Like I hadn’t figured that out when I saw the bike in the driveway, Mom. Thanks for stating the obvious. I knew she didn’t mean anything by it, so I kept my mocking thoughts to myself.
I didn’t even have to see him to sense him. It was like my very molecules were attuned to him. My hand sought the comfort of my mother’s hand, and I walked with her to the kitchen. Golden eyes raised to mine, and Mason stood, for once looking uncertain in my presence. My mom squeezed my hand as she released me. Of their own volition, my feet took two steps toward him, and he stepped toward me. God, he was so gorgeous. My chest fluttered just being near him. There was no question, I loved this man with all my heart.
His hands reverently framed my face, and he brushed a loose curl behind my ear. His hand gently raised my chin until I was looking him full in the eye.
“God, baby, don’t ever do that to me again. You are my world, my everything. You have no idea how bad you scared me. And the heartache… shit, baby. How are you feeling? How’s the—” My finger came up to rest on his lips as I stole a furtive glance toward my mom, only to realize she had silently left the room to leave us alone to talk.
“Let’s go for a walk, okay?” This just wasn’t the place for us to talk, so I led him out into the yard and, looking both ways like I was taught as a child, tugged him across the road to the edge of the lake. We were away from the beach area, so the grass went nearly to the edge, only a one to two-foot section of rocky, pebbly sand separating it from the water. This was my quiet place, and I had come here often as a child and teen to absorb the peaceful lap of the water at the shore. My dad and I had fished here, rarely catching anything worth a damn, but enjoying each other’s company nonetheless. It was here that I dropped to the ground and waited for Mason to sit next to me.
Our fingers twined as he settled next to me, his jeans barely brushing against my thigh, our joined hands resting in my lap.
“I’m so sorry for running off like I did. My mind has been so messed up. I’m stupid paranoid. The dreams… they’re just… God, I don’t know. Horrible. I don’t want my parents to know about the kidnapping. For one, I don’t want them to blame you and your club, but also, I don’t want them to worry and stress over something they cannot change.” I took a deep, fortifying breath. “And I’ll go to therapy, if you think it will help.”
My eyes met his. The breeze ruffled the hair on the top of his head and blew a tendril of my dark red locks across my face, which he once again tucked behind my ear.
“Baby, I’m not trying to be an ass about the therapy, really I’m not, but I’m terrified to think of you letting this all build until I find my beautiful woman in the same boat as Reaper was when I found him again. Believe me when I say I know how hard it can be to feel ‘normal’ after something traumatic like that happens, and that is not a place I ever want you to be. I try so hard to stay the upbeat, happy-go-lucky guy that let’s everything roll off my back, but, baby, I’m fucked up inside too. The club? They help me because I trust them, and I know they have my back in any situation. But you? Baby, you keep me sane. I just want you to have the best chance to work through all of this and come out with the ability to cope with what happened. I want us to be able to be there for each other and to be the best parents possible for our little man.” He leaned in, cradling the back of my neck with his hand. As he leaned closer to press his lips to mine, I started to lay back, bringing him with me. We were right along the road, but the steep slope of the bank concealed us from passersby.
He pulled back slightly and my lips quivered in disappointment.
“Bec, baby.” He closed his eyes briefly before looking me in the eyes and shocking the ever-loving shit out of me. “Trevor stopped by this morning. It turned into a shitshow, but he’s gone, and he won’t be bothering you again.” Then he proceeded to tell me what happened and about how Hacker had found out it was Trevor who posted those pictures, hoping I would run back to him for comfort and a place to live when I lost my job. Damn, I thought Trevor was a dull bookworm, geek type. Who would have thought he would be capable of all that?
Though I hated that he and Mason had the altercation in my parents’ backyard, I was glad Mason had been there to handle the situation. What if he had used the gun on my mom? Or me if I had been there? God, my life had become a TV drama series.
My hand reached up to brush along the firmness of Mason’s cheek, bristling against the short growth of beard he had going on.
