Cocky Biker: A Stand Alone MC Romance Novel (Cocker Brothers of Atlanta Book 2) (17 page)

T
he fog
over the farm in the morning light adds to the peace I’m feeling today. Jaxson and Jett are cooking up bacon and eggs for us while I sit on a stool, watching them, the view beautiful through the window behind them. Jett’s got no shirt on, so of course I’m staring at his back. Jaxson has a Henley shirt on. They’re both in jeans, Jett’s darker than his brother’s. Their family comes well made.

No one’s speaking, and it’s a comfortable silence. The two of them easily move around each other like only people raised together can, I guess. It’s kind of like a dance, no one bumping into the other as they pull out plates, pour glasses of orange juice, butter toast, and grab silverware.

It’s a different energy than at the plantation where the people are rowdy and children run free.

I wonder if Jaxson gets lonely.

He’s out here all by himself.

Maybe he doesn’t know it, even if he is.

I never knew I was. Not until I met Jett.

I thought I was fine.

I wasn’t.

It hasn’t sunk in that I have a partner on this ride now. But I’m willing to sit and wait for it to. I’m scared. But I
want
this.

“Let me bring those over,” I say, walking over for the juice glasses.

“Jax, you got the—”

“—Yep,” he answers before the question is finished, and reaches for salt and pepper.

Jett winks at me. “Sunshine likes her salt.”

I can’t help but grin. “Ah, he knows me.”

“Gettin’ there.”

As we walk over to the grey and brown wood dining table– I think to myself,
ever since I met you you’ve known me, even better than I do.

“Luna, how was it shopping with our Mom?” Jaxson asks before he digs in.

Thinking of the few hours she and I spent in Lenox mall, I answer, “Strange, but nice. She’s a good person.” Both brothers make grunts of agreement, both equally focused on food. I’m not sure if I should tell them this, but I try it anyway. “Your dad was good, too.”

Two pairs of eyes shoot up to lock on me.

Picking up the saltshaker, I carefully explain, “He knew I was here for you, Jett. He asked about you.”

“He did?” Jett drops his fork.

“It wasn’t a lot of words or anything. When he got home last night from work, she introduced me and explained that you and I had a fight, but that you loved me.”

Jaxson sips his coffee, side-eyeballing his brother.

Jett just inhales really deeply, waiting for more.

“They talked about his day while your mother made dinner. I just stood by with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc, which I’d never had before.”

“Mom loved Sauvignon Blanc,” Jett mumbles, still waiting for details about his dad.

She does. She had several.

But I leave that part out.

I might have made her nervous. I do that.

“Then when we sat down to eat, he just kinda casually threw it out there:
How is Jerald
?”

“Fuckin’ hate that name.”

“It was our grandfather’s,” Jaxson explains to me. “But it never fit Jett.”

“No,” I agree. “When he asked, I could tell it was hard for him to, and harder for him not to, if that makes sense.”

“Yeah,” Jett mutters. “What’d you tell him?”

“I said that you’re really happy with your life. That you’re helping people.”

“What’d he say to that?”

Glancing to my plate, I confess, “He rolled his eyes.”

“Dick!”

“But I think it’s more important that he asked.”

We eat in silence for a while and I devour my food in no time, looking up to find both brothers watching me with amusement. “See what I told you?” Jett asks. “She eats like a man. Fuckin’ love you, Sunshine.”

Grinning with my mouth full, I proudly tell him, “I love you, too.”

Jett whoops really loudly, which makes Jaxson start laughing. An alarm goes off on his phone. He lifts it up and says, “Time to get ready.”

W
hen Luna comes
out of Jaxson’s bathroom, my jaw drops. “Wow.”

She glances down to the blue, floral print dress she and my mom bought for the wedding, and smiles with a shyness she’s never had before now. “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” I nod, walking to her. She lets me spin her around. “What is this?”

“Chiffon, I think? That’s what she called it. I like that my huge tits aren’t on display.”

