Forever Came Calling Read online

  Forever Came Calling

  B.C. Falls

  Copyright © 2016 B.C. Falls

  All rights reserved.

  ISBN: 978-1522992967

  ISBN: 1522992960

  For

  Devin Santiago, Taylor Sams, & Mark Motley.

  Life took you to soon but we remember everything you gave us.

  Laughter, Love, & Most of all Friendship.

  Thank you

  CHAPTER ONE

  Dane

  My dad told me to always dress everyday like I’ll be meeting the love of my life. I never paid much attention to him, but that stuck in my thick skull.

  “You never know when she’s going to walk in a room you are in,” he said to me when I was ten. I had put on a pair of cargo shorts with really high socks and a ridiculous looking shirt that I couldn’t even button nicely. I was ten, I didn’t care what I looked liked and he told me to dress myself.

  “Never walk out of the house without doing three things,” I sat there looking at him like he was about to give me the keys to a candy store. “One,” he held up a single finger, “Dress like you’re going to meet the love of your life.” He added another finger, “Two. Shave, or at least trim your beard,” when I touched my face he laughed, “When you can grow one.” He then held up the last finger. I assumed he was going to tell me about having breakfast. “And three,” he smiled wide, “Always kiss your girl good-bye.”

  I never really listened to anything my dad said to me when I was a teenager, but that conversation stuck. It gave me a sense of who I wanted to be when I was old enough.

  I joined the Army straight out of high school, got shuffled into EOD, and spent about three years doing that before I was injured. At twenty-two I was stuck in a hospital bed with a spinal injury that should’ve left me paralyzed. I overcame it. Honestly, I wanted to meet that woman who would change everything for me and I couldn’t do that if I was paralyzed, I couldn’t be the best man I could be. I was also scared that if I ever ended up being a man in a wheel chair that a woman wouldn’t want me. So I fought day and night for my future.

  I would never admit to my friends that I was a hopeless romantic that couldn’t wait to find the love of his life. I craved it now, and I wouldn’t let the chance slip through my fingers if she ever walked into my life.

  I have spent most my life working and building a future. I’ve never really dated and when I did it never got past a couple dates. I have a couple of exes that I dumped after finding out how truly horrible they were.

  I wanted the real thing. The biggest risk in life is opening yourself up, giving all of yourself over to someone freely and taking the risk of losing your own heart.

  I needed that.

  I have yet to experience anything close to that. I’m sure when I meet the love of my life that I’ll feel something incredible. A pounding in my chest maybe, or heat in my palms, or I’d see our future flash before my eyes. Whenever it does happen though, I wouldn’t fight it. I’d fight for it.

  I met Dallas Puckett four years ago when I moved to Miller Falls, where my parents and younger sister had moved while I was on deployment. Miller Falls was safe, a bit small, and well known for its waterfalls. It wasn’t a small town, but it wasn’t a big city either. It was the perfect size, in my opinion.

  After I got out of the Army, I got work at a construction job that Dallas was running. Dallas was part of the Death Patriots biker club and after he invited me there one night, I knew I had finally found where I belong.

  The Death Patriots didn’t do anything illegal, ever. Any members that did end up on the wrong side of the law were immediately kicked out or had their asses handed to them by the brothers. We mostly told war stories, looked after certain families when emergencies arose, and were a brotherhood that ran deeper then blood.

  I met my best friend Trent and became a cop because of him six months later. All of Dallas’s sons became my brothers, and every single member of the club became my family. Four years with this club and I have only ever met Dallas’s sons. I knew he had a daughter, but until today I never really heard anything about her.

  I’m sitting in the clubhouse bar, having a beer with Trent and Luke, one of Dallas’s sons, when Dallas comes in.

  “Luke,” Dallas calls out. Luke instantly turns around to look at him.

  Dallas is six-foot-two, I’m six one, but that extra inch gives Dallas way more advantage than it should. I’ve never gotten into a fight with him, but I know if I did it would take a whole lot more than just my muscles to knock him down. He’d never give up. The man is a stubborn son-of-a-bitch.

