Sunday Night

We were back in bed, cuddling and talking, hours after going to the Olive Garden for dinner on his motorcycle. In fact, we were having Olive Garden post-sex leftovers when my phone rang.

I reached for it and then backed away like it was a poisonous snake. The screen read:

Mom Calling

“Should change her ring tone back to the death march,” I grumbled and curled back into him.

He laughed.

“She caught me: pocket dialed me once when we were together and heard the ring tone and got really angry.”

“I bet,” Rider said, putting the end of a bread stick in his mouth. We got extras ‘to-go’ with our doggie bags.

“Answer it. Be brave,” he encouraged. “I’m right here to take over if she goes cunt-a-saurus on you.”

I winced and put the phone to my ear.

“Hello?”

“Hello?” she sounded surprised that I answered.

“Hi Mom.”

“Jenna.”

There was awkward silence.

“How are you?” I tried.

“Very funny,” she replied snidely.

My stomach dropped. I hadn’t been trying to be sarcastic with her. Not remotely.

“I wasn’t trying to be funny,” I said softly. “Sorry I missed a few calls. Things have been---”

“Yes, I know. Anyway, dinner at the house tomorrow night. Will that fit into your schedule?”

“Dinner at the house tomorrow?” I parroted.

Rider gave a single nod of his head, as if to encourage me and show he was fine to come. And suddenly, him at my side, I sort of felt no fear about it.

“Sure. Can we bring anything?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Six thirty. Don’t be late.”

“We’ll be there, or we’ll be square,” I said, feeling like eff this, I wasn’t going to act all contrite. I hadn’t done anything wrong.

“We?” she repeated.

“Mm hm,” I said. “Rider and me.”

I wasn’t surprised she was going to try to have it be me without Rider. After all, he had tried to shield me from her more than once already. I felt a burst of affection for him. He needed a blowjob.

“I didn’t invite Rider.”

“Well, it’s a package deal this time, Mom,” I insisted.

She let out a sigh. “Fine. Just remember, you did this. Six thirty.” She hung up.

I rolled my eyes at her warning and put the phone down and then I climbed onto him, straddling him.

He had his hands behind his head, fingers woven together, head resting against my mauve headboard. Chest bare. A pair of slightly baggy Adidas running pants on.

I walked my fingers up his abs and then found my hands on his shoulders.

“Good to get this done with, gorgeous.”

I nodded. “It’s gonna be ugly. She just kinda warned she’d make it extra ugly to punish me for insisting you come.”

He shrugged. “What I’ve seen and heard every time you’ve talked to her, it’s only her that’s ugly. Just keep doin’ you.”

God, he was amazing. I threaded my fingers into his hair and kissed him.

“Good thing we both ate about a hundred of those garlic bread sticks. Otherwise this might be a gross kiss.”

“You ate a hundred. I ate three,” he informed me.

I started laughing. He was probably right.

He rolled me and snagged the side of my panties with his thumb.

“Again? Already?” I rolled my eyes. “God, you’re insatiable. I put all sorts of effort in last time, so if you’re prepared to do all the work.”

He smirked and then he went down on me. And I did not make him do all the work.

He got to finish in my mouth.

***

Later that night, I asked him for an update with the Wyld Jackals war.

Holding one another in bed, in the dark, he told me that Mantis, the president of the Jackals back in Sioux Falls had been shot in the leg by Christian Forker, Ella’s cousin. He’d gotten away, though, and was likely in hiding. Rider said that Edge was hunting him, and Rider said it with a coldness that made my blood chill.

Yikes.

Christian Forker had gone underground for a bit, waiting for some things to “play out”, whatever that meant. I guess he was a wanted man with his club, for saving Ella, for shooting a club president.

Key, the Ipswich VP had been killed. Gordino, the Ipswich President, was laying low right now. Half his guys were either dead or in jail. Ella’s Uncle Willie was still in the hospital with complications due to head injuries after being thrown from a moving vehicle during Ella’s drama.

Rider also said that the Jackals had lost respect of the last remaining clubs who were still willing to do business with them, so they were running out of options and a few more key moves would mean it’d be easy to patch over that club.

Chances were that Wild Will Forker, Ella’s sicko uncle, would be released into police custody from the hospital due to what had happened with Ella being abducted. 

Rider didn’t elaborate, but said they were still talking about how to finesse things with the police. He assured me they were working with the police, but said a lot of things were being played fast and loose.

