by Erin Osborne
“She’s where she belongs now. I’m going to head home. If you have any questions, Butcher has my number. I did leave a list in the bag that’s sitting in the main room. At this point, she’s up to date on all of her shots and she hasn’t had any allergic reactions to anything. We’ve started potty training, but it’s hit and miss at this point,” Grace tells us, looking between Riley and myself.
“Thank you so much,” Riley tells her, not sure of exactly what to do right now other than hold her daughter as if she’ll vanish once again.
Grace looks at us and I can see the faint shimmer of tears in her eyes. She’s looked after Shelby since the time she was removed from the hospital. Now, Riley is back in the picture and wants her daughter. A daughter that she never gave up to begin with. It’s going to be hard on everyone involved, there’s no doubt about it. After another minute of looking at the little girl, Grace leaves the clubhouse and doesn’t look back.
Part of me wants to make sure that Grace is going to be okay with the events that are currently taking place, but I know that Riley is going to need me more. Placing my hand on her lower back, I lead her into the clubhouse behind the rest of the guys that were standing outside with us. I’m sure that there would usually be a party going on tonight since it’s a Friday, but the music is playing low and there’s really no club girls around the main room. Whether it’s because Shelby is here or that we were arriving, I’m not sure. I’m just glad that Riley doesn’t have to deal with that on top of the emotions running rampant through her body.
“You want to hang out here for a while or go to a room?” I ask her, stopping at the table a diaper bag is sitting on.
“Can we go to a room please?” she asks, looking up at me for the first time since taking her daughter in her arms. “I want to lay down with Shelby and get her to sleep. You can stay out here and party or whatever you have to do.”
“If you’re in a room, I’m there with you,” I tell her, holding her eyes captive with mine. “I’m not here to party or fuck some random pussy. I’m here to be by your side. So, I’ll find out what room we’re sleepin’ in. If we have to go to a hotel, then that’s what we’ll do.”
Riley nods her head and places one hand on her daughter’s head full of blond curls. Shelby’s eyes are drooping and starting to close as she fights the sleep that is slowly taking over her little body. While I’d love to get her to sleep and bring Riley back out here with everyone, I know that she’s going to be glued to her daughter. I don’t blame her, and I wouldn’t have it any other way honestly. For a long time, this is how it’s going to be.
Butcher leads us to a room at the far end of the hall so that we’re as far away from the main room as we can get. That way if they do party, we won’t be as likely to hear it and Shelby can rest. This is as much of an adjustment for them as it is for us. These guys aren’t used to having a child in the clubhouse from what I’ve seen. Especially during the night when it’s full on party mode. I respect what they’re doing for us, and I’ll make sure that Butcher knows it. They are basically giving up their routine because we interrupted them.
As soon as we’re closed in the room, I see that the bed looks to be freshly made and it’s against the far wall. There’s a TV, a dresser, and a small desk with a single chair taking up the rest of the room. It’s not much, like the rooms in our clubhouse, but it’s enough to sleep and do what we need to do.
I watch as Riley gently sets Shelby down on the bed and brings one of the bags that Butcher carried in for us to sit on the bed next to her. She pulls out a diaper and fresh pair of pajamas while talking softly to her daughter. I can’t catch what she’s saying, but this isn’t a moment for me. It’s just for the two of them and I’m not going to invade on it any more than I have to tonight. So, I grab the bag I packed and let Riley know that I’m going to jump in the shower to wash off the road grime.
Stepping out of my clothes, I place them in a pile on the floor after emptying my pockets onto the counter. It’s not much, but my cigarettes, lighter, and money are there. I’ll have to make sure that they’re always put up with a baby around. I should probably try to quit altogether, but I’ve been down that road before and it didn’t work then. There’s definitely more reason to stop smoking now, but I don’t know if I’ll be able to if I’m honest with myself.
