“Robert then.”
“If you two are ready we can get going to the house,” Shep interrupts us. “Maggie you’re with Dog. Kate felt like taking a ride.”
“Sure, suits me,” Maggie agrees. “I enjoy riding even if my brother wasn’t always the safest. Let me just get rid of the apron and grab my bag.”
“Fuck me, brother,” I wipe a hand over my face. “Is this feeling normal?”
Shep shrugs, “Don’t know Dog but I knew the minute I met Kate that she was the one meant for me. I’m glad you and Maggie sorted your shit out. She’s a nice girl.”
“Me too brother. She prefers being straightforward and she has no problem calling me on my shit. Plus, she’s fun.”
“I’m glad brother. We’ll get you sorted then move on to the others.”
“Gunny maybe, but Thor? I’m not so sure on that one Shep.”
“We’ll see.”
Turns out I was right in some ways and wrong in others, but we wouldn’t know that for years to come. For today, it felt good to have the woman of my dreams wrapped around me and flying down the road with my brother towards home.
MAGGIE
Taking the helmet from Dog, I buckled the chin strap. “What about you?”
“I’ll be careful,” he replies. “Got precious cargo. I won’t be cutting up.”
“You’d better not,” I warn and get on behind him, wrapping my arms around his waist. I hadn’t lied when I said I liked to ride. I did. There was no better feeling than the rush of wind as you sped down a lane. I wasn’t a fan of busy roads, but our quiet country lanes on the back of a bike? Yeah, this I loved.
Better still, I was wrapped around the man who’d taken my day by storm. He wasn’t what I expected when I woke up this morning, and I still wasn’t sure how to feel about the emotions he’d evoked in me over the past few hours. He’d seemed sincereenough, and that kiss … yep, that kiss. I wouldn’t mind doing that again. I mean, a girl had to make sure that it wasn’t a fluke.
Sadly, the ride home wasn’t a long one, and not twenty minutes later we were riding into the covered garage and Dog was helping me off. Unstrapping the helmet, I handed it to him, aware that I had a wide smile on my face. What can I say? My riding on the back of a bike with a dreamy man may not have been how I expected to end my day, but I wasn’t complaining.
Dog takes his helmet and rests it on the bike’s seat. “You really do enjoy riding?”
“I told you I did. I don’t lie Robert, it causes complications.”
“That’s good to know gorgeous. I’m going to kiss you again,” he warns, and I laugh.
Then his lips are on mine, and all laughter flees as he gathers me close, parting my lips. I gasp as he slides his tongue against mine. A low moan escapes as I raise my arms, curling them around his neck, threading my fingers into his hair. I curl closer and allow him to take the lead as he devours my mouth until we need to take a breath.
“Wow,” I mutter, my eyes fluttering open to look into Robert’s.
“Fuck, gorgeous,” he presses his forehead to mine. “You make it hard to take things slowly.”
“Sorry,” I murmur. “In my defence I wasn’t expecting you to sweep into my life like you have.”
“It’s all good, Maggie. Come on let’s get you into the house and we can see what the rest are up to,” he says. Taking my hand, he leads me into the kitchen. I’d taken it over since I’d moved in. Not that Katie couldn’t cook, because she could, but it wasn’t her favourite thing in the world to do, whereas I loved it. When she’d told me that the men would be home tonight, I’d got up early and made a pie that only needed to be put in the oven.
I greet Thor and Gunny, who are sitting at the kitchen table, a pot of tea between them. There’s no sign of Shep and Kate. Not that I expected there to be. I’d be surprised if they made it back down this evening. Leaving Dog at the back door, I slip an apron over my head and go to the fridge. I take the pie out of the fridge and slide it into the oven before starting on the vegetables. I’m content listening to the men’s conversations as I work.
“Tea, Maggie?” Gunny asks.
“Please, milk with no sugar. Supper will be another half hour unless you want to eat later?”
“Half-hour’s good. Come sit and drink your tea Maggie, you’ve been on your feet all day. We can get supper when it’s ready.” Robert says, pulling out a chair. Opening the oven door, I check on the pie before taking a seat next to Robert.
I thought it would be weird. I mean, the men didn’t know me, but instead what I found was a friendship that spanned decades.A support system that at the time we didn’t realise we’d need, but it was there through losses, births, marriages, break-ups and starting over.
***
