Duck (Rebel Wayfarers MC Book 8) (27 page)

One week later

“Boss,” he said, phone to this ear as he tipped his head back to look at the ceiling. “I didn’t make the show. I heard Mica and Molly already went back home, too. I didn’t even get to lay eyes on them this trip.”

“You did good, Duck,” Mason reassured him and Duck heard pride in his voice. “You were exactly where you needed to be, when you needed to be there. Watcher and Juanita send their thanks, again. You have a big fucking marker with the Soldiers. That alone makes it easier to turn you loose the way I have, knowing they have your back down there.”

“Chase do well?” Duck had been present at Marie’s the first night Benny let Chase take the stage at the club’s main bar in Fort Wayne. The duo had been accompanied by Bear, and together, the three of them had rocked the joint. A surprise to no one, because like his old man, Chase was stubborn to a fault when it came to mastering something, so once he had set his mind on playing on stage with Benny, it wasn’t long until it came to pass. Bear was so fucking talented, been playing for years. He could hear a song and within minutes, have it picked out in his head, expertise and skill translating down his hands to the strings of his guitar. Brilliant. And Benny? Not only was he good on the guitar, but his vocals were outstanding.
For a dude
.

Pride rang in Mason’s voice again, stronger and closer to the surface since he was talking about his oldest son. “Yeah, he did well. Myron hooked up a live feed for me and Willa. We watched the whole thing just like we were there. Just like we had box seats. Kid’s got something going on there, and with the group Benny put together, they might have some legs. We’ll see, but they might have something going on.” He took in a breath and Duck could hear the grin on his face when he said, “Bethy has a dozen gigs already set up for them back up here. Chase’ll get a chance to see if he likes this for himself. But, yeah, he’s solid onstage, and did good.”

“Damn straight he’s good,” Duck reaffirmed, glancing out the front window of the ranch house, seeing Eli walking out of the shadows by the barn and into the sunlight splashed across the driveway and yard separating the buildings. “Mason, got a question for you.”

“Hit me, brother,” Mason said immediately, as Duck knew he would.

“I told you about Elias, about how his mom didn’t know until a few months ago he wasn’t fathered by her old man. What I didn’t tell you is her old man knew this same fact for a while and dropped that on the little man in a way that did damage. I can see it. I just can’t figure how to fix it. Same day me and her got our shit straight, Eli gave it to me, laid it on me, letting me carry it for him. I shared this with Brenda when I got back from Las Cruces, without knowing he was listening.”

“Fuck,” Mason breathed, and Duck could picture his head shaking back and forth.

“Yeah, but he’s more a man than a lotta men I know. He didn’t slink away with his questions stuck in his head. He asked right out if he belonged to me. Straight out, pushing through his fears.” Duck looked out the window again, seeing Eli was closer to the house.

“What’d you say?” Mason’s tone was light, but it sounded as if he were thinking about something other than what they were discussing, so Duck brought it back to topic.

“Told him he had the right of it. He didn’t even hesitate, just crawled up into bed with Bee and me. Stayed there ‘til morning.” The memory of the moment had burned into his brain, how comfortable Eli had been with the knowledge he had a daddy who was here, who loved him.

“So what’s your question, brother?”

“With how things were with Sosa, with Chase, I know you lost a lot of time with him. How do you make it up? How did you figure out where you stood in his life when you hadn’t been there for anything along the way?” He desperately wanted to know this, to see how his mentor had managed to come out ahead with his boy.

“Different circumstances, brother. Chase’s mother was an all-around bitch on wheels. Only good thing Carrie ever did for my boy was birth him. Next best thing was to bring him to me, but it took us a long fucking time to get to where he would agree with that statement.” Mason’s voice was wry, and Duck remembered the night Sosa had dumped Chase at the bar, remembered the panic in the boy’s eyes when he scanned Jackson’s, seeing a lot of what were probably scary biker faces, damn few of them familiar.

Mason continued, “Sounds like your woman did right by the boy, even if her old man was a jackass about things. You seriously give a shit about her, so that’s different, too. Sosa was a weight around my neck until the day she died, and even afterwards, when all I could think about was how she’d been used by my blood. Sounds like things are different, brother. Also sounds like Elias has his head screwed on straight and isn’t afraid to question the important things.”

Even looking at the door, he didn’t hear it open, didn’t hear Eli’s boots on the floor as he walked across to where Duck was standing.
Kid’s light on his feet
, he thought with a grin, reaching out to run a hand gingerly through Eli’s hair, something easing in his chest with the boy leaned into his touch.
My boy. My son.

“Yeah,” he said softly. “He’s a good’un, for sure.” Clearing his throat, he looked down at the brown eyes so like his own staring up at him. “I’ll touch base with you in a couple days. Let me know when Fury starts back down, so I’ll know when to expect him.”

“He’s already on his way,” Mason said curtly, the change in tone so unexpected Duck froze for a moment.

“All right. I’ll watch for him. Any ideas why he’s in such a hardass hurry to get back to Lamesa? Missin’ his cuz already?”

“He called my sister twice on the road, then once after he got Bella up here. Then he rolled again fast as he could turn it.” Now the cold in Mason’s voice made sense, because in no way would he want a brother for his sister.

