His Forever Ride

Chapter Four - Morning Without Him

The bed was warm, but empty.

Taylor stirred beneath the soft weight of the sheets, blinking slowly as sunlight filtered in through the gauzy curtains. The room was still, the scent of Jax lingering faintly on the pillow beside her—soap, leather, skin.

She reached for him without thinking, her hand brushing cool linen.

Gone.

But she didn’t panic.

Not anymore.

Instead, she stretched, let out a soft sigh, and sank into the space he’d left behind. She knew Jax. Knew his patterns. If he’d needed to wake her, he would have. If there was danger, she’d feel it. But the house was calm. Quiet. Balanced.

Kellan’s here, she thought, her eyes drifting toward the ceiling. He’s not alone.

That mattered.

Jax wasn’t carrying the weight by himself anymore, and Taylor didn’t feel like she was waiting for the other shoe to drop every time he walked out the door.

Trust didn’t mean the fear was gone. It just meant she didn’t let it control her.

She glanced at the clock. Still early. Not even 8 a.m.

The scent of last night’s candles still clung faintly to the air, mixed with something warmer — the memory of his hands, his mouth, his voice in the dark.

She smiled to herself, lips brushing against the sheet as she turned onto her side.

It was a good night.

A perfect night.

And even though he was gone now, it lingered in the room like something she could still hold.

Taylor slid out of bed slowly, wrapped one of his t-shirts around herself, and padded barefoot toward the kitchen.

Coffee first. Always.

Then maybe a walk, maybe a long bath. She hadn’t decided.

Whatever the day brought, she was ready.

Because for the first time in a long time, she didn’t feel like she was surviving someone else’s life.

She was living her own.

Taylor had just finished pouring her second cup of coffee when the knock came at the door—three sharp taps, then a pause, then two more.

Not Jax.

Not club.

She froze for a moment, half-alert, half-curious, then set her mug down and walked barefoot across the floor to open the front door.

And there she was.

“Maddie?” Taylor blinked.

Her little sister stood on the porch with a duffel bag over one shoulder, a coffee of her own in hand, and a hopeful smile tugging at her face.

“Surprise?” Maddie said, sheepish.

Taylor blinked again, then broke into a laugh. “What the hell are you doing here?”

“I finished finals. Walked out of my last exam and realized I didn’t want to go back to Boston. So... I came here.”

Taylor stepped aside instantly. “Get in before the bugs do.”

Maddie walked in like she’d already been here a hundred times, eyes scanning the house with a mixture of curiosity and something close to pride.

“Wow,” she said, setting her bag down near the doorway. “This is really nice. Like... adult nice.”

Taylor smiled, folding her arms as she leaned against the wall. “That’s what happens when a biker builds you a fortress.”

“I was expecting more guns and leather. Not candles and cookbooks.”

“There’s a little of both,” Taylor said with a smirk.

Maddie turned back to her, eyes a little softer now. “You look good, Tay. Like... whole.”

Taylor’s chest tugged at that. Maddie had been the one to hold her hair back when she cried in their mother’s guest bathroom, the one who’d told her, straight-faced, “Don’t marry Liam if you’re just trying to make safe choices. Safe can still suffocate you.”

Maddie had been right.

Taylor walked over and pulled her sister into a hug. “It’s good to see you.”

“Same,” Maddie said, hugging her tightly. “And I wasn’t lying. I don’t have a plan. I don’t know what I want to do yet. But I needed a reset. And you’ve got a house and a bathtub big enough to drown in, so... I figured I’d crash here for a bit?”

Taylor pulled back, eyes scanning her face. “You’re always welcome.”

Maddie gave her a grateful smile. “Thanks. I’m not trying to mess up your love nest or whatever. I just... needed a place where no one expects me to know what I’m doing.”

Taylor’s throat tightened. “Yeah. I remember that feeling.”

She glanced toward the back hallway, where the guest room still needed curtains and a nightstand lamp. Nothing fancy. But it would do.

“I’ll help you get settled,” she said. “Then we’ll raid the fridge. Hope you like cheesecake for breakfast.”

Maddie grinned. “I knew you’d understand me.”

Taylor grabbed the extra linens from the hallway closet while Maddie kicked off her shoes and made herself at home in the guest room—bare walls, an unmade bed frame, and a sense of not quite finished that Taylor suddenly found charming.

“This is perfect,” Maddie said, tossing her duffel onto the mattress like she owned the place. “I love how it still smells like fresh paint and sawdust in here. Like it’s new. Like you’re still building it.”

“I am,” Taylor said, spreading the sheet across the bed. “Literally and metaphorically.”

Maddie flopped down and stared at the ceiling. “How long have you actually lived here?”

“Not even a full month,” Taylor said, smoothing the corners. “But it feels... real. Like it’s mine. Ours.”

