Reaper's Salvation: A Last Riders Trilogy by Jamie Begley (read a book TXT) 📗

hand around the back of his bare neck, still getting used to having all of his hair cut off. It’ll grow back, he consoled himself. He needed to make a good impression to the man inside.

“Hi, Gavin.” Lily smiled at him from the doorway. “How are you doing today?”

“Good. How are you?”

Shade’s wife’s beautiful violet eyes shined with mirth.

“Taking advantage of the boys being over at Razer’s, and the men babysitting Mae while Rachel and I fix lunch. Come inside. The men are upstairs in Mae’s room.”

Waving him inside, Gavin went into the kitchen to greet and hug Shade’s stepmother. Waiting until Rachel had her welcoming tears under control, he went upstairs following Lily’s directions. Silently, he stood in the doorway and a tiny Mae played hostess to the men who were sitting on the floor. Mae was having a pretend tea party and the men were sipping out of plastic cups as the little girl pour imaginary tea from a teapot.

Reaper cleared his throat to let them know he was there. Shade jumped to his feet, while Will stayed seated.

“Sorry to interrupt the party. Will, may I have a word with you?”

“Shade help me up. My knees aren’t what they used to be.”

Reaper enter the feminine room, going to Will’s other side to take Will’s other arm.

Once Will was standing, Shade went to pick up Mae when she started crying. It never failed to move him when he saw Shade holding his daughter. He was an excellent father to his sons, but Mae held Shade’s heart in her tiny palm. Soothing his daughter in a low voice, Shade went to the side of the room to pick up a book to set on a white rocking chair and began reading to her.

Returning his attention to Will he cleared his throat again.

“I appreciate you and Rachel for coming.”

“Were the one’s happy to get a free holiday. Thanks for offering to put us up at the hotel, but Shade wanted us to stay with him.”

Nodding. Reaper started to clear his throat again and stopped himself. Lowering his pride in front of Shade, he got to the point of why he bought first class tickets for them to come to Treepoint.

“I would have flown to Florida, but I didn’t want to leave Ginny.”

“Understandable. It worked out. Rachel was ready for a visit with the grandkids. What was so important you wanted to talk to me about. You want me to invest in another business?”

“No. I want to ask if I can have your permission to marry Ginny. She considers you a second father to her, and I would be honored if you’ll allow me to marry her.”

The hardnose ex-sheriff’s face turned soft.

“Son, I can’t think of another man who I’d give my permission to. She’s a handful,” he warned.

Reaper smiled. “I’ve heard that.”

“How many times has she locked you out?

“Twice so far.”

Will gave him a considering look. “I expected more. Show’s you’ve got a good head on your shoulders.” Chuckling, Will gave him a pat on his shoulder. “I’ve got to go tell Rachel, you’re getting married. You staying for dinner?”

Reaper turned to Shade to see him nodding.

“I’d like that. Thank you.”

“I’ll go tell Rachel.”

Left alone, Shade laid the sleeping child in her crib.

“How many more do you have to ask?”

Reaper made a face. “One more.”

Leaving the room, Shade left the door half open.

“You going to tell the brothers you caught me playing tea party?”

Pausing at the head of the steps, Reaper gave Shade a speculative gaze.

“You going to tell the other brothers Ginny asked you how to get me to let her touch my dick?”

“No. How’d you know?”

Reaper laughed. “Took me a while to figure it out.”

“How did you? She swore me to secrecy.”

Reaper rolled his eyes at him.

“She might have, but Ginny tells Trudy everything, and she can be bought.”

“Hello?”

“Hammer, this is Reaper.”

“You finally getting around to me?”

Walking around the back yard, Reaper stared up the bedroom window. The curtain was closed but the window was open, and he could hear Ginny’s soft voice spilling out as she sang.

“I saved the best for last,” he said in a low voice, not wanting his voice to carry.

“You want to call me back, we must have a bad connection.”

“Don’t hang up, you heard me right.”

From the breathing on the other end, Reaper knew Hammer was listening.

“I want to thank you for getting me out of that hellhole, more importantly, I want to thank you for being there for Ginny before I was. Brother, without you I wouldn’t have the future I’m asking you for. Can I marry Ginny?”

“Brother.”

Reaper could hear the pity in his voice.

“She’s all yours.”

Chapter Fifty-Two

The restaurant looked different when it wasn’t busy. Ginny smiled at the waitress who saw her coming in the door.

“I’m sorry. The restaurant doesn’t open for dinner for another hour,” the waitress explained as she walked nearer to her.

Ginny didn’t lose her smile. “I’m not here to eat. I’d like to speak with King, if he’s not busy?”

“Are you here about a job?”

“Yes,” Ginny lied.

“We’re not hiring. I can give you an application, and he can call you when there’s an opening.”

“I will only take a moment of his time.”

The waitress gave in. “I’ve been there,” the woman said. “I was at wits end before he hired me. He’s in his office. Go through that room, and his office is across the hall from the kitchen entrance. If he asks who let you in, tell him it was Tara. I can’t stand that bitch.”

“Got it, thanks.”

Giving her a thumbs-up, the woman disappeared, probably afraid to be caught talking, Ginny assumed.

Walking through the restaurant, she found King’s office door. Knocking, she waited until she heard the smoky voice giving her permission to enter. The office was quite a bit larger than she expected. The man she was there to see was sitting behind an imposing desk, and from his facial expression, he didn’t want to be interrupted.

“Hello, I’m Ginny—”

“I