The cops wanted the Wyld Jackals taken down and were willing to overlook some things to get that result, but the Dominion Brotherhood still had to be careful with how they played things. Rider said there were other clubs involved, and it wouldn’t be long before the Wyld Jackals were just a bad memory.

“What’s happening with your mother?” I asked.

I felt his body stiffen in the dark.

“We tried to talk sense before she got beat up. Fell on deaf ears, obviously. Still don’t know who beat her up. She felt cornered, but wasn’t willing to be reasonable. My guess is she either got beat up for another reason and blamed it on Mantis to use it to her advantage or, more likely, she got someone to beat her up, so she could fabricate that story and buy some sympathy. Dad told her she has until the end of September to get herself a place to live. He’s selling the house, won’t have her there throwing parties and causing shit so that it won’t sell. He’s done covering all her bills. She started selling shit that wasn’t even hers to sell, so she’s done. With Joelle gone to New York, he wants to just shut the place down for the real estate agent. Me and the boys’ll go make sure it’s ready before the sign goes in the lawn.”

“I can help,” I told him.

He smiled and tucked my hair behind my ears. ”Thanks, baby.”

“Why didn’t your dad ride a motorcycle at Luke’s funeral?” I asked.

“He lost his license for a bit for a DUI.”

I was sort of surprised.

“Mom fucked with his head. She told him Joelle wasn’t his. He had to wait on a paternity test. Then he got rip-roarin’ drunk and drove his car into a tree. Good thing it was a car, not his bike, or he wouldn’t have survived. It was touch ‘n go there for a bit.”

I bit into my lip.

“He gets his license back soon. It wasn’t a good thing, but it’s what finally got him to wipe his hands of her for good. So, it was sort of a good thing.”

“Yuck.”

“Man’s put up with a lot of shit from her the last twenty-eight years. We’re all done, though.”

“I hope you guys can somehow fix it.”

“Ain’t likely. Hope you and your ma can patch things up or our kids won’t have a grandmother.”

My heart felt like it was going to split open wide and that butterflies and flowers would burst out of my chest. He was talking about kids with me.

“Ella’s mother is awesome. So’s your Aunt Delia. They’ll be okay in the grandma department,” I said.

He pulled me closer.

Yep, just a few weeks of knowing each other and discussing our future kids? These Valentine boys didn’t waste any time.

***

Monday Morning

I was sweeping up hair at the salon and chit chatting with Andie, who’d come over from the bakery next door to bring us a box of biscotti and do some gossiping.

I didn’t say much about my biker drama. A) I had Jesse sitting there in the waiting area. B) Andie was a friend, but I didn’t want to flip her out. She’d missed most of the drama the past two weeks.

She knew I was dating a Dom member and that Ella was dating his brother. She didn’t really need to know about rape, murder, videotaped gang bangs, kidnappings, and all the drama we’d endured.

Andie was our age, really pretty, but no way was she the type to date a biker. She had pretty eyes, pretty hair, was really petite height-wise, voluptuously curvy otherwise, and shy.  She liked to come out dancing with us, occasionally got a little bit rowdy, but the moment a guy showed her attention, she went super-introverted.

She was currently eyeballing Jesse, though.  Probably difficult not to. He was pretty damn hot, sitting there casually sprawled, eating a biscotti, in just a black muscle shirt and dark jeans and motorcycle boots. Tattoos and muscles on display. His Dom prospect vest laying on the chair beside him. He was scrolling something on his phone, yet he still seemed totally alert with our surroundings.

I had a customer in the chair whose color was processing, another customer under the dryer. Pippa was between appointments.

And that was when Daniel Sotheby walked in.

In a suit. Looking handsome. Looking at Jesse with concern as his eyes bounced back and forth between Jesse and me.

Biker Bigot was my first thought.

“Oh… morning...” I said and stuck the broom in the utility room and went to the reception desk. He eyed me from head to toe and back to head again, then smiled.

I was wearing a tan suede pencil skirt with a sexy front slit, a pale pink low-cut blouse, and pale pink stiletto sandals. My hair was in a sleek ponytail this morning. I had my last appointment at 5:30 today and figured I’d save time getting ready for dinner at my parents by dolling myself up a little bit this morning.

Rider hadn’t seen me as he’d left for the garage while I was still in the shower, so I was looking forward to his opinion of my outfit.

