Page 11 of Panther’s Magpie (Mountain River MC #1)
CHAPTER
TEN
MAGGIE
T he first thing I hear when I get out of the car is the sound of carnival games and music. The bells and whistles paired with the singing are like a sensory overload but in the best possible way.
“Come on,” Rain says as she loops her arm through mine.
“Are you sure it’s okay that I’m here?”
“All the guys from the club are here. It’s fine, trust me.”
I bite the inside of my cheek to stop myself from telling her that I find it hard to trust. Especially people that I really don’t know.
The smell of fried food hits me, making my stomach rumble.
“God, I love fried food,” I groan.
“Me too. Here’s what I was thinking: we get a little bit of everything and share.”
“I’d be game for that.”
We make our way to the first food truck and place our order. Then we go to another, then a third. When we finally sit down, I can’t help but laugh at our spread. We have Mexican street corn, a corn dog, nachos, fries, fried pickles, fried Oreos, and a funnel cake.
“Did we go a little overboard?” I ask.
“Nah, besides, if we have food babies after this, who gives a fuck? We have no one to impress.”
Looking down, I grab a chip and pop it into my mouth. I want to tell her that she’s wrong, but I don’t. That would just lead to questions about what’s happening between Panther and me, and I can’t exactly answer that when I don’t know myself.
Things between us are…complicated.
Neither of us has acted on anything, but the heated looks tell me it’s only a matter of time. Well, that and the fact that I have a freaking crush on the guy that keeps growing day by day.
“Does this happen every year?” I ask.
I can’t help but moan as I pop a fried pickle covered in ranch dressing into my mouth. So, so good.
“It does. We have one each fall and spring.”
“That’s awesome. I don’t remember this from when I lived in the area.”
“We started a few years ago, so I’m not surprised.”
After we’ve eaten too much food, we walk around. I laugh when Rain dunks one of the brothers in the dunk tank, then laugh even harder when she shoves a pie in another guy’s face.
As she waits in line for another lemonade, I look around and smile. Everyone looks so happy and carefree. Parents are smiling as their kids laugh with excitement. Just watching everyone heals a part of my soul that my parents unknowingly damaged.
They might have paid for everything, but we never did anything together. They never spent time with me or took me with them. They don’t know me like these parents know their kids, and it makes my heart ache. Then again, I guess I really don’t know them either.
“This is great, right?” Rain asks as she comes up next to me.
“I love it.”
Movement out of the corner of my eye makes me turn my head. My breath catches as I watch Panther tip his head back and laugh with his brothers. He looks so happy, carefree even. It looks good on him.
Almost as if he feels me staring, he looks right at me. His smile grows, making my heart race. I fight the urge to straighten my shirt as I watch him break away from his brothers and walk my way.
“I’ll be right back. I see someone I know,” Rain says.
“Okay,” I say without looking away from the man who is moving my way.
“Hey, I didn’t know you were coming,” he says as he comes to a stop next to me, shoving his hands into his pockets.
“I hope it’s okay. Rain brought me.”
“It’s fine. I should have thought about it myself,” he admits, looking a little embarrassed.
“It’s okay.”
He clears his throat as he looks around. “So, what do you think?”
“That this is amazing. I love that the community comes together like this.”
“We have a pretty good thing going here.”
My skin starts to crawl, and I look around. I see a woman glaring at me, arms crossed.
“What’s wrong?” he asks, catching onto my mood instantly.
“Don’t look, but there is a woman glaring at us at my ten o’clock.”
I watch as he looks out the corner of his eye and grunts.
“Ex of yours?” My stomach sours.
The woman is beautiful. Way prettier than I am.
“Yeah, I guess you could say that.”
“Let me guess, she didn’t take it too well.” I try to sound light, but it’s hard.
He smirks. “You could say that.”
“Heartbreaker,” I say half-heartedly as I glance back at the woman and study her.
She’s gorgeous. Thin, long legs and long blond hair. We look nothing alike. Is she his type? If she is, I don’t stand a chance. I mean, I really didn’t think I did to begin with, but…
“Hey, are you okay?” he asks, pulling me out of my thoughts.
“I’m fine.”
He narrows his eyes, and he opens his mouth to say something but is cut off by a whistle.
“What’s that?” I glance around, seeing everyone moving.
“That’s the signal that it’s time for the ride.”
“Ride?” I look back at him.
“Yeah, we all get together and ride for a while.”
I don’t know why, but the thought of him going on a ride without me makes me jealous. I loved the ride he took me on and would kill to do it again. I just don’t know how to ask, or if I even should.
“Well then, I hope you have a safe ride.”
“Thanks.” He steps back once and then twice before pausing.
He tilts his head to the side as he rubs his jaw, clearly fighting with himself about something.
“Hey, you have any plans for the next couple of hours?” he asks after a couple of beats.
“I was going to hang out with Rain. Why? Do you want me to head back to the clubhouse since you guys won’t be around?” I ask.
It would make sense. I’m allowed here because I have protection. The brothers wouldn’t let anything happen to me. With them gone, it’s more dangerous.