  “Yes, sir?” Luke asks. It’s shocking how much they look alike. All of Dallas’ sons look alike though. You can tell just by their eyes. Bright blue. The Puckett’s are all blonde, have short hair, and are either sporting a full beard or nothing at all. Luke isn’t one to have a beard, but Dallas has a long ass one that goes down to his chest.

  “Your sister is coming home. Take the boys and have them fix up the house.”

  “Which house, sir?” Luke asks.

  “Grandma’s,” he shoves his hands into his pockets. “She’s pulling up. I’ll be out in a minute,” he points to the door and seconds later disappears into the President’s office.

  “Dude, you have a sister?” Trent asks. Trent stands and towers over Luke. Luke lacks something his brothers don’t: Height. He was the unlucky duck so to speak. At 5-foot-10, he’s the shortest guy I know, but also the strongest. He lifts daily, runs twice a week and constantly keeps his body in pristine condition. It’s scary how big he is. Trent and I are big guys, but Luke makes us look small.

  “Yes,” Luke doesn’t give anything away. He taps me on the shoulder, “You got time tonight?”

  “Sure, man.”

  “Perfect. Come on.” I down the rest of my beer before I follow him out into the middle of the compound. I normally ride my bike on my days off but the damn thing has been out of business for a couple weeks now and currently sits in the bike shop behind me. I’ve also got an older truck that runs perfectly.

  “Bike still fucked up?” Trent asks following both of us out the door.

  I’m about to answer, when a high pitch scream of excitement comes out of nowhere getting all of our attention to turn towards it.

  “Baby girl!” Luke yells, wrapping his arms around a teenage girl who jumps into him. “How you been?” he asks her, but Trent and I don’t hear the reply with her face buried in his neck.

  Trent punches me in the arm getting my attention. “That’s the sister?”

  I punch him back in the arm, “How would I know?”

  He starts to rub his arm like it actually hurt. Trent’s about the same size as me so there is no way that fucking hurt. “I don’t know. You’ve been to Dallas’s house more than me.”

  I lean back against my truck and Trent does the same next to me. “I haven’t met the daughter.”

  “Weird, man. No one here knows who she is or what her name is. They just refer to her as the daughter or the sister.”

  After Luke and the teenager stop talking, the girl turns to Trent and I. “Are you two brothers?”

  We both laugh. We actually get it all the time, but I’m more tan than Trent because my mom is half black and Trent is nothing but a white boy. “No, ma’am,” I tell her.

  “I actually know how to swim,” Trent says, and I punch him in the arm again. “Hey, man!” he rubs the spot I punched twice. “Was just kidding.”

  “You don’t know how to swim?” the girl asks me slightly laughing.

  “I do. Trent is just being an asshole.”

  “Hey! Watch your language!” I turn to my left to find a very pissed off and very sexy woman walking my way. “Kady
might be sixteen, but she’s still a kid.” The dirty blonde with bright greenish-blue eyes puts her arm around Kady, and smiles wide at her before turning those eyes on me.

  “S-Sorry, ma’am,” I stutter out. She seems surprised that I stuttered, but she’s hit my weakness. Pretty girls make me nervous. I can be a mean man, no one fucks with me, but a girl? They seem to make me stupid sometimes.

  She’s as tall as Luke and I can see the resemblance in the lightness of their eyes and their smile. Her body is small, toned and curvy, from what I can see. The thick black glasses she’s wearing cover some of her freckles that scatter across her cheeks and nose. I think my dick does a quick jump when I see that her lips are full and slightly pink. Kissable. The slight dimple at the corner of her mouth is damn cute too.

  Did I just call her cute?

  “She’s busting your balls. Kady hears all sorts of shit from Royce here,” Luke bumps Royce with his hip, making Kady laugh.

  “I don’t cuss that bad,” Royce argues, “Anymore.”

