Shattered & Scarred: The Sacred Hearts MC (31 page)

“Make you a deal Ashton.” He said.

“What?” I asked
again.

“When you’re ready for me to ask you to be my wife you come to me and say ‘ask me’. I want to do right by you so I’m not going to drop to one knee right then and there and shit. I’m going to plan it and I’m going to do it right. You get me?” he asked.

“I get you.” I said softly, the tightness around my heart easing with his reassurances.

“We have a deal?” he asked me.

“Deal.” I said and I smiled my first real genuine smile not weighted by sadness since this whole new mess began.

“Good.” Ethan s
aid resolutely into the phone.

“Thank you.” I said.

“You’re welcome Baby.” He said and nothing else needed to be said.

He told me to rest, to heal and that he would call again in the morning. I must have been exhausted because I slept through three missed calls. When I got up a note had been tacked to the outside of the bedroom door.

Sunshine,

Trigger called the club house, had me check on you since you weren’t answering your phone. You were out cold, told him as much, he said to let you sleep and to tell you ‘I love you’. Please wake up next time so I don’t have to pass girly and embarrassing messages.

Loyal

I laughed a little and shuffled slowly to the kitchen for some coffee and cereal. Chandra was out in the common room reading one of her paperback romance novels.

“Hey Girly.” She said looking up. She pulled off her red framed rectangular readers and set them down. She was sitting at a table by the window to take advantage of the natural light.

“Morning.” I said.

“More like afternoon but only by a bit. Still coffee in the kitchen want me to get you some?” she asked.

“I can get it.” I said and moved off that direction.

“Suit yourself.” She said and put her glasses back on. I returned with a steaming cup with liberal amounts of cream and sugar and took the seat opposite her.

“
Mmm.” She said and pulled herself back out of the book. She took off her glasses and marked her page.

“Good book-boyfriend?” I asked and she smiled.

“Think I may have a new favorite.” She said with a grin.  A soft knock landed on the club house door.

“What the hell?” she said getting up. I felt a surge of panic which quickly swirled away…
Chadwick was dead.
I had to remind myself. It still wasn’t real yet. Chandra opened the door.

“Help you?” she asked in her hard stand offish way.

“Oh my, um, yes, is Ashton here?” Hayden’s sweet and lyrical voice.

“It’s okay Chandra, that’s Hayden.” I said brightly.

Chandra stood aside and Hayden stepped through the door looking about as out of place as a sheep in a wolves den. She wore comfortable looking ballet flats, a pair of khaki cargo Capri’s and a light pink polo shirt. She even had a cream sweater, sleeves tied around her shoulders. Country club perfect in the middle of a biker’s club house. I hugged her and she hugged me carefully back.

“Well I feel out of place.” She declared.

“You look out of place.” Chandra confirmed and lit a cigarette between her lips. Hayden blinked and asked,

“Should you be doing that?” I smiled. I had asked the same thing all those weeks ago and Chandra smiled around the cig and said the same thing she’d said to me all those weeks ago…

“Private club.”

“Oh.” Hayden said softly, her green eyes swept the club house considering.

“The things I could do with this place.” She said and took a few steps further in.

“Just don’t go opening any closed doors.” Chandra warned her. Hayden nodded absently and let her finger tips slide along the bar.

“What’s back there?” she asked me.

“Private rooms, rest rooms… My room with Ethan is back there.” I said.

“Where’s the kitchen?” she asked me.

“Behind the bar, come on I’ll show you and get you some coffee while I’m at it.” I linked arms with my new friend and we went back into the kitchen. She started commenting on how she would better lay out this or that, paint colors and flooring and I giggled.

She and Chandra talked while I showered and dressed and I could tell they were becoming fast friends too. It was hard not to like Hayden. By the time I came out of the bedroom in a spring time dress and my white flip flops they had made plans to kidnap me.

“You need to relax.” Chandra complained.

“Pedicure is as good a start as any. Since I didn’t get the chance to give you one we’re all going now.” Hayden said.

“Don’t l
ook so panicked! It’ll be fun.” Chandra said and they linked arms with me on either side. I made sure to have my phone in my pocket in case Ethan texted or called. I texted him the girls plans and that I would be out not expecting one in return. I got one.

Stopped for gas. Have fun with the girls. Sounds like a fine idea.

Hayden and Chandra, and even Reaver’s cousin Shelly kept me extremely busy the rest of the afternoon. First it was smoothies and then it was manicures and pedicures and then it was lunch and then a trip to a book store. By the time we were through there they took me back to the club house and it was time for a much needed nap.

I woke long enough to cook some dinner for myself, Doc and Chandra and to speak with Ethan on the phone. Tomorrow would be spent with Doc and Chandra making arrangements for Chadwick’s body. I was waiting for Ethan before going back to the house.

He and I spoke on the phone about what would have to happen next. The important documents residing in Chadwick’s office safe. I knew where he hid the combination. I’d known a lot of things I wasn’t supposed to know when we’d been married. When he’d grown complacent that I was too stupid or that I wasn’t paying attention. Ethan bid me good night and said that he would see me the next day but couldn’t tell me what time. Said he would have to check with Data who was drooling on his keyboard which had made me laugh.

I slept, but it wasn’t a fitful sleep. My mind turning over and over just everything that had to be done that I didn’t wish to do. I was awake for most of the night, my eyes finally sliding shut as the room began to grow light with the coming dawn.

I woke from a sharp pain in the side that Maynard had kicked as I was being dragged back across the bed into a warm, hard chest. I struggled to sit up.

