by Alison Mello
When we pull up to the diner a short time later we find the place is still busy from the dinner rush, but since Ryker is so excited we head inside and give our name to the hostess. She tells us it’s only about a ten minute wait—from the look of things we’re at the tail end of the rush, so the three of us have a seat on the bench to wait.
He takes a seat on Shelly’s lap and says, “Mommy, Mikey said if it’s okay with you, he’ll take me for a haircut tomorrow.”
She looks at him, a bit shocked. “Mommy likes your curls.”
I think she likes them because they keep him looking young. She doesn’t want her baby boy to grow up. “We don’t have to cut his curls all off. I like them too. We can just clean them up so he won’t have them in his face. I pull my phone from the clip on my pants and do a search for images to try and find a cut she’ll like. “We can do something like this.” I show her a picture. The sides are cleaned up but the top still has all his curls.
“That is cute. What do you say, Ryker? Do you like it?” I turn the phone so he can see.
“I like it. Can I get a haircut mommy?”
“You can get a haircut,” Shelly assures him.
Our conversation is stopped by the hostess, who comes over and tells us our table is ready. When we’re settled, she tells us the waitress will be right over. We thank the hostess and she walks off to clear some other tables that have started to clear. “Mikey, look—it’s Mac.” He points to the kitchen window where he sees Mac’s head as he loads food into the window for the waitresses to deliver.
“It sure is, and I’m willing to bet he’ll come say hi when things slow down,” I tell him.
He waves at the window, trying to get his attention so he’ll know we’re here. It takes him a few tries, but Mac finally sees him. Mac’s expression changes from serious to lighthearted. He gives Ryker a wave and then goes back to work.
“Good evening, everyone,” the waitress says as she pours us some water. “What can I get you tonight?”
“A chocolate shake for little man. I’ll stick with the water.” I point to Shelly, who asks for diet soda.
“And do you folks know what you would like to eat?”
“I bet Ryker wants a cheeseburger,” Mac says, coming up behind her.
“Hi Mac!” Ryker waves excitedly.
“Hi little guy. Did you come in for one of Mac’s famous cheeseburgers?”
“I sure did,” Ryker replies. Shelly and I both order as well, and the waitress walks off to put the order in the window.
“I’ll tell you what. Let me go make your dinner and then I’ll come out and see you.”
“Okay.” he goes back to coloring while we wait for dinner.
Shelly and I talk about school and what she has going on. She’s been working so hard to get through this so she can move on to her board exams, and then she’ll finally be a pediatrician. She only has a short time left. She has busted her ass taking extra classes when she can to finish ahead of time, and so far she’s doing amazing.
Our food and drinks are delivered and Ryker gets excited, taking a huge sip of his shake. “Eat, young man, or I’ll take that away.” He picks up half of his burger and takes a big bite. He loves the burgers here, so I have no doubt he’ll eat at least most of it.
“This is so good,” he says through a mouth full of food.
Shelly rolls her eyes and shakes her head at her son for talking with his mouth full. “Please don’t talk with your mouth full.”
“Sorry, Mommy,” he responds again with food in his mouth. He continues eating. We’re laughing and enjoying our meal when we’re interrupted.
We look up to see Eli standing there with his arms crossed. “Why are you delaying our court date?” he asks angrily.
“I’m not, my lawyer is.” Shelly sticks a fry in her mouth.
“You can push this off all you want, but I will see my kid.”
Her brows shoot up at his response. “Eli, we’re trying to enjoy our dinner, and you’re not welcome here. If you have questions or concerns, please contact my lawyer. Until things are settled, you need to stay away from us.”
“You think because you’re seeing some rich club owner now you can tell me what to do? You’re getting awfully brave.” She lets out a deep breath trying to keep control.
“Listen, man. We’re trying to enjoy our dinner. Can’t you see you’re scaring the kid?” Ryker’s jaw has dropped and his eyes are wide. I can see the fear etched on his face.
“That’s because she fed him some shit about me being a bad father.”
“This conversation is over. Please leave.” I reply as calmly as I can.
“You can’t make me leave, this is a public place and I have a right to be here,” he shouts drawing attention to our table.
“They may not be able to ask you to leave, but as the owner, I can. You’re not welcome here, please go,” Mac announces, coming up behind him.
