Saving Glory (Hells Saints Motorcycle Club Book 4) (24 page)

*****

Two mornings later, Glory was shaken gently awake by a little girl who smelled like Fruit Loops and orange juice.

“Glory, wake up,” the sweet voice whispered. “Mommy said you have to wake up. There’s a giant in the house.”

It couldn’t be.

That was Glory’s first thought before she sent Tory off with assurances that she would be right there, then she threw off the covers and went into the bathroom. After a quick sweep with both a tooth brush and a hair brush, she tugged on a pair of yoga pants and an oversized sweatshirt. Then, filled with apprehensive curiosity, Glory set out down the hallway where she hesitated just before she crossed the threshold of the kitchen doorway.

Her heart almost stopped beating in her chest and a gasp of surprise flew right of her mouth when she saw him.

Jules.

He was leaning against Annie’s kitchen counter with a cup of coffee in his hand and a smug smile on his face.

Oh. My. God.

“Well, there is the little sleepyhead now.” He greeted her with suspiciously good humor and a sly wink. “Heard you had to come out here in a hurry to help with a sick friend. I figured I’d come along and see what’s what.” He shrugged and looked at Glory with an expression that all but shouted out—
gotcha!
“You know, with my medical experience and all, I thought I could help you out. But I must have got the message wrong. Your friend Annie here looks fine to me. Quick recovery?”

Glory heard his words through the whirling sensation of adrenalin coursing through her body.

“Well, yes. I mean no. I mean it was a close call—almost a miracle really—that she recovered as quickly as she did.” Glory blushed under his scrutiny and lied through her teeth.

“Mommy, are you sick?” Tory turned to her mother and frowned. Glory looked on guiltily as Lily immediately stuck her thumb in her mouth and Janie wrapped her little arms around her mother’s neck.

“Huh?” Annie looked from Glory to Jules in dazed confusion before the light of understanding dawned and she cleared her throat nervously. “Yes, mommy had a little touch of the flu, but I’m better now.”

An awkward silence filled the room before Annie burst out, “Okay, girls, time to get washed up and dressed.”

Annie looked from Jules to Glory and back again before herding her children upstairs.

“Unless you want me to stick around and …uh…make breakfast or something?”

“No.” Glory tore her gaze away from the stormy eyes that held her and focused on her friend’s questioning face. “Go on up with the girls, everything’s fine.”

Annie gave Glory a long
are you sure
look and Glory nodded in the affirmative. Satisfied that her friend would quickly get the situation under control, Annie directed her children out of the kitchen. But ever the gracious hostess, Annie turned politely to Jules before she left the room. “Nice to meet you, Jules.”

Jules lifted a chin in response. “You too, Annie. And thanks for the coffee.”

As Glory watched Annie and her little tribe head upstairs, she had the sudden urge to pull on her friend’s shirt and beg her to stay…

“You want coffee?” Jules asked, like he owned the place.

Glory’s attention volleyed back across the room to the big, rough man leaning against the counter. He looked oddly out of place as his shadow fell against a backdrop of kids' pictures, delicate lace curtains and chintz wall-paper. And, Glory noted perceptively, it wasn’t just any Jules that was standing there either. It was the badass biker version of Jules. The leather cut, symbol of his band of brothers, sat ruggedly on his shoulders, serving as a proclamation to all just who he was and where he belonged.

Coincidence?

Glory thought not.

“Have a seat, Glory.” Jules moved close to her, pulled out the chair and pushed down none too gently on her shoulder. Then he took the seat next to her, and Glory couldn’t help but notice how he dwarfed the ladder back chair. When his muscled thighs brushed against hers under the table and sent shivers through her traitorous body, Glory clutched the warm mug with nervous strength. Silence filled the air as she swallowed a bracing gulp of the hot brew.

“What are you doing here, Jules?”

Jules cocked his head and studied her for a long moment. Then his eyes softened and his voice was a gentle rumble as it washed over her in waves.

“What are
you
doing here, Glory?” He regarded her carefully. Then he added, “Why did you run away from me?”

The unexpected gentleness of his tone and the concern in his eyes proved to be Glory’s undoing. All of a sudden the million reasons she thought she had for leaving him did not seem so important anymore.