As I’m overthinking, Panther is studying me. Thinking over what he wants to say.
When he finally speaks, I’m shocked.
“Come with me.”
PANTHER
“Come with me.”
Her eyes widen, caught off guard by my request.
Same, babe. Fucking same.
I had no intention of asking. Hell, I have no idea where the question came from, but it came out before I could stop myself. I don’t walk it back, though. The longer I think about having her pressed up against me for the next few hours, the more I like it.
The more I crave it.
The last time she was on the back of my bike felt right. Ever since then, when I’ve ridden alone, I’ve felt like something is missing. Which is weird, right?
Has she really buried herself so far under my skin that doing one of my favorite things lacks the appeal that it used to?
We haven’t even kissed for Christ’s sake, and she has me in a chokehold. She doesn’t even realize it either.
“Are you sure?” she asks quietly as she nibbles on the side of her lip.
Goddamn, I would do some shady shit to lean in right now and free her lip with mine.
Instead of doing what I desperately want, I reach out and free her lip from her teeth. My hand lingers before I drop it back down to my side.
“I’m sure,” I say, gruffly.
A beautiful smile covers her face. “Then I would love to.”
“Come on then.”
I hold out my hand and take hers in mine. Looking down, I study the way her fingers are wrapped around mine. How right they look. Her hands are soft and dainty compared to mine, which are rough with calluses.
Complete opposites, yet so right.
As we walk away, I feel Ava staring, but I don’t give her the time of day. Maybe now she will get the memo that I was serious when I said we weren’t happening. Crazy bitch.
Rain catches my attention, and she shoots me a thumbs-up and winks, making me laugh.
“What’s so funny?” Maggie asks.
“Just saw something funny in the crowd. Nothing for you to worry about. You need to go to the restroom or anything? We will be on the road for a while.”
“I’m good,” she says, squeezing my hand.
When we approach my bike, my brothers all turn and look at us. Their faces all show different levels of shock. A couple of the old-timers’ old ladies stare at Maggie like they are trying to figure out who she is and what she’s doing here.
“You joining us today, Maggie?” Eagle asks.
“I guess so. As long as you don’t mind,” she says.
“You’re always welcome to hang with us. You know that,” Talon tells her.
“Yes, join us, Maggie,” Meek tells her.
I feel my brothers’ stares but ignore them.
It’s not normal for us to invite a woman onto the back of our bikes if they don’t mean something to us.
Typically, the women who ride with us are our old ladies, sisters, or daughters.
Nothing more, nothing less. By allowing Maggie to ride with us, I’m pretty much putting a target on her back, making it known she’s important to me.
I don’t know when it happened, but she is more than Aspen’s friend. The girl means more to me than I’d like to admit, but I’m sick of fighting it. I just don’t know if she feels the same way.
“Here, I got my daughter’s leathers in my bag. She was supposed to come today, but she canceled,” Steel, one of the old-timers, says.
“Thank you,” Maggie says.
He gets off his bike and riffles through his saddlebags for a minute before handing them over.
“They might be a little big, but they are better than nothing. If you’re going to ride often, Pres should get you your own set.”
He gives me a pointed look. Yeah, she isn’t prepared because I wasn’t planning to ask her on this ride. He’s telling me to get my shit together. If it were any other brother, I would be pissed, but he’s an old-timer. He means well, so I let it slide.
“I’ll take that under advisement, Steel,” I say as she takes them and puts them on.
I have to bite back a groan as I look at her. Goddamn, does she look good in leather. Even if it is a size or two too big.
I grab the helmet she wore previously from my saddlebag and help her put it on. After I’ve buckled mine, I get on my bike. Once I’m in position, I help her get on behind me. It takes everything in me not to smile when she doesn’t try to create space between us.
Nah, my Magpie instantly scoots as close to me as possible, her thighs pressing tight against my hips.
Goddamn, if she was in front of me just like this…
The sound of bikes being turned on pulls me from my dirty thoughts.
“Ready?” I holler.
The boys rev, and we take off. Eagle rides next to me on my right side. As we pass by the crowd that’s gathered around to watch us take off, I make eye contact with Ava. Fury all over her face.
I might have downplayed the shit with Ava to Maggie, but it’s for the best. She’s worried about enough shit right now as it is. She doesn’t need to worry about a crazy bitch that I used to stick my dick into from time to time when the urge hit. Deep in my gut, though, I know this isn’t the end.
By Maggie crawling onto the back of my bike, she put herself in Ava’s crosshairs. She’s going to start some shit, I just know it. Just another thing to add to my already full plate of things to watch out for.
Maggie pulls me out of my thoughts as she laughs, squeezing onto my sides. I can’t help but smile. She fucking loves this, just as much as I do.
With one hand, I let go of the handlebars and place my hand on her thigh, where it stays the rest of the ride.
Being out here with my boys, on the open road, with this gorgeous woman behind me feels right. I’ll do whatever I can to make sure this feeling lasts.