Page 13 of Panther’s Magpie (Mountain River MC #1)

CHAPTER

TWELVE

MAGGIE

T he rocking chair sways underneath me as I stare out into the yard blankly. The sun has set, but it’s not quite dark yet. The air is cool, but it doesn’t bother me. For the first time in a while, I’m alone.

Completely alone.

The guys and Rain invited me to go into town to the bar to hang out with them, but I turned them down. As much as I love all of them, I couldn’t paste on a smile, not today.

It’s my birthday.

My twenty-second birthday.

The first birthday in a decade that I haven’t spent with Aspen.

She never called. She never forced her way into my room or jumped on me while I slept, waking me up with her horrible off-key birthday song.

She didn’t buy me a gift that I would find embarrassing but would ultimately make her laugh.

Instead it’s been nothing but radio silence, and it makes my heart ache and tears gather in my eyes.

God, I miss her.

Logically, I knew there would come a time when one of us would celebrate a birthday without the other, but I always thought it would be when we were older and one of us had passed away. For some reason it hurts so much more knowing that she’s alive but just unable to reach out.

A headlight shines in the distance, coming closer and closer. I sit up and wipe the tears from my cheeks.

Thank God it’s dark. Whoever’s here won’t notice that I’ve been crying. Or I hope they won’t be able to.

The bike shuts off, and I watch as Panther gets off of it and starts walking my way.

“What are you doing out here all by yourself?” he asks.

“I just wanted some alone time. Shouldn’t you be at the bar?”

He shrugs as he comes to sit next to me. “We were slow, so I thought I’d come back and hang out here with you.”

“Slow? A bar on a Friday night, slow?” I ask, fighting back a smile.

The corner of his mouth twitches. “The boys have it under control.”

“Right.”

“Okay, fine. I didn’t like you being out here alone,” he admits.

“I’m not completely alone.” I let my eyes stray to the man at the gate.

He’s a quiet one. Keeps to himself so much so that I haven’t really gotten to know him like the others, but I still trust him to keep me safe.

“The prospect at the gate doesn’t count,” he says as if reading my mind.

“If you say so,” I tease.

“So, what are you doing out here?” he asks again.

“Just hanging out.”

Panther hums but doesn’t say anything.

I thought I wanted to be alone earlier, but I’m realizing now that it’s the last thing I needed. Just having him next to me, sitting in silence, I feel better than I did before.

Maybe this is what I needed. Maybe this is what I’ve always needed. Panther showed up for me even when I didn’t know I needed it. Hell, he doesn’t even realize what he’s done for me himself.

“So, you missed it. Rain threw a drink at a dude. I thought an all-out bar fight was going to happen,” he finally says, breaking the silence.

“Wait, what?” I ask as I shake my head.

“You heard me.”

I squint my eyes. “But why?”

“The guy slapped her ass while she was carrying a tray of empty glasses back to the kitchen.” He smiles.

“That was ballsy,” I admit, thinking about Rain.

Yeah, she’s the type that would start a brawl over that shit.

He chuckles. “That’s what I said.”

“What happened to the guy?” My mind drifts to the books I’ve read where the men would murder for something as silly as that.

“Kicked him out. Told him he wasn’t ever welcome back.” He says it so nonchalantly that it surprises me.

“Does that really work, though? Banning people, I mean,” I ask.

He shrugs. “The guy was a tourist. I’m not too worried about it.”

“And to think, you left all that excitement to come hang out with little ol’ me.”

“Let’s be real, someone has to keep an eye on you with all the mischief you cause. Who knows what you would do if left alone for five minutes?” he teases, making me laugh.

“Please, I’m fucking boring compared to most.”

“You? Boring?” he scoffs. “That’s not the word to describe you.”

What word would you use?

Before I can muster up the courage to ask, he changes the subject.

“How’s that book I saw you carrying around?”

Butterflies erupt in my stomach knowing he has paid attention. I clear my throat. “Good. I actually finished it.”

“Yeah? I picked up a new book recently.”

I quirk a brow at him. “Really? I’ve never seen you read.”

“I do from time to time.”

I find that hard to believe, but I don’t say it. Instead, I ask him more. “Well, what’s it about?”

“Anti-gravity. It’s impossible to put down.”

He says it with such seriousness at first I don’t realize he’s joking. Not until his lips twitch, and I can’t help but laugh.

“That joke was horrible. Where did you even get it?” I ask as I wipe tears from my eyes.

“Magpie, there’s more where that came from.” He smiles.

I turn toward him. I rest my chin on my palm with my elbow on the armrest.

“I used to be a kleptomaniac but I’m taking something for it now,” he deadpans again, making me giggle.

“That’s horrible!” I yell out, slapping his arm.

“Why did a scarecrow win an award?”

My lips twitch, already wanting to laugh. “Why?”

“Because he was outstanding in his field.”

I tip my head back and laugh. “Where did you come up with these? Do you have a book of a hundred and one bad dad jokes?” I ask, making him chuckle.

“No, but I should probably invest in one. Want me to keep going?” he asks with a smile.

“Yes,” I say without hesitation.

He drums his fingers on the armrest as he thinks for a minute. “Okay, I got one. I once got in a fight with a broken elevator.” He pauses dramatically. “It was just wrong on so many levels.”

“Oh god,” I gasp.

“I was going to tell a time-traveler joke, but you didn’t make it in time.” He smirks.

