Getting to her feet, she folded the paperwork the doctor had given her, stating she was pregnant. She made a single note on the back, telling Smokey she was. She found an envelope, and then she went to her car.
She hadn’t driven it in so long. Once she was behind the wheel, she ran her hands across it and smiled. No more cabs. She turned over the ignition and pulled out of the driveway.
Driving into town, she went to the post office first. She knew the address of the clubhouse and was sure it would get there very soon. Smokey would have the letter on his desk the next day. She wondered when he’d actually read it.
Ignoring the guilt that flooded her body at the lack of personal touch, she stepped out of the post office and went to her bakery.
She hadn’t been inside the building in so long. The realtor had a set of keys to the place so she wouldn’t have to be present when people were looking around. There hadn’t been any interest though.
As she stepped through the building, she looked around. She hadn’t wanted to come because this place held a lot of memories for her. This was her achievement. Now, without furniture, it was so dead and vacant.
Tucking her hair behind her ear, she made her way into the back office. The catalogs were still there, so she picked up the phone. Within two hours, she had all the equipment on order, due to arrive within three days. She made sure stock was also ordered.
With a baby on the way, she was going to have to hire some help.
She sat back.
Only one person. She’d hire one person and see if she could train them. Whoever she got to work with, they would have to get along. She refused to have a working environment when she couldn’t stand the person.
With that settled, she made the phone call to the realtor to bring back her keys. She wasn’t going to be selling.
Smokey hadn’t gotten the letter yet, but when he did, he’d come to her.
Ava ended the day feeling focused. She left the shop and came to a stop when she saw Smokey across the street.
He climbed off his bike, and she noticed people had stopped to watch. She hated feeling like a spectacle.
“Why are you here?” she asked. I’m pregnant with your baby, and a few months ago I’d have given anything to be this way. Now, I feel so lost and so broken. Why did you have to do that to me?
She didn’t speak any word of what was going on inside her head. She wanted to. There was a lot she wanted to yell at him.
Like the good woman she was, she kept it all locked up inside. Nothing good would come from screaming at him.
“I come here every single night before I go to your house.”
“Why?”
“I want to see if you’ve opened it. Are you opening it?”
She should tell him in person that she was pregnant. He was right here, but Ava didn’t want to witness his reaction.
Smokey had surprised her more than once, and him finding out they were going to be parents, well, she didn’t want to see that revelation.
“Yes,” she said. “I’ve organized everything.”
“Good. That’s good.”
“It’s just to see how everything is. You know. I may not have any customers.” She shrugged.
“Your food is the best, Ava. They’d all be fools for not coming. I can guarantee they do.”
“No.” She shook her head. “I don’t want you forcing people to come to my shop. If my food is as good as you say, then they’ll come, regardless.”
“How have you been?” he asked.
Tell him.
“Fine. You?” She wanted to tell him, but she was afraid.
The news was good for her. She wanted to have a baby. If Smokey didn’t and he asked her to get rid of it, he’d break her heart even more. After everything, she was holding on by a thread. Once he read the news in his clubhouse, in his own time, she’d have to deal with the fallout.
They had never discussed the future or children, or anything.
She tucked some hair behind her ear. This was one of the many reasons she hated short hair.
Smokey’s nostrils flared as she did this.
“I better go. Don’t come to my house tonight,” she said. “I know you’re always there. Stay home. Go back to the clubhouse.”
“I miss you.”
She smiled. “You know what, I miss you too, but I miss what I didn’t really know.”
Smokey took a step toward her, and she backed away.
“I won’t hurt you. I promise.”
“You won’t intentionally hurt me, Smokey, but there are a lot of ways to deliver pain. They don’t have to be an actual physical blow.” She couldn’t look at him.
“I will make this right.”
She chanced a glance at him and saw the way he looked at her. “Some things can’t be made right. I’m sorry, Smokey.” She took another step back. “I need to head back home.” She was getting hungry, and well, the longer she stood with him, the more the guilt of not telling him ate away at her.
There was so much she wanted to say to him.
“You’ll always be mine,” he said.
This made her pause and look back at him. There was no reason to say anything else.
She walked to her car, climbed inside, and resisted the temptation to look back at him. Would he be watching her? She drove all the way home, hearing the sound of his bike as he followed her.
Smokey hadn’t listened to her.
She arrived at home a few seconds before Smokey’s bike pulled opposite her house.
Continuing to ignore him, she went inside and locked the door. Resting her back against it for a few seconds, she put a hand to her chest. “I can do this.”
She removed her jacket and went straight to the kitchen. Ava didn’t allow herself to think. She took ingredients out of the fridge and started to prepare herself a meal.
A nice stir fry.
She’d purchased some tofu the other day at the grocery store. She’d had this craving for it. Now as she prepared it, her mouth watered as she fried it in a small amount of oil until it was crispy on each side. It smelled delicious and she wanted to eat it instantly, but it would burn her mouth. She had to show restraint.
How would Smokey react when he finally read the letter? Would he be happy?
She’d know soon enough.
****
Smokey drank down the strong espresso, closing his eyes as he wished for the caffeine to work.
“You’ve got to stop doing this,” Hunter said.
“I’m doing what needs to be done.”
“You’re going to get yourself killed for a woman who doesn’t want you.”
He dropped the glass and smashed his fist against Hunter’s face. The brother didn’t take the hit, throwing a punch to his stomach. He grunted, but the pain was better than feeling nothing at all. Smokey threw another hit, tossing Hunter sideways until he collapsed on a table. The impact smashed the table.
Feminine screams filled the air. He cracked his knuckles. Hunter came at him.
“Enough!” Brick said.
Smokey grabbed Brick and shoved him out of the way. Anger flooded his gaze, and he wanted to kill everyone in sight.
Ava loved him. She just didn’t want him. The pain of that knowledge, the anger and hatred at himself, manifested. The club came at him. Each man taking him on. They landed a few blows, but he went for a full-scale attack.