Long Ride (Riding with Honor) (4 page)

She released the smile she could no longer hold back.  She had to admit she was starting to like his innuendos.  They made her feel sexy for the first time in so long. 
Almost as much as snuggling with him.

Between his warmth spooning her, his strong arm wrapped around her to keep her from rolling off the couch, and his amazing fingers in her hair, her body had been complete mush. 

She had slept the sleep of the dead and that combined with the shower, amazing breakfast and coffee… she felt good…
no great!
  Not that she would ever tell
him
that… he needed no encouragement or anything more to raise his opinion of himself.

“I kind of
like that pretty smile, darlin.’  I’m thinking you enjoyed sleeping with me,” he said, entering the kitchen again after finishing his shower.

“I did not
sleep
with you… I fell asleep…” she said, turning from where she’d loaded the breakfast dishes into his dishwasher.

“In my arms…?” h
e offered with that grin.  His eyes were even brighter than normal.

Rolling her eyes she said
, “Ok…you win.  I slept with you.”

Laughing
, he sat in a chair and put his boots on and then finding the car keys they left for Edna’s house.  After visiting with the woman for a while and filling her in on everything that had happened while in New York, they left for the shop. 

Dickie loaded some things into the big tow truck and told her to follow him so they could turn in the rental car.

After turning in the car he turned to her and said, “We should go get Gretchen and keep her tonight…give Edna a break.  Gran’s not as young as she used be.  Would you mind?”

“No that’s fine
,” she replied.

“I know you were looking forward to having me all to yourself later but there are lots of women in my life
, darlin’… you’re just one of many.  Gretchen and Melody are my main squeezes right now and the closest I’ll ever get to actual grandkids so sorry to disappoint, but you’re going to have to share,” he grinned at her.

“You flatter yourself
, Richard,” she said.

“I’m not conceited, it’s just I
know
the magic in these old hands… I told you once before I’m good with my hands.  They seemed to do the trick last night didn’t they?” he asked. “When you’re ready to
really
test drive them you let me know… it just can’t be tonight.”

“What makes you think I will
ever
want to test them out or any of the rest of you for that matter?” she asked indignantly.

“For starters the way your curvy little ass snuggled right up against my morning wood before the phone interrupted the best non-sex experience of my life
,” he said.

“Let’s make brownies
, my Dickie,” Gretchen said, climbing up and standing on one of the kitchen chairs.

“That’s a pretty
girly
thing to do…what happened to my little protégé?” he asked.

“I’m becoming well rounded
,” the little girl replied.

Becca
could not stop the smile that appeared at hearing the child’s response.  Gretchen was only five years old but too smart for her own good.  Smart and simply too cute for words with blond hair, warm brown eyes and a well-placed dimple in her cheek that made her appear like she was laughing all the time. 
She was a little heartbreaker just waiting to grow up.

Having had the closest thing to a heart to heart talk she’d ever experienced with Edna
Jackson about Gretchen, she couldn’t help but wonder at how well adjusted the child was for all she’d experienced in her young life. 

That information had been a real eye opener for her when she’d been representing Tommy
McMurray.  The idea that the four bikers had raised the little girl themselves with very little help from Edna or any other woman had been what endeared her most to this group of men.  It was obvious that the little girl had a special place in each one of their hearts.

Watching the ease the child
displayed around Dickie kept her on the verge of a constant smile.  Becca remembered a saying about children and dogs being able to sense if a person was kind or not.  Gretchen looked to be large and in charge regardless of her age and her small size.  After picking her up from Edna’s, they came back to Dickie’s house. 

He grilled hamburgers, hot dogs and zucchini for dinner.  The child followed him everywhere, except
to the bathroom, talking nonstop about what she was learning at school, her new little sister and the annoying little boy who sat at her table during lunch.  She was also quick to repeat the advice that her ‘Mama Dana’ had given her for each new topic of discussion.

Dickie would occasionally give a one word response to keep her talking while he focused on getting dinner prepared.  It was obvious he was as used to dealing with her as she was to him.  If one didn’t know the whole story, as had been told to her by Edna, it would be hard to tell which of
the guys was her actual father as it appeared they all were, though she referred to Tommy as ‘Daddy.’  It was like they each had claimed a portion of the parental responsibility for Gretchen.

Bobby seemed to be the one who corrected her foul language and attitude issues with a little help from Tommy.  Tommy provided for her as well if not better than some two parent environments, as she was always clean, fed and properly dressed. 

