Stitch: Satan's Fury MC (24 page)
“He loves it,” I answered.
“Wyatt is too cute for words,” Allie told me. “When I mentioned that I had a German Shepherd, he told me everything about the breed and how important it was to train them properly. Even told me how to get him to stop chewing on the legs of my furniture.”
“I’m sure he did! He’s been begging me for a dog for months. He researched every breed from Shih Tzu’s to Great Danes,” I explained. “When he sets his mind to something, it’s hard to get him to think about anything else.”
“Well, you should definitely bring him by to meet Charlie sometime,” Allie offered. “He’s really friendly, and I’m sure that Wyatt would love him.”
“I’d love to bring him by. I’m sure he’d love that,” I told her.
“I’ll get Guardrail to grill out for us. You girls should come, too. Bring the guys,” Allie told them.
“I’d love that,” Henley answered.
We spent the next hour talking, and I really enjoyed getting to know each of them a little better. Tonight was the first time I’d gotten to spend any time with Allie, but I could tell that we had a lot in common. I looked forward to getting to know her even better. Cassidy poured us each another shot, but her expression immediately changed when Cotton came in and sat down at the end of the bar. Tension washed over her as she glanced over at him, and I couldn’t help but wonder what was bothering her.
When she let out a deep sigh, I whispered, “Are you okay?”
She forced a fake smile and said, “Absolutely. Never been better. Just need…”
“Cass,” Cotton called, interrupting her.
With an overstated eye roll, Cassidy answered, “Yeah?”
“Need a beer.”
“And?” she asked, placing her hand on her hip.
His eyebrows furrowed in anger when he said, “
Cass
.”
She hesitated, but gave in and walked over to him, handing him a beer from the cooler. I couldn’t hear what he was saying to her, but it was clear that he wasn’t happy with her. With an irritated scowl, he leaned closer to her, talking to her in a disapproving tone. When he was done scolding her, she turned her back to him and started to walk out of the bar. She was clearly angry, but he quickly reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her close to his chest. He said something else to her, but when she snapped back at him, he instantly stood and with his hand still wrapped around her elbow, he led her out of the bar.
“It’s about damn time,” Henley said smiling.
“I’m lost. How is what just happened a good thing?” I asked.
Henley let out a deep breath and said, “There’s always been a push and pull with those two. I’ve never really understood it, but it’s worked for them. But lately, for whatever reason, Cotton has been trying to keep his distance from Cassidy, and she hasn’t been handling it very well. Actually, it’s made her bat-shit crazy. Maybe now they will either end this thing between them once and for all, or get their shit together.”
“What do you think they’ll do?” I asked.
“There’s no telling,” Henley said. “But I know Cassidy, and if there’s something she wants, she isn’t going to let it go without a fight.”
Stitch
‡
A year later
“C
an I have
mine plain?” Wyatt asked anxiously. “I don’t like ketchup. Tomatoes are gross.”
We were in the kitchen, and Wyatt was watching as I put the seasoning on the burger meat. I’d managed to convince him that I made better burgers than the ones that they made down at the diner, but I could see that he was having his doubts. “Yeah, you can have yours plain.”
“What else are we having?”
“Haven’t really thought about it. Whatcha got in mind?” I asked.
“Mom usually makes something healthy,” he said with his nose crinkling with dislike.
“We could do fries or chips? What do you think about that?”
“Yeah, I like French fries, but I like them plain. No ketchup,” he reminded me.
“You got it,” I told him. “You want to help me start up the grill?”
“Yes! Can I light it?” he asked. “I’ll be real careful.”
“Yeah, you can light it, but we’ll need to get the charcoal set up first,” I told him as I started towards the back porch. Once we were outside, I handed him the large bag of charcoal and guided him over to the grill. “You’ll need to pour it out slow, so they don’t get away from you. Then, we’ve got to stack them up kinda like a pyramid.”
“I can do that,” he said proudly as he lifted the bag, pouring the charcoal out onto the grate. Once he emptied the bag, he reached in and started to organize each of the little squares, trying to create a perfect pyramid. It took some time, but I let him get it done the way he wanted before I handed him the barbeque lighter. He pushed the button several times before it finally lit, then he eased it down to the charcoal, smiling wide when the fire took hold. “I did it,” he said proudly.
“Yep. You did good, Bud.”
“Can I help you cook the burgers, too?” he asked, flicking his wrists at his sides as he lifted up on his tiptoes.
“Absolutely,” I smiled. When we walked back into the kitchen, Wren was leaning into the refrigerator looking for something to munch on, and Wyatt wasted no time letting her know what he’d been up to. “I got to light the grill, and Griff said I could help make the burgers!”
“That’s awesome. Do you need any help? I could make a salad,” she offered.
“We’ve got this,” I told her, kissing her lightly on the lips as I eased her to the side and closed the refrigerator. She placed her hands on her very round belly and gave me a small pout. “Let the men tend to their business.”
“Yeah, Mom. We’ve got this,” Wyatt mocked.
“Well, I’ll just leave my boys to it then,” she smiled and waddled towards the living room.
Wyatt followed me back out to the porch and listened intently as I showed him how to grill the burgers. While the meat sizzled under the heat of the fire, we both sat quietly in our rocking chairs lost in our own thoughts. I looked over to him and couldn’t believe how surreal it all felt. There was a time when I never would have dreamed that my life could turn out like this. I was scared to even imagine that I could have a family and a life that I actually enjoyed living. I’d spent so much time just trying to survive, never thinking that I would have people in my life that actually cared about me, much less a pregnant wife and a son that I adored. My life was good.
“I think they’re ready,” Wyatt said, pulling me from my thoughts.