The water in the shower is cool. I don’t want to take a hot shower because seeing Riley with her daughter in her arms definitely made me feel some kind of way. Now, my cock is hard, and I need to take care of it before Riley notices. I’m not going to scare her away when I’m so close to being let in all the way. It’s still going to take time, but we’re making progress. So, for now, I’ll take matters into my own hands and take care of the problem myself.
Imaging that Riley is standing in the shower with me, I begin to stroke my shaft thinking that it’s her hand in place of mine. Her luscious tits are on full display and I nip and suck the hard peaks of her nipples while she continues to stroke my cock and drive me insane. Just as I begin to imagine her sucking me into her warm, wet mouth, I feel my body tighten up in preparation of my release. I envision her taking me all the way to the back of her throat and that’s when I lose control and spill my seed all over the tiles of the shower and down the drain. My body relaxes against the wall and I don’t move for a few minutes as I let my breathing come back under control and my sated body become stronger. As soon as I can move, I quickly wash my hair and body before joining Riley and Shelby back in the room.
Shelby is sleeping in the middle of the bed while Riley sits next to her. She’s not doing anything more than watch the little girl sleep. I place my hand on her shoulder to let her know I’m in the room with them. Looking up at me, Riley’s eyes are filled with unshed tears as she holds a piece of paper in her hand. Her empty hand reaches out to gently stroke Shelby’s chubby cheek. Instead of it startling her, Riley’s daughter leans into the gentle touch. She definitely knows that this is her mama.
“I really should take a shower, but I don’t want to leave her,” Riley tells me, looking away from her daughter for a second to see my reaction.
“Go take a shower, I’ve got your girl. Nothin’ is goin’ to happen to her while you’re gone, I promise you Riley,” I tell her, making sure she knows that I will protect her with everything in me.
Riley continues to look between her daughter and me as she goes through a mental debate about what she should do right now. Finally, she decides that I’m telling the truth, and nothing is going to happen to her daughter while she takes a ten-minute shower. If I know anything at all it’s that she will rush through her shower so that she can get back in the same room as Shelby. I watch her as she gathers everything she’ll need and makes her way into the bathroom. Before closing the door, she turns and takes one more look at me laying down and getting comfortable on the outside of the bed next to Shelby so that she can have the inside.
I turn on the TV and find some random show while waiting for my girl to get back in here. If nothing else, we can leave it on so that we can see in the dark room at night. I’m not sure if Shelby still gets up in the middle of the night, or if she will tonight in her new surroundings. Just as I thought, Riley is out of the shower in record time and climbing into bed from the bottom, so she doesn’t disturb us. I’m not sleeping, but I am enjoying the view she’s making right now. Her tits are almost spilling out of the small tank top she’s wearing to bed and I’m hoping that it falls down just a little bit more so that I can see more of her body.
“Gage, are you awake,” Riley asks quietly.
“Yeah beautiful. What’s up?” I ask, turning my head to face her.
“I want to talk to Grace. Yeah, she left the note and handed Shelby over to me certain that she’s my daughter. But, I want to know how she came to have my daughter in the first place. Why hasn’t she looked for me since she’s had my little girl? Is she really going to be able to walk away from her?” Riley responds, letting some of the thoughts in he
r head out for me to know.
“I’ll talk to Butcher in the mornin’ when we get back from the paternity test. We’ll see if he can arrange somethin’ and get Grace here to talk to you. What kinds of things were on the list she left you?” I ask, curious to know what little bit of information she’s found out about her daughter already.
“She hates carrots and the ham baby foods, but loves the Hawaiian Delight and most fruits. Grace is starting her on the toddler dinners Wilma got since she’s got two teeth now and can chew the soft foods. There’s the doll that Shelby sleeps with every night and her blanket that has to go everywhere with her. Things that I should already know,” she replies, a sad look crossing over her face. I want to take away all of her pain regarding her daughter, but I can’t. No one can give her back the time that she’s already lost with Shelby.
“That’s good stuff to know. Now, let’s get to sleep so that we can get up early for breakfast before headin’ out,” I tell her, reaching my arm over the little girl taking up half the bed and resting my hand on Riley’s side.