Badass Jesse had even done a bit of a stumble when I’d walked into the kitchen to meet him, so we could head down the stairs. He did a slow perusal of me. He hadn’t said a thing and went 100% business (in his bikerly way) with me after that, but a girl can tell.

Now, I was seeing an appreciative gaze coming from Dan.

“Hi. You look absolutely gorgeous today, Jenna.” He smiled.

“Thank you,” I said, but I kept myself stiff, formal, and not feeling anything at his use of the g-word, the way I felt it with Rider.

“You got time for a cup of coffee?” He jerked his thumb toward the direction of the coffee shop.

“I don’t; sorry,” I said.

I glanced at Jesse, whose eyes were on him and his jaw was ticking. Sheesh, that look on his face? I’d hate to see how he’d look at a guy looking at his girl instead of his buddy’s girl.

“Oh. Shoulda called,” he said.

I gave him a tight smile. “Actually, I’ve started dating someone, and…”

His eyes went cold. “The guy who replied to the last text I sent?”

I smiled. “Yeah. I saw that. Sorry about that.”

He looked over his shoulder at Jesse, annoyed.

“That’s not him, but that’s his friend, and, yeah. We’re early on, but, I just wanted to be straight with you.”

“It’s early on? Don’t lose my number,” he told me.

“It’s early but I’m fairly certain he’s the one.”

He looked disappointed.

“I have to check on my customers. Have a good one.”

His eyes did a sweep of me. “You, too, Jenna.” And then he gave me a warm smile.

This guy was definitely a potential catch. But, I was taken. Happily taken.

Andie was looking at Dan with unconcealed lust as he left.

Maybe I should set them up.

Jesse was texting on his phone.

“Are you ratting me out?” I asked after Dan left.

“Absolutely,” Jesse said. “But, you get good marks for how you handled it.”

I snickered and went back to check on my customers.

***

6:15 PM

Rider texted to say he was outside the back of the salon. Jesse and I walked back together and as I approached his orange Charger, he got out and walked around to the passenger side.

He waved at Jesse who got on his bike and pulled out.

And my beautiful biker looked good. No. He looked good.

His hair was loose, he was clean shaven. He was wearing dark jeans and a royal blue and jade green striped button-down shirt. He had on motorcycle boots, but they looked like they’d been polished. His eyes were piercing.

I got to him and he dipped me, Hollywood style, and it took me back to the night we met.

My face split into a smile.

“Where have you been all my life?” he asked, his voice husky. He approved of my outfit.

“Waiting,” I told him.

Yeah, that sounded rom-com cheesy, and it might’ve even been the exact line used in a 1980’s John Hughes Molly Ringwald movie, but it felt absolutely amazing to have him look at me like that and hold me like that again, the look in his eyes somewhere between adoration and possession.

“I’m so fuckin’ in love with you,” he told me.

There was a lump in my throat. “Me, too.”

He pulled me back up to vertical.

“And I got your back in there with her tonight, okay, Jenna? No matter what she throws at us, we’re gonna be okay. Okay?”

I nodded.

God, it felt even better to have someone have my back than I could’ve imagined. He opened the door for me and I got inside and blew out a breath of relief, steeling myself for the night to come.

***

I knocked on the front door.

“You’re knockin’ on the door of your childhood home?” he asked, standing behind me.

“Yeah. I don’t live here anymore.”

He shook his head, perplexed.

I got it. Ella would never have to knock on the door of her parents’ house. Ever. I didn’t have to knock at her house and I wasn’t related by blood.  But this house? Yeah, it would be frowned upon if I didn’t knock.

One day though, if Ella and Deacon had kids and we had kids, our kids would be first cousins. I’d be related to Ella’s family by blood.

God, that felt good.

I smiled at him.

He smiled back. He had no idea why I was smiling, but his smiling back at me gave me strength.

Mom opened the door and gave us a cursory eye sweep and waved us in.

Rider had a bottle of wine. I had a box from Andie’s bakery that was filled with macarons. Mom’s favorite.

“Nice to see you again, Mrs. Murdoch.” Rider held his hand out.

Mom took it and shook his hand.

“Dinner’s nearly ready. Please come to the dining room.”

Dad was already sitting at the head of the table.

“Hey Dad,” I went to him and kissed his cheek.

“You look lovely, Jenna,” he said.

“Thanks. Dad, this is Rider.”

Dad stood, and he and Rider shook hands.

“We met, Jenna. When he came over that morning.”

“Oh yeah,” I said.

“How’s things, Paul?” Rider asked.

