"Well men who are in outlaw motorcycle groups certainly aren't involved in church circles or neighborhood watches." I informed her.
"Honey." Amy said softly looking up from my shoe selection. "You do not know this man, or anything about his club, and from what you've told me he seems decent. Now I am the first one to want to protect you from ever getting hurt again, but don't let what happened to you turn you into someone who judges someone before you even know them. That isn't you."
Her words cut me deep, I knew she was right, I shouldn't be so bitter. But I also knew bikers and their gangs were trouble, Amy didn't see what I saw so she couldn't know.
"Lets just forget about last night for now and not let a man complicate my first proper day in my new town with my girl." I gave Amy a smile.
"Okay." She agreed. "But life would be no fun without men to shake things up now and then and as much as I love my B.O.B nothing compares to the real thing." She advised before throwing my no doubt fabulous outfit at me.
The late afternoon sunlight kissed the horizon, beginning to disappear behind the hills as Amy and I enjoyed a cold margarita on the back porch. I relaxed into my chair and let my head fall back, feeling the most content I had in a long while.
"That was an awesome afternoon girl, just what I needed." I told Amy keeping my eyes closed.
We had had a delightful lunch at a cute little café, then proceeded to walk up and down Main Street perusing all the little shops along the way, and generally just enjoying the town's atmosphere. And to my delight, we did not once hear the telltale rumble of Harley pipes nor see a broadly built man donning a leather cut, so all in all a great day.
"Yeah it was actually kind of great, wasn't it?" Amy replied. "This little hole in the road is actually kind of growing on me."
I laughed. "That's great to hear, since we might be here for a while, owning a home and business here."
"Oh I almost forgot." Amy continued. "I got us invited to a party, well the closest this town does to party anyway, a barbeque? Tomorrow night, hopefully there will be some man candy there."
"What?" I spluttered. "When did you find the time to get yourself invited to anything? I was with you most of the day!" I sat up, turning to look at her.
"Remember when I went to get us some coffees when you were burrowed away in that bookstore?" She asked and I nodded. "Well I got talking to the chick behind the counter, awesome girl and massive babe, she invited me and you to her barbeque tomorrow, you know since we are new in town and in desperate need of some friends?"
"I guess it couldn't hurt to get to know the locals." I pondered, wondering what kind of people we would encounter at this barbeque, and feeling kind of excited since I was, well before the incident, a social person.
"I wonder if any of those delicious cops we saw today will be there?" Amy was referring to the three handsome lawmen we saw having lunch at the same spot as us today.
I had a bit of a soft spot for men in uniform after my rescue, I always felt safe around them. Maybe I could go for a more sensible option in a man. My mind wandered to sandy blond haired policeman with a strong jaw, who was tall and very muscular. But my attention kept going back to a scruffy black haired biker, with even more muscles than the toned policeman.
Urrrghhh get out my mind!! I screamed mentally at him.
"Um earth to Gwennie??" Amy waved her hand in front of my face.
"Sorry, was away with the fairies, what did you say?"
"I said you have to make those brownies your are so famous for, that will make us some friends for sure. You might even get marriage proposals with those things." She joked, talking about my special brownies I only make once in a while, because of their ridiculously high calorie count and my ability to polish off a whole batch without blinking.
"Well that means we will have to be up nice and early so we can go into the store and get things ready for the opening Wednesday night," I ordered sternly.
Amy giggled, then saluted. "Yes sir."
I smiled and sipped my margarita, enjoying the company and the fuzzy feeling created by the drink, thinking I might be enjoying life again.
I woke up for once enjoying a blissful, nightmare free sleep. I rolled over to look at the time, 6am. We weren't planning on going into the store until 8, so I had plenty of time for a quick morning run. I needed it after how much I had been indulging over the past few days. I quickly donned my running gear, some short spandex shorts with a pink band at the top and a pink muscle top with a shelf bra, I completed the look with some pink Nikes. I slipped out the door with my headphones playing and began my run, getting lost in the music and the burn in my legs.
Exercise had been hard to get back into after all my rehabilitation, running became a major part in getting me back to myself, a time when I could just escape into my own mind, my blaring music stopping my thoughts from wandering into dark places. After running for a good 30 minutes I stopped at a street corner to stretch and give myself a breather. I gazed around at the nicely kept houses and wondered where the fuck I was. Maybe getting lost in my music while running in unfamiliar territory wasn't the best idea. Well that's why God invented iPhones. Music still blaring, I tapped into my map, realized where I was, and began to run in the direction of home. Not paying attention, I slammed straight into a hard body, proceeding to fall flat on my ass. Confused, I squinted up to see the sexy cop from yesterday, looking down at me with his mouth moving, but due to my music I had no idea what he was saying. I yanked my headphones out of my ears.
"What?" I kind of yelled, sounding more than a bit unladylike, but I guess that ship had sailed when I fell on my ass.
"I just asked if you were okay, sorry darling, but I just didn't see you until you slammed straight into me. You fell pretty hard, are you alright?" He asked with concern and extended a muscled arm towards me.
I took it and he hauled me up. I checked him out, closer I could appreciate him in all his glory. He was sweating from his own run, wearing cut off sweats, and a tight NYPD t-shirt that clung to chiseled abs. I peered into his blue eyes and almost swooned. I am not kidding, he was one beautiful man. A shadow of blonde stubble covered his sharp jaw, his face had a kind of all American handsome look, apart from a slightly crooked nose, which only made him more endearing. Sweat beaded down the thick column of his neck and I followed it with my eyes, down to his seriously muscly chest. I shook myself out of it, what is it with this town and the men? Is this where male models came to retire and get badass jobs?
The sexy lawman was also blatantly checking me out, it didn't help my top had ridden up showing a far bit of midriff. I yanked it down.
"I'm fine, thank you. Sorry I got a bit lost and wasn't paying attention, completely my fault." I explained, slightly breathless. I tried to straighten my ponytail, knowing I was a sweaty mess. I wasn't one of those girls who looked unruffled and amazing after a workout, I was reasonably sure I looked like a panting dog.
"No ma'am I should always be on the lookout for beautiful women running towards me, you're obviously new in town, and Australian?" He guessed wrongly.
I barely suppressed a frustrated sigh, I was so sick of Americans of assuming I was from Australia, a pet hate for all Kiwis.
"No I am from New Zealand." I said rather tightly. "And I have been in the States for almost five years now, legally I promise." I joked putting my hands up in mock fear.
He laughed, and what a great laugh he had, he was the man I should be attracted to not Cade. Not that I didn't feel attraction towards this man, you would have to be dead or gay to not want to jump his bones. But it wasn't the same kind of desperate intensity I felt with Cade. It was official, I was totally fucked up, more attracted to the criminal than the man who locked them up.
"Don't worry I won't deport you, not in my nature to let gorgeous woman go by choice." He joked back, eyes tinkling. Is he flirting with me?
"I'm Luke by the way, the deputy sheriff round here." He held out his hand and I wiped mine on my shorts before shaking it.
"Gwen." I replied. "I'm opening a store here, right on main street?"
"Oh yeah, think I've seen that, next to the coffee shop right?" He asked, arms folding casually, feet wide apart, in what must be the masculine male go to pose.