Eli’s eyes look like they’re going to pop out of his head. “You’ll regret this, old man.”
I jump up from the booth. “Watch yourself, Eli.” The guy is half my size. I could easily snap him in half, but that’s not what Ryker or Shelly needs right now.
“I’ve had bigger and badder than you come through here and threaten me. If you think you scare me, you better think again. Now get out of my diner and don’t come back.” Mac warns.
Eli balls his fists at his side, crinkling the paper he’s holding in his hand. “This isn’t over. I will see my son and I will do whatever it takes for that to happen.”
“Have a great night, Eli,” Shelly replies, calmly sticking another fry in her mouth. Eli storms out of the diner saying nothing more.
“Well, that was interesting.” Mac grabs a seat and sits at the end of our booth just like he did last time, and Ryker has his face buried in Shelly’s side. “You know, little man, I can see that he scared you, but it’s important that you know something.” Mac pauses a second for Ryker to look at him, and when he does, he continues. “This guy right here…” He slaps me on the arm. “Loves you a whole lot, and there isn’t anything he wouldn’t do to protect you.” Ryker starts to smile a bit. “You have a lot of people who love you and care about you, and they’ll all keep you safe, do you understand?” He nods. “Good, now instead of worrying about him, what do you say we have a scoop of ice cream together?” Ryker looks up at his mom, who gives him a warm smile.
“Chocolate ice cream?” He asks hopeful.
“You got it.”
“Hey, Lucy. Can we get a couple of bowls of chocolate ice cream, please?” Mac calls over his shoulder.
Lucy comes over with one small bowl of ice cream for Ryker and two larger bowls. Shelly and I share one and Mac digs into his. Lucy puts her hand on Mac’s shoulder and he looks up at her with a grin so sweet she’s sure to get a sugar high. We all carry on with conversation and I can’t help but smile, because not only has the night gotten better, but I’m willing to bet Mac has finally found himself a lady.
Chapter 17
Shelly
“Mommy, I can’t sleep.”
My eyes flutter open to find Ryker right in my face. “What’s wrong, buddy?”
“I can’t sleep. I had a nightmare.”
I look over at the alarm clock. It’s four a.m. and I have to get up soon. I drag my ass out of bed, take his hand, and bring him back to his room. “Come on. Mommy, will sit with you for a little bit. It’s way too early for you to be up.”
I pull the blankets back on the bed, Ryker climbs on and grabs his bear, hugging him tight. I pull the blankets up to his shoulders and lie beside him, running my fingers through his long, curly hair. I’m glad Mikey is going to keep the top long when he gets it cut. I like running my fingers through his soft curls. His eyes are fluttering shut, but when I slowly stop, they open again. “Shhh, get some sleep, buddy. You’re safe, I promise.” I start back up again.
“I love you, Mommy,” he mumbles.
“I love you too, buddy,” I whi
sper as I watch him drift back off to sleep. I stay with him for a few more minutes, watching his breathing even out, telling me he’s back into a deep sleep, and then gently climb off his bed. I kiss him on the forehead and tiptoe out of his room, closing the door slightly behind me. My poor baby is going through so much, I need to figure out how to end this and quickly.
When I get back to the room, I find Mikey sitting up in bed. “Is he okay?” he asks.
I nod. “He is now. It took me a few minutes, but I got him back to sleep. Too bad I’m wide awake now. I have to get up in thirty minutes anyway.”
A devilish grin spreads across his face. “Come here, baby. I know a great way to spend the next thirty minutes.” He slips his shorts and lounge pants off, dropping them on the side of the bed. I lick my lips as I peel my night shirt off, tossing it to the other side of the room. I slip my panties down my legs and climb back onto the bed. He flips me over and pins me down.
“I love you.” He rubs his nose on mine.
A small smile plays at my lips. “I love you too.”
