Caraleigh

 

Pulling up to the clubhouse I’m a little nervous. I’m worried about what I’ll find, I know that Nan and Braxton say it’s a family affair and that they’ve also invited the employees and their families from the trucking company, but I’ve read plenty of motorcycle club romance novels, and I know to expect the unexpected. I just don’t want my son to be tarnished for the rest of his life at what he may or may not see and witness while we’re here. I breathe out a sigh of relief when I notice that women are not scantily dressed. There seems to be no make-out sessions or open displays of sexual encounters, so I get out of the car and go to open the back door to let Luca out.

“Mom, do you see Lily?” he asks me. I look around and don’t see her anywhere.

“Not yet, buddy, but she may be inside or out back,” I tell him.

He tries to rush out of the car leaving me behind, “Luca! Do not run off young man.”

“But Mom...”

“Don’t ‘but Mom’ me mister, we stick together.”

“Yes ma’am…” he pouts, not deterring me in the slightest. I don’t know all of these people, I’ve met a couple while helping Nan get ready for this get-together, but that doesn’t mean I know them well enough to entrust them with my child’s well-being. At least not with him running off on his own, if he were with Braxton or Nan I’d be okay.

I grab his hand and then reach into the car and grab the trays of treats I made to go with today's menu. I love to bake, so I wanted to contribute from myself and Luca. I made iced brownies...without nuts in case someone is allergic... a carrot cake, some no-bake cookies, some lemon bars and peanut butter fudge. I wanted to give everyone a variety to choose from, I’m sure these guys have a sweet tooth...right? Crap, now I’m questioning myself on if I tried too hard.

I hear a booming voice and know immediately it belongs to Braxton, “Hey beautiful, Luca. Come on and follow me around back where everyone is hanging out.”

“I have desserts, Braxton, they need to be refrigerated.” He whistles loudly causing me to cover my ears and Luca to laugh. I see a guy walking towards us, he has on a vest...sorry, cut as Nan explained to me, he walks closer and I see his name embroidered on the front. It says Chef, I’m guessing this guy likes to cook.

“Yo, Chef, do me a solid and take these trays of dessert to the kitchen and put them in the fridge. I want to take Caraleigh and Luca around back and introduce them to everyone...oh shit, Caraleigh, Luca this is Chef, Chef, my new neighbors and friends Caraleigh, and her son, Luca.”

“Nice to meet you ma’am, kiddo. Sure thing, I’ll take them and put them away for ya,” he says, relieving me of the trays and taking off with no other words said.

“Wow, these guys and their muscles come in handy,” I say, joking around.

“Eyes off the muscles, babe, unless it's mine you’re admiring,” Braxton says to me then adds a wink. I can feel the blush travel from my face down my body, the things he does to me with words and actions alone are terrifying. If we went any further I wonder what he could do to me. Jeez, I shouldn’t be thinking things like this with my son not even a foot away from me.

“Later, you’ll have to tell me what you’re thinking about that caused that blush to take hold of your body,” Braxton says as he walks away with me and Luca trailing after him. Yeah, like that’s gonna happen, mister!

“We’ll see,” I reply. Without warning, I find myself pulled closer to him as he intertwines our fingers together. There’s something so...intimate, for lack of a better word...about holding hands. I glance up at him and see him smiling down at me before he gives my hand a squeeze.

“Someday, I’ll know all your secrets and you’ll know mine,” he murmurs. “Now, let me introduce you around.”

“I got a chance to meet a lot of them while helping your mom,” I say as he walks over to a couple.

“Caraleigh, I’d like to introduce you to my VP, Twisted, and his old lady, Paisley.”

“Hey, darlin’, how did this brute manage to find someone as beautiful as you to agree to come with him?” Twisted asks, holding out his hand.

“Don’t listen to him,” the female says as she smacks him on the bicep. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Caraleigh. Is that your little boy?”

“Yes, that’s Luca.”

“What is he...five, six?” Paisley asks.

“He just turned six.”