“We’ll see,” Dad muttered and gestured for Rider to sit down.

It was a table for six, but only four places were set. Rider and I were closer to Mom than Dad. Mom returned from the kitchen where she’d gone to get rid of the things we’d brought.

Dad’s smile melted away at Mom returning to the dining room.

“What’s for dinner?” I asked. “It smells great.”

“Prime rib. I took a half day off to cook.” She put the butter dish and a dish of horseradish on the table.

“Mm, sounds good,” Rider said.

“Be right back,” Mom said and went back to the kitchen.

I looked at Dad. He looked better than I’d last seen him.

“Jenna, we have to talk after this. I don’t know if she’s going to say some of the things I wanted to say to you privately, but---”

“You mean, in case I tell her about your whore, you want to make excuses for all you’ve done?” Mom was back.

Holy shit.

My eyes widened. I tried to swallow down a lump in my throat. It remained where it was.

Rider’s eyes were on me.  I felt steady just looking at him.

He gave me a meaningful look.

Dad’s eyes closed, and he let out a breath.

“Wine?” Mom asked and had a bottle, not the one we’d brought, in her hand.

“Yeah. Make it a double,” I muttered.

“Rider, I’m sorry, we meant for this to be just a family dinner. Jenna insisted you were coming so unfortunately you’re not seeing us at our best.” Mom was completely composed, but also seemed a little bit higher strung than usual.

And that was saying something.

“You see, my husband of twenty-six years is ending our marriage and he’s been having an extramarital affair for three and a half years.”

My heart dropped. She finished pouring my glass and moved to him.

Dad’s eyes were still closed.

“That means that when we spent our silver wedding anniversary renewing our vows, he was fucking someone else on the side. Now, Genevieve, since his whore is the whore he purchased your salon from, you’ll probably understand when I tell you that as his wife who’s entitled to half of his money, I want to sell immediately and liquidate all our assets so that they can be split down the middle.”

Rider’s glass was now full.

What? What? Debbie?

What? I don’t think I’d ever heard Mom use an F-bomb.

“Oh, you heard me,” she answered my unspoken whats.

“Dad?” I was in shock.

Dad’s eyes opened and were on me and they were filled with remorse.

“I didn’t want you to find out this way. I wanted to talk to you.”

Mom laughed with venom in her voice.

“I should have known. He has the perfect business for you, the perfect arrangement for the former owner to show you the ropes and stay on until you’re all set. Then he divorces me and moves on with her. She’s already a friend to you and swoops in to take my place and you’re instantly on their side.”

I heard the ‘ding’ of a kitchen timer and it sent Mom back to the kitchen. She strolled in there, casually, like she hadn’t just dropped a bomb on me.

“Dad?” I asked.

“I’m sorry you had to find out like this.”

I gave my head a shake.

Debbie was awesome. She was not far off Mom’s age, just a few years younger, but she was youthful, fun, interesting, sweet. She’d been amazing to me.  She said she wanted to retire, work less but still cut hair for a while, so I’d taken over the business and she was staying on, renting a chair, for 2.5 to 3 years to help with the transition. I’d taken over her apartment over the shop and she’d moved into a really nice little Victorian house not far away.

She talked about sex, but she never talked about dating and she was a stunner. Now, I kind of understood. She had a love life. With my Dad.

She and her friends had just gone on a girls’ trip to Vegas.

Shit. My Dad had said while I was in lockdown in Sioux Falls that he was going on a business trip to Nevada.

Did Mom catch him?

Mom came back out with the pan with the roast. Surrounding it were roasted Parisienne potatoes and roasted baby carrots. She put it down and went back to the kitchen, calling “I could use a hand carrying out the rest, Jenna.”

I got up and followed her.

“Mom.” I felt so sad for her. She wasn’t nice. She was mean to me and barely nice to my father. As for their twenty-fifth renewal, she’d organized that in the garden with their friends and it’d felt fake even back then. I doubted Dad had a choice.

But he’d been cheating on her for all this time? With Deb. Deb! I considered Deb a friend. Deb knew so much about my life. I’d sat and moaned to Deb about my mother a hundred times, for heaven’s sake. I was feeling betrayed right now, too.

“I guess you think I deserve this,” she said, pouring gravy from a pan on the stove into her fine bone china gravy boat.

“No. Not even a little bit.” I said, my arms cradling myself.

“You’ll be on his side after he pulls you aside. He’s always spoiled you.”