“Thank you for coming for me. Thank you for being there for my mom. Even though I ran off like a fool, thank you for not giving up on me.” My hands urged him toward me to finish the kiss we were so close to before.
When his lips met mine, I felt that same tingle and rush that I felt every single time. He twisted his upper body to rest on one elbow, allowing his other hand to slide up my thigh and tuck into the hem of my shorts, where he just let it rest, but lightly rubbed small circles with his fingertips. We broke the soft kiss, looking into each other’s eyes for God only knows how long.
“God, Becca, I love you. That’s something I never thought I would say to any woman other than my mother, but I do. I fucking love the hell out of you. We can do this together. I swear to you.”
“I love you too, Mason. So very much.”
Becca and I lay in the grass alongside the lake for at least an hour. We just held each other, touching each other to reassure ourselves that the other was really still there. Fluffy clouds skittered across the expanse of soft blue as we enjoyed the sound of the water lapping at the shore. The sun rose higher in the sky, and I heard her stomach rumble before her slender hand went to it as if she could silence it.
She was so fucking cute. My hand covered hers and slid lower to cradle the little bump that existed below her belly button. How I had missed the slight changes in her body was a fucking mystery. In my defense, she still didn’t look like she was as far along as she was. It was hard to believe my son was growing in that diminutive mound. It just didn’t seem possible. Also still amazing to me was how happy the news of pending fatherhood had made me. Yeah, I had been a little envious of what Reaper and Steph had—a family—but I always saw myself as someone who would be happy spoiling everyone else’s kids. It just goes to show, despite our firmest resolutions, sometimes life takes us by the balls and runs with us. All we can hope for is to hold on.
And make new resolutions.
In reverence, I leaned forward to place a kiss over his current cozy home and to whisper words that were just between me and my boy. Becca’s fingers ran through my hair, and I rested my ear to her belly as if my little man would speak back to me.
When I raised my head to look at her, her hand slid to rest on my neck.
“Becca, baby, my son and I have been talking.” She giggled at my serious tone as I told her about my father-son conversation. “What? You doubt me?” I asked in mock indignation.
“Oh, no,” she laughingly replied. “Please do tell.”
“Hmph! Well… as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, my son and I have been talking, and he told me—” I paused to glare at her while really trying hard not to smile, daring her to interrupt me again. “—he doesn’t want his daddy to be a single father, and he would really like his mommy and him to have the same last name as his daddy. He really wants us to be a real family, and I can’t seem to find a reason to disagree with him. So… what do you think? Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife and making an honest man of me? We need to set a good example for our little man and teach him that living in sin is totally unacceptable. I don’t have a ring yet, because this wasn’t exactly how I planned to do this, but sometimes the right time hits us when we don’t see it coming.”
At the catch in her breath, my grin broke through all my attempts at holding a straight face. Her face registered shock and happiness, and her eyes welled with tears before she grabbed my face, pulling me up until our noses touched.
“God, yes. Yes, I will make an honest man of you
and set a good example for our son. I will be your wife and our son’s mommy, making us our own special little family. I love you, Mason. Yes. Yes, I will marry you! And I don’t care about the ring at all.” Her lips parted, and I kissed her like it was my last kiss on earth. She was going to be mine. Irrefutably, undeniably mine. When we broke apart for air, I rested my forehead against hers and spoke through my shortness of breath.
“Then I would say we have quite a bit to talk to your parents about. And we need to feed my growing boy.” I stood, reaching down to grab her hands and pull her up against me as she stood. My hands slipped around her, and I grabbed her ass, hiking her up against me, and she wrapped her legs around me. I walked up the hill, careful not to drop my precious treasure, looked both ways, and ran across the road with her bouncing and giggling against me.
“Put me down, you nut!” I loved the sound of her laughter, but I wasn’t stopping until we had her parents as witness to her agreeing to be my wife, so I bounded up the stairs and released her with one hand briefly to open the door.
