Cork patted him on the shoulder. “I’m glad you’re not alone.”
Peb teared up but held it together. “I’m never gonna be alone again. You saw to that when we joined the MC. We have twenty brothers whenever we need them.”
“That’s right, brother.” Cork gave him a quick hug and jumped on his bike.
Overhearing their private conversation seemed wrong, but having it on the street made it impossible for Ace not to hear.
Barbara peered up at him. “Is he going to be all right?”
“I don’t know. I hope so.” He sighed. “Let’s get outta here.”
Darkness gestured to the bikes. “Go the clubhouse. They’ve got a welcome home party for you all.”
Peb nodded. “The ladies did a real good job.”
Getting back on his bike with Barb at his back felt phenomenal after having his freedom curtailed for three long days. The moment her arms circled loosely around his waist, a wave of emotion consumed him. From this moment forward, he wasn’t wasting any time or energy on feeling unworthy or doubting how right they were for each other. It didn’t matter that he was patched up and still hurting, because she’d stayed by his side in his time of need and sat in jail for three days right along with him. It infuriated him that she’d been arrested, but it was in the past now.
Flying down the highway, Ace enjoyed the cold breeze and his woman gently running her thumb over his abs as he drove. It didn’t take long before they were pulling into the clubhouse, which was an interesting experience. Everyone crowded around, welcoming them. Taking Barbara by the hand, he approached Tiffany, who didn’t appear to be feeling very friendly at the moment. Ryder propelled her forward slightly to meet him face-to-face.
Looking down at her, Ace apologized good and proper. “I’m sorry about telling you not to talk to me anymore. I was having a bad day, and my self-loathing got the better of me. You weren’t annoying, and you didn’t do anything wrong. I was just stressed and overwhelmed because a beautiful woman fell in love with me and I didn’t know how to handle it. Can you forgive me?”
Tiffany took a good long moment to stare into his eyes as if judging his sincerity, before stepping forward and giving him a hug. “I never stopped thinking of you as a friend.” Glancing at Barbara, she smiled. “I’m glad you found someone to care for. You’re both lucky to have each other, so don’t ever forget that.”
Drawing Tiffany back against his body, Ryder muttered, “That’s about enough hugging men that aren’t me, princess.”
Ace glanced around at the brothers milling around and grabbing beers. “It feels weird without Cork being here to enjoy the welcome home.”
Someone gave them cold beers, and Ryder caught his eye. “I feel like we should race cockroaches or something in honor of him.”
Ace grinned. “I’ll drink to that, brother.”
Peb strolled over. “My brother raced cockroaches with you? That’s awesome.”
Ace looked at the man curiously. “What is so awesome about racing insects?”
Without an ounce of guile, Peb enlightened them. “Cork and I grew up on a farm about a hundred miles from here. When we were kids, our folks locked us up off and on.”
Barbara asked, “Like in your rooms?”
“In the little closet under the stairs mostly,” he clarified, “but sometimes in the cabinets under the sink or in a wardrobe. They did it as a punishment or just to keep us safe while they went out. We’d get bored. Our favorite game was to race insects, and for some reason cockroaches were plentiful. Racing them was really fun. If my brother did that with you, it means he really likes you.”
Ryder swallowed thickly. “If I’m being totally honest, it was kind of fun.”
Ace chimed in, “Yeah, after you get past the fact that it’s a bug.”
Barbara snuggled closer to his side. “I hope he comes back soon. I’m worried about him.”
Peb sighed. “My brother never liked being locked up. He’s claustrophobic, but he’d never admit it. Every time they’d let us out, he’d run across our property for hours. Once he got it out of his system, he would be fine.”
Ace held out his bottle. “Here’s to Cork enjoying his run and making it back safely.”
Clinking the neck of their amber bottles together, everyone took a pull off their beer in Cork’s honor. Ace circulated among his brothers, ate, drank, told their story more than once, and finally landed at the bar. Strangely enough, Ryder was pouring drinks like a prospect. Stuart and Tiffany were knee deep in a conversation that closely resembled the one they always had.
“You really don’t get it, Tiff. Everybody else there had fallen apart over a major life crisis and were trying desperately to get back to where they were before.” Thumping his chest, Stuart’s voice edged up a notch. “I was never right to start out with, so I’ve got nothing to get back to.”
“You’re being absurd,” she accused.
“Am I? Because it sure as hell does not feel like it.”