and I felt him press against the back of my legs as Kade whispered, “Are you okay?”
I kissed him softly and replied, “Just worried about them traveling with the weather.” It wasn’t a lie, but it wasn’t the whole truth. He looked deeply into my eyes but didn’t call me on my omission. I could see the wheels spinning in his head, and I whispered, “I’m okay. I promise.”
He relaxed and kissed me on the top of my head before joining my brothers in the living room. I spent the next hour packing Jacob’s clothes and making sure all the food and provisions were ready. This was the longest I’ll be away from Jacob, and as much as I trust my uncle and brother, I was still worried.
The four of us sat down to dinner, and it was nice to have all the important men in my life in one spot. We joked and laughed throughout the meal, and I watched Kade with my brothers. Jacob was standoffish when Kade first came back around, but now it like he was never gone. Dalton and I talked a few days after Kade reappeared, and as angry as he was the way Kade disappeared, he was the one pushing me to give him another chance.
As if he knew I was thinking about his advice, Dalton raised his eyes to mine and winked slyly before he stood and urged Jacob to clear the dishes. “I’ll help Jacob clean up.”
Kade looked at my confusion before he chuckled and tugged me into the living room. There was a small fire in the fireplace, and as he settled me onto his lap in front of the flames, I exhaled the last of the worry and fear that held me back for so many years.
Chapter 13
Kade
Iwanted to be withSadie when Jacob, Skid, and Mick left for their weeklong trip, but I was working all day with Claw and his construction crew. I wanted to get back into the gun range but being able to build something with my own hands, to see the progression of my hard work, was rewarding. Smokey and Bullet explained that if I continued with my counseling, they would put me back at the range at the end of a year. I was halfway there and would love to be inside the warm range instead of the hollow insides of the house we were building.
“What time did Mick say he was picking them up?” Hatchet, one of the married brothers, asked as we lifted the heavy piece of drywall.
“Skid sent me a text about nine-thirty letting me know they were leaving,” I replied as we screwed the drywall into the studs.
