Back to the Beginning: A Duet (2 page)

D
enise tightened her
grip around Liam’s waist as they traveled the Warren County backroads leading them to the interstate, which would eventually take them to the Louie B. Nunn parkway. She wasn’t sure where they were going past that, but she would love it—wherever it was. Any place in the area was gorgeous. They could go down further into Tennessee and be in the mountains, they could stay closer to home and see the Cumberland Falls. None of it mattered to her as long as they were together. Her fingertips ran along the material of his shirt, feeling the hard muscle underneath. She ached to lift the hem up so that she could feel his bare skin. Casual hugs or an arm slung around a shoulder only went so far. It had been way too long since she’d seen him without clothing on and touched him in a way that said they would end up between the sheets of their bed.

When had she forgotten that riding bitch on the back of his bike, hair blowing in the wind, was one of her favorite pastimes? She could remember when they had first gotten together, before she got pregnant with Tatum, they’d done it almost nightly. Somewhere in the past few years that had stopped. Between being a mom to their three kids, a sounding board for all the women in the club, and a wife to Liam, she’d lost the part of her that he’d helped her find in the first place. The part of her that had wanted to take a walk on the dark side—where was she? Denise was pretty sure that woman hadn’t been around in a long time. Her mind couldn’t even conjure up the last time she was just a woman and he a man. That’s what she wanted on this trip. To be. They’d never had a chance to just be.

She remembered saying something to Meredith about it a few weeks ago. They had been sitting in Christine’s shop, both waiting to get their hair done. Denise had sighed as she caught a text from Liam that said the club members were scheduled to go on a run, and he wasn’t sure what time he’d be home. Meredith had asked if she was okay, and Denise had brushed her off until her friend had started digging deeper.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Meredith asked as she took a good look at her friend. Since Denise had taken up the role of old lady, become Liam’s wife and the face of the females of the club, she’d taken it upon herself to look her best whenever she could—especially now that Tatum was becoming self-sufficient. The dark circles Meredith saw under her eyes, along with the pair of yoga pants and loose T-shirt she wore, said a million things to her, even if her friend said nothing.

Denise sighed, obviously hating to bring it up. She opened and shut her mouth at least half a dozen times, until finally it all came out in a great big rush. “Exhausted. I feel like I’m being pulled in a million different directions. Liam needs me to be his partner, the kids need me to be their mom, the ladies use me a sounding board—not that I don’t enjoy it,” she was quick to point out. “But I can’t tell you when the last time was I had husband-and-wife time with my man, if you know what I’m saying. It gets pushed to the side every time someone needs something from either one of us.”

Meredith nodded in understanding. “It gets harder the older the kids get.” She was starting to see that, just by watching the situation her two friends were in; even as an outsider she could see it. In the back of her mind, she hoped it would never happen to her and Tyler.

“Oh my God, don’t I know it? For some reason,” she took a deep breath through her nose and pushed her hair back from her face, “I had assumed that when the twins were able to drive they wouldn’t hang at the house so much, but shit, now they just bring their friends there. I love Dalton and Charity like they were my own, but sometimes I wanna come home, lie in my pajamas, and veg on my couch with my husband. Instead I have two teenage couples trying to act like they don’t want to make out all the time sitting there watching TV.” She rolled her eyes, inhaling deeply again. “I want to make out too, but I can’t because they’re taking up valuable real estate.”

Meredith laughed loudly, holding onto her sides. “I know this isn’t a laughing matter.”

“It’s not,” Denise warned, her eyes flashing. Leaning in, she hissed to her friend, “Four and a half months, Mer. It’s been four and a half months.”

Meredith spit her drink out, amazed at what she was hearing. Realization dawned on her, and she shot her friend a sympathetic look. “Are you kidding me?”

“No, that situation is becoming serious. If we get stuck in this rut and don’t make it a choice to get out of it, we’re doomed. We’ll become best friends who share a bed. You and I both know that. These kids are gonna be the death of us. I thought Tatum was a cock blocker, but Drew and Mandy? Ten thousand times worse.”

Denise sighed again, wondering what in the hell she was going to do to change things, how she was going to break this routine they were in. It wasn’t like she could even blame it solely on Liam or the outside forces; it was her too, not making the effort. Some nights she was asleep before her head hit the pillow, and ninety-five percent of the time she was asleep before Liam even came home. It used to be he’d wake her up and they’d spend a couple of hours together, but now he was tired too. It was a bitch of a situation they were in.

