Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 81285 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 406(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81285 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 406(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
When Luke noticed what I was doing, he chuckled, “Riding takes some getting used to.”
“Yes, it does, but it’s worth it.” I glanced over at the water that stretched in front of us and smiled. “It’s beautiful.”
“You sure are.” He leaned in and kissed me on the forehead. “Glad you came.”
“Me, too.”
The guys started pulling off helmets and walking about, stretching their legs while they teased one another. The ol’ ladies clustered together like it was second nature, and I wasn’t sure what to do with myself. I just kind of stood there until Luke took me by the hand and said, “C’mon. I want you to meet a couple of people.”
He led me over to an attractive brunette with a warm smile and a figure to die for. Her smile grew even wider when Luke stepped in front of her and said, “This is Antonia. She’s Memphis’s ol’ lady… You met him the other night.”
“Yes, I remember.” I smiled. “It’s really nice to meet you.”
“It’s nice to meet you, too.” She studied me for a moment, then asked, “You were at the clubhouse a week or so ago, right?”
“Yes. I was there with Davis.” I grimaced as I told her, “And that was the mistake of all mistakes. Still not sure what I was thinking with all that.”
She laughed. “Don’t worry. It happens to the best of us.”
“I’m Jenna. I’m Grim’s ol’ lady,” the woman next to her announced. She pointed to one of the older brothers with long, salt and pepper hair and a thick beard who was currently scowling as he talked to one of the brothers. “Mr. Sunshine over there.”
“I see.” I giggled when Grim’s eyes skirted over to us. “I think he knows we’re talking about him.”
“Don’t worry. He’s used to it,” she scoffed. “They all are. We’re always talking about them, but that’s only because they give us so much ammunition.”
“You aren’t kidding!” Antonia laughed. “I forgot to tell you about the whole laundry incident.”
“Oh, do tell.”
“Well, my dear sweet husband took it upon himself to start helping out with the laundry, and Lord knows I could use the help.” She turned her attention to me as she said, “We just had a baby a couple of months ago, and I’m still trying to figure out all the day-to-day stuff while keeping another human alive.”
“Wait,” I interrupted. “You just had a baby?”
“We had a little boy.” Love filled her eyes as she added, “John Robert. He’s nine pounds three ounces of lungs and appetite. There are times when I don’t think he’ll ever get full.”
“He gets that from me,” Memphis interjected proudly. “But what can I say? I’m a breast man.”
“Eww,” Antonia groaned, slapping his arm playfully. “Don’t say that. She’ll think you’re a perv.”
“He is a perv,” Luke teased.
“Shut it, Goose,” Memphis piped back. “You’re the biggest perv of us all.”
“Any-way,” Antonia groaned. “My dear sweet husband decided to wash a couple of loads of laundry and ended up turning everything blue. And I mean everything. The socks, the towels, and all the baby’s clothes.”
“At least, I didn’t turn everything pink.”
Luke didn’t say a word. He just stood there, smirking like the Cheshire cat. When Memphis noticed, he nudged him and said, “Shut it, Goose.”
“I didn’t say a word.”
“Yeah, but it was coming.”
I leaned into Luke and smiled as I told him, “You know, you still haven’t told me why they call you Goose. Did the guys get it from Top Gun or something?”
“Nah, nothing like that. It’s just a name. Nothing really to it.”
“Oh, come on, brother,” Memphis snickered. “Don’t go holding back on your girl like that. She deserves to know.”
“There’s nothing to it.”
“Ah, but there is,” Memphis pushed. “And if I remember correctly, this is the very park where you earned your name.”
“Earned it?” I asked. “Here?”
Luke glared at Memphis. “We’re not doing this.”
“Oh, but we are.” Memphis chuckled. “Now, tell her or I’ll do the honors.”
“It was just a misunderstanding.”
“A pretty intense misunderstanding,” Memphis added.
“And who did you have this misunderstanding with?”
“A big, ferocious, feral and probably rabid, Canadian Goose.”
“Wait? You’re telling me that you got your name from an actual bird?”
“This wasn’t your run-of-the-mill Goose, Pres. He was a psychopath, and he was out for blood,” Luke answered defensively. “I’ll lay it out. I was prospecting. I was trying to be Mr. Cool and impress the guys. I was talking to Grim and Prez about some bike shit or something when this fucking goose comes out of nowhere. And this damn thing was pissed.”
“Yeah, he had his sights set on Goose.” Memphis added, and several of the other brothers stepped over to listen as he continued, “Hell, he looked at Goose like he owed him money or shot his ol’ lady. I don’t know what it was, but he had it out for him.”