Page 9 of Cash

“Was it meant to?”

I leaned forward, my elbows on my knees and my hands clasped together. “I was a punk kid. Moody, rebellious. I think they thought it was the answer to my shit attitude.”

“Was it?”

My eyes sought hers, and I wondered where she was going. “There was no answer. All teenage boys are assholes.”

“You have a point there.” She chuckled, and it made me smile.

I didn’t smile much these days. Wasn’t much to smile about.

“I guess you want to talk about Rachel,” I said, my gaze focused on the floor under my feet.

“We can talk about whatever you want.”

“Did you know her?” I asked, looking up.

“I did. Rachel was one of the sweetest girls I knew. She was two years behind me in school.”

“Do you remember her mom?”

“I do. Louise Masters was a woman unto herself. I have never met another person as loving and trusting and supportive as Louise was. Not just of Rachel, but all of them. All of us. She was very well loved in town, and her death, much like Rachel’s, affected everyone in Diamond Creek. I was away at school whenshe passed. I left not long after Blade‘died’.” She held her hands up, making finger quotes when she talked about Blade.

“We moved in not long after she lost her mom. We’d only been here a few months when we got together.”

I stood and walked to the window. It felt good to talk about Rachel, but it fucking hurt, too. Haizley was quiet behind me, and I knew what she was doing. It was a common tactic when you wanted someone to talk. Stay silent and eventually they would talk.

“We both thought it was meant to be a one-night stand.”

“But it wasn’t.”

“No.”

King and I rode down main street with Blade. We made our presence known as soon as we got into town after the clubhouse was built.

We stopped at the diner and backed our bikes into the spaces. I swung my leg over and walked to the door, leaving the two of them to argue over some bullshit.

I wasn’t sure they realized how alike they were sometimes. We’d only known Blade a couple of years. He’d saved Jack’s life at a bar one night and subsequently, Jack pulled him into the club.

King knew we wouldn’t get Jack to leave Arkansas if Blade didn’t come with us, and once he told us about Diamond Creek, we knew he would be a great addition.

I opened the door and a woman came tumbling out. As I caught her in my arms, that first look into her eyes had me mesmerized.

“Oh, I’m so sorry.” Her smile hit something inside me. Brightened up a dark corner.

“My pleasure,” I said, smiling at her while my hands still held onto her.

King and Blade walked up, and Rachel focused on Blade, scrunching her eyes. He quickly moved inside without a hello, and her eyes followed him. I thought that was it. But when she turned back to me, it was a flash of confusion I saw on her face that quickly turned to lust as she settled back on me.

“You thought she was interested in Blade?”

“At first, yea. But once she started coming around the clubhouse, she confronted him, and I realized what had happened. She’d recognized him right off the bat.”

I turned around, giving Haizley my attention. “Rachel was fucking smart. Nothing got past her, and she never let any of the guys get away with shit. She made a great first lady.”

“But she wasn’t the first lady, right?” She quickly added, “Gunner and the girls have been giving me lessons in MC etiquette.”

“No, she wasn’t the first lady, but King didn’t have an old lady. The VP’s old lady takes the top spot until the prez claims someone.”