“What? My father didn’t spoil me. Neither of you did.”

“Bring the rolls.” She walked out with the gravy boat and I followed with a basket of rolls.

She put the gravy on the table.

Rider was sitting there looking at me. My father was sitting there with a face like stone.

Mom smiled and said, “So, in light of the circumstances, we’ll need to liquidate all the assets and split them. Including the salon and the building the salon and apartment are in.” Mom started to slice the roast like she wasn’t talking about slicing my life into pieces.

Dad’s face went hard.

“Except this place.” She looked around with disdain. “Your father had his mother make this part of your trust fund. I’ll move out and then he’ll either take it until you want it, or he’ll give it to you, I guess.”

“Mom…” I started.

“Karen. I’m sure we can deal with this without dragging Jenna’s business into it.”

“No.” She pointed the knife at my father.

Yikes.

She went back to slicing.

“Mom, I know there’s a whole lot happening here, but maybe we should all just…”

“No.” She started serving the meat. She served Rider first, then Dad, then me, then herself.

She started ladling vegetables onto Rider’s plate.

“Your father has spoiled you rotten. You have not shown the level of responsibility required to run a business, Genevieve. It’s better we just end it now.”

“I’ll buy you out, then,” Dad said. “This thing is between you and I and it shouldn’t touch Jenna.”

“There you go again.  Indulging her bad behavior. Look at what she’s doing!” Mom gestured at Rider.

Rider’s eyebrows shot up.

“And she takes off for days leaving her business in the hands of your whore and her nail technician. She couldn’t care less about responsibility.”

“I love my salon. I’m doing well with it. I---”

“You’re a frivolous young woman who needs a reality check!” Mom hissed.

I shot to my feet. “Are you kidding me? Reality? I lived in a house with two people in a loveless marriage who tolerated me, at best, because of how much of a disappointment I was. Despite that, I put myself through beauty school. My business might only be my business because of Dad’s arrangement, but I never asked for that. I don’t ask either of you for anything. Affection. Support. Love. Not a thing.” I threw my napkin on the table. “I was in hiding because someone wanted to rape and kill me, not that you’d give a shit. If you want to take my salon, have at it. I no longer give a fuck.”

I stormed out. Rider was right behind me.

My first instinct was to climb Ella’s staircase to her attic. That’s where I always headed when I was furious with my mother. Because that was all I had. That wasn’t the case any longer. I had a man who loved me. I spun around and faced Rider in the driveway. “Please take us for a ride? Please?”

“You got it, gorgeous.” He kissed my forehead and opened the passenger door of the Charger for me.

We got to his garage, I hadn’t said a word on the way, and parked close to the burnt-out Deke’s Roadhouse. He unlocked the garage and took me in through the side door. His regular Harley and his vintage bike were both there. There was also a half-built bike in a similar style, but with pink in it.  I touched the body of it.

“You making this for a girl?” I asked.

“Yep,” he said. “You want one, too? Teach you to ride?”

“No.” I shook my head. “I like that I can just hang onto you and enjoy the view.” I stared off into space.

“Jenna…” He approached me.

I looked at him.

“I’m not gonna cry over that,” I informed him.

“Okay, baby.” He put his hands to my jaw and caressed the apples of my cheeks with his thumbs. “But if you need to, lean on me, gorgeous.”

I put my arms around him.

My phone was ringing from my pocket.

I glanced at the screen.

Mom Calling

I answered.

“Hello?”

“End things with him and show you’re ready to be a responsible adult and I won’t drag your salon into the divorce.”

I held the phone.

“Your choice. Let me know by tomorrow.”

“I don’t have to think about it, Mom. I’ll give you my answer right now.”

She held the phone.

“Take it. Take it and sell it. I don’t care. I’ll work at another salon until I get my trust fund and I’ll buy another one. I don’t give a shit. He means way more to me already than that. You’re doing me a favor here, because this cuts the strings.  We’re done. Enjoy yourself, Mom. Have fun basking in your bitterness knowing you’ve won.”

I ended the call, shoved my phone in my pocket, and put my ear to his chest.

Thumping steady and sure. This was all I needed right now. This, and the open road.

“We goin’ for a ride?” I asked, looking up at him.

He looked furious. “I heard what she said, Jenna.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“She offered to let you keep it if you gave me up.”

“Yeah.” I said, a sourness working its way through my mouth, my stomach.

“She’ll probably change her mind after she gets a chance to cool down. She’s just striking out at whoever she can because she’s so angry.”

