Cap took my hand and pulled me to a stop on the path. “Except your story hasn’t ended yet, Ruby. You’re still here.”
“Because of you,” I said softly without the malice or the resentment I’d felt since the day he saved me.
“I’m happy I was there that day.”
I nodded and slowly tugged my hand back from his, ignoring the way my skin tingled where he’d touched me. We started walking again in silence. I was caught up in my own thoughts and Cap seemed to instinctively know that it’s what I needed at that moment.
“I was meaning to ask you,” Cap started a few minutes later. “What do you normally do for the Fourth of July?”
I shrugged. “Chase and I used to go watch the fireworks. We didn’t have a lot of friends here. I think that’s why Chase tried to prospect for the Hell’s Artillery, besides the fact his one and only friend in town was part of the club.”
“I know you aren’t comfortable going to the Celestial Sons clubhouse, but how would you like to come to our cookout here at the park for the Fourth of July?”
I hesitated. Cap was a good guy, and the two prospects that I met seemed to be okay. I knew the lady at the store with the baby seemed free and happy, but did I want to risk meeting another club? “If I say no, are you going to go to the celebration without me?”
Cap shook his head. “No, Ruby. I wouldn’t go without you. I miss my club family, but you need me more right now than they do.”
I nodded and looked away from him. “I’ll try,” I finally said after a few minutes of silence. “I can’t promise I will be able to make it through the cookout, but I will try.”
It was a step. I could see the happiness and pride in Cap’s eyes, and I hated to let him down. I told myself he needed to spend time with his brothers and see his family. He’d been kind to me, and I needed to offer this kindness in return. My stomach twisted with nerves. My last exposure to a motorcycle club was scary as hell and changed my life forever. I told myself that I would give any motorcycle club a wide berth, but being around Cap has changed that. He’d become the closest thing to a friend I had, and I couldn’t say that I didn’t trust him, because I did. More than I ever thought was possible.
“You ready?” Cap looked at me as he unbuckled.
I held the platter of store-bought cookies decorated in red, white, and blue icing in my lap. Cap had an ice chest in the back of the truck filled with a variety of sodas and beer. Nervously, I reached for my seatbelt. There were a bunch of bikes all parked near us, and in the distance, I could see the large group of bikers and women under the pavilion.
“It’s gonna be okay, Ruby. Nobody in my club will hurt you. We protect women. We don’t use and abuse them.”
I nodded and offered him a weak smile. My stomach fluttered with apprehension. Besides Cap, I hadn’t really been around a lot of people since Chase’s death, and the night of the crash, we had been to a party with some of the other ranch hands and their families.
“Cap?” I said his name softly before he could get out of the truck.
“Yeah?”
I licked my lips nervously, wondering if he would give in to my request? “Will you be a designated driver tonight?”
He sat back and considered my question for a moment before answering. “Are you planning on getting drunk?” he asked me softly.
I immediately shook my head and then nodded toward his friends.
“I won’t drink, but if they do, they may need rides home.”
Cap smiled softly. “Zodiac’s our Prez, and he doesn’t drink, ever. Hasn’t for years. Our VP’s fiancée is the sheriff, so she andScorpio will both probably stay away from the beer as well. Virg and Pincher are both underage, so they won’t be drinking either. The guys that will drink know better than to get sloshed outside of the clubhouse because the clubhouse has beds for them to crash in without going anywhere.”
I nodded and gave him a weak thank you. Nervously, I got out of the truck and shut the door. The thick Texas heat almost took my breath away. Families smiled as they cooked out and enjoyed the celebration of barbecues and fun. Almost everyone was sporting some kind of patriotic clothing, myself included. I had on a pair of cutoff jean shorts, and an oversized wide neck blue shirt that hung off my shoulder to reveal the red tank top underneath. My white flip-flops protected my feet from the hot pavement.
Cap was grabbing the ice chest from the back of the truck, so I waited for him in front of it. I spotted the pretty brunette woman we’d met at the grocery store. She was smiling up at a mountain of a man holding the beautiful baby I held the other day. He was huge, but his unguarded face showed love and devotion for both the women he was holding onto.
“If you want to leave at any point.” Cap touched my arm to get my attention. “Just say the word and we’ll go.”
My stomach twisted, and I swallowed hard before nodding to his club. “Do they all know about me?”
“They know what my organization does, Ruby, but other than the sheriff and Archer, they don’t know complete details.”
I bit my lip and nodded. Shame and guilt twisted my gut. “Okay. I’m ready.”
“You don’t have to act like you are marching to the gallows, darlin’. It’s a simple cookout followed by fireworks.”
I couldn’t stop the small, flickering smile that crossed my face. He was right. I’d been to cookouts before. Granted, it had been a long time ago, but I had been to them. I once had a lifewhere I was surrounded by friends and family, but that seemed like ages ago, since the only place I felt at home was when I was with Chase.