“She still here in town?” This was a simple question, and when it was met with a low growl, he already knew the answer.

“Yes.”

***

Three days later

Brenda sighed and leaned back in the chair, closing her eyes as she lifted her beer to her lips, the condensation on the outside of the bottle cool on her fingers. “Ahhhhh,” she made the sound only half-jokingly, because after a day like today, the first drink of an ice-cold beer was just about that good. Essa laughed softly from beside her, her own bottle of soda no doubt just as satisfying after the day they had put in.

“We did it. Show’s over for another year,” Gill announced, and Brenda and all the hands in the room lifted their drinks in salute, shouts of ‘hear, hear’ and ‘fuck, yeah’ filling the air around them. It was nearly midnight, and the last of the official week-long festivities had ended about two hours ago. The day had been filled with parades and the awarding of prizes and trophies, buckles and ribbons. From the various competitions to the judging of pies and jellies, it seemed all their hard work had paid off, and everything had come off without a hitch.

The heat from Duck’s body hit her before his touch did and she turned her head, looking up, caught off guard when he brushed his lips across hers. Eyes open, she watched his lids sink closed, loving the look of concentration on his face when he deepened the kiss. “Mmmm,” she hummed against his mouth, feeling the teasing flicks of his tongue across her bottom lip. Before she was ready, he had pulled back. After the kiss his chin lifted, gaze sweeping the room.

Mouth to her ear, he quietly asked, “Fury and Bethy?”

Brenda ducked her chin and smiled. The two had circled each other all day, the intense attraction between them obvious to anyone who cared to look. Softly, she replied, “She said she was tired, going to head back to the hotel. He was about three steps behind her. Has been since he got back from Chicago. I can’t decide if it annoys her, or if she likes it.”

Duck pressed a kiss to the side of her head and she leaned into him. His voice was barely audible as he spoke, his words not for her, “You go on, brother. Find your happy.”

Duck leaned on one arm on the bed, propped over Brenda. He was staring at her as she slept, her mouth closed, lips softly pursed. He had never realized what a gargantuan effort it took to organize the whole show. The rodeo by itself was a lot, but she managed the entire thing; with help, sure, but every decision still came down to her. Thank God, Essa had stuck around because he hadn’t been much help at all, only able to field calls over the last few days of the event.

Their lovemaking tonight had been soft and slow, hands roaming in intimate touch across flesh already memorized, mouths coming together in passionate kisses. With the burns on his knees healing, but still painful, they had begun lying on their sides, her leg over his hip, hands free to roam, stroking and pinching, mouth following the trail his fingertips blazed across her skin.

Tongues tangling sensuously, he kept his mouth on her the whole time he was inside her, thrusting in a slow, deep gliding rhythm that was exquisite, holding onto his control so hard it was like walking a bladed edge between pleasure and pain. His hand skimmed down her side, fingers brushing across the curve of her breast, and then curling around her hip as her movements became more urgent, seeking. His thumb found and pressed hard on her clit, rolling and tugging, helping her find release. Then, hips bucking she took him deep as her eyes sank closed and she called his name, lips against his mouth giving him each panted breath, her pussy rippling around him when she came beautifully.

Duck performed a slow roll to his back, all while keeping the connection with her, staying inside her, draping her limp form across him as her breathing slowed. Hands on her ass, heels to the mattress, he set a new rhythm, pushing and pulling. Belly muscles tight, he thrust up, stroking into her, feeling her entire body jolt with each long plunge.

Her hand curled around his shoulders and he experienced the loss of her heat when she pushed up and off his chest, legs straddling his hips, head tilted down as she looked at him. “Love you, Bee,” he whispered, and at his words, she started to move, thighs, muscled from years of riding horses, effortlessly lifting and letting her weight fall, burying his cock inside her.

Her head tipped back, and he watched her mouth open and close on a silent gasp, felt her clenching down on him again and again as she circled her hips, chasing close after another climax. He filled his palms with the soft globes of her breasts, softly caressing, allowing their weight to set them swaying in his hands as he gently touched her. Then, thumb to her clit again, he brought her with him when he came, hips thrusting up and pressing deep to hold there as he filled her with his semen, the heat of their combined orgasms surrounding him.

He pulled her down on top of him, arranging her head on his shoulder, feeling the silk of her hair dragging across his arm. He grumbled when she roused to go clean up, but then nestled her close as soon as she got back into bed, stretching her out alongside his body.

Which is where he found himself now, thinking about the changes in his life over the past few days, marveling at how differently things had turned out than he had expected. How much better than he had ever hoped they could be.

When he finally dragged himself out of bed and made it downtown and then out to the grounds to watch the last few events, he found things had changed around town for him. No longer were the residents shunning him, keeping track of him out of the corners of their eyes like he was a vicious dog they were afraid would attack at any moment.

