Page 31 of Kiwi

Kiwi

Iwake to Chance lapping at my hand dangling over the edge of the mattress. "I guess it's time to roll my arse out of bed, huh?" I scratch behind his ear. Cracking my eyes open, I peer at the window and notice it's still dark outside. "Shit, Chance. The sun isn't even up yet." Lifting my head slightly, I look at the alarm clock sitting on top of the nightstand and sigh. 5:00 am. "Alright, I'm getting up."

Shifting, I sit on the edge and scrub my palm down my face. I was fucking sleeping like shit anyway. Things couldn't have gone any better with the grand opening of Kings Custom. Having the entire club and town coming together to celebrate was epic. By the end of the day, we had more than a dozen potential clients interested in our services. The only problem was, I couldn't let myself thoroughly enjoy the weekend celebration. I tried, but all I could focus on was Piper, and try like hell to keep my distance.

A heaviness settles on my chest, replaying the moments I watched Piper with her sibling and the other kids yesterday. Watching her painted a picture of what our future could look like. Envisioning her holding a child of our own came so easy to me. I saw my future sitting yards away but so far out of reach. I trust Fender when he said it's not his place to say shit, but he's right. It won't be long before Nova notices that something has shifted between Piper and me, which is why, for the first time, I didn't interact with her. I was purposefully cold and distant. Driving a wedge between us is the only way I know how to keep things from going any further.

Then she goes and shows up at my door last night. My words were harsh. Even though she tried to mask it with venomous words of her own, I hurt her. And it fucking killed me inside. I have all these feelings bottled up inside to give her, and I can't show them without exposing it to the club. If I do, the ripple effect could destroy everything we care for.

Throwing my head back, I sigh heavily. I took an oath when I was given a permanent position with The Kings of Retribution, to put my club and brothers above myself and others. Piper is part of that oath because she is my brother's daughter.

I rise from the bed. The hard part is knowing I am willing to risk damn near everything I've worked so hard for to be with Piper. What I am not ready to risk is Piper's happiness. She loves her family. Her dad is everything to her, and so is the club she grew up in. It would be selfish of me to ask her to sacrifice it all to be with me.

After taking care of Chance's bladder, I load him onto his specialized canine wheelchair, and he follows me through to the kitchen. After filling his food bowl with kibble, I head to the bathroom and take a quick shower.

A short time later, the goats and cat are fed, and I'm on my bike, with Chance in tow, heading for the clubhouse. It's still early. The sun is just starting to rise. I travel down the road, with nothing but the sound of tires hitting the pavement and the roar of my Harley. Feeling a bit shitty for cutting out on my brothers last night, I stop by the pastry shop several blocks from the clubhouse.

As I walk through the door of the bakery, the bell chimes overhead. Mr. Guidory walks out, wiping his palms down the front of his white apron. "Hey, there, Kiwi." His smile grows when he sees my mate strapped to my back. "Well, I'll be. Don't think I have ever seen such a sight before." He rounds the counter, stopping for a second to snatch a freshly baked cookie from a tray beside the cash register. "Hey, there, boy." He breaks off pieces of the cookie and feeds them to Chance. I feel crumbs hitting the back of my neck as he munches on his treat.

"I hated leavin' him alone so much during the day, so I started searching for ways to travel with him. I found this company that makes custom carriers for pets." I reach my hand over my shoulder and give Chance a pet. "He doesn't seem to mind it, and I get to have him with me throughout the day."

"You got a heart of gold taking care of a special needs animal," Mr. Guidory says. "So, what can I do for you today?"

"I'll take three dozen doughnuts."

He smiles and grabs three boxes from beneath the counter and fills them with a variety. The bell chimes above the door and I spin to see Edith, his wife, walk in. "Frank, you forgot your lunch. You know what the doctor said." Finally, noticing me standing there, she stops talking. "Kiwi." Her eyes light up. "How are you?" She touches my arm. "I'm good, Mrs. Guidory." She peers past my shoulder, and I hear Chance panting in my ear. "Oh my, would you look at this." She scratches Chance behind the ear. "I bet you get a lot of attention from the females with this cute face," she refers to the dog, not me. "When's that sweet momma of yours gonna visit again? I finally found that cake recipe I was telling her about during her last visit. What was that—a year ago?"

"Yes, ma'am. And I'm not sure when they will visit again. I may fly home next time," I tell her.

"You have a good family, Kiwi. All of them." She waves her hand. "Look at me, running my mouth." Mrs. Guidory turns to her husband of fifty years and hands him a lunch bag. "It's a turkey sandwich on whole wheat. No mayo. Some cut up watermelon and carrot sticks."

Mr. Guidory opens the bag, looking inside. "No tater salad or chips?" he grumps.

"The doctor has you on a low sodium low-fat diet, Frank."

"You're starvin' me, woman." He exaggerates his words, and I hold in my laughter. They've been married for years. Several months ago, Frank had a mild heart attack. They are a massive part of this community. Everyone loves them. When they had to close their doors for a few weeks, the club donated money to help them get by until Frank was back on his feet again. "I'm gonna waste away to nothin'," he continues.

"Oh, hush." She swats his chest as he wraps his arm around her waist. She kisses his cheek. "You old fart. You know I love you."

"And as I'm eating my rabbit food, I'll remind myself how much I love you too," he kisses her forehead. Mrs. Guidory gives him another playful swat, walks behind the counter, and grabs an apron from a hook on the wall.

"You take care, Kiwi," Mrs. Guidory calls out before disappearing into the kitchen. Mr. Guidory rings up my order.

"God gave me a good woman," he declares, taking the cash I hand to him.

I smile, then my thoughts shift to Piper. "Have a good day, Mr. Guidory."

"You too," he calls out as I exit the bakery.

The clubhouse is quiet when I roll in. From the looks of it, most of the men slept in. Not wanting to disturb anyone, I cut my engine at the gate and coast the rest of the way. Untying the three boxes strapped to the backseat and Chance's wheels, I carry them inside. As I suspected, no one is awake, so I head for the kitchen to start some coffee. The moment I push open the kitchen door, I'm greeted by a man's naked arse, bent over in the fridge. "For fuck's sake, I can see your fartbox."

Quinn stands, holding a can of whip cream and a container of strawberries. But that's not what throws me off. He's wearing a fucking Mardi Gras mask. The kind with the long-ass feathers fluting out above the head, reminding me of a Carnival headdress. "Hey, brother. I didn't realize anyone was awake." He closes the refrigerator door, then sniffs the air. "I smell sugar. Those donuts you got there?" He waltzes my way with no care in the world that his balls and hammer are swinging free. I sit the boxes down, and Quinn adjusts what he's holding to free up one hand. He flops a box lid open, plucks a couple of chocolate glazed rings from the inside. He grins. "Catch ya later," then strides out of the kitchen.

So, that just happened. Shaking my head, I laugh to myself. I've heard of Quinn and his uniqueness but experiencing it firsthand was interesting. Chance barks. He's probably just as confused as I am. "This stays between us, boy," I say to my dog and take him off my back. I get him situated in his wheelchair, then cut him loose. As I go about making coffee, Payton, one of the club girls, strolls into the kitchen.

"Kiwi," her voice sounds as if she just woke up. "I wasn't expecting to see anyone awake yet." She shuffles to the table where the donut boxes sit. "Oh my god. Carbs." Payton plucks one out. "I thought you went home last night?" she questions as she takes a bite.

"I did." I lean against the counter as Payton moves about the kitchen, gathering breakfast items from the cabinets and refrigerator.