Total pages in book: 75
Estimated words: 72126 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 361(@200wpm)___ 289(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72126 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 361(@200wpm)___ 289(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
She leaned her head back and smiled. “Oh, girl! He was the best-looking thing! He was wearing that black leather jacket, and his hair was dark with this sexy little curl at the back. It was like he’d stepped right out of some bad-boy magazine, and I was all about it. It just took one drink and that sexy smile, and I was swept off my feet.”
“Sounds like you two had quite the romance.”
“Oh, we definitely did. It was one of the best years of my life. I really thought we’d be together forever, and then I got pregnant, and everything changed.”
“How so?”
“We realized that we wanted different things, and when it came down to it, the club and the life he had here meant more to him than the life he had with me and our son. So, he stayed here in Little Rock, and Weston and I moved back to Memphis.”
Her response took me by surprise. I’d just assumed that Memphis had grown up here with the brothers, especially since he and Preacher were so close. It also seemed strange that Preacher would’ve chosen to stay here instead of being with his family. I was trying to piece it all together when Kay said, “That wasn’t fair. It wasn’t all on him. If anything, it was more on me.”
“What do you mean?”
“I knew how he loved the club and his brothers, and they’d just named him president. It was unfair to ask him to walk away from the thing he loved most, especially when I’d known all along how committed he was to them.” Anguish marked her face as she said, “I just thought he might love me more.”
“That must’ve been tough.”
“It was, and I made everything so much worse by becoming angry and bitter. I used Weston against him, and...” She dropped her head into her hands and groaned. “It was awful. I was awful! I hurt him, and I hurt myself. And worst of all, I hurt Wes.”
“Have you tried talking to him about any of this?”
“No.” She looked up at me with tears in her eyes. “Not because I don’t want to. I just don’t know what to say to him. I’ve been so awful, but that hasn’t stopped him from being him. He’s still doing everything he can to keep me safe, and I don’t deserve it. I don’t deserve any of it. It’s one of the reasons why I’ve wanted to get out of here so bad—that and the fact that it’s so hard to see him with those club girls.”
I’d been there for weeks, and I’d never seen Preacher even look at Bridget or any of the other club girls. That didn’t mean it hadn’t happened, but there was a good chance it was all in Kay’s head. “You should talk to him.”
“You really think so?”
“Absolutely. I think you owe it to him and to yourself.”
“I’ll think about it.”
“Okay.” I stood and started for the door. “Thanks again for the hair.”
“Thank you for the talk.”
“Any time.”
Kay was still sitting on the edge of the bed as I walked out of the room and headed to find Toby. I had a feeling she would be there for a while, thinking over everything we’d talked about. I really hoped that she would take a chance and talk to Preacher. It might be the very thing that brings them back together—or it could tear them apart completely. Either way, they’d both get some closure on a past that had clearly hurt them both.
When I got to the family room, Toby and Garrison were piled up on the sofa, playing one of their favorite video games. We still had an hour or so before dinner, so I left them to it and went over to one of the empty couches in the back. I’d just pulled out my book and had started reading when I heard the familiar thud of heavy boots coming in my direction. I looked up and smiled when I saw that it was Ghost. “Hey.”
“Hey.”
“The hair looks really nice. It suits you.”
“Thanks. I think so, too.”
He studied me for a moment, then walked over and sat down on the opposite end of the sofa. I couldn’t help but notice the little thought wrinkle he was sporting on the bridge of his nose. Something was clearly on his mind, and if that scowl was any indication, it wasn’t good. “Is something wrong?”
He rubbed the back of his neck and grimaced like he was trying to find the right words. “What’s your plan?”
“Plan for what?”
“The future.”
“I don’t know.” I had no idea where this was leading, so I asked, “How far into the future are we talking? Tomorrow? Next week? A year from now?”
“Plans for when you leave here.”
“Oh...” That was not where I thought he was going—not because I didn’t know it was coming. I knew the time would come when they all got tired of Toby and me being there, but I’d hoped we would have a little longer to prepare. My stomach tightened as I thought it over. "Well, I’ll have to find a place to live and a job and a place for Toby to go to school.”