“TheHut,” Deeks said with emphasis, kissing her temple and heading toward the kitchen,“ain’t the problem. This one’s old man said not too long.”
The moment he was around the corner, I looked to Autumn and raised my eyebrows. Maybe it was one of those things I’d never thought much about, but she’d seemingly hit a nerve calling The Hut something else.
“What was that all about?”
“All what, honey?”
“The Hut stuff.”
“Oh, that. It’s all about traditions, baby girl. The boys who started up this charter built it from the ground up. The Hut started out as just that, four walls and a lot of liquor, and a porch to put their feet up. As their club grew, so did The Hut, but the name became significant, part of the history, and it stuck.”
“Because that’s what it will always be to those of us who were there in the beginning,” Deeks said, stepping around the corner. “At the end of the day, whether it’s sentimentality or not, The Hut is The Hut, and that’s the end of it. Now feed me, woman.”
Autumn rolled her eyes, but her affectionate smile was as genuine as they came. She loved Deeks, all his strange little habits and all. It was something I was beginning to understand. Knowing Drew and where he came from gave me a deeper comprehension and a higher tolerance for the things I didn’t understand.
As it turned out, Autumn made some amazing cornbread, but that wasn’t the reason Deeks had driven me out there. Nor was it to get more stories from his woman. It turned out that they owned a large parcel of land, as well as horses, cows, dirt bikes, and some four wheelers. It was like a playground of grown-up toys, all hidden in a barn in the forest behind their house. Deeks didn’t like leaving Autumn alone with things people would find useful, not that he had much to worry about. The moment I walked into the house, my eyes were drawn to the rack of guns in the corner of the dining room.
Deeks saddled us a couple of horses and led me out of the barn and into the forest. He looked as comfortable on them as he did his bike. The only difference seemed to be that he traded in his helmet for a Stetson, which suited him almost asmuch. He pointed out boundaries and routes and let me lead, trailing behind to give the impression I was alone. Deeks was as intuitive as he was smart, and I didn’t put up a fight.
Whether I’d known it or not, it was exactly what I needed. It was a different kind of breeze in my face and power between my thighs. The palomino with dark feet and ears seemed at ease as she led the way into the trees. Her head was bobbing up and down as she stepped surely on a path she’d probably taken a hundred times in her life. I felt every breath she took, her ribs pushing against my thighs as her ears swiveled and flicked.
I don’t know when all the tension left me, or when I was deemed approachable, but Deeks trotted up beside me on his horse, aptly named Harley, and slowed down to keep pace.
“Feeling better?”
“Much, thanks, Deeks.” I smiled at him and looked out over a large pasture that emerged beyond the trees. “How often do you come up here?”
“More than you think, sugar. I have two homes—one with Autumn, one with my brothers. It’s okay to step away sometimes, sweetheart. It don’t mean you’re not loyal or that you ain’t happy. It just shows you’re human. I wanted to bring you here because you need that escape, too, and Autumn and I always have a room for you up here if you need it.”
“I couldn’t impose like that.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. You think I would invite you if I didn’t mean it? This is my best kept secret.”
“I can see why,” I said, grinning over at him. “Thank you.”
“It’s not an easy life, Ayda. Ask Autumn about that. But if you love Drew, you’re in it for the long haul. You’re gonnaneed to clear your head sometimes, and this always works for me. If you see my bike out front when you pull up, though…”
I raised my hand and shook my head. “You don’t even have to say it.”
“Thank fuck for that. It was getting awkward.”
We rode together in silence for a while. The horses were familiar with each other, and it was obvious in the way they veered into one another and instigated little nips and bumps of shoulders. I thought a lot about what he’d said, about the club, the life I was choosing for myself, and some of the history that he’d mentioned in the kitchen with Autumn.
There were certain topics that Drew didn’t hit on. I don’t even think he was aware that he avoided them most of the time. I was just steered away and left reeling like I’d been derailed without much effort. That didn’t mean I didn’t have questions, and poor Deeks was about to be my cornucopia of knowledge.
“Deeks?”
“Yeah.”
“What’s the deal with The Hut?”
“Oh, not you as well,” he groaned with a smile playing on his lips.
“No, I just mean why not call it the cabin or the shack?”
“Blame Eric, kid. His mother was British and fell in love with a ranch hand. Eric spent so much time with her, he had names for shit we’d never use, words that stuck with all of us. The Hut was one of those words. He was the man in charge of the build so we all fell under his wing. I didn't think much of it really. I left after we finished building the place. I was still a bit of a nomad in those days. Settling wasn’t something that spiked my curiosity. Not until I met Autumn.”
“By Eric, you mean…?”
