Page 8 of Jack of All Trades (The Morrison Brothers #4)

I stay hidden behind the door, watching Maya's car disappear down the street, her last glimpse of me framed against the house I grew up in. My words hang in the air between us even after she's gone: "I think it might be the other way around."

The truth of that statement hits me like a bull's first buck out of the chute- I'm falling for Maya Torres.

The realization should scare me. It should send me running in the opposite direction, back to the safety of casual flirtations and brief relationships that end before they get too deep.

But instead, I feel something close to exhilaration, like the moment just before the buzzer sounds when I know I've conquered the ride.

My mind is racing. She's only been in town for what—five days? We've spent maybe a total of eight hours in each other's company. It's too fast, too intense, too unlikely to be anything real.

Except it feels more real than anything has in a long time.

Maya sees me. Not Jack Morrison, local rodeo star, not the youngest Morrison brother with the easy smile and charming lines, but me.

She challenges me, questions me, doesn't let me hide behind the persona I've crafted over the years.

And I find myself wanting to show her more, to be more, to prove Rex wrong about the kind of man I am.

Rex.

My best friend since childhood. The guy who had my back in countless fights, who helped me through Mom's death, who trusts me with everything except his sister.

And he's right not to trust me, based on my history. I've left a trail of brief relationships and hurt feelings throughout Pine Haven, not because I'm cruel or callous, but because I've never found someone worth changing my ways for.

Until now.

The thought stops me cold in my kitchen. Am I really considering pursuing this? Maya is leaving town in less than two weeks. She has a life in Seattle—a job, an apartment, friends. And Rex would never forgive me if I hurt her.

I pace the length of the kitchen, unable to settle. This isn't like me. I don't agonize over women. I don't put my friendships at risk for a relationship that hasn't even started. I don't contemplate major life changes for someone I barely know.

But I can't stop thinking about the way Maya looked at me in the backyard, her green eyes assessing, curious, seeing past the surface to something deeper.

I can't forget the sound of her laugh, reluctant at first, then genuine and unguarded.

I can't ignore the connection that sparks between us with each conversation, each shared glance, each moment of unexpected honesty.

And I can't wait until tomorrow's party to figure this out.

Before I can talk myself out of it, I grab my keys from the counter and head out to my truck.

I know where Rex spends his Saturday mornings—at the Outlaw Order MC clubhouse on the outskirts of town.

I've only been there a handful of times, usually when Rex needed a ride home after a particularly rowdy night.

It's not my scene. Too serious, too exclusive, too dangerous.

Rex has always been vague about what exactly the Outlaw Order MC do. He calls them a motorcycle club, not a gang, and insists they provide a valuable service to Pine Haven. "Protection," he once said when pressed, though he wouldn't elaborate on what they were protecting the town from.

I've respected his privacy on the matter, just as he's respected my choice to stay in rodeo rather than pursue college or a more conventional career like my brothers. That's been the foundation of our friendship. Mutual respect for each other's choices, even when we don't fully understand them.

I'm about to test that foundation in a way I never have before.

The Outlaw Order clubhouse sits at the end of a gravel road about three miles outside Pine Haven proper.

It's a converted warehouse with blacked-out windows, a parking lot filled with motorcycles of various makes and models and several other old buildings around.

Rex's custom Harley is parked near the entrance—a sleek black machine with custom silver detailing that he's spent years perfecting.

I park my truck at the edge of the lot, suddenly aware of how out of place it looks among the bikes.

How out of place I'm going to look inside.

I'm wearing my everyday clothes. Worn jeans, a plain white t-shirt, my usual boots.

I didn't even grab a hat on my way out. I must look like I just rolled out of bed.

But it doesn't matter. What matters is finding Rex and laying my cards on the table. If there's even a chance of something real with Maya, I need to be upfront with her brother from the start.

The heavy metal door to the clubhouse opens easily when I pull, revealing a dimly lit interior that smells of leather, beer, and cigarette smoke.

Music plays from speakers in the corners.

Not the country I usually listen to, but something harder, with a driving beat that matches the pounding of my heart.

