Chapter One

Phoebe

First day of Spring...

Sitting at the kitchen table, nursing my cup of tea, I shuffled my cards and quietly yawned. Taking my time, I rearranged my deck a few more times before I cut it in half and started dealing. I couldn't remember the last time I didn't read the cards while I had my morning tea. It was like breathing to me. Everything I needed to know about the day was in the flip of a card.

Sometimes it was good, and sometimes it was bad.

It didn't matter.

The cards had never let me down once, and I knew they wouldn't today.

So much had changed over the years, yet everything was the same.

Life certainly moved on... that was for sure.

Club brothers were settling down, babies were being born, heralding a new beginning, and the universe looked down and smiled at them all.

Well... not all of us.

Over the years, I'd relied on the cards, trusted that the universe had a plan. What that plan was, I had no idea, but I believed all the same. The problem with believing in the mystical, the unknown, was that, eventually, reality reared her ugly head and left me speechless.

That was me.

Speechless.

After all these years and thousands of readings, the fact was the cards were no longer speaking to me.

Oh, they spoke volumes for everyone else, just not me.

That's why I decided to push fate's hand.

I should have known better. Fate had her own mind, and when I showed up at the clubhouse with my sisters the day of King and Bailey's wedding, I knew I'd made a big mistake.

Because the second he saw me, he left.

Now, he spent most of his days drunk or working out. When he wasn't doing those things, he was volunteering at the local church in town. Anything to avoid me.

I should have left then, but something kept me here, and when my sisters left for Mardi Gras after our brother's wedding, I still chose to stay. Why, I didn't know. Maybe I wasn't ready to let go yet. Maybe I was expecting something, anything. Maybe I was a glutton for punishment. What I wasn't expecting was the cold shoulder or the fact he flat-out refused to acknowledge me.

I didn't know what hurt worse.

The fact that I still loved him, or the fact he ignored my existence.

That's why when I woke up this morning, I made the decision to move on.

He didn't want me here, and I was done waiting.

Seeing the cards splayed out across the table, my hand shook while I blinked twice to make sure I was reading them correctly. When the cards didn't change, I jumped to my feet, dropping my teacup and making it clatter to the floor.

"OH. MY. GOD!"

Running from the kitchen, I left my cards on the table as I took the stairs two at a time, rushing like my life depended on it.

Because it did.

Today was the day.

The time had come.

It was a freaking miracle, and I knew if I didn't tell the others, they would never forgive me.

D-Day had arrived.

Spring had sprung.

Which meant only one thing.

"IT'S GO TIME, LADIES!!!" I shouted as I ran down the hall, pounding on every door, my heart beating with excitement while I anxiously waited for the ladies to wake from their hibernation.

It had been a long hard winter and we'd braved it all.

However, when no one appeared, I stood in the middle of the hallway and screamed bloody murder.

"This is NOT a drill, bitches!"

In the next second, several doors flung open, and women rushed from their rooms like a stampede of wild wildebeests, tired, hair a mess, some barely wearing any clothing, but none of that mattered.

Today's clothing was optional. Most went for whatever they could grab. Following the excited horde, I ran downstairs and headed for the back door, stumbling out into the chilly early spring morning.

"How much time do we have?" Bailey asked, taking her seat, front and center, while we all gathered around her, finding our own seats. We had been expecting this day for weeks. We had a few false alarms, but that never deterred us. We knew this day would come, and we had prepared for every eventuality.

A lot of planning had gone into this day.

We'd left nothing to chance.

Well, mainly I left nothing to chance, since I was voted to spearhead this little get-together, ‘cause God forbid anyone else got up at the ass-crack of dawn.

In their defense, most were either pregnant or taking care of babies.

Not me.

So it was unanimous. Almost like...TAG! You're it!

"They should arrive shortly," I confirmed, looking at my watch.

"And you're sure the cards said today was the day?" Sugar asked. The newest to the group, Sugar was hiding out from her ex-husband. Asshole was still at large, and until the club found him, Sugar was staying here, where she was safe.

