Page 11 of Untamed Heart

Despite the bed being so soft it felt like I was lying in a cloud, I spent both nights tossing and turning, dreams from the life I left behind invading my sleep.

I woke up before the sun this morning and sat by the window with a cup of coffee from the pod brewer provided in the room, watching it slowly rise over the Smokies. My brain was telling me to get up and get ready to head back to the hospital. Wash, rinse, repeat. However, my body refused to listen. That weariness in my bones was dragging me down. I left the inn an hour later than the day before, and even though I had every intention of heading straight to the hospital, my hands turned the wheel in the opposite direction.

I drove aimlessly, the scenery becoming more and more familiar as I reached Ashland. Al’s Diner was still where it had been since before I was born, the sign announcing they carried the best pies still tucked in the front window. I let out a smile as I remembered all the times I’d come in for a slice of pecan or apple with cheddar. They really did have the best pie.

There was no shortage of bars in and around Ashland, which made sense considering most of the area catered heavily to bikers, and I was glad to see Toni’s Tavern was still standing.That had been a favorite among most of the Wraiths back when I still lived there.

I hadn’t been old enough to go inside back then, of course, but there had been a couple times when Roe snuck me in. He drew the line at letting me drink, being the kind of boyfriend who took protective to the next level, but that didn’t mean we hadn’t had a blast necking in a back booth until we were both so turned on we didn’t stand a chance of making it to a bed.

Sure, there was a lot of new, but so much of what I remembered remained that there were memories everywhere. Good and bad. What surprised me the most was that the good memories no longer hurt as badly as the terrible ones. For the longest time after I left I had to cling to all the ugly. I thought that was still the case. Until that very moment.

That realization lifted at least part of the massive weight that had taken up permanent residence on my chest so long ago.

The need for caffeine had become a steady beat in my temples, so when a cute coffee shop called Daily Grind came into sight, I immediately turned into the parking lot.

I stepped up to the end of the short line and scanned the chalkboard menu hanging above the front counter. I gave the barista a smile as I ordered a maple latte and an almond croissant. I was just thinking about trying an almond croissant recipe of my own for social media when I heard an unfamiliar voice call my name.

I turned and saw a beautiful woman with hair only a couple shades lighter than Roe’s pitch-black waving in my direction, a friendly smile on her face.

She looked familiar for some reason but I couldn’t figure out where from. “Uh, hi...”

“Sorry, this probably seems weird, huh? Some random woman calling your name. I’m not a weirdo, I swear. I’m Pope’s girlfriend.”

Recognition dawned.

“That’s right. You were at the hospital with him. I remember now.” Pope had obviously told her who I was, I just didn’t know how much of that story he shared. I wouldn’t have been surprised if I was hated by that entire club. They probably thought that I was the bad guy for leaving Roe and my father behind without a word for sixteen years.

But the way she was smiling at me told me otherwise.

“Yeah. That’s me. I’m Lennon.” She held her hand out, and I paused for a single beat before reaching up to take it. The whole interaction felt surreal.

“It’s nice to meet you. Officially.”

“You too.” She hiked her thumb over her shoulder. “I’m actually here with a couple friends. Would you like to join us?”

“Oh, uh...” I glanced over at the other two women sitting at her table. They both waved as soon as we locked eyes, their smiles so warm and welcoming that, despite Lennon’s direct link to the Wraiths, I couldn’t bring myself to say no.

“I know you’ve basically been sleeping at the hospital every free moment you have,” she said as if sensing my momentary hesitation. “It would do you some good to take a little break.”

The urge to return her grin was surprising, but I leaned into it. “You’re right. A little break won’t hurt anything, right?”

“Exactly. Come on, I’ll introduce you.”

I grabbed my drink and croissant and followed after her, taking the empty seat beside her. “Guys, this is Dakota Riley. Dakota, these are my friends Phoebe and Iris.”

“Hi. It’s nice to meet you both.”

“You too.” Sympathy creased the skin between Iris’s crimson brows. “We heard about your father. We’re really sorry.”

“Thanks. He’s improving, so that’s a big relief.”

Lennon arched a single brow, and I noticed then that her dark hair and green eyes made her look like Snow White. “Yeah, but what about you?”

“I’m okay,” I said, giving the only answer I was willing to give complete strangers. The truth was, I felt stalled. Unsettled. “I think I just need to get a bit of my old routine back. Get back to work.”

“What do you do?”

“I post cooking videos online,” I shared. “It sounds lame to call myself a cooking influencer, but that’s basically what it is.”