The moment I step inside, the atmosphere changes. Conversations pause, heads turn, and I feel the weight of a dozen pairs of eyes assessing me, evaluating the threat level of a cowboy in their midst.

The space is larger than it looks from outside, with a long bar along one wall, pool tables in the center, and various seating areas scattered throughout. Members of the Outlaw Order are easily identifiable by their leather vests emblazoned with the club's logo.

I spot Rex immediately. He's at the bar with three other members, deep in conversation until one of them notices me and nudges him. Rex turns, his expression going from confusion to wariness when he sees me standing just inside the entrance.

He says something to his companions, then makes his way toward me, his movements casual though his eyes are anything but.

"Jack," he says when he reaches me. "What the hell are you doing here?"

I take a deep breath, aware that we have an audience. "Need to talk to you. About last night. About Maya."

Rex's jaw tightens. "Nothing to talk about. We already settled this."

"No, we didn't." I meet his gaze steadily. "I lied to you last night. Or at least, I wasn't completely honest."

"What are you talking about?" His voice has an edge now, sharp enough to cut.

"I'm interested in your sister, Rex. Really interested.

Not in a casual way, not in a temporary way.

In a way I've never felt before about anyone.

" The words come out in a rush, like I'm afraid I'll lose my nerve if I slow down.

"I can't explain it. I know we just met.

I know it doesn't make sense. But there's something between us that feels. .. important."

Rex stares at me for a long moment, eyes squinted. Then, without warning, he shoves me hard enough that I stumble back a step.

"What the hell, Morrison?" he demands, his voice rising. "You've known her for what? A day, two? And suddenly you're having feelings? That's bullshit and you know it."

I regain my balance, aware that every eye in the place is on us now. "I know how it sounds. I wouldn't believe it either if it wasn't happening to me. But it is, Rex. I can't explain it, but it must be fate or something—"

The punch catches me off guard, landing squarely on my jaw and snapping my head to the side. Pain blooms across my face, but I don't retaliate. I probably deserved that.

"That was fate too," Rex snarls, shaking out his hand.

I touch my jaw gingerly, tasting blood where my teeth cut the inside of my cheek. "Fair enough."

One of the club members, a tall, heavily tattooed man I vaguely recognize from around town, steps forward, but before he can intervene, an older man at the bar raises his hand.

"Stand down," he says, his voice carrying authority without being raised. "This is between them."

The tattooed man immediately steps back, and I realize I'm looking at Reaper, the president of the Outlaw Order MC.

I've seen him around town occasionally, a man in his forties with a silver beard and the kind of weathered face that speaks of hard living.

Rex has always treated him with a level of respect that borders on reverence.

I nod my thanks to the older man, though I'm aware that I'm surrounded by Rex's club brothers, all of whom would take his side in an instant if this turns into a real fight. But that's not what I came here for.

"I deserved that punch," I say to Rex, rubbing my jaw. "But it doesn't change anything. I'm not backing off, Rex. Not unless Maya tells me to."

"This isn't you," Rex says, studying me like I've grown a second head. "Jack Morrison doesn't do serious. Jack Morrison doesn't put himself out there for a woman. Jack Morrison sure as hell doesn't walk into a motorcycle club and declare his intentions like some kind of old-time suitor."

"Maybe this is exactly me," I counter. "The real me, not the guy who's been coasting through relationships because he never found anyone worth fighting for."

"And my sister is suddenly worth fighting for? After a few days? Come on, Jack. We both know what this is. You're attracted to her, she's new and different, and she's only here for two weeks. It's the perfect setup for you. All the excitement of a new conquest with a built-in expiration date."

His words sting because there's a grain of truth in them. Maya is temporary… Here for a short visit, then back to her life in Seattle. But that's not why I'm drawn to her.

"It's not like that," I insist. "Maya is different. She sees through all the charm and bullshit. She challenges me, makes me want to be better. When I'm with her, I feel like... like I'm finally seeing clearly after walking around in a fog."

"Poetic," Rex says dryly. "Did you practice that speech on the way over?"

"I'm serious, Rex."