“She won’t change her mind, Rider. And it’s okay. I’m so ready for her to have zero leverage over me, it’s actually a bit of a relief.”

I felt that, yeah, but I loved my salon. I hated that I’d also be taking away from Pippa, who would have to find another salon to work at.

And Pippa was supposed to be moving in with Joe, but the way things were with them right now? She wasn’t talking, but I could tell things weren’t good. I didn’t like the idea of her having to move out of our apartment and in with him if she had any doubts.

“I love you,” he told me.

I smiled. “I love you, too. Take me for a ride, please?”

“Let’s go. Tap my left elbow if you want me to pull off. My right one, when you’re ready to head back home.”

We took his Harley and drove for a good hour or hour and a half, before I tapped his right elbow and he took us home.

***

I was sitting on the edge of the bed, deep in thought, while he was in the bathroom a long time, the water running.

Finally, he poked his head out and crooked his finger at me.

I got up and walked into the bathroom. He’d run me a bubble bath. My scented warmer light was on, the lights off, and he put two plush lilac towels with satin edging on the vanity for me.

“Thanks, handsome.” 

He kissed my forehead and left me to it.

I came out of the bathroom a half an hour later, relaxed and sleepy. He was in bed, watching television.

“You didn’t like the purple towels?” he asked.

“Those are my good towels. I don’t use those,” I said, tightening the beige bath towel wrapped around me.

He chuckled. “Why have ‘em if you can’t use ‘em?”

I smiled. “Because they’re pretty.”

“Yeah, well so are you, and I certainly plan to use you,” he teased.

I crawled up onto the bed in just the towel.

“If I use them constantly, they might not be pretty. If you use me constantly, I don’t know if that’ll be pretty, but it sure will feel good… so I won’t care.”

He snickered and undid my towel and tossed it. I crawled under the blankets with him and snuggled in.

“We didn’t get dinner. You hungry?”  I asked.

“Not really,” he said.

“Me either.”

He didn’t make any moves, despite my nakedness, his nakedness.

I was glad. I wasn’t feeling sexy right now. I was feeling very, very tired. And sad.

He rubbed my back until I fell asleep with my head on his chest.

***

My dad was waiting for me at the salon when I got down the stairs in the morning. He was standing there chatting with Scooter, who was today’s shadow. Rider had already gotten up and showered to leave for work before I was out of bed, kissing me sweetly, telling me to have a good day and to call him if my mother tried to hassle me.

“Hi Dad,” I said.

“Hello, honey. Got time to talk before you open?”

I nodded, and we went into the utility room, leaving Scooter in the waiting area.

“I’m sorry you had to find out that way,” he said as I started up the coffeemaker.

“Me, too,” I said.

“In Deborah’s defense, she didn’t like the lies. She gave me an ultimatum about it. Made me put a timeline on it. I pushed it off a few times, not wanting to hurt anyone. I’m lucky I didn’t lose her.”

I passed him a cup of coffee and started a new one for me.

“Your mother and I haven’t been happy for a really long time. If we ever really were.”

“Yeah, but lying doesn’t make it better. It’s cowardly, Dad.”

He looked down. “I know. I’ve been trying to get caught for six months. I think your mother knew for about two years. I think she suspected it when we had to have that meeting with Deborah to sign all the papers for the salon. She started punishing me even more but never confronted me. I think it was more fun for her this way.”

“How did it all come to a head?”

“The night we saw the news about that woman that got murdered and we couldn’t reach you. We were arguing. I was leaving for Vegas that morning and I was telling her that I wasn’t concerned about Rider. See, Deborah’s closest friend Laura used to date Rider’s father, so she filled us in on the kind of people you were with. And honey, that added to talking to Rider on the phone? That put my mind at ease. I was trying to settle your mother down, and finally I blurted how I knew that the Valentines were good people. It just spiraled out of control from there.”

I blew out a breath.

“It’s on me. I accept responsibility. And now she’s gonna make everyone’s life miserable. I’m seeing my lawyer. I want to find a way to keep the salon out of it. Our original arrangement should stand. It might make things take longer, but I’m not willing for you to take the brunt of this.”

“No, Dad.” I shook my head. “That puts me in the middle of this thing with you and her and I don’t wanna be.”

“She’s gonna tie up all our assets, or I would’ve---”

“I know.”