Maddie turned her head, one brow lifted. “Jax’s?”

Taylor nodded, then looked down at the pillow in her hands, something soft passing across her face. “Yeah. We built this together. Or, I guess... he built it. But I made it home.”

Maddie’s expression softened. “You love him.”

It wasn’t a question.

Taylor sat down on the edge of the bed, brushing her hair out of her face. “Yeah. I always did. I just... didn’t know how to hold on to it back then. I ran when it got complicated. I didn’t know how to stay.”

“And now?”

Taylor smiled. “Now I do.”

Maddie pushed herself upright, crossing her legs. “I’m really proud of you, you know? Not for picking a guy or having a house or wearing heels again... but for finally being someone who feels solid. I haven’t seen you like this in years.”

Taylor blinked quickly and looked away. “That’s because I didn’t feel it. Not for a long time.”

She reached over and nudged her sister’s knee. “So. No plan?”

“No plan,” Maddie confirmed. “I just knew I couldn’t go back to Boston and pretend to care about internships I don’t want. Everyone keeps asking me what I’m going to do with my degree, and I keep thinking, ‘I don’t even know what I want to be yet.’”

Taylor chuckled. “Sounds familiar.”

Maddie smiled. “You okay with me crashing here while I figure it out?”

Taylor stood and crossed her arms, mock-serious. “Let’s see. You’re clean, employed nowhere, bring nothing but chaos and coffee, and have no timeline for your departure...”

Maddie gave her best puppy-dog eyes.

Taylor laughed. “Yeah, you’re good. Bathroom’s down the hall. Kitchen’s mine before ten a.m. If Jax comes home before you put pants on, that’s your problem.”

“Deal,” Maddie said, grinning wide.

And just like that, Taylor felt the house shift in the best way. A little lighter. A little louder. A little more alive.

She hadn’t expected to be this happy about her sister showing up out of the blue, but Maddie was a breeze of fresh air through a home still settling on its foundation.

And maybe, Taylor thought as she looked around the room, this was part of building a life, too—

Making space for the people who helped you find your way back to it.

By the time the movie hit its third fake-out jump scare, Taylor and Maddie were both wound tight beneath the throw blanket, a half-eaten bowl of popcorn between them.

The living room was dim, the only light coming from the flicker of the TV and the soft glow above the stove in the kitchen. Outside, the sky was starting to dim toward early evening.

Taylor leaned forward. “Don’t open that door—why would she open the damn door—”

SLAM.

The front door burst open.

Both sisters screamed.

Popcorn went flying.

Taylor dropped the wine glass she was holding—thankfully into the throw blanket—and Maddie shrieked loud enough to scare the villain off the screen.

And then—

“Jesus,” a deep voice rumbled from the entryway. “Relax.”

Taylor’s heart still pounded as she scrambled upright and saw Jax standing in the doorway, one hand on the frame, shoulders loose but expression unreadable.

Behind him stood Kellan—taller, quieter, with that ever-watchful stare and a faint tilt to his head, already scanning the room like he was preparing for damage control.

“Well,” Maddie said breathlessly, eyes wide. “You must be Jax.”

Jax’s brow furrowed. “I am.”

Maddie stood, brushing popcorn from her tank top, and crossed the room with that confident saunter Taylor had seen since middle school. “I’m Maddie. Taylor’s sister.”

Jax blinked, clearly processing.

Taylor stood, suddenly very aware of how little warning she’d given him.

“She showed up this morning,” Taylor said, sliding next to her sister. “Surprise visit. I was going to text you, but... then the popcorn happened.”

Jax looked Maddie over once, his gaze calm but guarded. “Taylor talk about me?”

“Only when she’s awake,” Maddie quipped.

Jax actually smiled. “Good to meet you.”

Then Taylor saw it—Kellan's gaze landing on Maddie.

Brief. Controlled. But definite.

And she saw Maddie catch it.

Her sister’s eyes lingered just a second too long on the man standing near the doorway, the faintest hint of interest flickering behind her polite expression.

Taylor’s brows rose slightly, but she didn’t say a word.

Kellan gave Maddie a slow, respectful nod. “Didn’t know Taylor had a sister.”

“I’m full of surprises,” Maddie said, smiling just a little too sweet.

Oh no.

Taylor sipped her wine and stayed silent, filing the moment away. Dani might have been circling Kellan for months now, but she hadn’t made a move. She still hadn’t ended things with Mason or Diesel, and Jax had warned her more than once: don’t play games with Kellan.

But Maddie?

She was unattached. Curious. Charming. And if Taylor was reading the room right... game on.

She smirked behind her glass.

Maddie had no idea what she’d just walked into—but Taylor did.

And if her sister wanted Kellan?

She’d help.

Quietly, of course.

The night settled in easy.

