Gram gave him a sweet smile and gestured for him to join us. “Thank you. I hear you’re responsible for me having a home to come back to.”
He rested his arm along the back of my chair. “Your granddaughter is primarily responsible for that. She’s a force to be reckoned with.”
“I’m well aware.” Gram nodded. “I’ve been waiting to hear the whole story. Now that we’re all here, will you please fill me in?”
Thunder and I spent the next hour telling Gram everything that had happened while she was gone. I glossed over finding Ellie, but made sure to give her all the details about Dusty. She deserved to know what he’d been up to.
“I knew about the fertilizer,” Gram admitted. “Dusty told me they threatened to burn down the ranch if we didn’t look the other way. He and your grandfather had a certain way of dealing with unsavory characters over the years and I trusted him to handle it how he thought was best.”
“Wait, you knew? Why didn’t you say anything?” I glanced over at Thunder, who shifted forward in his seat.
“Mrs. Thacker?—”
“Please, call me Stella,” Gram said.
“Stella,”—Thunder looked from Gram to me and back again—“the Savage Bones aren’t a couple of thugs looking to make a profit with some farming equipment. They’re trying to take over this town. No disrespect, ma’am, but it was foolish for Dusty to think he could handle them on his own.”
“We need to stick together if we’re going to run them off for good,” I added.
“I realize that now, and so does Dusty. You can trust we’ll be upfront in the future. And I’ll talk to the other ranchers in the area. We’re not the only ones they’ve been threatening. The Fosters had their spring supply of fertilizer stolen as well.” Gram took a sip of her lemonade and frowned. “It used to be we knew all of our neighbors and could talk to each other. Now I’m not sure who to trust.”
“You can trust me, Stella.” Thunder held out his hand. “And you can trust the rest of the Mustang Mountain Riders.”
“I know.” Gram held out her arms. “I think we’re beyond handshakes. Can we have a hug instead?”
My heart warmed as Thunder pulled my Gram into one of his huge bear hugs. Everything was going to be okay, at least for now. With Gram back and Dusty forgiven for doing what he thought was best for the family, I was ready to finally head back to Thunder’s cabin and embrace the future together.
“Do you mind if we leave your car here and come back to get it tomorrow?” Thunder asked as we made our way down the steps of the porch.
“You just want to get me on the back of your bike, don’t you?” He’d told me he’d never had a woman ride behind him. I was ready to be the first and the only.
“I can’t stop imagining how it’s going to feel to have your legs wrapped around me.” He held my hand as I straddled the seat. “I used to think being on a bike was the best place I could possibly be.”
“And now?” I shifted forward as he climbed on in front of me, eager to press up against him.
“Now I know being on a bike with you is the absolute best place I could be.”
“And here I thought you were going to say something about being naked on a bike with me would be the best,” I teased.
He twisted around to hand me a helmet. “That’s not a bad idea, Baby Girl. It can be done.”
I laughed as I leaned close for a kiss. “Take me home, Thunder. You can prove it on the way.”
EPILOGUE
LIGHTNING
“I am not wearing that.”I look at the offending scrap of fabric in Ashley's hand.
“Yes, you are because Stone is your friend, and this is his day.” She talks to me like I'm a little kid throwing a tantrum. Maybe I am, but I am not a bow tie kind of wearing guy. In fact, I’d venture to say none of the guys here are.
“I don't understand why they had to get married right now. We don't have time for this. The longer we wait, the further underground Savage Bones is going, and it's going to be harder to find them.” I complain, but I sit down so that she can tie the collar around my neck. At least that's what it feels like.
I still hate that I need so much help to get ready for this wedding. With my arm still in a sling from being shot, I can't lift it up to even tie the bow tie. Not that I’d know how to tie one if I could. A regular tie sure, but Addy wanted the guys in bow ties and we sure as hell won’t say no to her.
When Stone and Addy came up and said they were getting married right after the meth production exploded, we all thought they meant heading down to the courthouse for a quickie wedding, not an actual full-on affair here at the clubhouse.
“There, now go in there with your friend, support him on his big day, and stop complaining,” Ashley says and points towards the door.