Laughing at her bluntness, I agree, “You look really elegant, baby. Lovely. No, fuck that, you’re a stunner.” Yelling to my brother as he walks in from checking on his ripening tomato garden, I warn him, “Don’t look, Jaxson, she’s all mine!”

He grins and grabs his coat. “You look great, Luna. But I’m more into you right now, Jett. Haven’t seen you in a suit since Grandpa’s funeral.”

Spinning around I ask my woman, “Clean up pretty nice, don’t I?”

She adjusts the strap on her heels and rises up to kiss me. “You’re so fucking hot I can’t even think.”

Laughing, I pull her closer and kiss her deeper. “You go on without us, Jax.”

“Nice try,” he calls back. “Come on.”

As I go, Luna slaps my ass, hard. I grab her hand and kiss her fingers before entwining them with mine.

We ride over in Jaxson’s Jeep, talking easily about his farm. Luna declined milking the cows this morning, but she asks my brother a lot of questions and keeps him occupied. As we get closer I feel tension hit. Soon they both feel it and a quiet takes over the remainder of the ride. No one among us is the talk-when-you’re-uncomfortable type.

The street is jammed with parked cars by the time we arrive. A valet station with four drivers running around is set right in front of the house. There are lavender and white flower petals all over the lawn, and the door is wide open as well-dressed people walk in, most of the faces familiar.

“Here goes nothin,’” I say as we all climb out.

While Jaxson gives his keys over to a valet, Luna tells me in a low voice, “If you want to leave early, we can.”

I squeeze her hand and shake my head.

That ain’t gonna happen.

I don’t run away from anything.

And I’m invited here.

My dad doesn’t matter today.

It’s all about Jake.

I’m a member of this family, goddammit.

Inside is crowded with guests. People I haven’t seen in years greet me. Aunt Anna and Uncle Dave, my cousins, and friends of the family we’ve known since we were born. Everyone’s happy to see me, and the feeling is mutual. Luna says little as I introduce her over and over. She just smiles and accepts the handshakes and compliments. “She’s so lovely!” we hear a lot.

At one point as some people walk away, I whisper in her ear, “Little do they know you could kick their asses.”

She grins. “I so could.”

Under it all is a feeling of unease as I look for my dad around every corner, not wanting to be surprised.

There he is.

He’s outside.

Just saw him chatting with a big smile on his face, to a couple of people I don’t remember the names of. I know they’re friends of my parents’ from church.

My brothers are out there, too. I want them to meet Luna before the ceremony starts. “Baby, come on outside.”

“I’m here with you,” she whispers, squeezing my hand, spotting my father, too.

“I’m good. It’s all good.”

As soon as we walk onto the wide back porch that leads to the lawn by way of a few stairs, Jason and Justin spot me. “JETT!” they yell out over the conversations, so loudly that most of the people look over. Michael Cocker, too. Dad and I lock eyes as my brothers make their way through the crowd. Jason’s in a grey suit, Justin in navy blue.

“Come on, baby.” I lead Luna down the stairs to meet them. They spot her, see us holding hands and at the confusion on their identical faces, I remember I’d never told them about her. “Guys, this is the love of my life.”

“WHAT?!”

“SINCE WHEN?”

Luna blushes, staring back at them and realizing they have no idea who she is.

Justin, the bastard rakes an appreciative look over her and says, “Holy shit.”

I smack his chest hard with my free hand. “Hey!”

Grabbing where I hit him, he laughs. “I couldn’t help it.
What
is the deal here?”

“It’s a long story,” I grin. “Luna, this asshole is Justin. That’s how you can tell them apart. He’s the dick.”

“Hey!”

“And this is Jason. He’s—”

“Got terrible taste in music,” she finishes for me.

Jason laughs loudly. “Oh oh!! I see how it is. Trained her, did you? Bet you didn’t have her actually LISTEN to any of it.”