My stomach starts to cramp from laughing so hard. Once I stop laughing, Panther tenses, and it’s like a switch is flipped. Like he realized he was happy and having a good time when we shouldn’t be. Because of Aspen.

Carefully, I reach out to touch his arm, only he pulls his arm back before I can.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” he says gruffly.

An awkward silence surrounds us, and it makes my skin crawl.

“Well, it’s late. I’m going to head to bed. Thank you for hanging out with me.”

“Anytime,” he says without looking at me.

Before either of us says anything, I stand up and flee. Something that I’m starting to realize I’m good at, running when things get hard.

PANTHER

As the door slams shut behind her, I tip my head back and sigh. Goddammit, things were going so well until they weren’t.

This shit is so fucking complicated.

One minute I feel fine, and then the next it’s like this shit with Aspen is eating me alive. As soon as I forget about her, she comes back with a vengeance. She’s a pain in my ass.

I feel like fucking trash for pulling away from Maggie when all she was trying to do was comfort me. I had to bite the tip of my tongue to stop myself from lashing out at her. She knows I’m not okay because she’s in the same boat right next to me. We’re both faking it.

I was such a dickhead she was forced to run away from me. All because an image of my sister’s pissed-off face popped into my mind telling me that I don’t deserve to be happy, not while she’s missing, and sure as hell not with her best friend.

Still, I can’t help but feel guilty that I was having a good time with her. Her laughter lit me on fire and made me feel ten feet tall. If she were anyone else, it wouldn’t be that big of a deal, but she’s Aspen’s best friend. Maggie is Aspen’s person, not mine.

I want her to be mine, though, and that’s the crux of it all.

I want her, and I shouldn’t. If there is one thing I know about my sister it’s that she would not support her best friend and me getting together.

She likes to keep every part of her life separate.

Or at least it seems like it if her previous actions are anything to go by.

Hell, she never liked any attention I got from females at all.

It was as if females being in my life would take the attention off of her.

I used to play into it, but now? I don’t want to anymore.

I finally found a woman I want more than to appease my sister. I shouldn’t want that.

Still, I look back at the door and fight the urge to go inside. To pull her into my arms and comfort her. To kiss her. Fuck, she looked so sad when I pulled up, but after a few truly cringe-worthy jokes, she smiled. She laughed so hard she cried.

Somehow I took her sadness away and made her happy.

I did that.

Not Rain, Meek, or Eagle.

Me.

The whole reason I left the bar tonight was because I wanted to hang out with her. I wanted to spend time with her alone without anyone watching us. I sought her out, and I don’t regret it. I’d do it all over again, even if it ends as awkwardly as it did tonight.

I don’t think I could ever regret spending time with her.

Not with the way she makes me feel.

My phone vibrates in my pocket. At first, I ignore it but when it starts going off for a second time, I groan as I pull it out. The unknown number flashes across my screen, making me pause. Months ago, I would have ignored it, but now I can’t.

“Hello?”

“Now you answer,” Ava huffs.

I pull my phone away from my face and hang up. Of fucking course it had to be her. I should have just let it go to voicemail and saved myself the trouble of hearing her voice.

I used to laugh when the boys would say her voice was like nails on a chalkboard, but now I hear it. They were onto something, but if I had to pick one over the other, I would pick the chalkboard. Every time. Without question. Because chalkboards don’t whine or talk back.

Before I can even figure out how to block her number, she calls one more time and sends me five texts.

Stop ignoring me.

Come on, Panther, you know we belong together.

Is she why you broke up with me?

Stop trying to make me jealous and answer me, dammit.

Panther…this is getting old.

I scoff at her last message before I delete the thread.

I knew she was delusional, but I didn’t realize how far off the fucking rocker she really was.

If anything is getting old, it’s her. I knew she was going to act out after seeing Maggie and me together, after seeing her on the back of my bike, but I didn’t expect for her to buy a burner or borrow someone else’s phone to try and harass me.

That’s a lie. I expected her to change her number, but I had hoped she wouldn’t, though. I had hoped she would get the message.

Then again, I would rather have her trying to get ahold of me than showing up here randomly and harassing Maggie. I have to remind myself that she’s banned, and everyone knows she’s not allowed on the property.

Still, there’s no denying that she has a way of making people do what she wants. If she really wanted to make it onto the grounds, she would probably find a way in. I just hope the loyalty here is solid.

Eyeing the door again, I get up and head toward my place, leaving my bike at the clubhouse. I hate the fact I’m leaving her here alone, but if someone were somehow able to get past the prospect at the gate, at least they would think someone was with her as well.

When I get home, I look around my place. I don’t have any pictures on the walls, blankets on the back of the couch, or anything that makes a house a home. I have gloves on the counter and shoes next to the door, but that’s really it where personal touches are concerned.

What would Maggie think if she walked in here? Would she like it, or would she turn up her nose?

I push those thoughts to the side and head into my bathroom. I turn on the shower and strip. Before it’s warmed up, I step under the spray. At first, the water stings, but as it gets hot, my muscles start to relax. My mind clears, and I forget about everything going on.

I don’t know how long I stand there, but when the water starts to cool, I shut it off and get out. Quickly I dry off and brush my teeth.

When I fall into bed, thoughts of Maggie come back to me, and I fight the urge to pick up my phone and start ordering shit I don’t need to make this place look a little better. As I fall asleep, I drift off to thoughts of her making this place into a home.