Happy Lowman is the quintessential biker badass. He loves the biker lifestyle: drinking, carousing, and taking care of business. What happens when fate literally puts him in the path of a woman that has always lived a simpler life? Will he be able t...
Josie was sitting in the courtyard of the hospital when Elliott found her. She moved over on the bench so that he could sit down before offering him a cigarette. After he'd lit it and blew out the smoke, he sighed and looked at his sister, reaching over to pat her on the knee.
"Thank you for talking to Karen about Tristan. It helped."
Josie shrugged. "She just needed a push in the right direction, that's all. Has Gemma's husband found anything yet?"
"He has some leads now. Shouldn't be long." She nodded as he cleared his throat. "Karen told me what she said to you about Meghan." He shook his head. "She was out of line and I told her so."
Josie scoffed, shaking her head. "Karen was just being Karen. We don't get along, Eli. Never have, never will."
He nodded, looking out over the small grouping of trees. "You staying at the house?"
Josie grinned and shook her head. "Nah, I got a hotel room. You know I hate that house and everything it ever stood for."
Elliott sighed. "Jo, mom's been gone for years. It's our house now and you're welcome in it."
Josie nodded. "Yeah, I know, but I'll be fine at the hotel."
"You know, the property beside ours is coming up for sale soon. It would be great if you were closer."
Josie snickered. "Could you imagine me living next door to Karen? She'd have a stroke."
Elliott chuckled and threw an arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his side. "I just know that I'd feel better about you living alone if you were closer to me, that's all. Give it some thought?" When she nodded, he continued. "They'll probably keep Tristan another day or so. Why don't you head to the hotel? Get some rest?"
Josie sighed before standing. "I think I will. Call me if you need me before morning. I love you."
She stepped back as he stood to fold her into a hug. "I love you too, sis. I'll see you tomorrow."
As she walked out to the parking lot, she heard her text alert go off. She looked, grinning when she saw that it was from Happy.
Is everything ok?
She grinned as she typed out a reply.
Yeah, just heading to the hotel.
It didn't take long to get an answer.
Be there as soon as I grab us something to eat, little girl
Josie chuckled, thinking that it was fortunate that there was only one hotel in Charming.
Josie opened the door of her room to find Happy holding two pizza boxes and a six-pack of beer. She took the beer and shut the door behind him.
"Oh my god, that smells good! I'm starving."
Happy grinned as he sat the pizzas on the small table beside the bed and leaned over for a kiss. "So what's up with your family?"
Josie sighed and shook her head as she handed him a beer. "It's as good as it can be I suppose. My niece was attacked."
Happy shook his head as he sat back against the headboard of the bed and patted the spot beside him. "I can't believe Gemma was right."
She paused in the process of climbing onto the bed. "You know Gemma?"
He grinned and grabbed her hand to pull her over to him. "Yeah, her old man is the president of the club."
Josie chuckled as she reached over him for a piece of pizza. "Well, damn, it is a small world, isn't it?"
Happy nodded, his eyes trained on her breasts that were right in front of his face. She smirked as she thought that she made a good choice in putting her cami and sleep shorts on after her shower. He shook his head and cleared his throat, breaking himself out of whatever trance he'd been in.
"So how did you end up in Hopewell?"
Josie sighed as she settled back against the pillows. "That's where my husband's farm was."
Happy turned to look at her in surprise. "You were married."
She nodded. "Yeah, for fifteen years." She sighed, feeling the sting of tears behind her eyes. "We had a daughter, Meghan. She... she died from Leukemia when she was five."
Happy leaned over and kissed her on the forehead, taking her pizza from her and laying it aside before pulling her into his arms. She wrapped hers around his waist and held on tightly as he stroked her hair. "Where's your husband?"
Josie sniffed. "Jerry died two years after Meghan. He was t-boned by a semi on his way back from a cattle auction. Thankfully, he never knew what hit him."
Happy cursed under his breath and tightened his hold on her. "I'm sorry, baby."
Josie nodded into his chest before lifting her head to look at him. "For a very long time, I wished that I was with them. It was three years before I began to see that things happen the way that they're supposed to." Happy nodded but said nothing as they lay there. Finally, Josie lifted her head again and looked at him. "Stay with me tonight?"
Happy nodded. "I got nowhere else that I need to be, little girl."