When he drove to the feed store yesterday with Gill, expecting to sit in the truck as usual while he sent the manager in with the order, he hadn’t been parked at the loading docks two minutes before old man Kennwort was there, talking his ear off. He suspected Transom had passed on parts of their conversation, making it clear Duck didn’t have any part of what Ray had done. That, combined with the widely spread knowledge of what happened to Bella, and his part in her rescue, was changing the path of the Nelms name in town. His kind of man very different from what his father had brought to the table. Another set of skeletons brought into the light of day, stripped of any power to wound once they became known.

Things were good for him and Brenda.
Great, actually
, he thought, smiling down at her as her nose wrinkled in her sleep. She had meant what she said about taking their problems in stride, and with both of them focused on moving forward, there wasn’t any energy left over to look backwards and hold a grudge.

He understood her fears so much better now, could see on her face the emotions when she talked about how broken she felt when she realized he had left after their night together. Her words, ‘Not worth a goodbye,’ shining a different light on what he had believed was a graceful exit, leaving her to pursue what he saw as her desires, not knowing he had taken her dreams with him when he left.

She had been embarrassed, cheeks reddened when she told him how quickly she had fallen into bed with Tommy, but bravely met his eyes as they talked about it, determined to have everything out into the open. He could even see how the immediate assumption the pregnancy was from their new relationship made the most sense, not the single night with him.

She told him about her talk with Elias, and then they talked to him together. Taking the time to explain their childhood infatuation while downplaying the years of hurt caused by the misunderstandings between them. What he told Eli was the truth: he had loved Brenda since he was fourteen, and they both emphasized to him that had his parentage been known, Duck would have been involved his whole life.
So much time lost
, he thought. Reaching out to trail a fingertip across Brenda’s forehead, he smoothed the dark blonde hair off her face and leaned in to place a soft kiss there.

He scooted down in bed beside her, resting his head on her pillow. As his eyes slowly closed, his last thoughts were of how different this house was now. A home, complete with a family he loved, his life full—filled up with joy and happiness. It had never been a happy place before, but now these walls weren’t caging him. Instead, they protected something that was so much more than just a place to live. “Home,” he muttered, his voice thick with sleep, “I came home.”

***

“I’m serious,” she said, leveling a look at him over the edge of her coffee cup. “What do you want for yourself?”

With a wry smile, he asked, “What does that even mean?”

“You said you’re staying here, right? In Lamesa?” He recognized uncertainty in her tone, hesitation threaded through with fear.

“Yeah, baby. I’m staying here. I have Mason’s approval, so I’m here for the duration. In it for the long haul.” He stepped close, plucking the mug from her hands and set it on the countertop before he turned back to her. Cupping her cheeks in his palms, he lifted, pulling her to her tiptoes for a kiss. “I’m here, with you and Elias, for as long as you want me.” He paused, looking down at her, and then amended his statement. “Actually, for as long as…well…ever. I’m not going anywhere, baby. Even if you decide you don’t want me anymore, I’m still gonna be here.”

She flashed him a quick smile, but he still saw the worry in her eyes. “So, then, tell me. What do you want for yourself here in Lamesa?”

Tipping his head to one side, he considered her words. The meaning behind the question seemed to point to what would keep him happy, which was her and Eli. Flat out, that was all he needed. Everything. But, he remembered Essa told him Brenda only stayed in town because she felt he needed her to, so he turned it around, asking her, “What do you want for you, Bee?” He tipped his head to the other side. “What do you want for us?”

When she sucked in a surprised breath, he knew he had hit on the real question. He slid his hands down her neck and across her shoulders, wrapping his arms around and pressing into her. Body to body, she wasn’t going anywhere until they hashed this out. “Brenda, baby, what would you think about making a change? Moving away, starting over? Or maybe we start looking at us splitting time between here and Chicago? We can do whatever you want, baby. I’m not picky. As long as I get you and Eli, I’ll be good.” He paused, then twisted his lips to one side. “And a chance to get in the wind frequently. Need my scoot like I need to breathe. Need to introduce you to the road, Bee. Get you bit by the bug.”

She laughed, leaning forwards to rest one cheek against his chest. Laughter now colored her voice when she said, “Silly man. I don’t want to…I don’t know. I’ve…me and Eli have been here so long, it’s hard to imagine being elsewhere. And he’s gonna hit those teenage years sooner or later.” She sighed. “We need to make sure he’s settled because friends are harder to make as you get older.” She lifted her head, looking up at him. “But, I’m not tied to the ranch. Eli would miss Tony and—“

He interrupted her, “And General.”

She grinned. “And General,” she agreed, adding, “and the colt. But, the only good memories I have of this place are tied up in just these past few weeks. Tied up in you. So, wherever you need to be, that’s where I want to be. I don’t want to hold you back from doing what you need to do, and really don’t want you to stay here out of some sense of loyalty.”

“It would be a big decision to leave, baby.” Tightening his arms around her, he pulled her against his chest, feeling her heart beating fast and strong. “Not a decision to make quickly, and not one we have to make today. Feel Eli out, see what the boy thinks. Gill could run the ranch without us easily, but the contracting business and rodeo are different beasts. Let’s consider everything, but know nothing is off the table. We can make this what we both want, baby.”

Soft and sweet, her lips moved against him as she whispered, “All right, Duck. I love you.”

“I love you, too, Little Bee,” he whispered, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “I love you, too.”