“Rob! Gina! Where are you? Your daughter has something to tell you!” I shouted out as she laughed and attempted to cover my mouth, but I shook her hands away. They came from the hall and stopped with Rob resting his hands on Gina’s shoulders. He gave me an approving grin, and Gina looked at us expectantly.
“Oh hell, I didn’t expect to tell you all like this, but… Mom? You’re going to be a grandma and Mason has asked me to marry him. I said yes.” She bit her full bottom lip and worried it between her beautiful white teeth. Hearing her say yes out loud again tripped my heart into overdrive. She may or may not know it, but she had just made me the happiest fucker that ever existed.
Gina covered her mouth with both hands, her eyes grew wide and glossy before turning quickly to face her husband. “Rob! Did you know about this?”
“She just told me about the baby, sweetheart. I promise I haven’t kept anything from you, honey.” He stroked the back of her hair and placed a kiss to her forehead. That was what I hoped to have between Becca and me after as many years. “Now, son, what if I told you that you don’t have my permission to marry my daughter?” He raised an eyebrow at me as he continued to look sternly at me. The twinkle in his eye gave away the true nature of his mood.
“Well, sir, I would have to tell you that while I respect you, the decision is up to your beautiful daughter… and I promise to protect and cherish her and our baby for the rest of my days on this earth. I love your daughter and our baby more than life itself, and I need her in my life because of that love…” Besides, there was no way in hell anyone was telling me I couldn’t be with them, but I wasn’t going to push my luck. I set Becca down and kissed her cheek. She smelled like sunshine, fresh air, and heaven.
“Stop it, Daddy! Gawd!” Becca rolled her eyes as she turned and pressed her back to my front. My arms wrapped around her, pulling her close to me, and her hands rested on my arms. My heart felt near to bursting with the love and happiness she brought into my life.
“Mom, Dad… Trust me, it was a surprise to Mason and me too. I’m over a third way through my pregnancy, and I haven’t even known for that long. Sooo… you’re going to have a grandson. It’s a boy!” Becca squealed. Gina squealed. And I grinned like a fool.
Becca’s mom rushed to her, framing Becca’s face with her hands. I gently released Becca from the cradle of my arms as she embraced her mom. They both began with the waterworks, and Rob rolled his eyes as he walked over, placed a kiss on his daughter’s and wife’s heads, and said to me, “Come on, son, let’s leave these two blubbering women to plan baby and wedding stuff and go out back to have a cold beer to celebrate.”
Grinning ear to ear, I followed Becca’s burly giant of a father out to the back-yard after he grabbed two beers from the fridge. Hell, I was glad he hadn’t decided to punch me for this situation, because he would have crippled my ass. Damn, he was a big ol’ dude. We settled into a couple of Adirondack chairs and enjoyed the wind rustling through the leaves of the shade trees in the back-yard.
As I sipped my beer, he looked me in the eye. “Gina told me about the visit from Trevor. Thank you for being here for her. Never really liked that guy, but I thought Becca and her mother did, so I supported what I thought was Becca’s choice. Then when they broke up, Gina was so sure it was a mistake and, well, she’s my wife. You’ll learn that sometimes it pays to not make waves. But it seems in this case, I really messed up.”
His hand scrubbed down his face, pulling on his beard at the end. “I want your word that you will protect my baby girl and my grandson with your life. Treat her like the treasure she is, and we’ll be good. She’s my only child, and I couldn’t handle it if anything happened to her or I lost her.” His words were softly spoken and gruff.
“Not an issue whatsoever.” That was a promise I would easily keep, as they were my life too. The thought of what she had already endured made me doubly vested in ensuring her safety. Never again would she be in danger if I could help it. We clinked bottles and got lost in our thoughts during the comfortable silence that stretched between us.
If I had stuck to my stupid resolution to stay away from relationships, she wouldn’t be in my life and my baby wouldn’t have been conceived. Funny how fate changed everything we thought we knew.
