Free Renegade Reject by Emily Minton, Dawn Martens Page B

few inches from me.  Just knowing he’s here with me gives me strength.
    “We don’t know all the details, but it looks like he was drunk.”
    I didn’t need to be told that.  Anyone that knows Dad would know that he was drunk.  When isn’t he? “How bad is he hurt?”
    Squeezing my hand, she replies.  “He shattered his pelvis, and a piece of bone is lodged into his spinal cord.  The doctors aren’t sure how much damage it caused.  He’s gonna live, but he may never walk again.”
    The thought of my father never walking again is heartbreaking, but the idea of him never riding his motorcycle again is life shattering.  The club, his bike, and time spent on the road are the only things that matter to him.  Without them, he would wither away.  “What will happen to him? What will he do? If he can’t get back on his bike, he’ll die.”
    Preach sits down in the seat next to me and pulls me into his arms.  “I might not believe in half the shit my dad taught me, but I do believe that God has a plan for each one of us.  He never gives you more than you can handle. Maker will find a way to deal with this.”
    I lean my head against his shoulder, letting the tears fall down my face.  “Thank you for being here, Preach.”
    He leans his head down, placing a soft kiss on my forehead.  “I’ll always be here for you, Little Flower.”
    We end up spending most of the night in the emergency room waiting area before the doctor finally comes out to talk to us.  Dad’s injuries are severe, but he’s stable.  He’s been moved to ICU, and we aren’t allowed in to see him until morning visiting hours.  I don’t want to leave, but the doctors say there is nothing we can do for him right now.  Grams wanted me to come home with her, but I needed to be alone with Preach, even if it’s only a few minutes on the back of his bike. 
    As we walk toward Preach’s bike, he pulls me close to his side.  “You ready to go home, babe?”
    “Not really, but I guess I don’t have a choice.”
    He looks down at me, a small smile playing on his lips.  “How about I take you somewhere, and we can just chill out for a while.”
    “Sounds good to me,” I reply, stepping up to his bike.
    Nearly an hour later, we park in front of Chipper’s fishing cabin.  My grandpa and Uncle Holt brought me and my cousins here a few times when I was younger.  There’s no electricity or running water, just four walls and a roof. 
    I hop off the bike, and Preach climbs off after me. Still not saying anything, he walks around to the side of the cabin.  I see him digging around and picking up rocks.  Finally, he picks up one and grabs a key off the ground, then comes back to me and takes hold of my hand.  Leading me toward the cabin, he finally starts to talk.  “Maker’s gonna be fine.”
    “I’m not sure about that.  What if he never walks again?”
    “I don’t know, baby,” he says, placing a kiss on my temple. 
    I squeeze his hand.  “I’m so glad you were with me tonight.  I don’t think I could have done it without you.”
    “Like I told you before, I’ll always be here for you. You know I love you, Little Flower? Don’t you?”
    “What?” I gasp out.  Love me?  He’s never said that before. “You love me?”
    Opening the door, he pulls me inside.  “What the hell did you think this last month was? I told you that you were mine.”
    “I thought we were dating.”
    He shakes his head.  “I don’t fuckin’ date. I haven’t since I was in high school.  You’re the first woman I ever put on the back of my bike. You’re the first woman I ever took the time to get to know.  You’re the only woman I’ve ever loved. I want you to remember that. Remember that I love you more than anything.”
    His words shock me, but not nearly as much as they frighten me.  I’ve wanted him to tell me he loves me for weeks, but now, it just seems wrong.  It’s like he’s trying to prepare me for something