He presses his lips to mine. I instantly stick out my tongue, licking along his seam. Our tongues collide and I roll my hips against his cock. His lips glide along my jawline, his breath sending shivers down my spine. He takes my earlobe into his mouth giving it a nibble. “I need to taste you,” he whispers before continuing down the vein in my neck. He nibbles on my collarbone, and then lowers himself to my breast, where he sucks one into his mouth while massaging the other. A subtle moan escapes me as he continues his assault on my hardened nipples. His fingers gently glide over my skin, working their way down to my mound. He slips his fingers through my folds and pushes them inside of me, causing my hips to roll, meeting the thrust of his fingers. He kisses his way down my stomach as he continues working me up. It feels amazing, but nowhere near as good as when he sucks my clit into his mouth. He rolls his tongue over it, setting me on fire. I can feel my juices running down my ass I’m so wet for him. “Mikey, I’m going to come,” I moan out, and of course he doesn’t disappoint. He continues his assault until I explode, his tongue lapping up the juices from my release. “I need you inside of me. I need more,” I pant, trying to get him to give me his cock. I don’t know how I went so long without this because now that I’ve had him I can’t get enough. I love the way he makes me feel, it’s heavenly.
“Oh trust me, baby, you’ll get more.” He slips his cock inside of me, seating himself balls deep. “That what you want?” he asks. I bite my lip and nod. He rewards me with a smile and then begins thrusting his hips deep inside me. I hug my legs to my chest, changing the angle as he continues giving it to me hard and deep, just the way I like it.
“Fuck, Mikey. That feels so good.” He takes my legs and places them on his shoulders, leaning forward a bit further, it feels so damn good.
“Come on, baby, give me one more,” he begs, and it sends me over the edge. My pussy tightens around his cock, begging for his release. He seats himself inside me one last time, emptying all he has into me.
“Shit, that was amazing,” I pant, trying to calm myself down.
“It sure was.” He rolls off of me to lie beside me. “Ryker can wake you every morning if we can follow it up like that.”
I laugh. “Nice try. I got lucky today. Most mornings when he wakes up early like that he doesn’t go back to sleep. He’s overtired from the stress of dealing with his father.”
“Well, in that case we need to get him to sleep in,” he says jokingly.
“I need to jump in the shower so I’m not late.” I start to climb out of bed, but Mikey pulls me back down. With laughter, I ask, “What are you doing?”
He places a gentle kiss on my lips. “Relax, you’re not running late.” He kisses me again. “I love you and Ryker so much, Shelly.” He stares into my eyes. “Be careful out there today.”
“I will. I love you too. For the first time in years I actually feel loved. I wouldn’t dare do anything to screw that up.” He kisses me one last time and lets me out of bed so I can get ready for my day.
***
It’s been a long ass day at the doctor’s office and I’m exhausted. I’ve been seeing patients all day with Dr. Winchester, and the guy has been a royal pain in my ass. He thinks he’s god’s gift to medicine. I mean, don’t get me wrong, he’s a brilliant doctor, but he’s quite full of himself too. He’s tried quizzing me all day long with every patient we saw, and even when I was right, he would still try to find a way to make me question my answer. It was like he was angry that I got it right. I shake my thoughts away as I grab my purse. “Nice work today.” One of the nurses comes up beside me to grab her things.
“Thank you. Is Dr. Winchester always that hard on students?” I nod in his direction.
“Yup,” she says with laughter.
“Well, glad I’m not special.” I giggle as the two of us walk out together.
When we get outside, I note that I don’t see Slade’s SUV. He doesn’t typically stay the entire day, but he’s usually back in plenty of time to follow me home. “Have a good night.” The nurse waves over her shoulder.
“You too.” I wave back as I approach my car.
I’m about to get in when I hear my name called out. “Shelly.” I turn to see Eli walking toward me. I’m fumbling with the keys to my car, but the lock is giving me a hard time. Just one of the downsides to having an old car. “Why are you running from me?”
“Because you backhanded me and beat our son. Why do you think I’m running?”
“I didn’t mean it,” he shouts at me with pure anger.
My brows shoot up. “I can see you’ve learned to control your temper.” He rolls his eyes. “And what about the attempted rape charges against you? You didn’t mean that, either?”
His brows furrow. “How do you know about that?”
“None of your business. Just do me a favor and leave Ryker and I alone. He doesn’t want to see you.”
“That’s because you scared him away,” he growls, leaning against my car door so I can’t go anywhere.
