Chapter One

Prepare for Departure

Alice

"You can't take that with you."

I looked down at the blender by my purse. "Why not? This is my last hurrah before the cameras show up."

"Because you're going camping, babe. You need to leave some of your creature comforts behind," Wrecker explained. "And I don't believe that you are not going to drink a drop when the camera crew is filming."

"I really don't want to talk about the camera crew anymore." I was already anxious as hell with them saying filming would start on this date, and then right before it, moving it back because they were having complications with another MC. Wrecker knew it was a sore subject for me.

I moved to the large bay window in the living room and pushed back the curtains. "I'm pretty sure Mini Weenie would disagree with the fact that I can't have all of my creature comforts with me on this trip. It is a big creature comfort itself."

"Stop calling it that," Wrecker growled.

"It's his name, Wrecker. You call things their names." What else would he want me to call it?

Wrecker moved to the window and motioned to the RV. "It is a Mini Winnie, Alice. WINNIE," he enunciated. "As is Winnebago, not weenie."

Pfft. "Mini Weenie has a better ring to it. I don't know why you don't like it."

"Because the last time you said it in public, you said, ‘My husband will bring his mini weenie around when you're ready to look at it.' You told the whole parts department I had a mini weenie."

"Oh, honey." I reached up and patted his cheek. "If you want me to go back to the RV place and tell them you have a King Kong dick, I will."

"Just stop saying Mini Weenie. It is a Mini Winnie," he repeated.

"Sure, sure, honey. Mini Winnie. I'll make sure to put that in our Christmas cards this year. Seasonings greetings from Wrecker, Alice, the kids, and Mini Weenie." I shook my head and held back a smile. "Mini Winnie."

"You know, I was thinking I was really going to miss you this week, but something tells me it is going to be peaceful." He wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me to his chest.

"You tell me you're not going to miss me, but then hug me?" I laughed. "Seems a little backwards."

Wrecker pressed a kiss to my lips, his rough hands cradling my face. "Oh, I'll still miss you," he murmured, pulling back just enough to look into my eyes. "But I can also appreciate the silence and tranquility around here. Just me and the animals."

"About that," I started, but the sound of the back door opening cut me off.

Wrecker's eyes shot in the direction of the noise, his body tensing as if ready to spring into action. "Who is that?" he demanded, his voice low and suspicious.

"Uh, well," I drawled, trying to think of the best way to explain. "I didn't want you to be home alone by yourself."

Wrecker shook his head, his expression a mix of disbelief and irritation. "Whoever that is, make them leave. I am more than okay to be by myself this week. If I want to be around people, I can always head to the clubhouse."

"Mom?" Eden's voice called from the hallway.

I cringed, feeling Wrecker's eyes bore into me. This was not going to be easy to explain.

"Eden?" Wrecker growled, his tone sharp. "You had Eden come home to babysit me?"

I patted his shoulder and shook my head. "Of course not. I wouldn't call it babysitting."

"Reporting for dad-sitting duty," she called.

"Fucking hell," Wrecker grunted.

"That's technically not babysitting, and she's just joking."

"Then why the hell is she here and not at school four hours away?" Wrecker's voice rose, his frustration clear.

"Well, you see," I began, trying to buy myself some time. I needed a good reason for why Eden was here, and I needed it fast.

Eden saved me from further fumbling as she stepped into the living room, her eyes bouncing between Wrecker and me. "I can only stay until Thursday night, Mom," she announced. "Fox said he'll take over for me."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Wrecker called out, his brows furrowing deeply. "What the hell is your brother going to be taking over for?" he demanded, crossing his arms over his chest.

Eden hesitated, glancing at me for help. I could see the panic in her eyes. "Uh, well," she stammered, then whispered, "Mom, I thought you said Dad knew about this."

It was time to pivot. I threw my hands in the air and forced a wide smile onto my face. "Surprise!" I shouted, trying to inject some enthusiasm into my voice. "You get to spend the next seven days with your favorite children! I'm gonna go hang out in the woods with the girls, and you get to spend some real quality time with Eden and Fox."

Eden snickered, clearly amused by the turn of events. "Wait until I tell Kingston," she teased. "He always suspected Fox was the favorite, but now I can tell him I am, too."

I wagged a finger at her, feigning sternness. "You will do no such thing. I love you all the same, but differently the same-ish."

"That doesn't even make sense," Wrecker drawled.

Eden cocked her hip out and propped her hand on it, raising an eyebrow. She really looked like me when she stood like that. "Fancy words for just saying you love me and Fox more than Kingston."

Wrecker groaned, rubbing a hand over his face as if trying to wipe away the entire situation. "So, let me get this straight," he said, his voice strained. "You two planned this, didn't you? To make sure I wouldn't be alone for some ungodly reason."

Eden pointed at me. "This was all her fault. I just agreed to come for a few days."

"It didn't take much for me to convince you to come home," I insisted.

"I don't need a babysitter, Alice," Wrecker grumbled. "I'm fine."

"We know you're fine, Dad," Eden chimed in, stepping closer to him. "But that doesn't mean I can't keep you company."

Oh, now she was going to help me out after only five seconds ago she was going to push me under the bus.