“I didn’t want to scare her off,” I smirk. “Where’s Jake?”

“With grandma.” Justin points past the people.

“Can’t see him from here. I’ll head over. Want him to meet you,” I tell Luna, leaning down to give her a kiss.

“What the hell, Jett, seriously,” Jason says.

“Yeah, man. Were you joking, or…”

Luna answers for me. “He’s joking. I just met him outside.”

Choking back a laugh, I nod. “Yep.”

They stare at us, not sure what to believe. But then Mom hurries over and ruins it.

“Luna! Oh, look how pretty that dress is. It’s perfect! The dressing room did it no justice. Out here it just shines!”

I steal a glance to Jason and Justin and they’re glaring at me, the first with his hands in his pockets, the latter crossing his arms.

“Thank you, Mrs. Cocker. I’m sorry about last night.”

Mom loses the smile for a moment, but being such a seasoned hostess, it comes back as quickly as it left. “It’s an ongoing feud, honey. Nothing to do with you. I’m just happy you both came.”

I let go of Luna and give Mom the hug she wants. “Sorry, Ma. Lost my temper.”

“I know. You both always do that. You’re just too alike is the problem, in all the wrong ways.”

Justin asks, his voice weighted, “Run in with Dad?”

“Yeah. Probably won’t be talking to him today.”

“Oh!” Mom cries out, seeing kids eyeing the wedding cake like they’re going to stick their fingers in it. She runs off to stop them.

“Let me introduce you to Jake, Sunshine.”

“We want the story, Jett!” Jason calls out.

“Well, then don’t just stand there with your panties in a bunch. Follow us!” I tell him, taking Luna’s hand and leading her across the grass. We nod and smile to people as we make our way through.

Jake’s kneeling in front of Grandma and since she’s pretty deaf, we overhear her loud voice telling him, “You just have to forgive each other. Talk things out, but not everything. Some things you just let go!” He’s nodding, soaking it all in when he sees me coming. His eyes dart to my hand, and at how it’s not empty, then cut to her face. He rises up with a frown, the same confusion they had.

“Giving him marriage advice, Grams?”

She looks over from her chair and explodes into surprise. “Jerald!!”

She’s the only one who can call me that and I’ll never mind. It’s her husband I was named after. I miss the guy. He was good. A quiet man. Served in World War II. Sure did love our Grandma.

I give her a hug and lift her from her chair, then set her back down. “I’m gonna cuss up a storm, Grams. Just warnin’ ya.”

“Don’t you dare!”

Reaching for Luna, I say, “I want to introduce you to my lady.”

Luna with her dark beauty and that beautiful dress complimenting her olive skin, steps up and gets the once over from my grandma…three times. “Hi, Mrs. Cocker.”

“Well, aren’t you a pretty thing?”

After he received only irritated shrugs from the twins, Jake is done being patient. “Jett…”

I turn to him. “Luna, this is the man who’s getting married today. Jake, Luna. Luna, Jake.”

He shakes her hand. “It’s very nice to meet you.”

“He does look like Nancy,” Sunshine tells me, glancing to the brothers.

Justin and Jason have ice-green eyes and dirty blonde hair, like me. Only they’re more model-handsome. I’m more kick-the-shit-out-of-you.

Jake, he’s darker skinned and brown-eyed, just like Ma.

“Jeremy looks more like Jake and Ma, too, baby.”

Grandma demands, “Jett, did you get married without telling us?”

“Not yet, Gorgeous,” I grin, grabbing her aged hand and kissing it, with a wink. “But if we do, we’ll probably elope. Luna and I aren’t the big-wedding types.” I look to her for agreement and she nods with a look that says,
no fuckin’ way are we doing this shit.

Jake crosses his arms as the twins walk over to stand on either side of him, like an interrogation is about to happen. Jaxson strolls over and sees this. “Surprised?”

The three of them look over and realize he already knows.