“No, you scared him the day you beat him over spilling Cheerios on the floor.” I shake my head. “He’s petrified of you. He shakes anytime you come near him and he’s started to wet the bed from nightmares. Do you have any idea how long it took me to get him past what you did to him? He hasn’t forgotten, Eli.” Now I’m shouting, and this is not the place for a fight.
A minute later, Slade’s SUV comes flying into the parking lot. He slams the brakes and jumps out of the car. “Shelly, I’m so sorry. I got stuck in a major traffic jam.” Slade steps between Eli and I.
“It’s okay, Slade. I’m fine.”
“I think it’s time we get you home.” He turns to Eli. “You need to take your hand off of her property, please.” He asks nicely but his tone is anything but polite.
“Who the hell are you?” Eli growls with attitude. “I love that your boyfriend has hired bodyguards for you. It’s really cute,” he says, trying to talk around Slade.
“I’m going to tell you one more time. Get your hand off her car door.” Slade leans in. I can see Eli is barely holding it together. Slade is about two inches taller than Eli, and way more built.
“Fine, I just wanted you to know that your lawyer will be calling you. We’ll see you in court in two weeks. Enjoy your time, because soon I’ll be seeing our son on a regular basis.”
“You just stay away from her until that time,” Slade warns. He chuckles and walks away. Slade turns back to me. “Are you okay?”
I nod my head. “Yeah, I’m all right.”
“I’m so sorry, Shelly. I had a meeting that ran a few minutes late, and if it weren’t for the traffic, I would have been fine, but the traffic jam screwed me up. I got here as soon as I could.”
“Slade, relax, it’s fine. I understand. I just want to get home to my son.” He opens my car door for me, and before closing it, tells me he’ll be right behind me.
When we pull up at ho
me, I wait a minute for Slade to park beside me so he can take me upstairs. I can see in his expression when he approaches that he feels bad, but I don’t know what else to say to him. He can’t be in two places at once. “Ready?” he asks when he opens the door for me.
“I am.”
He follows me into the building and straight to the elevator. “Slade, what’s wrong?”
He sighs. “I let you down today. Eli was able to get near you because I was late and that’s not acceptable.” He looks down at me.
“We haven’t known each other long, but in the short period of time we have, we’ve helped each other a lot. You helped me get away from Higgins. I helped the police find you, and now you’re helping me with Eli. Please don’t beat yourself up over this one thing. It’s not worth it and I need you around.”
He nods. “Okay. I promise it won’t happen again.” The elevator doors open and we both step out. When I step inside of Mikey’s place, he says good night and tells me he’ll see me in the morning. I go to find my family to see if their day was better than mine. Lord, I certainly hope so.
Chapter 18
Mikey
“Mikey, do I get to help make dinner?” Ryker asks as he climbs up on the snack bar.
“Of course you do. I need my helper with me at all times, little man. We’re going to make calzones. Do you know what that is?” He shakes his head. “Okay, well, let me explain. It’s kind of like a pizza folded in half.” He looks at me, confused. “Grab the stool and come on over here and I’ll show you.” His face lights up with excitement when he comes over with the stool. I have balls of pizza dough sitting on the counter ready to go. I cheated and bought the bags of dough so it would be one less thing for me to deal with today. I’m starting to get the hang of having a kid with me during the day, but if I can take shortcuts, I do for sure.
“What do we do?” he asks.
“First we have to wash our hands.” I pick him up and sit him on the counter to wash his hands. When we’re done, I help him back to the stool. “Now we’re ready.” I grab a ball of dough. “We open this up and roll it out so it’s one flat circle.” I put some flour on the rolling pin and begin rolling the dough out, and then I hand him the pin and have him do it. He looks so cute, I grab my phone and snap a picture of him getting flour all over the place. “Okay, good job, buddy. The next thing we have to do is put a bunch of cheese on this.” I grab the bags of cheese from the refrigerator. Ryker puts a ton of cheese on the first one, and when I ask him if we should put anything else he says no. We move onto the next one, starting the process again. By the time we get to the third one he’s bored and has had enough. I thank him for his help and ask him to go straight to the bathroom to wash his hands while I finish putting dinner together. I finally get dinner into the oven with perfect timing, because Shelly is going to be home any minute and I need to get Ryker cleaned up and changed for our company to come over.