I made coffee and took it out onto the back patio to get some air. Colt found me there. He appeared well rested—and sexy.
So. Damn. Sexy.
He was staring down at me, a mug of coffee to his lips. “Sleep well?”
My glare was my answer.
He didn’t smile, but I could see the humor lurking in his eyes. “I gotta run to town. You’re gonna stay here,” he commanded.
“No.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “Absolutely not.”
“You don’t have much choice in the matter,” Colt drawled.
“You really can’t expect me to sit here all day waiting for you to get home while you go off and get to do whatever you want.”
“I do expect it,” he said mildly.
“Why can’t I come with you?”
“I’m not running errands, Mia.” He sighed. “I want you to stay out of the limelight, okay? I don’t want you in town because I don’t want to give Dev and the Iron Horsemen a chance to see you.”
I wrinkled my nose, hating to admit that he had a valid point. “What am I supposed to do while you’re gone?”
“You need me here to entertain you?” Colt laughed.
“You know that’s not what I meant.”
“Do whatever you want. Watch TV. Cook. Or bake. Yeah. Why don’t you bake a pie?”
“Bite me.”
“Tempting.” He laughed. “I’m kidding, okay? Joni is off work today so she’s gonna swing by.”
“Oh. Well, why didn’t you lead with that? I like her.”
“And she likes you.”
The sound of a motorcycle drew my attention, and I got up off the couch and headed to the living room window to peer out. A guy parked his bike and took off his helmet. He looked young. My age.
“Who’s that?” I demanded as I took in the lanky, brown-haired guy.
“That’s Cheese.”
“Cheese? What kind of name is Cheese?”
“It’s his road name,” Colt explained. “He’s a newly patched brother.”
“And he’s here why?”
“To keep an eye on things.”
My gaze narrowed. “You mean to keep an eye on me.”
“Well, that too.”
“I don’t need a guard dog.”
“I’m thinking trouble could find you in the dark.” He reached into his pocket and tossed me a cell. “Finally got you a phone of your own. I programmed in a few numbers in case you can’t get ahold of me.”
“Why would I want to get ahold of you?”
“I dunno. Maybe you’ll miss me.”
“You wish.”
“Yeah, I do wish.”
“What’s gotten into you?” I demanded.
He stared at me for a long moment. “Nothing.”
Colt was lying, I was sure of it. Only I couldn’t figure out why. We were playing a game. I didn’t know what it was, but I knew I wanted to win.
Chapter 8
Thirty minutes after Colt left, I walked out on to the porch and held out the PB&J to Cheese. “Sandwich?”
He looked up from the paper he was reading while sitting out on the screened-in porch. Smiling, he didn’t appear at all perturbed to be my babysitter. “Thanks,” he said, taking the plate from me.
I sat down in the chair next to him. “I didn’t know anyone still read an actual paper.”
He chewed for a moment and then swallowed. “I like it. Makes me feel like I’m still connected to something tangible. That’s weird, right?”
“No. Not at all. So how did you get suckered into watching me?”
“I didn’t get suckered. It was an order, and I’m glad to do it. It’s an honor.”
“Why?”
He frowned. “Why what?”
“Why is it an honor?”
“Because you’re Prez’s woman.”
“I think you’ve been misinformed. Colt and I barely know each other. I’m staying here until Zip can get my truck and I can get out of town.”
“You can’t drive a truck with your wrist the way it is.” He nodded at my arm. “You know that, though.”
“Yeah, I do. About that other thing you said? I’m not Colt’s woman,” I insisted.
He looked at me long and hard. “Prez is not a man who invites women to his home. You could’ve stayed at the clubhouse. Or with Zip.”
“Heard about that, did you?” I asked in amusement.
What the hell had Colt told his brothers? What was I missing?
“Can I ask you a question?” I asked, wanting to change the subject.
“Sure.”
“What made you decide to become a Blue Angel? I mean, what was the appeal?”
He paused for a moment and leaned over to rest his elbow on his thigh. “I didn’t have a lot growing up. Dad has chronic back pain and he’s on disability. He spends it all on booze and pills. Mom does the best she can, but she works at the Winn Dixie—a cashier. There was never enough, but we made do. Shopping at thrift stores, coupons, that sort of stuff.
“Last year, my eleven-year-old brother came home from school with a black eye. He got into a fight because some kid called him trailer trash. We grew up in a trailer, so I know what it’s like to be taunted at school, you know? Kids are mean. They hear their parents say shit. They repeat it even if they don’t know what it means.
“I asked Silas why the fight started. You know what he told me? The kids were making fun of him because his jeans were too short and they could see his socks. He didn’t tell Mom about having outgrown his pants because he knew there wasn’t money to get him new ones. Not at the rate he was growing.” He shook his head. “As a member of the club I can provide for my brother.”
“You could’ve joined a different club,” I said, my heart breaking for the little boy that had been picked on. “Why the Blue Angels?”
“Because of what they do for the community. I knew if I joined the Blue Angels, I wouldn’t be earning a living in a normal way that people understand. Not a respectable nine to five. There are risks that come with being in the club, but what’s life without a little risk? But this is more than that. The reward is more than just financial security. I’ve got a family now, one I wasn’t born into, one that’s been made. And I can take care of Silas.”
I pondered his words. “What about your brother? Are you going to let him grow up in this world?”
“As opposed to…”
I blinked. “A world without bikers?”
“So he can learn what, exactly? Listen, it’s easy to judge what you don’t understand. It’s easy to judge what doesn’t fit into a conventional box. But here’s the thing. Our world isn’t normal. It isn’t widely accepted. And that’s okay. You just have to live your life and follow your gut.”
“How old are you, Cheese?” I asked.
“Twenty six.”
“How’d you get to be so wise?”
He smiled and looked down, appearing bashful. “Life’s too short, Mia, to live it for anyone else. Just remember that.”