  Kady starts giggling, “Liar!” Royce’s face turns to utter shock. I chuckle at their interaction and Royce looks up at me with a shy smile playing on her lips.

  I like making her smile

  “Luke,” Trent pushes him. “You gonna introduce us?” He tries to stand up taller, but I shoot him a look that says he needs to back off. I shouldn’t even think that he would try to step in right here, the man has not even once kissed a girl since I’ve known him.

  “This is my sister, Royce. Kady is her…” Luke looks unsure about what he should call her.

  “Kady is my daughter,” Royce says proudly. I’m a little shocked. Royce doesn’t look old enough to have a daughter Kady’s age.

  “Royce adopted me last year. We just moved here,” Kady tells us with a very bright and happy smile.

  “And how do you like Miller Falls?” Trent asks. He’s always been the talkative one and I’ve always been the quiet one. Not that I don’t like to talk, I just never have much to say.

  “It’s awesome! They have a swim team and I made it. How awesome is that?”

  “So cool!” Trent says. “I was on the football team back in my day. You like football?”

  I’m tuning everyone out now. I’m staring at Royce like she’s an angel sent down from Heaven to save me. I can’t stop looking at her, taking in her beauty, trying to figure out how I’ll be able to see her again after this encounter.

  Everyone stops when we hear Dallas yell “baby girl” from afar. My eyes were roaming down Royce’s legs when he yelled and I quickly moved my eyes back up her body. Her smirk tells me she caught me.

  Fuck.

  Dallas dashes over to us and I tear my gaze away from Royce. “How’s my favorite granddaughter?” Dallas asks, wrapping his arms around Kady.

  “I got on the swim team!” Kady tells him. “They think I’ll be good enough to be on varsity.”

  You can tell Dallas is damn proud of her. “Good job, baby girl. Now how’s my other baby girl?” Dallas looks to Royce whose eyes I catch moving away from me quickly.

  I grin at the thought of her checking me out this time. “I’m good, Dad,” she hugs him quickly. Too quickly for a daughter who just came back home.

  Interesting.

  Dallas notices though and seems very upset. “Let’s go talk,” he says, it’s not a question or an answer.

  “No,” Royce says before she grabs Kady’s hand. “Come on, we gotta get moving.”

  Royce drags Kady to a beat up old truck parked not too far from the clubhouse gates, which keep the rest of the world out of our business.

  “Royce Elizabeth,” Dallas warns.

  Royce looks over her shoulder at Dallas. “Seriously? My middle name?” Royce asks, but she does not show any sign that she’s going to give in.

  “Now,” Dallas turns, and walks back into the bar expecting Royce to follow, but she doesn’t and that makes me laugh.

  “Royce gets away with so much. I’d be dead if I did that.” I know I should respond. “Hey!” I’m watching Royce’s ass move as she walks away. Completely entranced by the way her hips sway. The slight bounce of her ass cheeks is so fucking hot. It’s not huge but the girl has an ass on her worth staring at. “Hey, asshole!” Luke hits me on the back of the head, but I don’t stop looking. “Stop looking at my sister’s ass!”

  Royce’s looks up at me over the hood of the truck she’s about to climb in and grins. She knows I was watching and she liked it. Now I’m grinning like an idiot.

  “Dane!” I hear Dallas yell, but I’m watching Royce climb inside her truck to start it up and she puts it into gear. The woman drives a stick. This just keeps getting better and better. “Dane!” he yells again and this time, because Royce’s truck is out of view, I turn and look at him, “In here, now!”

  Trent and Luke are laughing at me as I walk my big ass into the bar and straight back to Dallas’s office. I knock before going in. “You wanted to see me?” I ask, before shutting the door behind me.

  He’s looking at some papers on his desk but tilts his head up to me. “Any man stupid enough to stare at my daughter’s ass that openly deserves to be put in the ground.” I don’t cringe or back down. If I do he’ll take it as a sign of weakness, and I’m not weak. “But the same man who can stand here and not stammer out an apology after getting caught, probably deserves to be by her side as well.”

