“Yeah.” Hawk nodded. “For a while. His name was Will and we got along great. Then, he fell in with a prison gang and ended up attacking one of their enemies. Just following orders, but that got him transferred to a more secure cellblock. I didn’t see him much after that.”
“And Charlie?” I asked, curious as to how this came back around to the man Hawk wanted to become a prospect.
Hawk sipped his bourbon before answering, “Will and Charlie’s parents were gone, so when Will landed in prison on a third strike of a possession charge, Charlie was tossed into the system. Will hated it. He was always worried about his little brother.”
“So, you’re looking out for him now?” I asked. “Why after all this time?”
“Will passed away last year. He kept getting in trouble in prison and never got out.” Hawk ran his hand down his face, letting out a sigh. “I don’t know. I feel for the guy. He’s had a rough run of it, bouncing around from one foster home to the other. And now his brother’s gone. I think he could benefit from being one of us, having the club to lean on.”
I could relate. I’d needed the support of the club when I went through a divorce a few years back. My marriage had ended ugly and I’d been in a dark place for a while. It had been my brothers in the club that helped to pull me out of it. I didn’t exactly talk about my feelings with anyone, it wasn’t my style, but it helped to know there were people who gave a crap about me.
A man with wavy brown hair got onto the barstool on the other side of Hawk, picking up the beer sitting there and finishing it off.
Hawk had told me Charlie was twenty-two, but I still felt startled by how young he looked. It was his eyes, I decided. A youthful spark appeared there in his gaze.
“Bones, this is Charlie,” Hawk said, leaning back on his stool and motioning between us. “Charlie, this is the president of the club.”
“Nice to meet ya, man,” Charlie said, holding out his hand.
I shook his hand, impressed by the strength of it. My dad had been an old school businessman, and he’d always told me you could learn a lot about a man by his handshake.
Men of good character will grasp your hand with strength and look you in the eye.
My dad had been gone for nearly twenty years, due to complications with pneumonia, but I’d never forgotten that lesson.
“You ride?” I asked, getting right down to business. Technically, it was up to me if someone was allowed to become a prospect, but I had already made my decision. If Hawk vouched for this guy, it was good enough for me.
“Yep.” Charlie grinned. “I got myself an older model Fat Boy.”
“My first Harley was a Fat Boy,” I told him. Just then, my attention was drawn away from Hawk and Charlie.
A familiar brunette had just walked onto the casino floor.
Last night was the first time I’d seen Harper since she first arrived in town, but she’d lingered in my mind ever since she walked into my bar, looking like a complete mess.
A beautiful mess.
She looked even better now, wearing a dark blue dress that fell down to her knees but hugged her curves. Her black heels made her legs look miles long.
Felt a warm longing erupt inside of me, just like when our eyes had met last night. Something about her drew me in, but I couldn’t quite explain why. It was more than looks, but an appeal I couldn’t ignore.
As if she felt my eyes on her, Harper turned and looked at me. Her big brown eyes met mine, as a combination of surprise and desire flickered over her face.
I’d thought I had seen a heated look in her eyes last night, but I couldn’t be sure. Now, I was. This attraction wasn’t one-sided.
Still, I hesitated to go over to her. After the disaster my previous marriage turned into, I had no desire to enter into a serious relationship ever again. I’d lost faith in the whole concept of romantic love.
“Who’s the chick?” Charlie asked, following my gaze.
Hawk smirked. “Someone Bones has his eye on.”
“You want her to be your old lady?” Charlie asked.
I peeled my eyes away from Harper, looking at Charlie. “No. I don’t do commitment.”
“You do like to have a good time.” Hawk nudged my arm with his elbow.
I chuckled. I did and Harper seemed like she’d provide a hell of a lot of fun. “Tell ya what, Charlie,” I said, standing, “You’re officially a Prospect. Come to the bar tonight and we’ll get started on your initiation.”
“Thanks, man,” Charlie said, but I was already walking away.
I approached Harper, deciding to see what happened. If she was okay with something casual, maybe we could get to know each other better.