Just for the fun of it, Jax rubs it in. “They’ve been staying with me.”

“WHAT?!”

My older brother and I start cracking up. “Shit, your faces!”

“Language!” Grandma cries out.

The three left outside the joke, stifle grins. Jake finally exhales. “Okay, come on. Enough is enough.”

I
tell
them we met on the road a few months ago, and have been taking it slow. I glance to Jaxson to wordlessly let him know that he’s the only one who’ll get to know the real story.

Dad’s voice interrupts me as he yells to the crowd, “Alright everyone, let’s take our seats.”

“I’m really happy for you, Jett,” Jake tells me, shaking my hand with a look that says he never thought he’d see the day. Doesn’t surprise me. When I saw him in Colorado I was banging some bartender I can’t even remember the name of.

Now look at me.

Introducing her to my whole family, and can’t wait to do it.

“Thanks, Jake. I’m really happy for you, too, man.” We hug and he smacks my arm as he heads to take his place in front of the guests.

Grandma’s already where she’s supposed to be. Jaxson sits beside her. We walk around them to take the seats beside him. Justin and Jason come around, and sit on my side. Jason tells me, “Drew’s idea not to have bridesmaids and groomsmen. Her friend Bernie still isn’t doing well.”

“You mean the one—”

“—Yes, that one.”

Justin leans forward and says, “Notice Jason doesn’t have a date?”

“Fuck off, Justin,” he mutters, low enough that Grandma couldn’t hear him.

I ask, “Didn’t work out?”

“Nah. Not the one.”

“Thank God,” Justin says. “I’d hate to have pretended to like her for the rest of my fuckin’ life.”

That
wasn’t said quietly.

“Language!” Grandma hisses.

Luna starts laughing under her breath, just before the music starts. I squeeze her hand and give her a kiss. “I love you.”

“I’m sorry, but that was funny,” she whispers.

Everyone stands up to watch Drew walk down the aisle. There’s a lot of appreciative murmuring as an older woman walks with her. Jason whispers, “It’s her mom, since her dad is the…you know.”

“Ah.” My eyes travel to Jake. He’s gazing at his bride-to-be with pride and love.

Now that I think about it, I don’t know if I’ve ever met a girl of his. It’s a big deal for a woman to be brought home to the family, and Jake’s the second youngest. He and I didn’t hang out socially, so I didn’t get to know who he dated.

“She’s very pretty,” Luna whispers. I nod, looking at the two of them coming together.

I remember the stories he told me about her when we were in Colorado. He did good with this one. She’s a class act. What I really like is how she looks at my brother.

Drew kisses her mom’s cheek and takes Jake’s hand. They exchange a private look and a tear slips down her cheek.

I can’t help it that my mind drifts after that as all the blah blah blah’s are said.

It isn’t until after the vows that my attention is grabbed, because when the pastor asks, “Who has the rings?” my dad stands up.

“I do.”

Luna squeezes my hand as I go stiff. A knife turns in my chest because I know he wouldn’t do this at my wedding. Not for me.

He hands Jake the rings and pats his arm, heading back for his chair. Jason glances to me and holds my look. I shrug like I’m not bothered. He stares a moment, seeing the truth.

The rings are slipped on and Drew’s father says with a big smile, “By the power vested in me by the state of Georgia, I now you pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

Drew walks into Jake’s arms and he kisses her like all of us Cocker brothers kiss our women, deeply and like no one is watching.

The crowd starts hollering their approval. Me and my brothers clap loudly, shouting things like, “Get ‘er, Jake! Get ‘er!”

Even Grandma whistles through two fingers. Luna is laughing and Jaxson leans over to tell her, “Welcome.”

I glance over just as her head swings away from him. The look in her eyes is a puzzle to me, so I lean down. “What’re you thinkin,’ baby?”

Shaking her head like it’s hard to say, she whispers, “How lucky you are.”

“You’re with me, baby. We’re both lucky now.”