“I don’t know if I’m going to be able to sleep. What if she wakes up and I don’t hear her?” she asks, a lone tear rolling down her cheek.
“You’ve already got the instincts to be a good mom. You’ll hear her and wake up when she does,” I tell her, letting all my confidence show through the tone of my voice.
I finally get Riley to relax enough to close her eyes and let sleep take her worries and concerns away from her. Knowing that she needs to sleep, I stay up for a while longer and watch the two beauties in bed with me sleep peacefully. Tonight, is the first time that I’ve ever seen Riley as relaxed and peaceful in her sleep. There’s usually worry lines covering her face, but not this time. Her face is relaxed and there isn’t a single line in sight. She’s got one hand under her face while the other one rests on her daughter’s stomach. Even in sleep she needs to be touching the gift that she was given tonight.
Last night was interesting to say the least. I’m used to sleeping with Riley who barely moves in her sleep. The same can’t be said about Shelby. She was all over the bed, and I was hit and kicked more times than I can count. I wouldn’t trade it for the world though. Not when Riley woke up calm, full of energy, and like the weight of the world had been lifted off of her shoulders. Yeah, we still have to go through with the testing to prove in the eyes of the law that Shelby is her daughter, but the biggest problem has been solved. We know that she’s here with us and that Grace is not going to stand in her way of taking her baby girl home.
Breakfast was another first for me. I think there was more smooshed food surrounding us, and on us, than what actually went into Shelby’s mouth. I’m not going to complain about a single thing though. We had fun trying to feed her and watch the different ways that she babbled throughout the meal we shared together. To me it seems like she should be talking more than what she is. Maybe it’s everything she’s gone through, Grace maybe didn’t know how to help her, or it could be that she’s not sure of us and that’s her way of not talking to us. We’ll figure it out soon and go from there.
I’ve already talked to Butcher about setting up a meeting. He told me that he couldn’t promise anything, but he’d try his hardest to make it happen. Butcher was skeptical at first until I told him what Riley said to me the night before. Once I explained everything, he understood the need for the meeting. We’re still not sure if it’s something she’s going to go for, but we’ll try anyway.
“Gage, can you help me?” Riley asks, calling out from the bathroom where she’s bathing Shelby.
“Yeah. What do you need?” I ask, pushing the door open and seeing the entire bathroom covered in water. I don’t think there’s a single centimeter that isn’t soaked right this second.
“I think I’m in over my head here,” she says, grimacing at the mess surrounding us. “Shelby wants to play, and I can’t get a good enough grip on her to not worry about dropping her into the tub. I don’t want to hurt her.”
“Okay. I’ll hold her under her arms and you wash her up. Then you can rinse her off,” I tell her, not sure of the protocol right now. I’m not Shelby’s dad and I don’t know if I’m supposed to be helping with bath time or not.
Riley senses my concern and assures me that it’s fine. She’s her mother and needs a little bit of help. There’s no old ladies here that can help her, so I can’t get another female in here. I’m not going to let some random club girl come in and help, so I guess I got the job. We’ll work it out and I’ll have to ask about this when we’re done.
“I’m going to jump in before I let her out. Can you stay in here with us to make sure that nothing happens?” she asks, looking up from under her lashes at me, a faint blush creeping up her cheeks.
“You’re killin’ me here beautiful. Yeah, I’ll stay in here with you. As you’re gettin’ out, I’ll get in,” I answer, making sure that she knows if I’m getting a peek at her, she’ll be getting one of me too.
We successfully get Shelby bathed and while I’m keeping an eye on her to make sure nothing happens, Riley gets undressed behind me. I can hear her movements and I wish I could take a look over my shoulder and see her naked body. That will have to wait until I’m not watching a baby in the tub. Once she’s undressed, I feel her tap on my shoulder so that I can slide my body over and she can step into the tub.