Paisley turns and lets out an ear-piercing whistle. Within seconds, a little tow-headed boy comes running up saying, “I’m here, Mommy.”

“Tig, that little boy over there is Luca. He’s the same age as you are so go on now, and introduce yourself, y’hear?” Paisley tells the little boy.

“Another boy? Yippee!” Tig yells, bouncing up and down. “We has too many girls around here today. Sorry, Uncle Axe,” he says before rushing off toward Luca.

I’m looking at my son with wide eyes because there seem to be kids everywhere. Mostly girls, but even still, he’s got a look on his face that’s a cross between excitement and fear. “He’ll be fine, sweetheart,” Braxton says in my ear. “Nothing will happen to him with all of us watching out.”

“Okay, that’s good. He’s just so shy sometimes,” I muse.

“He won’t be after today, darlin’,” Twisted replies. “You ladies want something to drink?”

“I’m in the mood for a wine cooler, how about you, Cara?” Paisley asks.

“That sounds good.”

“You ladies find someplace comfortable and we’ll bring them on over.”

“C’mon, Cara, let me introduce you to the other women around here,” Paisley says, grabbing my arm. It just hit me that’s she’s calling me Cara...I like it, my own nickname…makes me feel instantly welcome.

As we walk away, I overhear Twisted tell Braxton, “Quiet little thing, isn’t she?” I hear the rumble of Braxton’s voice, but unfortunately cannot make out his words.

“So, tell me what brings you to our quaint little town,” Paisley says once we find a seat in the shade.

“Well, Luca’s dad died and I felt it was time for a new beginning,” I tell her. “His parents didn’t like me and were making my life hell. It was starting to show in Luca’s behavior.”

“What assholes!” Paisley exclaims. “Oh, thanks, babe,” she says as Twisted comes up and hands us each a wine cooler.

“Thank you, Twisted,” I tell him, popping the top off and taking a sip. Twisted...what an odd and unusual name, I bet there’s a story behind that one. As a matter of fact, I notice they all have odd names...note to self, grill Braxton at a later date and time.

“Now, scoot,” Paisley says to her old man. “I want to get to know my next best friend.”

Her comment makes me laugh and I’m still grinning when I see him lean down and kiss her lovingly before he heads off toward the group of men who are standing around the grills talking.

“How long have you two been together?” I ask, curiosity overriding my normal shyness.

She leans her head back and I can see her thinking before she says, “Holy shit, if you count the fact that he told me in kindergarten he was going to marry me someday, we’ve been together for twenty-three years now!”

“So did you get hitched on the playground or what?”

Her laughter rings out across the yard before she says, “Oh, you’ve got a wicked sense of humor. I can see I’ll have to be on my toes around you!”

“My mouth tends to get me into trouble,” I confess.

“How so?”

“Eh, my in-laws hated that I would speak out, so I stopped doing it. Seems the move has adjusted my thinking.”

“I hope so. Nan speaks very highly of you,” Paisley says.

“She’s absolutely wonderful. Luca has started calling her Nan, which is good because my folks live too far away now to see him as often as they used to.”

“Do you work?”

I think about her question—I don’t have to work ever again if I don’t want to, but that’s not how I was raised. “I did before Luca was born, then became a stay-at-home mom. When Graham got sick, I helped his mother take care of him. Now? Well, honestly, I don’t have to work again if I don’t want to, but I like the challenge of working, so I’m looking for something, at least part-time.”

“You should see if there’s anything at the trucking company.”

“I can’t impose like that,” I say, taking another drink from my wine cooler.

“Somehow, I don’t think it would be an imposition,” she says, looking over my shoulder. Curious, I glance back and catch Braxton watching me. As a blush steals across my face, I turn toward her and shake my head no.

“It’s not like that with us, he’s my neighbor and our kids are friends.”

“Yeah, you keep telling yourself that, Cara,” she says causing that damn blush to spread through my body again. Only this time it's accompanied by goose bumps and a shiver that runs down my spine