“Easy
Girl. Just me.” I closed my eyes and slumped back into Ethan’s warmth as his low growl of a voice vibrated up my spine.
He was here. He was home. Thank God.

“Didn’t mean to wake you, I just wanted to feel you against me.” He murmured and I felt a little thrill at his words.

“I missed you.” I whispered.

“I mi
ssed you too, but I’m here now Babe. Go back to sleep. You look like you need it.” he cuddled me carefully and I snuggled back into him and immediately fell into a deep and dreamless sleep. Safe in the circle of his arms, forever at last…

Trig…

I couldn’t wait to see her face.

“Don’t move.” I said excitedly and she sat as still as a stone, her generous lips curving into a gentle Mona Lisa smile beneath the black bandanna tied tightly over her golden eyes. That part was a shame but a necessary evil to complete the surprise.

Her douchebag husband had met his fucking maker three months ago and though his life insurance policy had been null and void because he’d ‘committed suicide’ it didn’t matter. Ashton had been so still at his lawyer’s office. She’d been married to him when he’d died and with no children and no parents or siblings on his side of things to fight it, everything had been declared hers.

It was about time she’d gotten something good out of him and she’d sat there in stunned silence when all was said and done. The house, the cars, the art, the
yacht
… Yeah the fucker had a secret yacht for Christ’s sake. All of it she’d told the lawyers to sell it which they’d accomplished in record time. Her ex had been a douche but his lawyers and accountants were surprisingly good people. She’d put her name to the check for
twelve million dollars after all the taxes were paid
and looked at me.

“
I want to find a house, a small house just you and me.” She’d said gently and I’d done just that.

I opened the door to the
brand new Jeep and helped her out, swinging her out and over the cracked sidewalk under the tree dappled light of the brilliant summer sun. She squealed with joy and laughter and her arms slipped around my neck and shoulders and I laughed with her. I kissed her and she kissed me back and I suddenly couldn’t wait to get her out of her bright yellow sundress and underneath me to christen her new surprise.

I set her on her sandaled feet oh so gently and turned her to face the little three bedroom two story cottage-like home. I stood behind her and placed my hands on her bare shoulders smoothing my thumbs over her silky skin. My cock swelled in my jeans, I couldn’t help it. I couldn’t get enough
of my Sunshine Girl no matter how hard I tried.

“You ready?” I asked.

“Yes!” she cried equal parts excited and exasperated. I whisked the blindfold off and she blinked while her eyes adjusted and when they did her reaction was fucking flawless. She gasped. Her manicured nails going to cover her mouth her golden eyes flying wide. The lawn was perfectly manicured, the fence low, white and freaking picket. The flowerbeds overflowed with blossoms and the drive leading back to the detached garage glowed just about as white as the fence.

The house though, that was the main attraction. It was a soft dove gray and trimmed out in lavender the front porch was white and meant for sitting, a porch swing like the one at the lake cabin which she’d expressed she’d loved hung from the porch’s covered rafters two end tables for coffee in the morning, tea in the afternoon and wine or beer in the evening to either side.

The windows were white and set into all sides of the house to allow as much natural light as possible. The chimney to the side wasn’t brick but rather stacked round river stones in grays ranging from light to tans giving the place that natural woodland feel. A giant oak tree took up the majority of the front yard dappling the light and casting the shade that we’d both be craving each summer. She took a hesitant step forward.

“Go on
Babe, it’s your house. It’s not going to bite you.” I laughed.  She went up the driveway trailing fingertips along the fence and opened the latched gate that opened onto the flagstone pathway that led to the porch steps. She looked up at me.

“It’s everything we talked about.” She whispered and looked like she was about to cry.

“Nothing but the best for my girl.” I said softly. She wrapped her arms around my waist and a little sob broken by a laugh bubbled out of her. I laughed.

“Hey now, come on now, none of this I want you to see it all.” I said. Which
was only true because I wanted her to see it all so I could get her nude and writhing underneath me. She nodded against me and reluctantly let go taking a step back. She went down the little path and up the stairs. I pulled a key out of my pocket and pressed it into the palm of her hand. She slid it into the lock with shaking fingers and opened the door.

The place was empty. I’d thought of furnishing it but then decided that with her BFF Hayden being an interior designer and a total spitfire besides
… Well, I decided I rather liked having my balls firmly attached, the decorating could come later. Besides, it was Ashton’s money and I could honestly give two fucks about how she decorated as long as it was her that I was coming home to every night.

“I love it Ethan.” She’d said after she’d toured every room. We were in the upstairs master bedroom. She’d cried in the kitchen. I’d made sure to have it redone to her ever
y specification. She came to me and tipped her face up for a kiss and greedy bastard that I am I lifted her, her lithe legs curving around my hips in the way that drove me wild.

I broke the k
iss and said against her mouth, “You and me until the wheels fall off Sunshine.” She smiled against my mouth.

“I like the sound of that.” She whispered.

I pinned her against our new bedroom wall and pressed into her, fingertips digging into the soft pale skin of her outer thighs. Holy god she wasn’t wearing any panties. Now I know why she’d insisted on taking the Jeep rather than my bike. This woman drove me nuts.

“I’m going to make love to you against this bedroom wall.” I growled into her ear but her small hands were already working the fly of my jeans. God what this woman did to me.

“Okay but I want you in the kitchen next.” She murmured and I smiled as I pushed my way inside her.

Her. Me. Forever.

Still I loved that she was in such a rush.

“I love you Ashton Fletcher.”

“I love you Ethan Howard.”

We christened every room in the house and the bedroom twice before the afternoon was over.

Her and me until the wheels fell off along the open road called life.

Fuck yeah.