I can’t resist taking a look at her now that both girls are in front of me, my imagination didn’t do her justice. Her body is tone and on the skinny side. She’s lost a lot of weight since being kidnapped and all the stress that has occurred since she was found. Riley has started gaining some of the weight back though and I can’t wait to see her when her curves have filled out and she’s at a healthy weight. Her luscious tits are full with dusky pink nipples that are making me salivate over the thought of tasting them for the first time.
“You gonna stare all day?” she asks, letting a flirty tone overtake her voice.
“Maybe. You gonna stop me?” I ask back, looking from her legs up her naked body until I finally reach her face.
“Just asking,” she responds, shrugging her shoulders pretending that this situation isn’t affecting her at all.
I avert my attention to Shelby before things get out of hand quickly. Riley wastes no time in washing and getting rinsed off so that she can pick her little girl up and get out. As soon as she turns around and bends down, I back off and begin to get undressed. I’ve never been shy about being naked and I’m not going to start now. Today just changed things between Riley and me and she has no clue about it. Yet.
Even though I’m not purposely keeping my back to her, Riley is trying like hell to make sure she doesn’t see more than my naked ass. She’s definitely taking her time looking though. I can feel her gaze on me and I don’t rush to get in the running shower. If she wants to look at me, she can look all she wants. Once I’ve wasted more than enough time getting in, I decide to put us both out of our misery and climb in the empty tub. Hearing Riley’s sharp intake of breath, I know that she saw my cock and it’s not even fully hard yet.
Hearing Riley and Shelby in the bathroom fills me with a sense of longing that this is what I want. I’ve waited so long to find the woman that I’d spend my life with. Bailey was someone that could’ve been that person. Unfortunately for me, she would have always been thinking about Grim. There was no way that I was putting any of us through that. So, I’m happy he finally got his head out of his ass and made her his old lady. I don’t regret the time I spent with her or getting her pregnant. Ryan will always be a part of our lives and I wish like hell every single day that he was here with us. It can’t be changed, and I do what I can to keep all the what-ifs at bay.
This moment makes me realize that I’m going to do whatever I have to do in order to keep Riley and Shelby in my life. When she’s ready, I’ll make her my old lady and talk about what we can do about Shelby. If she lets me, I’ll adopt the precious little girl in a heartbeat. In just
the short amount of time that she’s been with us, I’m already starting to bond with her and my heart aches at the thought of not being there for her. I want to be the one to teach her things and watch her grow and learn. When it comes to dating at the age of forty, I want to be there to chase the assholes that think they’re good enough away from her.
We’re finally ready to go and loading up in the SUV that Slim brought so that we can go into town and get the test done. Arriving at the building, I can feel the nervousness and anxiety flowing through Riley. She knows that this needs to be done, but she’s scared that it’s going to come back that this isn’t Shelby. Anyone that sees the two together can tell that they are mother and daughter. Shelby is a miniature version of her mom.
Riley heads to the counter and lets the secretary know that they’re there to get the paternity testing done. When she’s asked where Grace is, Riley tells her that she had another appointment and couldn’t make it to this one. Butcher came with us because we had no clue where the building was, and he steps up to sign whatever paperwork is needed on Grace’s behalf. It’s almost like there’s a story there, but as long as this can happen today, I don’t care what it is.
“If you’ll follow me back to the room, a nurse will be in with you shortly,” the secretary tells us, watching to see if we’re all going to go with her.
We head to a room in the far end of the long line of empty rooms. She tells us to have a seat and someone will be in shortly. I swear she can’t get out of the room fast enough. I don’t know if the petite woman is intimidated by Butcher and myself or if it’s the cuts we’re both wearing. Either way I’m glad that we’re alone so that Riley can try to relax and calm down a little bit before the nurse makes an appearance.
Before I can talk to her, the door opens after a soft knock to reveal a nurse about the same age as Riley. She looks at Butcher and I can see her body tense up in recognition. “Butcher, what are you doing here?” she asks, not paying attention to anyone else in the room.