“The house is in your name in trust. I did that when my mother passed, so she couldn’t sell it out from under you if things came to this. Even then I think I knew we wouldn’t last forever. I could ask my lawyer about it. If you sell it, it would be more than enough to---”

I shook my head. “No. I’m gonna raise my children in that house.”

Dad’s expression went soft.

“They’re gonna slide down that banister right into their daddy’s arms.”

Dad’s eyes filled up.

When I was about four, I slid down the banister and Dad caught me at the bottom. And I thought I’d be in trouble, but Dad’s eyes were sparkly, and he was laughing at me and my inability to hide how much I’d loved doing it.  And Mom caught him and screamed at him for it.  And screamed at me for it.

I knew he remembered it as vividly as I did by the look on his face.

“I’ll buy a new salon when I turn thirty.”

“I’ll try to find a way…” he said.

“No, Dad. Thank you for being willing to try. Thank you for all the faith you showed me when you decided to do this. I’m not happy about the lies and I wish you’d gone about ending your marriage a different way. Adultery is not okay. But, I appreciate---”

“Jenna, your mother and I haven’t had a real marriage in more than ten years. I was celibate for years before I met Deborah.”

I winced. Still. Adultery was adultery.

“You should’ve ended it with Mom before you went there with Deb.”

He nodded. “I know.”

“And Deb should not have pretended to be my friend all this time.”

“She is your friend. She loves you, honey. I’m gonna marry her.”

I blew out a breath. I loved Deb, too. But, this was really, really ugly.

“I’m gonna need time,” I said.

“I know.”

“But I do love you, Dad.”

“I love you, too, Jenna. And I’m so very sorry for not shielding you from her better. She made me so angry and you were always just so resilient. I hated how she treated you we would have terrible arguments when you weren’t there. But you always just bounced back from her nonsense. I’ve always been in awe of that.”

“I didn’t bounce back, Dad. I just hid it really well. You should’ve shielded me better. I didn’t think you cared.”

My father looked like he’d been hit in the gut. He swallowed.

“I’ve gotta open,” I whispered.

He took a sip of his coffee and put the cup down.

“I’m meeting with my lawyer this afternoon. I’ll let you know what he says about all of this.”

“Don’t bother, Dad. I think a fresh start might be better.”

Then I wouldn’t have to deal with Mom. I wouldn’t have to work side-by-side with Deb, his mistress. I could make a clean break.

Even though it hurt like hell.

He kissed my cheek and left.

I stood there a minute, looking around. And then I heard Pippa’s voice. She was saying hi to my dad.

I closed my eyes, stress filling my belly. I hated that I was going to have to break this to Pippa.

And Lulu. I’d have to tell her she didn’t have a new job to start next week after all.

Fuck my life.

At least I had Rider.

As if he’d read my mind, he was phoning me.

“Hi.”

“Scoot said your dad just left?”

“Yeah.”

“You okay, gorgeous?”

“No.”

“What can I do?”

“You got a cool mill lying around I can borrow so I can buy this place?”

I didn’t even know how much it would be listed for.

“Not exactly, baby.”

“Yeah, that’s all right. Lana’s Hair Salon might have a chair for rent. Or maybe Fran from another salon will hire me. She’s three blocks from here.”

“Yeah?”

“I’m gonna need to find an apartment,” I mumbled. I loved my apartment.

“We’ll get one together,” he said.

“Already?” I asked.

“Some reason we should wait?” he asked.

“Nnnnno.”

“Then check the want-ads. I got money put away, so we’ll be fine.”

“Huh?”

“I don’t know your cashflow situation, gorgeous, but I got money in the bank. Don’t stress about cash. I can cover us.”

I blinked.

How amazing was he?

“I’m not destitute yet, don’t worry,” I said softly.

He didn’t answer.

“But thank you, Rider.”

“Love you, beautiful. Gotta go. Customer here. You okay?”

“I will be,” I said. “Bye, handsome. Love you, too.”

“See you tonight. But, what non-cute grocery item do you want for dinner?”

“How about I make you dinner?” I suggested.

“You said you can’t cook.”

“I can’t. But I’ll try.”

“Naw. I’ll cook, you do the dishes. We got that down pat.”

“Yeah, but you’re really messy.”

“But you like my food.”

“Yeah, you’re a damn good cook,” I said.

“Gotta go, babe. I’ll thinka somethin’ to wow you with.”

“Okay. You could make any of the food I didn’t eat last week when I had my head up my ass. Okay?”

“Okay,” he chuckled.

