that he left on the collar of my t-shirt. I can still feel his arms wrapped around me and the warmth of his breath as he whispered in my ear. I’m a total mess. I can’t let myself get all worked up over him right now. He doesn’t feel that way about me, and I’m setting myself up. I’ve been with Gage for months, and he has never made me feel the way I feel when I’m around Renegade. I just can’t seem to help myself. I’ve wanted him for so long, but he’s made it clear that nothing’s going to happen between us. I need to put on my big girl panties and just let it go.
My anxiety level was off the charts as we drove into Paris. I’d always loved coming to Tennessee to see Ace. We used to spend the day out on the lake swimming and hanging out at Budweiser Beach. I loved seeing people we knew and spending the day talking to one another. He was always in such a good mood, and he never met a stranger. People were drawn to him, and he always found a way to make you laugh. He had a dark side, but I rarely saw it. He saved that side of himself for his club.
He was always my gentle giant. He was at least a foot taller than me, and I always felt so safe when he would wrap his long arm around my shoulder. He had this deep baritone voice that would grab your attention the minute he would say “Hey” with his long southern drawl. I wanted to pick up the phone and call him so I could hear his voice one more time. There’s such an emptiness deep in my heart knowing that I’d never see or talk to him again. A tightness grows in my throat and it gets hard to swallow every time I think about Ace. I want my brother back. It’s not fair that I had to lose him. He didn’t deserve to die like that. He was a good man, and he had the world at his fingertips.
The truck lurched to a stop as we pulled into Renegade’s driveway. It was a small house, but it looked nice on the outside. There was a small porch with two old rocking chairs by the front door. The vinyl siding was tan with a white trim around the frame and windows. There were no shutters, and the grass was a little overgrown. I guess none of the guys volunteered to mow his yard while he was gone.
Renegade opened my door and held out his hand for me. He helped me balance as I got out of the truck. Bobby and Courtney helped Sheppard get my things out of the back of the truck. Renegade opened the front door and guided me into the house.
It was definitely a guy’s place. There was a huge widescreen TV mounted on the front wall and an L-shaped sofa in the corner. The end tables were simple, and there was a large coffee table in the center of the room. I’m pretty sure he used it as his kitchen table. There were circular stains all over it where he’d clearly left his glass sitting for too long. The kitchen was small, but clean. He had all black appliances, and there were a few dirty dishes in the sink.
“My room is down the hall. You’ll be staying in there while you’re here,” Renegade said flatly.
“I can sleep in the guest room or on the sofa. It’s not a big deal. I’ll be fine anywhere.”
He didn’t say a word. He just placed his hand on the center of my back and led me down the hall to his room. It was a typical bachelor’s pad. He had a large king size bed with a huge down comforter. A few pillows were scattered around the headboard, and there was another large TV mounted on the wall. His dresser was centered against the main wall, and there was a large window with a wonderful view of the lake. I walked over and pushed the curtains to the side so I could get a better look. There were several large trees and a small dock at the edge of the water. His home was simple, but it had everything a person could want in a lake home.
“This is really beautiful, but are you sure you’re okay with me staying in here? I don’t want to put you out.”
“I’m glad you’re here, and you aren’t putting me out. I have a lot going on at the
My anxiety level was off the charts as we drove into Paris. I’d always loved coming to Tennessee to see Ace. We used to spend the day out on the lake swimming and hanging out at Budweiser Beach. I loved seeing people we knew and spending the day talking to one another. He was always in such a good mood, and he never met a stranger. People were drawn to him, and he always found a way to make you laugh. He had a dark side, but I rarely saw it. He saved that side of himself for his club.
He was always my gentle giant. He was at least a foot taller than me, and I always felt so safe when he would wrap his long arm around my shoulder. He had this deep baritone voice that would grab your attention the minute he would say “Hey” with his long southern drawl. I wanted to pick up the phone and call him so I could hear his voice one more time. There’s such an emptiness deep in my heart knowing that I’d never see or talk to him again. A tightness grows in my throat and it gets hard to swallow every time I think about Ace. I want my brother back. It’s not fair that I had to lose him. He didn’t deserve to die like that. He was a good man, and he had the world at his fingertips.
The truck lurched to a stop as we pulled into Renegade’s driveway. It was a small house, but it looked nice on the outside. There was a small porch with two old rocking chairs by the front door. The vinyl siding was tan with a white trim around the frame and windows. There were no shutters, and the grass was a little overgrown. I guess none of the guys volunteered to mow his yard while he was gone.
Renegade opened my door and held out his hand for me. He helped me balance as I got out of the truck. Bobby and Courtney helped Sheppard get my things out of the back of the truck. Renegade opened the front door and guided me into the house.
It was definitely a guy’s place. There was a huge widescreen TV mounted on the front wall and an L-shaped sofa in the corner. The end tables were simple, and there was a large coffee table in the center of the room. I’m pretty sure he used it as his kitchen table. There were circular stains all over it where he’d clearly left his glass sitting for too long. The kitchen was small, but clean. He had all black appliances, and there were a few dirty dishes in the sink.
“My room is down the hall. You’ll be staying in there while you’re here,” Renegade said flatly.
“I can sleep in the guest room or on the sofa. It’s not a big deal. I’ll be fine anywhere.”
He didn’t say a word. He just placed his hand on the center of my back and led me down the hall to his room. It was a typical bachelor’s pad. He had a large king size bed with a huge down comforter. A few pillows were scattered around the headboard, and there was another large TV mounted on the wall. His dresser was centered against the main wall, and there was a large window with a wonderful view of the lake. I walked over and pushed the curtains to the side so I could get a better look. There were several large trees and a small dock at the edge of the water. His home was simple, but it had everything a person could want in a lake home.
“This is really beautiful, but are you sure you’re okay with me staying in here? I don’t want to put you out.”
“I’m glad you’re here, and you aren’t putting me out. I have a lot going on at the
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