Page 64 of Mark Us Little Bear
I swear if I open my mouth a giggle will escape it. Pretending to clear my throat, “Where are you going?” I steady myself with his help and move to the side so he can pass me.
“Upstairs, I need to write something down and make a few phone calls to ensure everything is okay at the club.”
“Gotcha, Mr. Mitchell the business owner, but I’m stealing you later.”
Amused, he replies, “Okay but know I already own your ass,” and takes two stairs at a time, grinning widely.
Why does he have to be so fucking adorable, sexy, and authoritative, all at the same time? It’s so attractive andconfusing, I never know which side of Ronnie I’m going to get and it makes me even more excited—Amber gets it too, she wrote about it and now it makes me laugh every time it happens.
I quickly walk out the front door and head to the driveway at the side of the house that leads to a garage. I breathe in the fresh air as the rays of the late morning sun kiss my skin. It’s hot today which is perfect since I’m taking them to the beach. Cole is already there when I arrive, listening to music and cleaning Dad’s old bike.
“You still take care of it?” I cross my arms, leaning against the doorframe.
“Yes, sir.” He puts soap on an old FZ-09. “Ryan takes good care of her, he made it his mission to keep it running for as long as he can. For dad, you know.”
“He likes to go to school and show it to the ladies.” I give him that “I don’t buy it” look but know that deep down Ryan cares about this bike more than he cares to admit. It holds so many memories for him, especially his last memories of Dad.
Cole chuckles, “Totally.”
“But I know it’s for Dad too, he loved to ride with him when he was little. I remember Dad lapping around the neighborhood with Ryan for hours.”
“Like he did with all of us.”
When he put his mind to something, he did it. If he wanted to collect a memory and share an experience, he did so with his entire heart. He never made excuses.
“I don’t think I ever told you,” Cole focuses my attention back at him as he opens the hose and washes the bike, “Dad came to me before the heart attack since we are the oldest, he decided at least one of us should know.”
“Know what…?”
“Remember the bike he had when we were kids?”
“Yeah.” Uncrossing my arms, I detach from the doorframe and step backward.
“He never sold it, he gave it to the Morrison’s.”
“Wh-what, no! They are the worst!”
“I know, their daughter was the devil but Mom confirmed it and said he had a heart of gold because their old car broke down and they had money problems.”
I snap my fingers and twitch my mouth in disbelief. “That’s her excuse for everything but he did have a heart of gold.” I look pensively off into the distance. “I’m disappointed but he had his reasons.”
“It’s in the past.” He closes the hose, water cascading down the bike and a small stream hits a protective motorcycle cover on the side of the garage. “Where are you planning to take them?” Cole asks.
I walk toward it, noticing it’s not spread over boxes or something like that, there’s a bike underneath. And it’s not Mom’s—hers is on the other side of the garage. “South Beach Boardwalk,” I answer.
“You sneaky bastard. You made them watchHow to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. At least they get the full experience like in the movie.”
I pull the cover off of a gorgeous Ducati Panigale and whistle in appreciation. “Whose bike is this?”
“Mine.” He says proudly with a triumphant smile. “I saved everything I had, working horrendous jobs but it’s paid off.”
“Nice,” I squeeze his shoulder and clap him on the back when he comes near me. “I’m proud of you.”
“I figured I should upgrade, you have your R1, it’s time I have my little beast.”
“You came with it from the city?”
“Yeah, through the bridge.”