“Love you so, so much, Rider.”

“Love you more. Bye, gorgeous.” He hung up.

Ella was in the front, with Pippa and Scooter and Pudge, when I got out.  Pudge was Ella’s bodyguard today.  He went out for an egg McMuffin and hash brown run while I filled in Ella and Pippa on all the news.

Ella and Pippa felt awful for me, and Ella immediately declared it a girls’ night out. We needed to go get drunk, she said. So, she and Pippa rounded up Andie, Lulu, Dr. Lola, and Deanna, and we all went to a bar after work, two biker bodyguards with us.

I had good friends. I had a great boyfriend.

I’d be okay.

***

Rider knew I was having a girls’ night out. He left me to it.

When I got home at about 1:30 in the morning, more than a little bit sloshed, he was sitting on my couch, a beer bottle balanced on his knee, held by the neck with his hand.

“Hey-yah,” I leaned on the doorframe.  Pippa staggered toward her bedroom. She was smashed drunk, too.

Scott was behind me. “You good?”  He was addressing my man. My beautiful biker man.

God, my biker was beautiful.

Rider waved. “Yeah man. Hit the road. See ya here at 9:30.”

“Night Jenna,” Scooter said.

“Thanks for beaming me home, Scotty.” I giggled and then informed Rider, “Scooter and Deanna made goo-goo eyes at one another all night long. It was adorable!”

Scooter rolled his eyes. “Lock up.”

“Roger, dodger.” I saluted him, following and turning the lock on the kitchen door and putting the chain on.

“He must be so bored hanging out with me most days,” I said, coming back to the doorway of the living room. “How does he survive doing that all day?”

“You’re fun to watch, I’m guessin’.” Rider flicked the TV off and put his beer bottle on the table.

“You think so, but you like me. No. I mean financially.”

“He gets paid. I pay him.”

“You pay him?”

“Yeah. Prospects are at our beck and call, get a small cut of the club’s earnings, but a situation like this, full time bodyguard, I’m paying him, so he can pay his bills. It’s a job.”

“Oh. All this time?”

“Yeah. Him, Jess, Bronto, whoever’s watching you.”

“Must be quite an expense.”

“It is. You’re high-maintenance, baby. I have to pay him a premium. High maintenance is even higher than the usual danger pay.”

I laughed.

He was stalking toward me.

“You drunk?” he asked.

“Little bit,” I held my hand aloft, my index finger and thumb a few inches apart. And then I threw my arms wide to make it look like a lot.

He stepped up to me and put his arms around me.

“You have a good night?”

“It felt really good to let my hair down and dance. Me, Ella, Pippa, all of us. We danced our asses off.”

“Shit,” He grumbled.

“What?” I asked.

He walked me toward the bedroom.

“I missed watchin’ you dance.”

I laughed. “I wanna dance some more. But I wanna do the no-pants dance. Like Men-Without-Hats, but Jenna and Rider-with-no-pants. Haha.”

“Sounds good to me,” he said and undid my jeans button.

I put my head on his shoulder.

 “I’m sad,” I mumbled.

“Baby?” he took my face in his hands.

“I don’t wanna move.” I pouted.

“I’m sorry, babe.”

“I wanna live here for the next few years, enjoy the roof parties, the closeness to the bakery and my salon and that coffee place down the street with the really good BLT wraps, then I wanna move into my parents’ house and raise our babies there.”

“Sounds like a good plan.”

“But I have to move and someone else is gonna have the salon and probably rent the apartment out and it’ll ruin the roof people group, too, because what if whoever moves here doesn’t like roof parties?”

“That’d suck for the neighbors.”

“I love my neighbors. They’re gonna be so sad, too.”

We were now lying on the bed together.

“Pippa’s moving in with Joe. She and I are gonna talk to Lana about working there. We don’t wanna work at Fran’s. Her husband hangs out and he’s creepy. And we wanna work at the same place.” I sighed.

He was playing with my hair.

“I’m sad.” I repeated, my eyes drooping.

“I’m sorry, Jenna,” he whispered.

“If I turn into my mother, just divorce me, okay? Don’t cheat on me behind my back.”

“You won’t turn into your mother.”

“I hope not.”

“And I won’t cheat. Not ever. Promise.”

“I love you.”

“Love you, too, Jenna.”

“I won’t be sad for long as long as you don’t leave me.”

“I won’t leave you, baby. Promise.”

“Okay.”

And then I fell asleep.