The Lemonade Stand has spent so many years bringing you the best the Twilight fandom has to offer, and we are very excited to have the chance to offer you even MORE. We've watched stories grow and develop from first post through COMPLETE, and now we're lucky enough to share previews of the stories that will soon be your new addiction.
For this edition of Sneak Peek Saturday, we are thrilled to feature something new from
Sunshine1220, author of
Duplicity and
Dominion of My Heart. This week, she's giving us a peek into her upcoming fic
Clutch.
Clutch by Sunshine1220
Summary: The Devil’s Outcasts MC and their families are no stranger to conflict and violence. Their lives have been full of both. History has taught them that family and the club are the only things they can really count on. Relationships and loyalties can change, though. Shifting gears is never easy, but when you do, don’t forget to pull the clutch.
oOOo
I had big plans for the new year. I was going to get back to a few unfinished projects that have been waiting patiently for some attention, but on New Year’s Eve, a bunny that had been happily hopping around, minding its own business while I worked on other things, came over and lobbed me over the head with a sledgehammer.
I never stood a chance.
My husband, his entire family, and recently, myself, ride motorcycles. I’ve wanted to write a Bikerward for a while, and through inspiration from a recent Sons of Anarchy three-season binge, this Bikerward was born.
This one is a little outside my comfort zone, but I’m really excited to share it with you. An excerpt from Chapter 1 is below. And even though I’ve written an original character this time, I’m an ExB HEA girl at heart. 😉
oOOo
BPOV
“Do you think Poppa C will have his pool open today? We didn’t get to swim last time we were here.”
I shift the car into park and cut the engine, the southern Arizona heat instantly warming the interior of my hatchback. I meet Sammy’s eyes in the rearview mirror. “I can almost guarantee they have the pool open.” I reach over to the passenger seat and grab the strap of the open tote there, raising it enough for my son to see its contents. “Why else would I have brought all your swim stuff, kiddo?”
He squeals in response and wiggles in his booster seat, reaching for the seatbelt. I slip out of the car and open the back door, releasing my son from his temporary prison. He squeezes past me and runs toward the door. I laugh, watching him dodge one outstretched hand after another attempt to slow him down.
I turn back to the car, gathering all the crap that seems to go everywhere with us, along with what’s required to spend an evening at Casa de Cullen. I walk around to the front passenger door and open it, pulling the tote and giant bowl of Jell-O from the front seat. Reaching down for a dropped floatie, I’m head down and ass up when the familiar, deep chuckle of exes past sounds from behind me.
“He’s a quick, little guy, ain’t he?”
I take a deep breath, steeling myself like I always do when I have to see my brother-in-law. I grab what’s left of the shit from the seat and straighten up, using my hip to close the door.
“Hey, Edward,” I say softly, looking up at him with a polite smile on my face. It never fails to amaze me just how beautiful he is, how he affects me … even after all these years. “And yeah, I’m pretty sure he gets that from your brother.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right. Mase always was a wiry, little fucker,” he says with a grin. Realizing how much I have piled in my arms, he reaches for some of it. “Here, let me help.” Without asking, he grabs everything I’m carrying, other than my purse and the lidded, lime green Tupperware bowl in my arms, even with the rim of a beer bottle held in his long fingers.
“Thanks.”
“No problem.”
We walk side by side toward the door, and I greet the few people milling around out front. Stepping through the front door is like stepping through a time machine for me. Between sleepovers with Alice and, eventually, secret sleepovers with her brother, I spent a good part of my childhood here.
We reach the kitchen, which is blessedly empty at the moment, and I open the fridge to stow away my contribution to the cookout. I look out the window over the sink and into the backyard, searching for my husband.
“He’s not here yet,” Edward says from behind me.
I turn to look over my shoulder. “I was just making sure Sammy found Pop.” I turn around and lean against the counter. “He was excited to swim today.”
Judging by the look on his face, Edward isn’t buying the shit I’m feeding him.
“What happened this time?”
I push off the counter and rifle through my bag to keep my hands busy. “What do you mean? Nothing happened.”
He walks closer and places a hand over mine. “One, you’re a shit liar, and two, you guys always come together to these things.” He nudges my chin until I meet his eyes. “What’s goin’ on, Bella?”
“Nothing,” I say, shaking my head and stepping out of his reach. “We just had a little disagreement this morning, that’s all. He got upset and left.” I shrug my shoulders. “Same shit, different day, I guess.”
His lips form a thin line, and he exhales heavily through his nose. “How long ago did he take off?”
I stare down at my hands as they lay listlessly on the countertop. Just like everything else about me, my thin gold wedding band doesn’t even make the effort to shine anymore.
“It was around ten or eleven.” I look up and meet the green eyes that still haunt my what-if dreams. “He just needed a breather,” I say weakly.
Before Edward can form a reply, Esme waltzes into her kitchen. When she spots me standing across from her son, her smile falls just enough to remind me I’m no longer as welcome in her home as I once was.
“Isabella, how nice to see you. I’m sure Carlisle will be happy you’re here.” She looks past Edward and back to me. “Is Masen here?”
I clear my throat. “No, he had an errand to run. He’ll be here soon, though.”
“Hey, Ma,” Edward interrupts. “I need to run out myself for a few.” He takes a few steps toward his mother and kisses her on the cheek. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
Out of pure instinct, I yell out the same words I do any time one of the club members is about to ride away. “Be safe!”
Turned around, walking backwards toward the door, Edward gives me the same smirk he’s given me since I was fifteen. “Always am.”
oOOo
Clutch will post weekly beginning January 21, 2020. You can find me at
Sunshine1220 on fanfiction.net and at my group, Sunshine Fics, on Facebook. Hope you’ll join me!
~Sunshine
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Sunshine1220 on alert so you can follow along with us!
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