  “Sir?”

  “She deserves to be happy. And you,” he smiles, “You deserve to be happy, Dane. So if you pursue my daughter just know I’m okay with it.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “We’re done here.” I nod, and turn to go. “You are the only one I’d approve of,” Dallas says, but it’s barely above a whisper.

  I walk out of Dallas’s office with my head held high and my mind on Royce. I haven’t been this interested in a girl in years, and I just barely met her.

  After grabbing some lunch at Bo’s downtown, Luke starts to fill me in, “So the house is in bad shape.” We’re driving towards the house now and I’m pretty sure Royce will be there which makes me nervous.

  “How bad?” I ask.

  “The house hasn’t been lived in in almost ten years. The last time I was there, the place didn’t even have electricity or running water. My dad texted me earlier and told me there is both now, but one of the bathroom’s pipes is leaking.”

  “Fuck, man.”

  “That’s not even the worst part,” I cringe at the thought of Royce and Kady living in a dump. “The roof’s caved in on the first floor.”

  “First floor?”

  “It’s a two-story, but the first floor on the left side doesn’t go higher. That’s the part that’s caved in. It’s blocked off not causing problems for the rest of the house, but I think we should tackle it first.”

  “I have to be on shift tomorrow,” I tell him, “For three days. You should call some of the other guys to cover.”

  “I will. I just want your opinion first.”

  When we pull up to the house, my worry that he was under playing the damage of the house is proven to be true. The whole left side of the house is caved in, like he said, but it’s fallen into the middle of the house against a couple beams that I know probably wouldn’t withstand a storm.

  “So,” Luke says, meeting me at the side of my truck. I’m staring at this project wondering how long and how much it’ll cost. “How bad?”

  “The only good thing about this is it doesn’t cost a lot to take this to the dump.” Luke runs a hand down his face and sighs heavily. “We can rebuild. Use better material, but if they used this shit on the whole house,” I walk over to the rubble and pick up pieces of the dry wall, “It’s only a matter of time before the whole place comes down.”

  “You tellin’ me that they used bad material?” Luke asks.

  I crumble the dry wall in my hands with little pressure. “A rain storm could knock this place over. It’d have to be a bad one, but it’s possible. The trees a
round here protect it a little but if one of them fell…” I shake my head, not being able to finish the thought. “Let me check the rest of it out.” I go around the entire house trying to find a good part that isn’t at risk for falling over, but can’t find a single one.

  “Luke said it’s bad,” Royce says from behind me. It’s kind of pathetic that I know her voice already. “Fixable bad, or tear down bad?”

  “It’s fixable, ma’am, but we’d have to do a lot of work. A couple of the beams here are stable enough.”

  “Did you just call me ma’am?” she asks. The slight anger in her voice tells me she was offended, but the laughter tells me she thinks I’m funny, or maybe irresistible. I’m going with the latter.

  “I did.”

  “Why? Do I look old? I’m twenty-five. That’s not old. That’s still young,” she rambles.

  “Wow, slow down there,” I put my hands up in defense. “I say ‘Ma’am’ to every woman I speak to. It’s a sign of respect. Just like I say ‘Sir’ to every man.”

  “Army?” I cross my arms over my chest and grin at her. “Is that how you know my dad?”

  “No. I met him while working a construction job four years ago. He introduced me to Trent who introduced me to my day job.”

  “What’s your day job?”

  “Cop,” she laughs. “What?”

  “Is everyone in this town a cop or in some branch of the military?”

  “No. Some of them are firefighters or paramedics,” her dimple shows as her smile takes over her whole face. Damn. That’s a beautiful sight. “Everyone in the club is in some type of military branch or a first responder.”

  “Why’d you join the club?”

  If I was going to be honest with her, at this moment, I would have to tell her how my family didn’t understand me. How my world seemed lost until I found The Death Patriots.

  “Seemed like a good choice,” I shrug.