“No, she wouldn’t have known,” he answered, worry flashing across his face. “Who knew?”
“I don’t know, but it seems like they have good intentions,” I commented, forcing a smile. “I’m sure we’ll find out eventually who the good Samaritan is.”
“Yeah,” Deacon replied, not looking convinced. I wasn’t either, both of us uncomfortable with the idea of someone out there pulling our strings. “Either way, its over now,” he stated, rocking Deacon as Norah strolled back toward us, a bright smile on her face.
“I’m gonna go find my old lady,” I told him with a wink and he nodded, his eyes only for Norah. It didn’t take me long to find Drea, her legs swinging as she sat on the top of a picnic table, her dark blue sundress dotted with sunflowers. “Hey,” I greeted, leaning down to kiss her and she looped her arms around my neck. “I missed you.”
“Then you shouldn’t have left me,” she retorted, tapping my nose. “I think someone is scared to meet my dad.”
“No,” I denied, sneaking a glance around. “He’s not here yet, is he?”
“No,” she answered, not missing how my shoulders slumped in relief. “How can you be scared of my dad? I’ve seen you in a bar fight.” She shook her head, honestly confused and I settled on the picnic table next to her.
“I knocked up his little girl,” I told her. “Trust me, if someone did that to our daughter, I’d beat the shit out of him.”
“Luckily, we have a couple of decades to worry about that,” she said airly. “My dad is eager to meet you. He’s not upset about you knocking up his little girl. He’s just grateful you kept me safe.”
“He should beat me up for that too,” I grumbled, still upset I’d left her unprotected, giving Monty the chance to get to her. “I made a lot of mistakes,” I took her hand, cradling it in mine, “But I won’t make that one again. You and me, we’re a team. Together to the end.” She squeezed my hand as we watched Clutch pick Kara up and spin her around, Ronnie watching with a smile.
“I like her,” Drea commented, nodding to Ronnie. “She’s tough.”
“Yeah,” I replied, my voice heavy. “She just has a bad habit of picking the wrong guy.”
“Clutch is one of the best,” she pointed out and I nodded.
“He is, but Ronnie never picked him,” I murmured, the words barely audible, she didn’t have a chance to comment though as a short, wide man with a buzz cut came up to us.
“Daddy!”
He caught her as she launched herself at him, hugging her tightly and I stepped forward, ready for the ass chewing I deserved.
He held out his hand and said, “Son, welcome to the family.” I took his hand and he jerked me into a hard hug, clapping me on the back as he whispered, “Thank you for giving me my daughter back.” I hugged him back, unable to speak past the enormous lump in my throat, and Drea bounced happily on her heels.
Creed and Sloan, Cord and Tori, and Clutch all came over to say hi, shaking hands and laughing as we introduced one another.
Johnny glanced over, a reminiscent smile on his face as Clutch pulled us into a bear hug, squeezing until we protested, then laughing as someone held up a camera telling us to say cheese, and we all shouted, “Hayes Brothers.”
Author’s Note:
Crew….what can I say? He surprised me. I thought I knew where this story was going and then it changed at every turn. He grew up in this book, the good and the bad of adulthood hitting him harder than all the rest, but the Hayes boys protect each other and the women they love, no matter what.
Some might question the ending. Yes, I wrapped it up nicely and gifted them with a happy ending. Consider this the end of a season but not the end of the series. Clutch still has a story to tell, and Renegade will be out this fall. Hopefully on October 31st, 2019. His story will be a little different as he comes to terms with what it means to be a Hayes and if Ronnie really is the right girl for him. Sometimes we outgrow the crushes of our youth.
In the meantime, I’m going to be working on a few other projects that are demanding my attention and basically distracting me from what I’m supposed to be working on!
For up to date news, teasers, and announcements follow me on Facebook @ Kristin Coley Author, or my reading group, Wicked Addiction. You can also check out my website, www.kristincoley.com for more info.
As always, I appreciate your reviews. I know they can be a pain, but it really makes a huge difference in the life of an author. Thank you for reading!
Happy Reading,
Kristin
Traitor (Southern Rebels MC Book 3) Page 16