Chuck was Gretchen’s favorite of the group as she mimicked almost everything he did… including cussing… he was the playful fun parent.  Dickie was the provider of affection, comfort and coddling. 

“I made dinner so you and Becca should make dessert
,” he replied.

Gretchen eyed
Becca thoughtfully and then said, “You any good at making brownies?”

“No need to worry, I have a recipe and since you can
supposedly
read now… you could make them and all Becca would have do is work the oven,” Dickie said.

With that he
brought out an index card box and sifted through it, pulling out a single index card and handing it to Gretchen.  She took it and studied it carefully for several minutes before saying, “Do we have all this stuff or do we have to go to the store?”

She could really read at such a young age?
 
Incredible!

Dickie smiled and said
, “Why don’t you start pulling out the things on that list and see if you have everything.”

Gretchen began by scooting a chair over to the cabinets and kneeling on the countertop to pull items from the shelf that stored baking goods.  She would occasionally stop and get down from the countertop and get something out of the refrigerator.

Dickie sat down at the table and took up reading the newspaper he’d laid there earlier.  He would occasionally help her pronounce words as she read the recipe card or the print on the outside label of the baking supplies.

Once she had collected the ingredients Gretchen turned to her and said
, “Now what?”

“You will need to get out a bowl, a measuring cup, measuring spoons and a pan
,” she replied.

Gretchen seemed familiar with where things were and after they had
pulled everything out, Becca helped her mix the ingredients and then pour the batter into the pan.  After the pan went in to the oven they began cleaning up.  Once the brownies were out and cooling Dickie set his paper aside.

“Might want to get your shower out of the way so there is time for a brownie before bed
,” he said.  Gretchen frowned but walked out of the kitchen and down the hall toward the bathroom. 

“She is adorable
,” Becca said as he stood and approached her.

“I can put her on the loveseat and I’ll take the couch if you want to use my room tonight
,” he offered.

“I don’t want to put you out…” s
he said. “I don’t mind the couch.”

“I don’t want you to put me out either… I’d rather you invite me to share.  I slept better last night than I have in a while.  I think sleep
ing with you agrees with me too,” he said with a grin. 
He was right… sleeping with him did agree with her.

“That is not going to happen again… shouldn’t have happened last night either but I think the traveling just caught up to us
,” she replied.

“Oh it’s
going
to happen again.  I’ll put a twenty on it.  Only next time we’ll be worn out from other activities besides driving,” he said with a smirk.

She was unable to keep her mind from thinking about the very thing that he mentioned and again she found herself wondering what it would be like with him. 

His easy going ways and incredible looks tempted her to allow him what he wanted.  If not for the hesitation she felt at becoming involved with another man she might have acted on the thought.

When Gretchen emerged from the shower, Dickie combed her hair out and then they settled in on the couch with a brownie to watch a couple of cartoons.  Soon enough Gretchen was asleep and he situated her on the loveseat and she headed for his room and prayed for a good night’s sleep. 

By 3AM she was stir crazy from being unable to sleep and yet trapped in his bedroom, afraid to emerge and wake both Gretchen and Dickie. 

She tried working on some of her outstanding cases, answering emails and even reading
, but nothing seemed to relax her enough to allow for restful sleep.

Becca
must have eventually dozed off as she awoke once again to the phone ringing and nearly answered the one next to his bed before remembering this was not her home.  Once her head cleared a bit it dawned on her that the phone ringing was her cell phone rather than the house phone.  Scrambling around, she found the phone and answered.

“Ms. Waters?  This is Carmen James.  I was the case worker for Melody McMurray.  I’m not sure if you remember me or not but I was wondering if you still represent Thomas McMurray?”

“Yes, I still represent Thomas McMurray,” she replied, forcing herself to fully wake up and focus.

“Are you in New York still?” Carmen asked.

“No.  Actually, I’m back down here for a while…” she replied.

“Would it be possible to meet somewhere?  I have some information regarding Casey Lawrence that involves both Melody and Gretchen McMurray
,” Carmen said.

“Sure… umm can you give me a couple of hours?” She asked.

“I can do that,” Carmen replied.

After getting an address for Carmen’s office she hung up and went in search of Dickie and Gretchen.  Entering the kitchen she found Dickie sitting at the kitchen table eating a cinnamon roll and drinking coffee with Gretchen. 