Becca Lange… Man, I loved the sound of that…
GABRIEL MASON LANGE MADE his debut into the big bad world in the wee hours of the morning… the very day after his parents were married. No wedding night bliss or happy honeymoon for them. His mom and dad were both exhausted after seven hours of hard labor on no sleep, but as the nurse laid him on his mother’s chest, she gently stroked his silky golden hair and ran a finger along his rosy, round cheek. His daddy nearly cried when she asked him if he wanted to hold his son, but he would never in a million years admit it. His hands shook slightly as he reached for his little man. He tucked him in close to his body and bowed his head to whisper in his baby boy’s ear.
“Now we both can keep your mommy safe, little guy. And when your sister comes along, I’m going to need you to watch out for her too. But we won’t tell Mommy we’re planning a little sister for you yet. On second thought, maybe you need a little brother so the three of us can watch over your momma. She’s feisty and stubborn, so we may need back-up.”
Mason would have sworn his son smiled at him in agreement; his mommy would have said it was gas. Either way, the love emanating from the room was nearly palpable as little Gabriel’s grandparents and multiple “uncles” poured into the room later that morning. Reaper clapped Hollywood on the back, congratulating him while Steph kissed Becca and told her what a great job she had done. Everyone was so excited to see the newest addition to the family that Hacker went unnoticed as he leaned in the corner with a desolate expression.
Becca held tight to Mason’s hand as everyone fawned over little Gabriel. She couldn’t believe how much her life had changed from a year ago. She now had a husband, who she was over the moon for, and a son that she loved so much it made her ache. The mask was gone and her heart was wild.
The End
Enjoy a preview of Kassi and Erik’s story…
“THIS IS BULLSHIT, KASSI, and you know it! I hate you going there to dance, knowing all those fucking perverts are staring at you and touching you. It’s not right. Let me get a job to help with the bills so you can get a normal job somewhere.” Matt followed me across our tiny living room to the front door as I prepared to leave for work.
“Watch your mouth, Matthew. And no! For the last time, you are not getting a job. I want you to be able to concentrate on school and football this year. It’s your senior year, and it’s important for you to excel so you can have a chance at some good scholarships. They’re watching you for football scholarships, and that’s important. I’ve got things covered. Also, no one’s allowed to touch us on stage unless we give permission. Okay? So, don’t worry about me, I’ve got this.” We had this same argument nearly ever
y night I went to work at the Emerald Shamrock. No, it had never been my ambition to be an exotic dancer—oh hell, I was a stripper, let’s be honest—but it paid the bills better than the waitressing position I started with, and certainly better than working at the hardware store.
Once Matt graduated high school and went on to college, I wouldn’t have to struggle as much because, God willing, I would be a nurse by then. My first year had been almost a waste because the curriculum each semester was very different between a bachelor’s and an associate degree in nursing. Some of the classes applied, but most wouldn’t until I was able to go back to finish my bachelor’s. If everything went well, I would be able to go back soon after graduating with an Associate’s degree in nursing. The end of my final semester was fast approaching. Until that day came, during the week I was taking my required courses and clinicals, and on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday I took off my clothing for a leering audience.
Yeah, that was my life for the time being, but I would make it through this.
“Oh come on, Kassi, my grades are good every year. You know they have been. I’m sure taking a part-time job isn’t going to kill my grades. Besides, I don’t even know if I want to go to college right away. I’ve been thinking a lot about joining the Marine Corps after graduation. And I hate that you gave up your dreams and opportunities for me.” He tucked his hands in the front pockets of his jeans and looked away from me. My heart dropped to my feet when he said that.
“Don’t be hasty, okay? Wait to see what offers you get before you decide to run off to the military. Those recruiters will make everything sound right as rain, and then once you sign on the dotted line, they tell you ‘oh, sorry, but you belong to Uncle Sam now, so you’ll do what we want.’ I don’t want to see you shipped off to Afghanistan and then get a knock on the door that my little brother is gone. Please, promise me you’ll wait.”
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