“Come on,” he says, giving it one last tug. “We’ll skip the nature walk this time and use the street.”
I nod, the two of us marching down his steps and onto the worn path, passing a large building with motorcycles parked inside a brightly lit garage. A couple of the boys look up, and I recognize them from the bar, but nothing is said other than Grizz mumbling a few words under his breath that I don’t quite understand.
When we slip through the large gates and out onto the street, I finally clear my throat, breaking the silence, though, not because it’s awkward, but because I’m not sure when we’ll get this kind of time together again.
“For a man who practically has back off stamped on his forehead, the home you’ve built is so warm,” I say as we walk down the narrow sidewalk. His stride is strong and steady, so I have to walk a little faster to keep up.
“I had the fire going,” he answers, not looking over.
I roll my eyes. “You know that’s not what I mean.”
His home is like nothing I’ve ever experienced.
It’s not an old apartment with ten locks on the door, a cold draft that whistles in the wind, and shag carpet that never feels clean.
Grizz’s cabin has life.
Not the living, breathing kind, but the kind that’s created when someone puts their heart and soul into something. It sounds cliché but it’s true. In that cabin, I can feel Grizz. He’s in the gritty, natural wood of the walls and the heat from the fire. Every touch of the furniture inside felt as though I had my hands on a part of him, dragging my fingers along each surface, learning, exploring, excited to know more about the man who has captivated me since the moment we met.
“When you spend years in a cold, concrete prison cell, you find yourself wanting something a little less hard and dark,” he says, glancing over at me as if gauging my reaction, just like he’d done in the cabin at the first mention of prison.
Part of me wants to know more, to ask questions. Who, where, what, why? But if I’m being completely honest with myself, none of it matters to me, and by his change in demeanor when he mentions it, I know for sure the story comes with scars.
And I’m sure he will share those if and when he’s ready.
“I figured if I was gonna start over,” he continues, “I’d do it somewhere quiet. Somewhere that has no expectations or demands of me.”
“And the club?” I ask.
“They’re not quiet,” he says with a short, rough laugh. “But they don’t expect much either. Just honesty and loyalty.” I nod slowly, both of us looking down at our feet as we crunch through some frozen leaves, our breaths visible in the quickly cooling air, making me laugh. “You don’t get this in Texas.”
I glance up, surprised. “I didn’t…” then it clicks. “Jovie.”
The smirk on his face is confirmation. “Don’t worry, she didn’t mention why you left.”
“I’m not even sure there’s a reason,” I admit without thinking. “Whether I’m running away from that life, or running toward a new one.”
Grizz is quiet for a beat, and I’m sure I’ve lost him with my rambling.
“Maybe it doesn’t matter. As long as you’re moving,” he suggests finally, and I fight a smile.
Nope.
Turns out he understands me better than I understand myself.
The sudden acceleration of a motor has Grizz moving closer, backing me away from the road. But then a woman’s voice calls out, “Hey!” and a low growl rumbles in his throat before his shoulders drop and he steps back.
A large silver SUV pulls to a sharp stop beside us, Victoria leaning out the window. “Sarah said you went on a nature walk. Did you get lost?”
There’s laughter in her voice, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. Those are narrowed on Grizz as he moves in a little closer to me. The woman didn’t hide her dislike for him and the club, even though she shows up in spaces like the bar, knowing they’ll be there. Though it’s also very obvious she’s a controlling mother, and while that grinds me the wrong way, I also understand wanting to protect your daughter from men you think might not be right for them.
If that’s her prerogative, I can’t exactly be angry about it.
I guess I just see things differently.
Walking a little closer to the large vehicle, I hold up my hand. “I was nature walking, but took a side path and had a little run-in with a beautiful but angry plant,” I explain with a tight smile. “Thankfully, Grizz was nearby. He helped wrap it up and offered to walk me back to the bar so I didn’t take another wrong turn.”
Her eyes scan over me, settling on my hand for a brief second before flicking to Grizz.