Wrecker looked at her, his expression softening slightly. He'd always had a soft spot for Eden despite his tough exterior. "You should be at school," he muttered, though his tone lacked the earlier bite. "I'm not paying all that tuition money for you to come home every weekend."

"I will be back at school soon," Eden replied, smiling up at him. "But right now, I'm here. And Fox will be here after me. You're stuck with us whether you like it or not."

Wrecker sighed heavily, looking between the two of us. "I just wanted some peace and quiet," he mumbled, more to himself than to us. "Take care of the cows, have a few beers."

I reached out and squeezed his arm. "You'll still get plenty of peace and quiet," I promised. "And you can drink some beers with Fox."

"Yeah, totally," Eden added. "I still have a couple of assignments I need to work on, and I wanted to meet up with Calla, Penny, Bell, Clove, and Adley one of the nights, but other than that, I'm here. We can even have a few beers," she offered, but that might have been the wrong thing to add.

"You are only nineteen, Eden. I don't want to even think about you drinking a beer," Wrecker warned.

Eden held up her hands. "My bad, I meant you and I can share a glass of juice."

He looked at me, his eyes searching mine for a long moment before he finally nodded. "Fine," he conceded. "But no hovering, and if I find out you're behind on your schoolwork because of this, there will be hell to pay."

"Deal," I agreed, relieved that he wasn't pushing back harder.

Eden grinned, clearly pleased with herself. "This is going to be fun," she declared.

Wrecker shot her a look that said he was not convinced, but he didn't argue further. Instead, he turned to me and asked, "So, when the hell are you leaving?"

Meg

"We're only going to be a couple hours away, Lo. You don't need to worry about us," I reassured him, trying to keep my tone light.

"Famous last words," Lo growled, his voice thick with concern. "Now I'm going to worry even more."

I reached up and cradled his face in my hands, feeling the roughness of his stubble under my fingertips. "After all these years, you still worry about me?" I asked, my voice softening.

Lo wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close against his chest. "I'm not worried about you," he murmured into my hair. "I'm worried about anyone on the road."

I rolled my eyes, a smile tugging at the corners of my lips. "One time, I accidentally squeezed a Beetle off the road, and you won't let me live it down. Their car was fine, and they weren't hurt. I think that was the best outcome I could have asked for." And in my defense, that Beetle was like the size of a chicken compared to the RV.

"I know," he admitted, his voice tinged with reluctance. "But I'm worried you won't have as much luck this time."

I scoffed, laying my hands on his chest and feeling the steady thump of his heartbeat. "I'll have the girls with me, and I'm meeting Alice and her girls at the campground."

"That doesn't make me feel any better," Lo countered, his brow furrowing. "That's just about ten girls who are just like you, spending a week in the wilderness together."

I rolled my eyes again, shaking my head at his exaggeration. "I really wouldn't call the campground wilderness. They have two in-ground heated pools, a tiki swim-up bar, two other bars, and an arcade. Plus, our site has water and electricity. The only thing wilderness about where we're going is the fact it's called Modern Wilderness Campground."

I could see the concern still etched on his face, so I added, "This is going to be Alice's first time out with her camper without Wrecker, and I wanted to make it as easy and comfortable as I could for her. The more amenities the campground has, the better."

Lo wasn't convinced. "Yeah, well, I know trouble is going to follow you even if I wrap you up in bubble wrap for the next six nights."

I raised my hand in a mock oath. "I swear that nothing crazy will happen."

Lo raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced.

"I swear nothing so crazy will happen that I will need to call you for help," I amended.

"Meg," he warned, his tone serious.

"Or bail money," I added quickly, grinning up at him.

He couldn't help but laugh, pulling me close again and pressing a kiss to the top of my head. "That is such bullshit," he chuckled, shaking his head.

"I really don't see us needing bail money," I laughed along with him. "But would you really be with me if our life was boring and you didn't need a bail money fund?"

"It would definitely be a change of pace to not have to jump every time the phone rang when you were gone," he conceded, though I could see the warmth in his eyes.

"Boring," I drawled, stretching the word out. "It would be boring as hell." I patted his cheek gently, looking up at him with a playful smile. "Now, kiss me and pretend like you're going to miss me."

"I always miss you," he growled, his voice low and rough as he leaned in.

The kiss was passionate, full of all the emotions he didn't always put into words. His hands slid up my back, pulling me even closer as his lips claimed mine with a fierce intensity. My heart raced, and I could feel the heat between us rising, a familiar and thrilling sensation that left me breathless.

When we finally broke apart, I gasped for air, my head spinning. "Okay," I managed to say, a bit dazed. "Maybe you are going to miss me." I took a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart. After all these years, the man still drove me absolutely crazy. "At least after that kiss, I won't be dilly-dallying to get back to you, handsome."

Lo grinned, a mischievous glint in his eyes as he gave me a playful pat on the butt. "Get out of here, babe," he teased, his voice warm with affection. "That way, you get back to me faster."

I laughed, giving him one last peck on the cheek before grabbing my bag. As I headed out the door, I couldn't help but glance back at him, feeling that familiar tug in my chest. No matter how much time we spent apart, coming back to him was always the best part.

"Come home to me, Meg," he called.

"Always, handsome," I promised.