“You’ll figure it out,” Meredith assured as she reached over and took her friend’s hand in hers, offering her strength and compassion. “If there’s one thing I know, it’s that Liam is probably missing the closeness as much as you are and he’s trying to figure out a way to fix it too. He’s a problem solver, and if he realizes this is a problem, he’s going to make it better.”

Denise knew that Meredith was right, but it didn’t make her feel much better.

Little did they know, across town, a similar conversation was taking shape between a set of male best friends, and they were all thinking almost the exact same thing.

*

“It’s insanity.” Liam
huffed as he handed Tyler a socket wrench.

“It’s your house,” Tyler fired back, grasping the piece of metal and using it to tighten the bolt he was putting back in place.

“It’s these fuckin’ kids.” Liam got up and walked in circles, trying to calm his irritation. “Not that I wouldn’t give anything for ’em man. They saved me; I have no doubt in my mind that they saved me. Drew is like my twin, and you know Mandy and Tatum are my princesses. But these fuckin’ teenagers are living at my house all the damn time. Tatum we can put to bed and lock our door. The other ones though, they are in and out—all the fuckin’ time. I thought getting them a license would mean they were outta my damn hair twenty-four seven. Call me crazy, but I thought that meant I’d get to spend a little more time with my wife.”

Tyler grinned over. “You’re crazy. You and I both know the kids hang at your house because you’re so easy-going. There’s no tellin’ what’s going on when the lights go out, my man.”

“Well I know what ain’t happenin’ when my lights go out.” Liam growled, pointing a finger at his chest. “I’ll be damned if my seventeen-year-old son is getting more than me. For real.”

Tyler laughed at the injustice of it all.

“Go ahead, big boy, laugh it up, because in a few years, this is gonna be you.”

“Then do somethin’ about it, pres. Take your lady away and let the kids fend for themselves. Stop your whiny ass bitchin’ and take what you want. Tatum will be fine. Me and Mer will make sure of that.” He tilted his head to the side and gave Liam a bored look. “Problem solved.”

“Sometimes you’re such an ass.” Liam shook his head as he handed Tyler the next tool he would need to finish the job.

“At least I’m gettin’ ass.”

Liam had had enough and got up, grabbing his cut and the bottle of beer he was drinking, flipping his friend a middle finger. That act of defiance felt good for a man who’d had little defiance or debauchery in his life for too long. “Fuck you, dude. I’m out.”

“Think about what I said,” Tyler yelled at him as he walked through the garage. When he could no longer see Liam, he mumbled under his breath, “Gotta get his ass in a better mood somehow. Otherwise we’re all gonna kill him, and I’m gonna be pres.”

Those two conversations with their best friends had lead them to where they were right now. Finally alone, on the back of his bike, heading east. To where, she wasn’t sure, but as Denise lay her head on his shoulder, she knew she’d follow Liam Walker, Jr. wherever he went with no questions asked.

‡
Chapter Two

L
iam checked the
lane to his right, merging when he saw no one there. The Cumberland Parkway was a quiet road, never had too much traffic, and the only thing you had to worry about was going too fast and the blue lights of a Kentucky State Trooper in your mirrors. It was one of his favorite roads to travel because he could enjoy it. There wasn’t the speed and congestion of I-65. He was able to sit back and enjoy the ride instead of watching out for other drivers.

The further they got away from Bowling Green, the more his mind cleared and the easier it became to breathe. He hadn’t realized how tightly wound he was until he looked ahead and saw nothing but road, looked behind and saw nothing but his woman. It was the best feeling in the world. Tension and stress had eaten at him for too long; this was a physical relief he hadn’t felt in a long time.

As they approached the exit he wanted to take, he slowed the bike and carefully took the sharp curve. He had the most precious cargo in the world behind him.

“Are we
really
going there?” Denise’s excited voice penetrated through his helmet.

He laughed and grabbed the hand she had on his stomach with one of his. She’d always hinted at wanting to go to Cumberland Falls. Little did she know, it was the first of many surprises. “Yes.” He leaned back slightly as he spoke so that she could hear him over the wind generated by their ride.

She squealed, gripping him tighter around the waist. There was nothing in the world that made him feel better than surprising her, spoiling her, and cherishing her. There had been little of that lately, and he planned on getting as much in during the long weekend as he could.