Nodding, Haven laughed as she settled a big platter of grilled burgers, hot dogs, sausages, and chicken legs in the middle of the table. Beside her, a woman with shoulder-length blond hair was putting down an equally big platter of grilled vegetables. “The hair, right?” Haven asked, smiling.
“Yeah,” Alexa said, remembering the hip-length pale blond hair she’d had when they’d first met. Now it was light brown and hung in soft waves to her shoulder blades. “It looks really great.”
“Sometimes change is good,” Haven said.
The words sure hit home for Alexa. “Yeah. Sometimes it really is.”
“Alexa, this is my best friend, Cora,” Haven said.
Cora’s smile was immediate. “Hey, there. Nice to meet you.” They shook hands.
“You, too. Can I help at all?” Alexa asked, feeling more and more comfortable with each passing minute.
“Sure,” Haven said, waving her into the kitchen.
They passed through the swinging door, and then Alexa’s gaze snagged on the chair where she’d sat that day, bruised and bloodied, while Haven knelt in front of her and cleaned her up. It felt like yesterday and years ago all at the same time.
“Alexa Harmon. How are you, honey?” Bunny asked.
“Hi, Bunny,” she said, so happy to see Maverick’s mother whom she’d always liked, even if she was also nervous about what the older woman thought of her. Despite having hair that was so pale blond it was nearly white, you’d never guess that Bunny McKeon was in her early sixties. She wore a stylish pair of dark wash jeans and a form-fitting black T-shirt. “It’s really good to see you.” Though it was equally hard to see the nearly healed but still visible scratches and bruises on Bunny’s face.
“Well, come on over here and give me a hug, young lady. It’s been too long,” Bunny said, holding open her arms.
The welcoming gesture made the backs of her eyes prick with tears that Alexa blinked away. They hugged for a long moment. “I’m sorry for what happened,” she said.
“It’s a crazy world,” Bunny said, her voice quiet.
Alexa nodded. “Yes, it is.”
Bunny pulled back from the hug and held Alexa’s face in her hands. Light blue eyes examined her. “You doing okay?”
“Much better now,” Alexa said.
“Good. Well . . .” Bunny patted her shoulder. “Let’s get these boys fed before there’s an uprising.”
They all laughed.
Dinner was a lively, raucous affair full of funny stories, snarky retorts, and at least one roll-throwing incident. Alexa hadn’t laughed so much or so hard in a long, long time. God, she couldn’t even remember when the last time was. Not that she’d ever had a big family, but that’s what it felt like. And it made her even more certain that she’d misjudged things five years before. She wanted to go back in time and shake herself.
Emotion suddenly crashed over her, like a wave unexpectedly swamping her in the ocean. She excused herself from the table and rushed into the kitchen and then out onto the big back porch. Lounge chairs filled the long space, which had a stunning view of the mountain and the valley beyond. Bracing her hands on the railing, Alexa stared at the vista until it went blurry.
The screen door quietly closed behind her, and Alexa batted away the wetness on her face.
“You okay?” Haven asked.
Alexa released a long breath. “Mostly.”
“Yeah,” Haven said, coming to stand beside her. “Isn’t this view the best? I love to sit out here.”
“I’ve always loved it,” Alexa said, her thoughts a jumbled mess. “I just wish it hadn’t taken me so long to see it again.” Not just talking about the view. Obviously. She could almost feel Haven’s questions, and she finally turned to look at the other woman. Haven appeared younger than Alexa was, though there was something about her eyes—the brightest blue Alexa had ever seen—that read as older, like maybe she’d seen way more than she should’ve at her age. “Messing up really sucks.”
Understatement of the century.
“It does,” Haven said. “But sometimes it also makes what you should’ve done really crystal clear. And that at least gives you a direction to go in.”
The words resonated with Alexa down deep and took a little of the weight off her shoulders. Nodding, she said, “Just got a little overwhelmed in there.”
Haven laughed. “They’re an overwhelming bunch.”
The affection in the woman’s words made Alexa smile. “That’s for sure.” She turned to Haven. “Do you mind if I ask how you’re connected to the Ravens? I’m just curious.” When Alexa had been with Maverick, Bunny; Bear’s wife, Margie; and Slider’s wife, Kim, were the women she most frequently saw around the clubhouse, with a few other wives and girlfriends pitching in for bigger events and on race nights. But Margie and Kim were both several years’ gone now. Alexa had seen their obituaries in the paper.
“Well, it’s kind of a long story,” Haven said. “My father was a bad man, and I ran away from him with Cora’s help. When our truck broke down in Baltimore, the tow truck driver turned us over to a gang in the city. A couple days later, we got rescued, and then the Ravens agreed to take us in until we figured out what was next.”
Alexa’s mouth dropped open. And she thought she’d been in a tough situation. “Oh, God, Haven. I’m so sorry. That’s terrible.”
“Best thing that ever happened to me,” Haven said, a little humor in her tone, but mostly it was clear that she meant it. “It led me to this place and these people. To Bunny, who’s become like a mom to me. And it brought me to Dare.” Her face went pink at the admission, and Alexa was kinda blown away to learn that Dare had a girlfriend. Back in the day, she’d never known him to be remotely interested in settling down. “And to making new friends like you.”
The words reached inside Alexa and made her see the Ravens through Haven’s eyes. As protectors, as heroes, as family. And that made Alexa realize again that in her grief and fear she’d focused on the wrong things five years ago. Or, at least, it felt that way now. She shook the thoughts away. Maverick was right. She was all about the future. “I could use a new friend.”
“Good. Then, would you like to see my trick to getting a big group of scary bikers to eat out of the palm of your hand?” Haven asked, a mischievous sparkle in her eyes.
Laughing, Alexa nodded. “You’ve got me curious, so, yes.”
“Come on.” Haven led her into the kitchen. The guys were bringing in their dirty dishes and stacking them in the sink. On the far counter, Haven pulled out two big containers. “My secret weapons,” she whispered, taking off the lids.
The most glorious smells wafted into the air. “My God, what is that?”