Chapter One
She was an idiot.
A big, fucking, stupid, idiotic idiot.
There was no other explanation for it. Luna Daniels couldn’t believe she had left the life she was creating in the city for Vale Valley. The town she had vowed to never step into again. The town she wanted nothing to do with because of its resident MC, or more specifically, one particular member, Matthew Bana.
The Prez’s son. The guy who was currently prospecting for the Trojans MC. The same guy who tore out her heart and crushed it when she was younger.
A lot had happened since then. Now at twenty-four years old, she had a college degree, some life experience, and a boat full of dreams—none of them involving Matthew freaking Bana.
She didn’t have a clue why she was back in town. Or why she was wearing the brand-new diner uniform Mac had given to her. She had her old job back and was currently living with her parents. At least her parents weren’t around right now. They had decided to take a nice long summer cruise, one they’d spent a lifetime saving for a lifetime. It was one of their dreams. Lunahated the water and had offered to stay and house-sit for them. It wasn’t hard. All she had to do was live there, like she had done most of her life.
Why had she come back here?
There was no way it was for … Matthew Bana.
Nope. Totally not.
It didn’t matter that he had said he loved her, he kind of stalked her, and didn’t seem content to leave her alone. That had nothing to do with it. She was not going to fall for Matthew. Not again. She already had that badge, and it hadn’t ended well.
Nothing quite like a bit of pregnancy humiliation to remind her exactly how bad it was for her and Matthew. Not to mention the fact that he screwed everything he could. He’d never promised her anything. No exclusivity when they were younger, but it had still broken her heart because she had thought they had something special. More fool her.
Matthew had fooled her back then, but she wasn’t going to allow that to happen anymore. Even if he did seem so sincere with her.
It wasn’t going to happen. Not ever.
Arriving at Mac’s dinner, she blew out a breath and stared up at the building. Everything had changed in the last few years. There was a time when Mary would have a great deal more to do with the diner, but she had faded.
Luna didn’t exactly know what the setup was like anymore. In the years since she’d been away, the town had changed, and the Trojans MC seemed to have changed a little more. She had even tried to follow Holly and Mary’s food blog to understand what was truly going on, but again, there was nothing.
Everything was just … weird.
Stepping into the diner, she smiled at a few of the customers and made her way to the back. Her locker was therewith her name written on the metal. After placing her bag inside, she grabbed her apron and pencil and prepared herself to step outside into the main throng of people.
Here she was to start her ten-hour shift before she headed home. Of course, nothing was complete without a couple of bikers sitting in the back of the room. As it was, she was the only waitress on for the day.
Mac was running low on workers, another unusual occurrence. The diner was always busy with plenty of people ready to work. When she arrived at the diner a week and a half ago, Mac hadn’t even asked her to beg for the job. Nope, he’d shoved the uniform at her and told her to get started. So far, he’d interviewed a couple of women, no men, and she was the only waitress. It wouldn’t be long before she wouldn’t be able to cope with the workload.
She got stuck in it, starting at the front and working her way into the back. Of course, the first MC guy she had to see was Duke, Matthew’s father. She didn’t recognize the guy he was with, but it didn’t matter.
“Hello, Mr. Bana,” she said. “What can I get you?”
“Luna, it is good to see you. I didn’t realize you were working here,” he said.
She forced a smile to her lips. No, she didn’t either.
“Luna?” the guy opposite Duke asked.
She turned toward him, and Duke chuckled. “Luna, I’d like you to meet Preach.”
“Hi, Preach.”
Matthew had told her all about the road names, so nothing really surprised her about them. She held her hand out to Preach and shook his hand.
“Do you guys know what to order, or would you like me to come back?” she asked.
Please say come back. Don’t make me wait.