KATRINA

 

Two months later…

 

The coming of fall in Ivory meant the view would have a lovely orange tint to it. The leaves were falling and the sky seemed a little darker. It wasn’t as hot as it was during the summer, so I wouldn’t have to deal with an unwelcome sweat as I walked down the streets.

Business wasn’t affected much by the weather. The place was never crowded but there was always someone who needed what I could provide for them.

“What about roses?”

The man asked me his question like he had no clue what he was talking about. The puzzled look on his face hadn’t gone away ever since he first stepped into the shop.

“Roses are nice,” I said. “Does she like roses?”

“I don’t know… Don’t all women like roses?”

“They do. But only if they’re coming from the right man. Who is this woman exactly?”

“She’s, uh… I don’t know how to put this…”

It was strange to see a man in uniform so unsure of himself. But he was young, so I knew I had to cut him some slack.

“Is she a girlfriend?” I asked.

“No…”

“Wife?”

“No…”

“Ah, I see… So she’s just a woman you want to do something nice for.”

“Yeah, that’s it.”

The officer looked up at me.

I’d seen him once before. It was a few months ago when he was breaking up a fight between Jordan and Blake. I couldn’t forget the schoolboy face that the young officer had.

“What’s your name again?” I asked.

“Ben Rose. Officer Ben Rose. You can just call me Ben.”

“Right. Ben. What can you tell me about this woman?”

“I don’t really know much about her. She’s just…”

“What kind of woman is she?”

“She’s, um… She’s great. I don’t really know how to describe her.”

Ben shrugged. Even though he looked like he was out of his element, I couldn’t blame him.

“Don’t worry,” I said. “Most guys don’t have a clue about what kind of flowers women want. They usually just use those flower delivery services to send an automatic bouquet. Coming from you personally means it’s something special.”

“Right…”

“I’ve got just the thing for her.”

I grabbed some flowers and made an arrangement for him.

“All right… There we go.”

I handed him the bouquet and he held it in his hands. The puzzled look on his face didn’t go away as he examined it.

“Some carnations, violets, and some orchids. Did you know Ivory is known for its orchids?”

“No, I… I didn’t know that. How much do I owe you?”

“That’ll be 25.”

“Price seems a little low…”

“I’m not doing this for the money.”

“Right.”

He reached into his wallet and pulled out the cash.

“Thank you, Katrina.”

“My pleasure, Ben.”

He gave me a polite smile as he left. I couldn’t help but notice the bounce in his step as he walked out. I giggled then turned my attention to the rest of my work.

The shop hadn’t been open for very long but business was good. It kept me occupied. And I was making enough to keep the lights on. Even if I had to close the doors, I had money saved up so I wouldn’t have to worry about struggling.

It was the middle of the day when I heard the front entrance open. I looked up and saw a tattooed biker saunter into my shop with a smirk on his face.

“You know, I always feel like I come in here empty-handed,” he said.

“What do you mean?”

“I feel like I should bring you flowers but you’re surrounded by them all day.”

The confident smile hadn’t left his lips as he leaned across the front counter and kissed me. Blake’s lips never failed to send a jolt through my spine.

“I don’t need flowers,” I said. “You’ll do just fine.”

“You deserve more than that.”

“I don’t know what I deserve. All I know is that I want you and nothing more.”

While I kept myself busy, Blake examined his surroundings.

“How’s business?” he asked.

“Business is business. Nothing crazy. Nothing too slow either.”

“Right…”

The way Blake looked, I knew something was on his mind. He wasn’t one to shy away from talking to me.

“What’s going on?” I asked. “Problems with the club.”

“No problems. No problems at all. I think that’s the problem.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means things haven’t changed for months. With the feds in town, there hasn’t been much to do. It’s like every club has been on lockdown. Nothing is going on.”

“And this bothers you?”

“In a way.”

He made his way over to me. I giggled as he got behind me and wrapped his arms around me. He held me close, kissing me on the neck and making it hard for me to focus on the flowers I was arranging.

“It’s just been boring at the clubhouse,” he said. “I’ve been putting in my hours at the bar but Garnet hasn’t given us word when the next assignment is coming.”

“I see. Jordan has been talking about the same thing. It’s like this town has dried up. But you know…”

I slowly turned around and looked up at him.

“…This town is never down for too long. You clubs are always getting into trouble. I’m sure you’ll find a way, even with federal agents in town.”

“And you’re okay with that?”

I looked away from him and sighed.

The life of a biker wasn’t easy. It was hard for the people around them, too.

