Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 46448 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 232(@200wpm)___ 186(@250wpm)___ 155(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 46448 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 232(@200wpm)___ 186(@250wpm)___ 155(@300wpm)
Guilt clawed in the pit of her stomach.
“I’m fine. I know you guys would like your privacy, and I’m a third wheel.”
“You’re not a third wheel.”
“Actually, I was thinking it might be time for me to spread my own wings and perhaps get my own place.” She chanced a look at him and saw Landon’s mouth was partially open.
“Your own place?” he asked.
“You don’t like that idea?”
“Er, it sounds like a great one to be honest, but, er, but, have you talked to Duke about it?”
No, she hadn’t, mainly worried about rejection. She and Duke didn’t have the best relationship at the moment. The lack of trust was a big part of that problem.
“You know Anna and I love having you around, and John,” he said, mentioning his son.
The baby. She adored his little boy. Maya loved all kids.
“Right.” She loved Landon and adored John and Anna, but it was time for her to move on. To get her own place to have some kind of independence and to prove to herself that she could be someone outside of her father’s control.
She took another deep breath and slowly released it.
No one was ever going to trust her. She had that cloud hanging over her head.
The sound of the clubhouse door closing drew her attention, and she watched as Preach headed to the barbeque pit. He was the only one who seemed to treat her like a human being and not a complete mess. “I’ve got to go,” she said.
****
Luna had gone to Mary’s house only to find Pike alone with his kids. He’d told her that she was at Holly’s place, which meant the old abandoned farm that Duke had converted into a gorgeous home.
She had visited it a few times.
Holly was the last person she wanted to see, but she needed to talk to Mary more.
As she knocked on the door, she heard music playing, along with laughter.
Holly opened the door. “Luna,” she said.
“Hi, er, I’m sorry to intrude, but I was wondering if I could see Mary?” she asked.
Holly folded her arms and chuckled. “Luna, I’m not going to hold our last meeting against you.”
Luna lifted her gaze. “You’re not?”
“I get it. I didn’t see it from your side. I only saw it from Matthew’s and I know in the last few years, he has grown so much. I see him. The boy he is, turning into a responsible young man. He’s going to make a fine patched-in member at the club.” Holly sighed. “But I didn’t look at it from the girl or woman’s perspective here. Just stepmom, and roar, I wanted to protect him.”
“Oh,” Luna said.
“I wish I can take all of the credit for this, but I kind of told his dad, and Duke reminded me that your part in this wasn’t that of the bad guy.”
Her head was spinning. The fact Holly and Duke were talking about her and Matthew was deeply unsettling. “Er, is, Mary here?”
“Yeah.” Holly yelled Mary’s name. “Anyway, I’m hoping one day you and I will get a chance to sit down, have a chat, get to know one another. As friends.”
Luna nodded, but it was the furthest thing she wanted right now.
Mary came to the door. “Luna?”
“Can I talk to you? It’s about something important.”
“Of course. Of course.”
“I’ll leave you two alone,” Holly said, disappearing into her house.
“It’s experiment day,” Mary said. “Once a week, we come up with ideas and spend the day just experimenting. We’ll be taking them to the clubhouse once it’s all done and get some feedback.”
Luna didn’t know why she was told that. Everyone was telling her so many things with regard to their personal lives and the club. Were they making it harder for her to pull away when the time came?
After the summer, she didn’t know where she was going to be or what she was going to do. Her life was so unsettled.
“Great, I wanted to talk to you about Mac.”
Mary tensed up and shook her head. “Sweetheart, I have nothing to do with Mac anymore. Trust me, I cannot help you with him.”
“It’s just that I got my old job, waitressing for him, and well, er, he, seems so different.”
“People change,” Mary said.
“He doesn’t open the diner every single day. He still pays me, and I’m not complaining because I need the money, but he won’t hire any new waitresses. I know with how people are feeling. We’re losing customers because he’s all over the place. I know he will listen to you.”
Mary held her hand up. “I nearly— My marriage nearly came to an end because of my dealings with Mac Reynolds. I don’t know who you can speak to about this, but it’s not me. Mac and I haven’t spoken for a long time.”
“Oh,” Luna said. “I, I’m sorry.”