by Sadie King © May 2024
Twenty years later…
The dull thwack of an axe hitting wood meets my ears, and I look out the kitchen window to the backyard. My breath hitches at the sight of my husband with his shirt off chopping wood. After all these years, the sight of Davis’s muscular torso never fails to stir me.
The glass of water I was filling overflows, and I curse softly as I turn the tap off.
I take a sip of water that does nothing to quench my thirst as Davis swing the axe, causing his muscles to ripple.
The tattoo down his spine seems to dance, and I’m possessed with the sudden urge to run outside and trace my finger down his back.
“So should we go ahead, Mel?”
I’m pulled back to the present by the voice in my ear. It’s easy to forget you’re in a meeting when there’s a distracting sight outside my window.
“Yes, go ahead with the purchase, but keep an eye on what’s happening with the merger. I want our interest out of there if there’s any whiff of the deal going sour.”
“Okay.”
Davis raises his arms above his head, and his biceps swell. His hair’s streaked with grey now, and there are lines on his once youthful face. But his body is as delectable as it was the first time I walked in on him shirtless in this very kitchen.
“Mel?”
There’s silence on the other end, and I’m getting distracted again. I tear myself away from the window and take a seat in front of my laptop. With the kids all living away now, I could convert one of the rooms into an office, but I like my set up in the corner of the living room. It keeps me involved in what’s going on. Because clearly I don’t want to miss the action if my husband is shirtless and chopping wood.
“Sorry… I um, spilled my water,” I lie.
“Is there anything else, or can we wrap this up?” It’s Rowena in her efficient clipped tones. She replaced Alice as my assistant once Alice retired. And while I love her no-nonsense demeanor, I sometimes miss the older woman.
“That’s all for today,” I say.
I’m about to take my headset off when a voice perks up.
“Mel, can you stay on the line?” It’s Carly, one of my analysts. She’s been with us for three years, and I hope she’s not about to tell me she’s resigning. She’s one of our rising stars, with a good sense for numbers and spotting market trends.
“Of course.” The other callers hang up, and I wait for Carly to speak.
“Um…”
She’s unusually hesitant and I lean my elbows on the table, wondering what news she’s about to drop.
“I’m um, pregnant. The baby’s due in February.” She says it in a rush. She’s nervous, but she shouldn’t be.
“That’s fantastic news. Congratulations.”
“I’ll just take the standard twelve weeks off; it won’t interfere with my work…”
“Hold up.” I stop her before she can continue. “Do you want to take more time off? We have a twenty-four week paid maternity policy here. You know that, right?”
She’s silent again, and I’m going to have a word with HR about letting our employees know what they’re entitled to.
“And I can hold your position open for a few more months unpaid if you’d like the time with your baby.”
She goes quiet. “You’d do that?”
I hate how surprised women are at a policy that’s commonplace in other developed countries.
“Of course. I don’t want to lose my best talent if they want to stay.”
Carly gushes her gratitude, and I beam at her thanks. If there’s one thing I’m most proud of in my career, it’s leading the way in negotiating better maternity packages for my staff.
“I’ll speak to HR, and we’ll get it sorted. And if you want more time working at home during the pregnancy, that’s fine too. It’s not always comfortable being in an office, and you need to look after yourself.”
We end the call, and I can’t help smiling.
Davis comes in the door with his arms full of wood and his little dog Hera yelping around his feet. We said goodbye to Hercules a few years back, and this time we got a smaller dog. She’s energetic as hell and all attitude.
“What are you grinning about, wife?”
“Just a work thing.”
He smiles at me fondly, and I stand up and help him with the wood.
The nights are getting chilly now, and with just the two of us in the cabin I feel the cold. When he’s deposited the logs by the fireplace, I wrap my arms around his solid body, breathing in his familiar scent.
There’s a picture on the mantlepiece of our family, taken the day Jessica left for her military training. A rare weekend that we had all the kids together. I take the photo in my hand and look at my three smiling children.
Tilly at law school, Jessica in the military, and Noah doing his first year as an apprentice mechanic at the club.
I’m a proud momma bear. The kids turned out good, and I’m acutely aware it’s mostly due to the attention and care from their father.
“I love you, Davis.” I never get tired of telling my husband that.
We took a chance on each other all those years ago, and I’m so grateful for how my life turned out.
Three beautiful grown up children and a husband who still loves me despite the grey hair and the extra weight.
Davis hugs me back and kisses the top of my head. “I love you too.”
I blink back tears at how good my life has turned out.
I’m truly blessed.
She’s the MC President’s daughter and she’s off limits. But we’re on a road trip together, and there’s only one bed!
Continue reading the Wild Heart Mountain: Wild Riders MC series with Wild Child.