“A daughter.”
“How old is she?”
“Eighteen.”
I muffle a giggle as Ava saunters up to him. He’s a good seven or eight inches taller than her, and she uses it to her advantage. Stopping only inches from him, she peers up with a faux-innocent smile, then drags one fingernail up the length of his arm. “Oh? If you call me baby girl, I’ll call you Daddy.”
“Jesus Christ,” Trace chokes out. He instinctively steps backward when someone simultaneously walks through the front door, shoving him forward. He’s launched against Ava, who takes the opportunity to wrap her arms around his waist.
“Why the fuck are you standing right at the door, man?” A huff from behind Trace alerts me to the new arrival. Sebastian peers around Trace, and his eyes widen when he finds Ava cuddled up against his friend. “Well, this is an interesting development.”
Ava giggles, lining her body up against Trace’s, and he makes a strangled noise. They make quite a striking couple. She’s tiny and blonde, all youth and innocence. Trace has speckles of gray peeking out in his hair and beard, with weathered lines on his face showing he’s seasoned and experienced. But right now, it’s clear Ava is holding all the cards. It makes me wonder how long he’ll avoid the chemistry they have.
Trace grabs her hands, removing her arms from his waist, and steps to the side. “I, uh, wanted a sandwich, but I just remembered I have an appointment out of town. Seb, you good to get back to the Clubhouse?”
Sebastian studies Trace. “Yeah, I’m good.”
Taking another step away from Ava, he nods at everyone. “Ladies.”
As he hightails it out the front door, we all look to Ava. She gives us a huge smile. “This is going to be so much fun.”
“What?” Whitley asks.
The smile turns wicked. “Breaking him.”
LEO
“Good to see you, man,” Sebastian says with a smile, leaning forward to shake my hand. I nod as his grip engulfs mine.
“Thanks for the invite.”
“Travis is here somewhere. Probably over by the food,” he says with a laugh.
Brow furrowed in confusion, I say, “Trav doesn’t ride.”
“I told you it wasn’t a requirement. This group is to give veterans a place to belong. Yes, the majority ride, but we have a ton of support for the rest of the veteran community. Go find Travis. Our guest speaker just pulled up, and now I see my wife is walking over. Actually, go see what your sister wants.” Sebastian slaps me on the shoulder before striding toward the front of the Rocky Mountain Range Riders MC Clubhouse.
Turning, I take in the vast space. Sebastian has quite the setup on the outskirts of Eternity Springs. The Clubhouse is viewable from the road, but a few hundred yards behind it sits the home he shares with his daughter, Camila, and my sister, Isabella. The Clubhouse is open and inviting, with warm colors and comfortable looking leather seating. There’s a wall with a variety of medals, commendations, and pictures, then a smaller display with a line of pictures and corresponding dog tags. I don’t have to step closer to know it’s an homage to the soldiers who’ve passed on.Travis has a handful of tattoos for soldiers he lost on deployment, and Belle said Sebastian has his own ways to remember the fallen.
I hear a noise coming from the back of the Clubhouse, and see my sister walking in. She hasn’t seen me, and I’m able to admire how confidently she walks. Isabella and I have always connected on a level quite different from the rest of our siblings. We’re the quietest ones. The ones who don’t have to star in the show, and we’re happy to be on the outskirts of things. But watching how falling in love changed my sister was beautiful to see. Belle didn’t lack confidence necessarily, but once she saw herself through Sebastian’s eyes, she was unstoppable. She stepped into a new role in life, as well as becoming a mother to Sebastian’s daughter, and it changed her for the better.
“Hey,” Belle says, gracing me with a peaceful smile. “I’m so glad you decided to come.”
“I’m not sure why I’m here,” I admit, my voice low. “I don’t know any of these guys except for Seb and Travis. It’s weird.”
She tilts her head to the side, studying me. “How is it weird?”
“I don’t know. I don’t ride. I don’t know these guys. I’m doing fine. I don’t need to be psychoanalyzed.”
“You do understand that, in order to establish friendships, you have to actually meet people, right?” she asks sarcastically, but there’s no heat in her tone. She’s teasing me, in a way that only Isabella seems to be able to get away with. Even my brothers don’t address the real issue at hand.
I chuckle lightly. “Is that how friendships work?”
“I know, it’s a novel concept. But even if you eat some good food, and make one new friend tonight, it’s a worthwhile evening. I don’t think anyone will psychoanalyze you.” She pauses, the corner of her lip quirking up. “Well, they won’t do it anymore than your family does at dinner.”
“I don’t like answering questions about my time in the military,” I blurt out.
Isabella nods, even though I’m sure she’s shocked at myhonesty. I don’t talk about my time overseas. Ever. No one knows the full details of how I almost died. “I hope you have never felt pressured by anyone in our family to share things. But, maybe being in a group like this, where there’s bound to be someone who also experienced something at least remotely similar, will help you to feel more comfortable.”
