September's Ride with Crank

Read the first pages

From Chapter 1

Crank comes in for coffee five days a week. He still can't talk to Poppy.

“Hey, Crank.” Juice came up behind me. “Are you going in or just planning on standing out here and drooling through the window all day?”

“Fuck you.” I pushed the door open and made my way to the back counter. Juice knew about my borderline obsession with Poppy. A few of the guys did, and they never missed the chance to give me shit about it.

“Are you actually going to make your move today?” Juice slid onto the stool next to me.

I was about to snap back and tell him to mind his own fucking business, that I’d handle things in my own way and in my own time, when Poppy stopped on the other side of the counter in front of us.

“Good morning, Juice. Morning, Crank.” Her plump pink lips spread into a friendly grin. “Just coffee for you, or can I get you a huckleberry muffin right out of the oven to go along with it?”

My breath caught as I glanced up and looked into her topaz eyes. They were the same color as the gemstone in my mom’s wedding ring—the one she’d given to me right before she died. The same ring I planned to put on Poppy’s finger one day.

Juice waited a beat, giving me the chance to speak first. But being around Poppy seemed to render me speechless. For a guy who’d never had a problem talking to women, I couldn’t understand the effect she had on me.

“Just coffee for me. Can I get a latte for Sammy, too? I’ll take both to go.” Juice landed an elbow to my ribs, urging me to order.

“I’d like to taste your muffin,” I said. “I mean, I’ll take your muffin. The huckleberry one.” Jesus Christ. Why did I get all tongue tied around her? I bit down on the inside of my cheek to prevent myself from saying another word.

Juice snickered, but Poppy offered a shy grin.

“Would you like to eat it here or take it with you?” She turned to put the carafe back on the burner, and the light streaming in from the window hit her hair. Usually, she wore it twisted up on top of her head, but today it hung all the way down her back. I’d devoted entire afternoons to dreaming about how many times I’d be able to wrap those long locks around my fists when I finally made her mine.

“Crank.” Juice kicked me with the toe of his boot. “Are you eating her muffin here?”

I gritted my teeth. As much as I wanted to spend all morning watching her wait on customers and move around the Merc, I had shit to do at the clubhouse.

“To go, please.” I only allowed myself small doses of being this close to Poppy.

Find out what happens next tonight.