“I love Jordan,” I said. “He’ll always be my brother. Regardless of what he does, I’m always going to be there to support him. If I can be there for him, I can be there for you. No matter what. I always want to be with you.”

Blake leaned forward and kissed me softly. He pressed his forehead to mine and whispered into my mouth.

“I’ll do anything for you,” he said. “Anything for our child. Katrina, I…”

“What is it?”

“Can I talk to you?”

“Sure just… give me a second.”

He stepped away from me so I could put my things down. I took my apron off and he took my hand in his.

“Where are we going?” I asked.

“Just come with me.”

He led me out of the small flower shop. We stood outside and watched as the rest of the town went about their day. I was waiting for him to say something but he didn’t. He just looked out into the streets with me.

“I’ve lived here all my life,” I said. “I grew up here. When I left, it didn’t matter where I was, all I had to do was close my eyes and I could see these same streets.”

I turned toward him.

“I came back. I didn’t know why but now I do. It was because of you. Everything that happened… The accident… The abduction… I don’t know if I’d call it fate but it sure feels like it.”

“It does feel like that.”

He pulled me closer and wrapped his arms around me.

“I don’t care about your business,” I said. “I don’t much care for mine either, to be honest. The money will be there one way or another. All I care about is being with you. You make me happy.”

“Does that mean you’re staying in Ivory?”

“Who knows? I just know that I want you there with me.”

“I’ve got a ride. If there’s somewhere you want to go, I’ll take you there.”

“I’d like that.”

“But first…”

He released me from his arms and took a step back from me. I raised an eyebrow at him, curious as to what he was thinking.

“Money is tight but I did manage to get back at Sullivan at the last poker game.”

“Okay,” I said. “What does that mean—”

Before I could finish, Blake fell down to one knee.

“Blake, what are you…”

My words trailed off as I watched him reach into his pocket. He pulled out a small black box and held it up to me.

“Katrina…”

My mouth hung half-open. I still wasn’t sure what to think.

“I love you,” he said. “I didn’t know it at first but now I do. I fell in love with you from the first moment I laid eyes on you. Wherever you go, whether it’s here in Ivory or on the other side of the world, I want to be with you.”

“Blake…”

“Katrina Harris, will you marry me?”

He opened the small box. I looked down at the diamond shining on the band inside. I blinked my eyes in disbelief. When I saw the smirk on his face, I knew it was real.

“Y-yes,” I stuttered, trying to deal with a flood of emotions washing over me. “Yes, Blake. I… I’ll marry you.”

He popped back up to his feet. I still couldn’t believe it when he pushed the ring on my finger.

In the distance, I heard the sound of exhaust getting louder. I looked up and saw a group of choppers riding toward us. It didn’t take me long to figure out who it was.

“Did you plan this?” I asked.

“They insisted. They wanted to see it.”

Two clubs, the Winter Cobras and Black Reapers, all arrived to give us their best wishes. Blake had planned the whole thing and they’d been watching this entire time.

Everybody was all smiles, regardless of the patch they wore, as they congratulated both of us.

Jordan was the last man to greet us. He put a hand on Blake’s shoulder as he smiled.

“Treat her well,” my brother said.

“You know I will.”

Jordan turned his attention to me and squeezed his arms around me.

“I love you,” I whispered.

“I just want you to be happy, Kat.”

“I know you do. Thank you.”

Jordan pulled away from me and gently put his palm on my stomach.

“I might have lost a friend of the Cobras but I’ll be getting a replacement real soon,” he said.

“I don’t think there’s any chance of that happening,” Blake said.

“Well, we’ll see whose patch that baby decides on wearing.”

“What if it’s a girl?” I said.

Blake and Jordan looked at one another. They were surprised at first before eventually sharing a laugh.

“Celebration tonight,” Jordan said. “Come to The Bone Pit. Everybody’s invited. Even the Reapers. Don’t get too comfortable. It’ll only be for one night.”

Everybody got back on their bikes and left as quickly as they appeared. I held my hand up and marveled at the ring on my finger.

“Engaged,” I sighed. “It really happened.”

“It really did.”

Blake kissed me softly.

“I’ve had enough excitement in my life,” he whispered. “Ivory might be dull these days but that’s fine. You’re everything I need.”

“I’ll always be here for you, Blake. Always.”

Blake put his arm around me and we looked back out into the city together.

Ivory was a small town in the middle of nowhere. Most people passed by when they were on their way to somewhere more important. But for me, it would always be home. Now that I had Blake with me and a child on the way, I finally had someone to share it with.