“Let’s get them off then,” I told him and headed for the grill. Excitement rolled off him as he used the spatula to take the meat off all by himself. When he was done, he proudly took the tray of burgers and placed it on the table. Then, he raced over to the counter to get our drinks, while I brought the fries over. Once everything was set, he shouted, “Mom!! It’s ready!”
“Griffin, can you come here a minute,” she called.
I stuck my head into the living room and found her standing there with her hands cradling her stomach while she stared down at the floor. I took a step forward, quickly noticing the pool of water at her feet. “Wren? What’s going on?”
She looked up at me and tried to remain calm as she said, “My water just broke.”
“Your water did what?” I was prepared for this moment. Did everything I could think of to make sure I knew what to expect, but the minute I realized she was in labor, my mind drew a blank.
“It just means the amniotic sac broke, remember? We read about it in that book Mom gave you. She’s in labor,” Wyatt interrupted. “The baby is coming. Right, Momma?”
“That’s right, buddy. In a few hours, you’ll get to meet your new sister,” she explained. How the hell could she be standing there seeming so fucking composed? The woman was in labor, the baby was coming, and she was standing there talking all calm and shit like there was nothing to it. I’d always been the one that was in control, prepared for anything, but at that moment, I felt like someone had stripped me of all my power, and I was helpless to do anything about it.
“Oh… and we need to call your grandparents and tell them to meet us at the hospital,” Wren explained.
“I’ll do it,” Wyatt told her as he headed to get his phone. Just before he left the room, he looked over to me and said, “Don’t forget to go get Momma’s bag and put it in the car.”
“Where’s the bag? Did you get everything packed?” I asked with panic.
Wren looked at me and with a soft voice said, “Come here.”
When I walked over to her, she placed her hands on my face and said, “In a few hours, you are going to be a daddy. You’re going to hold your precious, little girl in your arms, and the wait will be over. We’ll finally get to meet our daughter. I need you to take a deep breath and help me change out of these wet clothes, so we can go to the hospital.”
“And the bag?”
“Honey, you put it in the car days ago. Remember?” she teased.
“I did?”
When she nodded, I took her hand and helped her to the bedroom. As soon as she was changed, we all headed to the car. Even though I was a nervous wreck, Wren remained calm the entire way to the hospital. Wyatt sat in the backseat, spouting off facts about the delivery that I
really
didn’t need to hear. Wren rested her hand on my shoulder and whispered, “
Breathe
.”
After hours of watching Wren struggle through the pains of labor, our beautiful daughter was born. With Wyatt standing by my side, I held my Mia close to my chest, looking at her with complete awe. I felt as if my heart might burst inside my chest as I stared down at her. She had a full head of brown hair and little blue eyes like her brother. She was perfect, just like her mother had promised.
“It just keeps getting better. How is that possible?” I asked Wren.
“I don’t know, but it’s just going to keep getting better,” Wren whispered. “
Trust me
.”
Followed by a short excerpt of Maverick
I am extremely blessed to have such an incredible mother. Every day, she is there supporting me and encouraging me to be the best that I can be. I wouldn’t know what to do without her. Thank you, Mom. You make my life better just by being in it.
I would also like to give a huge thank you to my PA, Amanda Faulkner. She’s truly unbelievable! Posts, teasers, blogs…. It never ends. Thank you so much, Amanda!! Your help means the world to me. If you are in the need of a great PA or a great blog to follow, be sure to check out her links located under the title page.
Marci Ponce, you are an amazing editor and friend. Not only do you listen to me vent when my life gets hectic, (and I get down in the swamps) you still manage to keep me on track with my writing. I truly wouldn’t know what to do without you. You push me to be the best I can be and accept nothing less with each and every book. Your entire family has shown true dedication to the series, and it has meant so very much to me. Thank you so much for always being there and sharing your talent with me. I love ya, chick!
Danielle Deraney Palumbo, you’ve done it again! Even though your life has been extremely hectic, you still took the time to give me feedback on Stitch and help make it even better. I can’t tell you how much your help has meant to me. Thank you so much for everything you do, including kind words of support. You are amazing!
I would also like to thank all of my readers. I have loved all of your comments and posts. It means so much to me to hear that you have enjoyed reading one of my books. You have all been so supportive, and your comments always leave a smile on my face. When my life gets a little crazy, your kind words have given me the encouragement I’ve needed to continue on. Thank you Leah Joslin for being there to make me smile and encourage me when things get hectic. It has meant such much to me. You rock!
My Wilder’s Women Street Rocks!!! Thank you all for your support. It means so much to me that you continue to help me with reviews and posting all of my teasers. Elizabeth Thiele, Neringa Neringiukas, Dawn Bryant, Mary Orr, Tanya Skaggs, and Rosetta Wagers are such a huge help to me. I am always amazed each time I see one of my teasers or my links that they have shared. Thank you for taking your time to help me. It means more than you will ever know.
I have been very blessed to have so much support from such a great group of women. Sue Banner, Tanya Skaggs, Patricia Ann Blevins, Sherri Crowder, RB Hilliard, Keeana Porter, Terra Oenning, Danielle Palumbo, Kimberely Beale, Michelle Modesitte, Stacie Page – Ramay, Dana Kimberely Wade, Race Crespin, and Brandy Kennedy, you guys never fail to make me smile with your amazing reviews and kind words! Thanks so much for taking the time to read my books. Your reviews and comments mean so much to me!
Another special thank you to Sue Banner. From the start, she has shown me so much kindness and it has meant so much to me. She takes time out of her busy schedule to help make sure the book is ready for you, and she does an amazing job. She also helps edit her son’s book. If you haven’t had a chance to check out Daryl Banner’s books, you are missing out.