Total pages in book: 45
Estimated words: 42549 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 213(@200wpm)___ 170(@250wpm)___ 142(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 42549 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 213(@200wpm)___ 170(@250wpm)___ 142(@300wpm)
A sweet girl like her was a hell of a lot harder to find.
Jeff sat waiting, apparently expecting some sort of violent outburst, so I gave him a nice big smile, just to fuck with his head.
“Tell her I said good-bye,” I told him. “I’ll be back before long to check up on things. I’ve got what I need, should be able to monitor the rest from home.”
I looked to my brothers to make sure he hadn’t missed something. Max cracked his knuckles and Picnic nodded, satisfied.
“I don’t want to breathe in any more of Jeff-hole’s secondhand smoke,” I said. “You ready, Pic?”
“Sure,” Picnic replied, and Max pulled himself up off the couch, stretching. Thankfully, Jeff kept his stupid mouth shut as we went outside.
Night had fallen, and while the air was still warm, it didn’t hold the punishing heat we’d experienced earlier. Riding home across the desert wouldn’t be half bad.
I kicked my bike to life, following my club president down the long driveway through the apple trees.
Hadn’t been such a shitty trip after all.
Hopefully, Marie wouldn’t tear up my other ear too bad during our next fight.
Marie’s Bread Recipe
Ingredients
4 ½ teaspoons (or two packets) of rapid rise yeast 2 ½ cups warm water
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
7 cups all-purpose flour
2 handfuls mixed grated cheese (your choice—I often just grab an Italian mix) 1/4 cup (approximately) grated parmesan 2 large spoonfuls chopped garlic (slightly less if using fresh garlic, although I often use the prepared chopped garlic in a bottle for convenience—if it’s a squeeze bottle, I do two very large gloops) Italian herb mix 1 egg white mixed with 1 tablespoon cold water Corn meal
Preparation
Note: I use a Kitchenaid mixer with a dough hook to make bread. If you make the bread by hand, follow basic bread dough preparation instructions out of any cookbook.
Put warm water and yeast in mixing bowl and allow to proof (3-4 minutes). Follow with flour and salt, then add in oil, two handfuls of cheese, garlic, and a generous shake of Italian herb mix. (I’ve never measured this, but don’t be afraid to pour it on—the recipe makes two loaves of bread, which means you want to put in plenty.) Allow dough hook to mix until the bread is fully kneaded. (About four minutes on my machine.) Place bread in a greased bowl and allow to double in size. Punch down, then divide into two parts. Using a rolling pin, spread each dough ball out into a rectangle, then roll up along the long side to create a skinny loaf. Place on a baking pan that’s been lined with foil, greased, and sprinkled with cornmeal. (Be sure the seam is on the bottom.) Allow to rise until double in size.
Before baking bread, make four thin slices diagonally across the top to give it some texture, then sprinkle with parmesan. Bake at 450 for 20 minutes, then remove from oven. Brush with egg white mixed with cold water to create a glaze. Cook for an additional five minutes then allow to cool before slicing.
AUTHOR’S NOTE: The top request I get from readers is for a short story about Horse and Marie, telling what happened to them after Reaper’s Property. “Skunked” is that story. If you haven’t read Reaper’s Property, you can still read “Skunked”—it doesn’t have any plot spoilers, aside from the fact that Reaper’s Property ended with them together as a couple, which shouldn’t come as a huge surprise for most romance readers.
“Skunked” takes place several years after the end of Reaper’s Property. I got the idea late one night after something rather unpleasant happened with our dog . . .
SKUNKED
HORSE
Christ, I couldn’t remember the last time I’d been this tired.
We’d been on a five-day run to Boise and had spent the night before camped out. I was tired, grumpy, and more than a little horny—something that hadn’t gone unnoticed by the bitch who’d kept grabbing for my cock at the last clubhouse we’d visited. I’d managed to fight her off, but this celibacy shit was getting old.
I wanted my old lady, and I wanted her now.
Turning down our driveway, I saw Marie’s car in front of the house. She hadn’t answered her phone all day—this wasn’t like her. I’d assumed if something was really wrong, someone would’ve gotten hold of me. Still, it was a relief to find her at home. I wanted a cold beer, a hot shower, and a blow job.
Could only accomplish two of the three on my own.
Parking my bike, I decided to leave my saddlebags for now and head toward the house. The door wasn’t locked. I stepped into the living room, looking around for her. The lights were on and so was the TV, but no sign of my girl.
“Marie?”
Nothing.
I passed through the living room and started down the hallway toward the kitchen.