“Clover Black apologized out of her own free will? Holy fuck, I bet it rains today.”
“It’s Clover Banks,” she reminds me, like I could forget. “And I’m older now, more mature and less stubborn.”
I arch my brow at her, and she ducks her head sheepishly. “Unless you come for my friends or family. But I was wrong, and I said sorry.”
“That was nice of you,” I say, feeling proud. “You know she’s not the bad guy you have painted her out to be.”
“I’m slowly seeing that,” she agrees, kissing Sapphire’s head when she comes within reach. “Do you guys still talk?”
“Sometimes.”
She studies me for a long second. “Do you think that’s a good idea?”
No, probably not. “Yeah, why not? I’m friends with lots of women.”
“Who you’ve slept with?” she asks, sounding skeptical.
“Yes. Cara, for one,” I point out. “Actually, come to think of it, I think you’re my only female friend I haven’t slept with.”
She scrunches her nose. “Well, at least I have some taste.”
“You keep me humble, Clo.”
She laughs. “Someone has to. Can’t have you walking about thinking you are the shit. Especially as future MC president. You’re going to have women throwing themselves at you without you even having to try.”
“I already don’t have to try—”
“Shut up.”
Fire decides to copy her mom. “Shut up, shut up!”
I shake my head at Clover. “Now look what you have done. Don’t listen to your mom, Fire, she’s a bad influence.”
Clover laughs. “I’m raising a little version of me. Do you know how scary that is?”
“I’m sure your mom felt the same way,” I reply with a smirk. “There’s actually something I wanted to talk to you about.”
“What is it?” she asks, stilling. “What else did you do?”
“This time it’s not what I did, it’s more what I didn’t do,” I say, taking a deep breath before continuing. “I never cheated on Cara. I mean, I kissed Trisha, only because I knew Cara would see and end it with me. She assumed I was sleeping with her, and I let her think that.”
Her eyes widen. “What? Rhett, why would you do that?”
“Well—”
She cuts me off before I can begin to explain. “You’re telling me that you’re not with Cara right now by choice? You didn’t want to be with her?”
“Clover—”
“This is somehow even worse than the cheating!”
I can’t win.
“Let me explain,” I demand. I tell her everything I told Cara, actually surprised Cara hasn’t told her herself.
When I finish, Clover looks exhausted. Imagine how I feel. “Rhett, that was...”
“Heroic? Admirable?” I say jokingly.
“So freaking stupid.”
“I know, I know. But it is what happened and no use trying to change it. It is what it is.” I look at Fire, who has been sitting quietly playing. “Fire, do you want to come with me to put these flowers in some water?”
Fire nods and takes my hand, the two of us heading inside. Clover follows behind us. I find a vase in the kitchen and fill it with water while Fire watches me. “Okay, you hold the flowers and hand me one at a time, okay?”
We eventually get them all in there, and I place it on the table. “There, beautiful.”
“Rhett—”
“I know how much of a mess this is, Clo, trust me. I’m a shit person for doing it, but I’m trying to change.”
Clover goes quiet.
“Shit,” Fire decides to say, copying me.
I wince. “I said sit, not shit.”
“Shit,” she repeats with a grin. Yeah, this kid is trouble. But I wouldn’t expect anything else from a spawn of Clover.
“And how does Con fit into all of this?” Clover asks, studying me.
“I like Con. I don’t know, we just connected. We have a lot in common. She’s strong—”
“Cara is strong,” she defends.
I drop my head. “Clo, you have to stop this. How are me and Cara going to move on if you keep doing this? You have to stop meddling. You have to stop letting your opinions on what our lives should be come out.”
Clover looks like I’ve slapped her.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that to come out so harsh, Clo. But why are you trying to push Cara on me? She’s with Decker.”
Clover sighs. “You’re right. I’m not trying to do that. It’s instinct, I think?”
“Do you talk about how wonderful I am to Cara? That maybe she should leave Decker for me?”
Clover snorts. “No way. Cara is the happiest she’s ever been.” There was a time that statement would’ve hurt, but now I just agree with her. Is this called being an adult?
“So why can’t you let me find that?” I ask without looking at her.
Clover doesn’t say anything for a long time. The only sound is Fire kicking her feet and humming. “I... You... There is no excuse. I am sorry, Rhett. You’re one hundred percent right.”
I turn and give her a hug. “I know what I did was wrong. I know I didn’t make the right choices. But it is what happened and beating me up for it is not helping. I beat myself up over it. But you know, I’ve come to realize that everything happened the way it was supposed to.”
“And Con?”
I give a long sigh. “I haven’t figured that out yet. She really made it a point to say she would not date me even if Cara was fine with it, which she is, by the way. She told me that when I told her the truth.”
“I guess I really don’t give Con credit, do I?”
“You never do,” I say with a laugh.
“And you think Con could be an old lady to a president of a motorcycle club? You think she could lead? Be trusted? Be the heart of the Wind Dragons?” she asks, and for once I don’t hear sarcasm in her voice. She’s genuinely asking me this.
“I don’t know, okay? But my gut tells me yes. She cares about people. She doesn’t judge anyone. And the MC is a family. That’s all she’s ever wanted.”