Page 16 of Wild Runaway
“He’s a good guy, Lone Star. They call him that because he’s always been a loner, but the star part is because he’s loyal and true. You become his old lady, and he’ll defend you to the ends of the earth.”
I look down at her words, because I’m embarrassed it’s that obvious what I’m thinking. That I want to stay here, that I want to hitch myself to his star and never let go.
“I’ve only known him for two days,” I whisper, “but I don’t want to leave.” It feels good to confess it, to say it out loud.
Danni chuckles.
“The same thing happened to me. There’s something about this mountain and the men on it. They both have a way of getting to your heart and not letting go.”
Rose cries and Bettie wails in sympathy and we scoop them up, back to motherhood duties. Danni slings her baby bag over her shoulder as she holds Bettie on the other hip.
“I hope you stick around, Trish,” she says before leaving. “I don’t know your situation, but whatever it is, the club has your back.”
As I watch her pull away in her beautiful but impractical car, the silence of the cabin settles around me.
I could get used to life here, to the peaceful quiet of the forest. And there’s something else I’m feeling: a longing in my heart, an ache in my body. Joseph’s been gone for half of the day, and I miss him. There’s no denying it. I’m falling for the big, silent mountain man.
9
JOSEPH
The scent of cleaning fluid and fresh flowers hits me when I open the cabin door later that afternoon.
There’s a vase of wildflowers on the center of the table, and the walls of the kitchen seem brighter. The windows are thrown open, the dust gone from around the window frames.
“You cleaned up?”
Trish is on the mat with Rose, the baby giggling as she dangles the colorful caterpillar over her head. My heart warms at the giggles coming from the both of them.
“I hope you don’t mind.”
I don’t mind at all; I could get used to this. There’s a feminine touch to the cabin now. The flowers and the open windows that are streak free bring the scent of the forest into my home.
Rose makes a crying noise, and Trish picks her up.
“I’m going to get her down for her afternoon nap.”
She brushes past me, and I resist the urge to reach out and pull her toward me. I want to kiss her senseless. I thought about her all day, and I love coming home to her and the baby.
While Trish puts Rose down, I fix us a snack. Every cupboard has been cleaned, the walls wiped down and the taps polished so I can see my own bristly reflection in them. Damn, it’s good having Trish around.
I fix us a bowl of guacamole and grab a packet of corn chips. Trish comes out of the room a few moments later.
“She asleep already?”
It usually takes a lot longer to get Rose down. She must be settling into the place.
Trish comes into the kitchen and picks up a dish cloth. There are a few items in the drying rack, and she gets busy putting them away. I love how we move around each other easily, like she belongs in the space. She’s changed into a pair of short shorts, and I can’t stop glancing at her luscious thick thighs.
“Danni stopped by today.”
A pang of gratitude goes through me at my MC brothers and how quickly they’ve mobilized to help. Trish tells me about her day and the play date the babies had. I hope it can be a regular thing for her. I hope she’ll stick around.
Trish reaches up to put a pasta bowl on the top shelf and my gaze goes to her legs, getting a peek of her upper thigh as she reaches up. My breath catches in my throat. There’s an angry purple bruise at the top of her thigh.
“He hit you on the legs too?”
I stride across the kitchen and crouch down to examine the bruise.