“I don’t know,” Glory cried out in anguish. “I don’t know why I left.” She could not help the mournful shudder that shook her body. “I just know it was awful. We had such a bad argument. The things I said, the things you said…”

“Yeah, baby, it sucked. I know—I was there.” He gave her a small smile, then he cocked his head at her in apparent confusion. “Hmmm, but I can’t remember.”

“Can’t remember what?” She looked at him with eyes bright with unshed tears.

“Is this the first time that you and I have had at it?” Jules asked.

“Had at it?” Glory echoed.

“Yeah. Fought. Is this our first argument?” He arched his brow.

“Our first?” Glory was surprised out of her misery. “No, Jules, we fight all the time.”

With that Jules stood and with easy strength pulled Glory away from the table. Then he wrapped his big arms around her and held her tight. After a brief attempt at a struggle, Glory surrendered to her most fervent wish and settled into his warm chest.

When he felt her slim body press against his in capitulation, he whispered against her hair. “We don’t fight
all
the time, honey. And you can’t run away every time we disagree on something or say stupid hurtful things.” Then he added in a teasing tone, “It’s not what adults do.”

Glory smiled slightly against chest and muttered. “I never was too interested in being an adult, I guess.”

Then she pulled away from him and looked him in the eyes with heartfelt sincerity “What I said— about the club. I didn’t mean to sound ungrateful for what they have done for me or to be disparaging about something that means so much to you, Jules. I love those boys, you know I do.”

“I know. I know that, Glory.” He heaved a sigh. “I said some shit that I didn’t mean either. And honestly, I don’t know if there is a way we can sort this out, but I couldn’t leave it like this. I think we’ve done enough of the figuring it out alone bullshit. We have to find a way to settle what this is between us once and for all and either move on together or move forward alone. You down with that?”

Glory nodded mutely.

“Before we get into it though, you want to go for a ride? Relax for a while?” He looked at her hopefully, the weariness in his voice now evident. And Glory noticed for the first time how his hand help the cup tightly and how the muscle in his jaw clenched almost imperceptibly. For all his swag, Jules was wound tighter than a drum, and he looked exhausted.

“A ride?”

“Yeah, I made arrangements to have a bike waiting for me when I flew in.” Jules shrugged.

“Of course you did.” Glory shook her head and smiled.

*****

Glory held on tight as Jules drove the borrowed Road King through the pretty ribbons of winding roads and the softly rolling hills of the Virginia countryside. The morning sun glinted off the chrome fittings of the bike, stretching its fingers over the land ahead. The meadows on either side of the road were bursting with wildflowers, thick carpets of green grass and blooming dogwood trees. After a few miles, Glory felt the rigid muscles in Jules’s abdomen begin to ease up as he became more familiar with the bike and the road ahead. Glory leaned her cheek against his back, closed her eyes and breathed in the fragrant honeysuckle. They rode for hours, enjoying each other’s company and the feeling of peace and contentment that traveling down an open road can bring. When Jules finally pulled off onto a little out of the way rest area, Glory felt both a measure of disappointment and relief. Her backside was getting sore and she had to pee, but she had so enjoyed the ride and knew that they really couldn’t put off the talk any longer.

When she got back from her trip to the bathroom, Jules wasn’t at the parked bike, so she followed the little dirt path down the road a bit. When she came to a fork in the lane she let out a soft call to which Jules responded with a hearty whistle. Smiling to herself, Glory continued a few yards along to where the path led open to an open field. To Glory’s delight and amazement, Jules had laid out a blanket and put out some food and drinks that he must have had stored in the saddle bags of the full dresser Harley.

A picnic.

Glory clapped her hands together in delight and raised a questioning brow to Jules. He responded with a strange
aww shucks
grin that looked so out of place on his handsome face that Glory burst out laughing.

Jules lifted his big shoulders in a shrug. “D brought Raine on a picnic once and we all gave him so much shit about it. But he swears they made Willow that day, and he said that bitches…uh…I mean …women… really dig this shit, so here ya go.”