Dinner wasn’t anything fancy—Taylor reheated leftover lasagna and put out the cheesecake she and Maddie had raided earlier. Wine was poured, the candles were lit again, and the four of them found themselves gathered around the table like this was normal.

And weirdly... it worked.

Maddie sat across from Kellan. Not too close. Not obvious. But Taylor saw it—the way her sister laughed a little louder when Kellan made a quiet joke, the way she tilted her head slightly when he spoke, like she didn’t want to miss a single word.

Kellan, as always, was unreadable. Calm. Low-voiced. He didn’t flirt—not outright—but he wasn’t pulling back, either. His attention drifted to Maddie more than once, his eyes catching on her hands when she gestured, her mouth when she smiled.

And Taylor noticed all of it.

So did Jax. But for different reasons.

Every time Maddie spoke, Jax’s gaze flicked between the two of them. Taylor could feel the calculation behind it—Who is this guy around my girl’s little sister? How long is she staying? Is this gonna be a problem?

Taylor kept her voice smooth and her smile easy, nudging the conversation toward safer topics whenever Jax’s protective instincts twitched.

“So,” she said casually, cutting another slice of cheesecake, “Maddie’s figuring out her next move now that school’s done. Thinking of staying a while.”

Maddie nodded, eyes flicking to Jax. “If that’s okay with you. I promise not to turn the place into a party house or anything.”

Taylor gave her a sideways glance. “You couldn’t if you tried. You’d trip over Jax’s security cameras before you even got the music turned on.”

Jax smirked, but Taylor saw the tension still curled behind his eyes.

“You’re welcome to stay,” he said, voice even. “Just don’t leave the gate open.”

Maddie raised a hand in mock solemnity. “Scout’s honor.”

Across the table, Kellan’s mouth quirked.

Taylor didn’t miss the way Maddie caught it.

She refilled Jax’s glass without being asked and gave him a soft smile, her fingers brushing his for just a second too long. A silent message: Let it be.

She knew her man. He wouldn’t like the idea of Maddie getting tangled up in club politics—or Kellan’s intensity. But Taylor also knew her sister. Maddie had sharp instincts. A quick mind. A soft heart, yes—but not a careless one.

And besides...

If Dani hadn’t made a move on Kellan by now, Taylor figured that door was cracked open. Fair game.

And maybe Kellan needed someone unexpected to knock it wide.

As the conversation shifted toward music and movies, Taylor sat back in her chair, sipping her wine, watching it all unfold.

Something was beginning.

And she wasn’t going to stop it.

Later that night, after the dishes were cleared and the wine bottle ran dry, Maddie disappeared down the hall to get settled, and Kellan took his leave with a quiet nod and a casual, “See you tomorrow.”

Taylor watched from the kitchen window as his taillight faded down the drive. Maddie hadn’t said much after he left—just yawned dramatically and made a quick escape to the guest room.

Which was interesting, because Taylor knew damn well her sister didn’t go to bed early for anything.

She smirked to herself and turned to find Jax leaning against the counter, arms folded, eyes sharp.

“Okay,” she said before he spoke. “What?”

“She’s twenty-two.”

Taylor raised an eyebrow. “And?”

“She just got out of college. She’s figuring her s**t out. She doesn’t need to get caught up in club life—or Kellan.”

Taylor dried her hands on a dish towel and leaned her hip against the counter. “She’s also smart, stubborn, and has a better bullshit detector than half the people I’ve met in this town. Including some wearing cuts.”

Jax didn’t look convinced.

“She’s young, Taylor.”

“She’s also an adult,” Taylor said calmly. “And Kellan’s not the kind of guy who plays games.”

Jax’s jaw ticked. “No, but the club’s complicated. And Dani—”

“—hasn’t made a move,” Taylor interrupted, voice quiet but firm. “And honestly? If Dani was serious, she would’ve been clear a long time ago.”

Jax exhaled slowly, staring past her at nothing in particular.

Taylor reached out, resting a hand gently against his forearm. “I get it. You want to protect her. She’s my little sister, Jax. I get it.”

He looked at her finally, something softer flickering in his eyes.

“But protecting her doesn’t mean controlling her,” she added. “Let her figure it out. If it’s nothing, she’ll know. If it’s something, she deserves the chance to find out.”

Jax studied her for a long moment. Then he nodded once, slow. Reluctant. But he didn’t argue.

Taylor smiled, leaning up to kiss his cheek. “See? You’re evolving.”

He let out a low breath of a laugh. “God help me.”

They turned off the lights, the house quiet again as Taylor slid her hand into his and walked with him toward the stairs.

Behind them, the guest room door was closed. Maddie’s lamp still on. Her future unwritten.

But Taylor wasn’t worried.

Whatever her sister chose—Taylor would be in her corner.

Just like Jax was in hers.