"Yep." I nodded excitedly, bouncing in my seat.

"Well, Scribe was moaning when he got up early today," Henley added.

"Gunner was too," Sarah admitted, hugging her robe tighter around her as she held a baby monitor in her hand.

"Frank was up at the ass-crack of dawn, dressed and ready to go," Claudia muttered, biting her nail as she scanned the area.

"Did I miss it?" Skylar shouted, running out the back door. "Stupid morning sickness. Tell me I didn't miss it?"

"You didn't miss it," I reassured, scooting over to make room for her.

"Oh, dear God." Bailey gasped, and we all turned to see the brothers of the Sons of Hell Motorcycle Club enter the compound.

And, dear God... what a glorious sight it was.

Now, you're probably asking what the big deal was?

Well, if you were seeing what we were seeing, then you'd know. Because it was like some Chippendale or Thunder from Down Under line-up because every brother was shirtless, their running shorts hung low around their trimmed and defined waists. Bodies, dripping in sweat as they moved their sculpted, delicious, mouthwatering physiques in rhythm. Their firm, strong, muscular legs pumped as they kept pace with King.

God, it was exercise porn at its finest.

Yes, that's right... It was the first day of PT, where the brothers wore little to nothing.

It was magnificent.

"Holy fuck," Claudia preened, leaning forward in her chair to get a better look.

"Damn," Bailey whispered, licking her lips.

"I've died and gone to heaven." Skylar gulped. "This is heaven, right?"

Sarah blushed when Gunner winked at her as he ran by. "I think he just got me pregnant again."

Pulling up the rear was the one I was waiting for.

The one brother who never stopped exercising.

The one man who took such good care of his physique, billboards should be erected in his honor.

The man who could make me drool and forget reality.

The one brother who refused to acknowledge me.

Priest.

God help me, I actually thought about converting to Catholicism just to be closer to him. Not that I ever would, but still I thought about it, so that counted for something. Right?

"Now that's one fine piece of man flesh. Damn, he's yummy," Sugar said as she wiped a bit of drool from her mouth.

"He is that, isn't he?" Claudia added for good measure.

"He's alright," I muttered, getting to my feet.

"Where are you going, Phoebe?" Bailey asked. "Aren't you going to watch them workout with us?"

"I can't. I've got somewhere I need to be."

Heading for the back door, I looked at the men once more, only to find Priest looking directly at me, frowning.

Without another thought, I headed inside.

No sense in watching what I couldn't have.

After heading upstairs, I walked into my room, closing the door behind me. I had already started packing and only had a few more things to take care of. My time here had come to an end. I could take the hint. If I was being honest with myself, I should have left with my sisters.

Sitting on my bed, I looked out the window as the sun rose over the Shenandoah Valley and wondered what else fate had in store for me.

Would I ever have what my friends had?

Would I get a happily ever after too?

I wasn't asking for much.

At least I didn't think I was.

"Sis?"

Turning, I smiled, wiping away the lone tear when Dimeter came to sit next to me. He stiffened, seeing my bags. "You're leaving?"

"It's time, Dimeter."

"What about Priest?"

"He doesn't want me here. It's time to move on."

"Give him more time, Sis. He will come around."

"I've done that already, Dimeter. He's happier when I'm not around."

"He's lost."

"That may be, but he won't ever find himself if I'm still here. It's okay. Really it is. I knew this day would come. The cards told me a long time ago. I just never wanted to believe them."

"Where will you go?"

"I don't know. I may travel around for a while. See what the world can offer me."

"Stay one more day. Bailey and Skylar have their ultrasounds today. They would be hurt if you left before we all learned the good news."

I knew he was right. Even I had to admit, I was anxious to see what my friends were having.

Sighing, I nodded.

One more day wouldn't change anything.

"Alright. One more day."

Dimeter smiled, kissing me on the top of my head before leaving.

I wanted so much to stay and live the rest of my life here, but even I knew I couldn't stay where I wasn't wanted.