Read Fierce (Storm MC #2) for Free Online

last two days because J’s back, finally.  It’s so good to have him home but getting into a routine together is kinda hard.  I’m working some long hours at the dress shop at the moment and J’s busy getting back into his work which is keeping him out at all hours.  So, even though he’s home, I feel like I’ve hardly spent any time with him.”  She paused and gave me a rueful look.  “Sorry to whine.”
    From what I could work out, her boyfriend had been away for a couple of months.  Although she’d been upset about it, she’d still seemed upbeat and happy.  I figured Madison was one of those people who made the best out of whatever life handed her; she seemed like a strong person and I really liked that about her.  She didn’t complain about stuff too often so I figured she must really need to vent.  “No, go ahead.  Get it out.”
    I placed her coffee in front of her and she rummaged in her bag for some money.  She was always rifling through her huge ass bag and I often wondered why she didn’t replace it with a smaller one.  After she found what she was looking for, she handed the four dollars over to me and I rang the sale up.
    Waving her hand at me, she said, “I’ve finished; that was all I had to whine about.”  She drank some of her coffee and a glazed look came over her face.  “Seriously girl, you make the best damn coffee in Brisbane, I swear.”
    “Thanks, love.  I just wish more customers thought that too.”  I bent over and leant on the counter.  “Mum’s really struggling to make ends meet and even though we’ve picked up some new orders for cakes, I worry how she’s going to pay her bills.”
    Madison contemplated that for a moment.  “Maybe I can get my brother to consider using you to make the cakes for his restaurants.”
    “I didn’t know that Blade owned restaurants.”
    “No, not Blade.  My other brother.  He runs four restaurants.  I’m sure I can twist his arm to take on your cakes.  If not, I’ll get to him through J,” she said, winking at me.
    “Is J close to your brother?”  Her family sounded pretty close although I didn’t really know anything about them.
    “God yes, they’re best mates.  Sometimes it irritates the fuck out of me.” 
    A shot of jealousy ran through me.  I envied people with extended family; my father had died when I was young and it was only my mother and I left after that.  It would have even just been good to have a brother or sister.  “Must be nice though.  I mean, you hear stories about in-laws who hate each other and rip families apart, so for your brother and your boyfriend to get on that well would make it easier.” 
    She nodded.  “Yeah, you’re right there.  Hey, what you are you doing on Sunday?”
    “I’ve got the day off.  Why?”
    “I’m having a barbeque at my house and I want you to come.”
    This surprised me; we weren’t exactly friends.  “Ah, sure.”
    She laughed.  “I know that we don’t know each other very well but I’d like to get to know you better.  You up for it?”
    When she put it like that, I realised that I’d like to get to know her more too.  I didn’t have a lot of friends in Brisbane yet.  “I’m in.  What do you want me to bring?”
    “Just yourself and anything you want to drink.”
    “How about I bring some cake too?”  I’d make one of Mum’s red velvet cakes.  They were always a hit at parties.
    “Sure, honey.  That sounds great.”  She started searching through her bag again, retrieving her phone.  “I better go otherwise I’ll be late for work.  Thanks for the coffee.  I’ll probably see you tomorrow.”  Swiping her keys off the counter, she turned to leave but then looked back at me.  “Thanks for listening to me whinge.  I don’t have many friends in Brisbane so it’s nice to have you.  I’d better get your phone number and then I can text you my address.”
    Smiling, because she’d said what I’d been thinking too,