Glory remembered that picnic. A bunch of the brothers and their families had been busy helping to clean out the lake house when Diego had come to take Raine out on his bike for the afternoon. She remembered the good natured ribbing Diego had taken from everyone, especially from Reno. Diego had insisted that it wasn’t a picnic and he didn’t do picnics. Glory hadn’t realized that Raine and Diego had made Willow that afternoon, but now that she thought of it, the timing definitely made sense.

Glory smiled brightly at the memory and said, “Yeah. I remember all the grief the club gave Diego about that. And he is definitely right. Women love picnics!”

“Well, don’t be too impressed.” Jules shrugged casually, but he looked happy at having pleased her. “It’s nothing fancy. Just some sandwiches, chips, apples, and a couple of sodas. I was gonna get wine but it’s not a good idea to drink when I’m driving a borrowed bike on roads I ain’t too familiar with.” Jules motioned to the blanket somewhat awkwardly. “Have a seat. It’s pretty around here, huh?”

Glory smiled her agreement and sat down next to him. It was a beautiful spot. A little patch of heaven hidden from view by the boughs of pines, the fringe of sweet smelling cedar and big oak trees lined with moss and vines. Through the covering of trees, the sun dappled on the thick grass and warmed the fragrant fields of wild flowers until their scent hung lightly in the breeze.

This man is just full of surprises,
Glory thought to herself as she ate her sandwich. She was unwilling to break the magic of the afternoon with the talk that was soon to follow. And because she was well aware that the outcome of their conversation may result in her and Jules going their own separate ways, Glory ruminated on the past couple of years.

Why him?

What had attracted her to Jules in the first place?

Had it been the way he had made her feel so very safe from that first fateful meeting?

Or because he had taken care of her when she was incapable of taking care of herself?

Had it been his bravery? Or his sense of loyalty?

Or had she been intrigued by the surprising gentleness she knew the big rough man was capable of.

Or had it simply been because he was so damn good looking?

Glory squirmed at thoughts of his naked body—all hard muscle and sinewy strength. Their sexual chemistry was
off the charts
hot.

“Babe. If you want to keep your clothes on when we talk about shit, you have got to stop looking at me like that.” His voice rumbled softly, effectively breaking the spell.

Glory turned her attention to him. She was wide-eyed with embarrassment at the extent to which he seemed to be able to read her lustful thoughts.

“So, Glory…” Jules began somewhat awkwardly, while he threw her a wary look. Then he got up and began to pace. “It’s like this.”

He paused and scrubbed a hand over his face. Then Jules drew a long breath. Glory watched in fascination as the big man actually appeared…she searched for the unlikely word….nervous?

“I love you,” he blurted out.

Just. Like. That.

Glory felt her heart stop beating.

Jules gained speed as he continued, “And not in some half-assed want to get in your pants kind of way either. And it’s not because you’re a challenge, or because I think you need me, or because you’re a fucking fantastic cook or because you are smokin’ hot—which are all true by the way. It’s because when I look at you I see everything I ever wanted in a woman. You’re brave and funny and strong and when I am inside of you I feel whole. This isn’t a game I’m playing here, Glory. I know you think I’m not good with commitment—which you are dead wrong about, by the way. And I know that you have a whole bunch of ideas going on in your head about the lifestyle I chose. Maybe a future with me is the last thing you’d even consider. Maybe you can’t ever see yourself crossing over the line that brings you to me.”

“Jules, I—” Glory interrupted softly.
“Let me finish.” He went on, his voice raspy as though he might be strangling or having trouble breathing. “I know that you’re confused. I see the fear, and indecision in your eyes. And maybe you will never get past that. Maybe asking you to love me—the man I am—just like I am—is too much. And you’ve got to know, that you can’t ask me to choose between you and the club, Glory. Not ever. That’s just a conversation that I’m not willing to have. And it has nothing to do with how much I love you because my heart is just about bursting with everything I feel for you. I couldn’t fucking love you more, you’ve got to know that. But I pledged a vow to those men—my brothers—my family —my tribe. And I won’t go back on that vow. No more than I would go back on a vow I made to you. And that has got to be worth something.” Jules suddenly stopped his pacing and looked at her. “I know that you’re not sure if you can handle all that being my woman means, but baby it ain’t that hard. Just love me and I’ll take care of the rest of it.”