Dickie was again reading the paper while Gretchen talked non-stop about her Daddy and ‘Mama Dana’ coming home in a few hours, how weird it was not to go to school on a Monday, and having to deal with the pesky boy when she did return to school the following day.

“Richard, can
I speak to you for a minute?” she asked.

“You can do whatever you like to me
,” he replied with a grin.

He followed her into the living room and she turned to face him
. “I received a phone call this morning and I have a meeting in two hours.  So I will need to either borrow your vehicle or get a cab,” she said.

“I can take you to your meeting
,” he said, glancing at her mouth.

“This is regarding one of my cases which
makes it confidential so you cannot go with me,” she said, attempting to rein in her frustration and her reaction to his nearness.

“Fine, I will drop you off and wait outside
,” he replied.

“Richard
, I appreciate your diligence in this whole matter of my safety but I have to work and I cannot very well drag you from place to place while I attempt to do my job.  What about
your
job for that matter?” she asked.

“I don’t mind being dragged around… I kind of like it in fact… especially when a woman pulls my hair
,” he said, his blue eyes twinkling.  He was truly breathtaking at times.

Unable to respond to him
, she remained quiet and after a minute he looked thoughtful and then said, “How about if I drop you off and go take care of some things at the shop while you are having your meeting and then you call me as soon as it is over and I will pick you up?” he asked.

“That would be fine with me
,” she replied.

“You must not step foot out
side of the building until I come back to get you… promise,” he said with a serious and stern look.

“I promise
,” she replied, rolling her eyes.

A couple of hours later she found herself sitting across from Carmen James in a small and untidy office.  The woman looked at her and picking up a file said
, “I don’t exactly know how to approach this subject so I’m just going to say it.  Casey Lawrence is pregnant again.”

She had seen Tommy and Dana together and as in love as they were, she found it impossible to believe that he would have been with Casey again since having met Dana.  The couple was nearly nauseating in the way that they acted
toward each other. 

Tommy was forever standing with his body pressed against Dana whispering words to her that made her smile and blush.  Tommy was a handsome man so she couldn’t fault Dana for her responses.

“I know what you must be thinking but I want to assure you that this child is not Tommy’s.  Casey wasn’t even in the state when the pregnancy occurred,” Carmen said.

“Then what does this have to do with my client?”
she asked.

“Casey Lawrence is now back in Florida and
on her way to prison for a fairly lengthy stay.  The new baby will be born a ward of the state but fortunately due to Casey’s incarceration this baby should be born considerably healthier than Melody was.  Do you understand why I asked to meet with you now?” Carmen asked.

“Not exactly, other than with Casey being incarcerated, I can petition to have
all of her parental rights revoked including any chance of visitation,” she replied.

Carmen smiled
. “This baby will be Gretchen and Melody’s sibling.  Additionally, from what I’ve come to understand Dana Atkinson, who is still a licensed foster parent, is now living with Thomas McMurray.  Is that accurate?”

“Yes, that is true
,” she said, growing frustrated “Please get to the point, Mrs. James.”

“I invited you here today to ask you to essentially do my job for me.  I would very much like to place the new baby with your client and Ms. Atkinson as it would keep the siblings together.  I would like you to broach the subject with your client and Ms. Atkinson as it is likely that this child will end up being adoptable…” Carmen said.

“So you want my client to take responsibility for yet another of Casey Lawrence’s children, when this one isn’t even his?  Am I hearing this correctly?” She said. 
Unbelievable!

Tommy and Dana had their hands full as it was with all of Melody’s medical problems.  Melody had gone through a battery of tests trying to determine if there was an underlying medical condition that was effectively stunting her growth.  The child wasn’t developing or hitting the milestones she should be reaching but at the same time reached some milestones she shouldn’t reach for many months yet. 

She was nearly four months old but still looked and moved like a newborn, though she would smile and coo at Chuck.  Could she ask them to take on even more responsibility? 

“So if the child does become adoptable, then what?”
she asked.

“Well if your client and Ms. Atkinson are still together by then and interested, they would stand a good chance of adopting the child.  However, it would help tremendously if they were married and could show that they have a suitable environment and can financially take on another child.  It is very early in the pregnancy so there is time to determine the best course of action.  I just wanted to let your client know so he and Ms. Atkinson can… prepare… if they are in fact interested
,” Carmen said.