Not. Her. Problem.
She no longer lived with her mom. She had her own life with a job, a boyfriend, and hope for the future.
"Doll?" said Romeo.
It was impossible not to hear what her mom was saying. She couldn't look at him. In his view, it would look like she was the uncaring one who refused to help. But he hadn't lived her life.
He blocked her from seeing her mom. "Dice is a Killere member. If he's in trouble, I need to go look for him."
"He takes off all the time," she whispered. "She worries and then takes off, too. He's fine. You'll see."
"You don't know that." He unlatched the strap under her chin and removed the helmet from her head. "I'll call the house and have one of my brothers pick you up while I ride out. You'll be more comfortable at home."
She glanced at her mom, deep in conversation with Onyx. Just her luck that the trucker who picked her up hitchhiking kicked her out of his rig here. Her parents were once again ruining everything.
"Doll?"
She nodded and turned toward Romeo. "I'll go home."
His gaze warmed at her use of the term home. It'd always been Romeo's house or the Muel House or the place where she rented a room. But she wished with her whole heart that she could go home to Romeo's family where she belonged.
Romeo walked off, holding his cell to his ear. Willow approached her. She inhaled deeply, not wanting to cause a scene. Her mom was grabbing all the attention as it was.
She'd grown to love the people associated with Killere Motorcycle Club. Most of the men came into the diner every day for a meal and would talk to her. The last thing she needed was family drama happening in front of everyone.
Willow stepped in front of her. "Want a hug?"
Her eyes burned, and she leaned into Willow's embrace, glad to have a friend care about her without asking any questions.
Chapter Thirty Four
Brody stood beside the door with Timber's mom. Timber shook her head in disbelief. It was bad enough Romeo rode out two days ago to find her dad and hadn't come back. But for her mom to come to the house and ask to talk with her pushed her patience.
Her mom was the reason Romeo was gone.
"I'll call Uber and have them take you back to wherever you're staying." She looked at the screen of her phone.
"Wait." Her mom approached her. "Please. It's time to talk."
"Timber?" asked Brody.
Romeo's brother raised his brows in question. She had no doubt Brody would physically pick up her mom and carry her outside if she showed any sign of being upset.
Inhaling deeply, she motioned toward the couch. "I have to go to work in a half-hour. I'll listen if you make it short."
"Thank you." Her mom sat on the edge of the couch, eyeing Brody.
Romeo's brother stayed in the living room and crossed his arms—it was such a Romeo move; Timber almost laughed.
She whispered, "Can you give me a few minutes alone with her."
Since arriving in Spokane, she'd had enough moments in front of the Muel family to try and keep any more drama away from them. It was hard for her to understand how lonely of a childhood she had could now be turned into a highly dysfunctional family. All she wanted was to make it on her own and separate herself from her parents.
"You're sure?" Brody never budged.
She put her hand on his arm. "I'll yell if I need you."
"I'll be close."
Timber watched Brody walk into the kitchen. He wasn't the only one home. Axel and Cable were in the garage working on something. Over the last hour, she'd heard hammering and clanking come from that area of the house.
She sat down on the other end of the couch. "What did you need to tell me?"
"We've always kept you out of our business." Her mom tucked her hair behind her ear with a shaky hand.
Timber chewed on the inside of her cheek. Not once in the past would she ever call her mom frail. She was a free spirit, wandering off whenever the mood struck her. But her mom was visibly trembling and had lost weight.
"We did it to protect you from my family." Her mom clasped her hands together on her lap and looked down. "I never wanted them to know about you."
"Dad already told me." She crossed her legs to keep from getting up and walking away from the conversation. "My grandfather is a bad man. I get it."
"You don't get it." Her mom raised her head.
"Then, tell me."
"If Daddy ever finds out I have a child, he'll search the end of the earth to find you. Blood is blood. He'll want you back with the family." Her mom inhaled quickly. "Dice rode off to keep an eye on my father, and he was due back a few days ago."
Timber's skin prickled. There was always something going on around her mother. For as long as she could remember, her parents whispered and fought. While she might not have understood everything, she picked up the vibe that the relationship between her mom and dad was up and down. One minute her mom was excited for her dad to return, and the next, she was yelling at him to leave. It seemed as if they weren't happy unless they were fighting.
Her mom opened her purse, extracted an envelope, and thrust it toward her. "I'm going back to Seattle and home to my father, but I want you to have this."
"What is it?" She fingered the thickness.
"I've set up an account and put money in it for you. This is the information on how to get the money. I'd planned on giving it to you when you were twenty-five. I thought that was a good age to be responsible..." Her mom's gaze softened. "I know, I didn't do right by you. I was too young to be a good mom, and I was so crazy about Dice." Her mom shook her head and then gazed at her. "But I did love you. Just not in the way you needed."
Heaviness hit the pit of Timber's stomach. Her mom had never spoken to her like that or confessed to loving her.
She stared into eyes as familiar to her as her own but were a stranger's eyes that spoke the truth. Her mom was leaving her again.
"You're not coming back," she whispered.
Her mom always left without making an announcement. She never explained her reasons for staying away. So what had changed?
Why had her mom come to say goodbye? Her dad wasn't here. Her mom came to see her.
Only then, seeing her as a woman caught up in a relationship with a biker, who she couldn't let go of, Timber understood what drove her mom to search for what she wanted in life.
"I'm making things right." Her mom held up her finger, shaking her head. "Dice knows."
"You're running away again." Timber's throat closed.
No, it was different today. Her mom wasn't putting herself first and going after what she wanted. She was sacrificing herself. Why?
She stared at her mom. "This isn't about Dad. It's about you..."
Her mom grabbed her, wrapping her in an embrace.
Shocked, Timber stood limply in front of her mom. As quickly as she was held, Timber rocked back when her mom let go and hurried to the door.
The door opened and shut. Her mom was gone.
She sank to the couch, slumping forward. There was something different. Something wrong.