Page 26 of Tuck & Roll

“Did you call Jackson out on his goofy noises?” Tuck played with the ends of Chelsea’s hair, liking how silky soft it felt.

“Fuck no.” That was a smart move on Jed’s part.

“You made her pass out, you get to carry her inside.” He waited for Jed to pick Chelsea up and start for the clubhouse. Tuck got up to follow, fully intending to go to bed alone. His pain pill was working and all he could think about was climbing into bed and sleeping until Race got everyone up to leave in the morning. If he was lucky, his pain pill would knock him out and give him a dreamless sleep.

5

Kylie tried to call Race three more times after she left Bottoms Up and every single time it went straight to voicemail. She didn’t want to leave a message, much preferring to speak to him directly. She felt the things she’d discovered was information best given in person.

She was halfway home when her sister called and invited her to join them for dinner. She’d made chicken and dumplings, and since it was one of Kylie’s favorites, who was she to decline? It looked like her plans to dig deeper into the information on the flash drive would have to wait.

As usual, dinner was amazing. Her sister was an amazing cook. Actually, Kylie was a really good cook, too, having learned from their mother. Kylie just got caught up in what she was doing and sometimes forgot to eat, which resulted in her eating whatever was easiest, like having meals delivered or microwaving frozen dinners.

After such a delicious meal, she’d volunteered to help her sister with clean up duty while Alan took the girls out back to play. “I’m so stuffed,” Kylie whined and rubbed her stomach. “Thank you for inviting me.”

“You’re welcome. Haven’t seen you in a while and thought I’d bribe you into coming over with your favorite.” Beth laughed and scraped the dishes before loading them into the dishwasher. “Have you seen Tuck anymore since Big Shots?”

Kylie had to give it to her sister, she’d planned her attack well. She’d waited until she was pleasantly full and lulled into a false sense of security and Alan had taken the girls outside to play before she swooped in with her sneak attack.

Kylie’s prolonged silence was all the confirmation her sister needed. Beth crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back against the counter, clearly settling in to wait her out. Here it comes. Beth had that I know better because I’m your big sister so you might as well spill look on her face. That right there was why she was such a good mom, but such an annoying sister. And she wasn’t going to let it go either.

“Beth, I know what you’re going to say.” She tossed the wet washcloth she’d been wiping the table and counters down with into the sink and dried off her hands.

Her sister cut in before Kylie could go any further. “What I am going to say is that you need to be careful. Those men in that biker club are notorious for going through women like other people go through tissues during flu season. And I don’t want to see you get your heart broken.” When Kylie opened her mouth to respond, Beth held up her hand to hold her off. “I know you’ve been infatuated with him for nearly as long as you’ve been alive.”

Kylie’s chest slowly rose and fell as she tried to find her patience. She knew her sister meant well, but she was wrong. She wasn’t infatuated with Tuck. She’d been half in love with him since he’d given her her first kiss. Then when he’d fulfilled her fantasy the night they’d had sex, she thought she might have fallen a little more. Then he ruined it all by calling her Taylor. Now, she wasn’t sure what her feelings for the jerk was.

“I’ve heard the same stories, Beth, but there’s nothing to worry about. He gave me a ride home one time.” She’d also rode on the back of his bike and that was going to remain Kylie’s secret because Beth would lose her mind. She didn’t know which would cause her sister to lose it more, the fact that she was on a motorcycle or that she was on a motorcycle with Tuck.

“Alan said he saw a motorcycle parked in your driveway as he drove by your place last week.” Beth’s brows arched as if saying “explain that.”

Crap. She wasn’t sure what day her brother-in-law had been driving by so she picked the visit with less details to explain. “Tuck came over with burgers from Burger Depot. He was checking on the progress I was making on a project I’m doing for his club.”

“What?” Beth whispered shouted. “You’re working for his club? And he brought you dinner to your house? Why haven’t you told me any of this before now?”

Kylie spread her arms to the side, palms up and her eyes bugging out, silently telling her sister this was exactly why she hadn’t told her. “Yes, he brought me dinner to my house. And yes, I’m working for the club because they pay really good money. Thanks to their money I’ll be able to get my car looked at and put a big chunk into savings.”

“You know Alan and I are more than happy to help you out with your car. You don’t need to work for the Sons of Redemption.”

“I know and I appreciate that you’re willing to help, but I can do this on my own.”

Her sister and her husband had offered more than once to help her out with her car, but Kylie hated to ask for help. If she allowed it, her sister would try to take care of her just like she did with Nora and Caroline. She loved her sister, but she didn’t need her running her life for her. Beth wouldn’t mean to, but it was in her nature to be a bit of a control freak. Since they’d argued this particular subject to death, Beth dropped the car issue, but doubled down on working for the Sons.

“You can’t take this job with the Sons of Redemption. Everyone knows they might have a couple legit businesses, but trouble still finds them. You don’t want their trouble finding you.” Beth threw a detergent pod in the dishwasher, closed the door and started it up.

“Don’t you think you’re being a little dramatic?” Kylie could understand her sister being worried and looking out for her, but she honestly thought the worry was unfounded.

“Not at all.” Beth pulled two beers from her refrigerator and offered one to Kylie, then pulled out a chair at the kitchen table and took a seat.

“Look,” Kylie started, pulling out a chair across from her and taking a seat. “You don’t need to worry about me and Tuck because there is no me and Tuck. There never was and there never will be.” Just saying those words made her stomach hurt. What was that old saying? The truth hurts? Yep. Down to the bone.

Beth pinned her with one of those stares that felt like she could see inside Kylie’s head and root out all her secrets. Growing up, that look had driven her nuts. She was even better at it than their mother. She’d seen her use it on Alan and her girls several times and Kylie couldn’t help but feel sorry for them. Whenever she gave her that look she’d never been able to keep any secrets, good or bad, from her.

“I know you care, Beth. I get it. I promise, I’m being careful.” If her sister only knew about what she’d found on one of the Sons of Redemption computers and the possible issues that could arise from her discovery once she turned it all over to Race, she’d have an aneurism.

Beth stared at her in silence for a moment, then said, “I love you, Kylie. I just want you to be safe and happy and being with Tuck, I don’t see that happening. Now, grab your beer and let’s go watch Alan push the girls on the swings.”

Kylie spent another hour on the back porch talking with her sister about anything and everything that didn’t involve Tuck and watched Alan chase his girls around the yard as they played tag. She and Beth joined in the fun as solar lights came on as the sun disappeared behind the trees. Tag turned into Hide-and-Seek until Beth announced the girls need to go inside and get a bath before bed. Kylie kissed her nieces goodbye and hugged Alan at the front door along with Beth. Not for the first time, she thought her sister had gotten so very lucky to have found such an amazing man as a husband and father to her children. There wasn’t anything that man wouldn’t do for his family and it showed in everything he did. Kylie would be so lucky to find someone like Alan.

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