Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 68583 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 343(@200wpm)___ 274(@250wpm)___ 229(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68583 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 343(@200wpm)___ 274(@250wpm)___ 229(@300wpm)
I squeezed her hand lightly before saying, “Let’s sit.”
Everyone sat off to the edge of the building, but I stayed standing, knowing I’d have to just get up in a minute to get Baker’s ice cream.
I took another bite of my own ice cream, grimacing slightly at the sickly sweet taste.
For fifteen years, I hadn’t been able to have the sweets that I’d so desperately wanted.
I’d wanted all the sweets when I got out, but this was one of those sweets that I just couldn’t get behind.
“You don’t like James Brownies?” Shad asked, looking amused.
“Not my favorite,” I admitted.
“Copper?”
I walked to the window to get Baker’s ice cream, and didn’t miss the look of fear that crossed the kid’s face when I took it.
Though, it had nothing to do with him knowing I’d been in prison, and everything to do with the Truth Tellers MC cut I was wearing.
That didn’t bother me.
I liked that people had a healthy fear of the club.
They should.
Even people that were around this kid’s age.
The kind that were stupid and did things to show off when they shouldn’t.
“Thanks,” I muttered.
A woman holding her child side-stepped so fast that she nearly toppled over.
I managed to keep my eye rolling to a minimum.
“…With him? Are you sure that’s wise?” I heard Frieda say as I got closer.
Baker stiffened at her mother’s words. “What do you mean by that?”
I stopped behind the large board that displayed the menu and waited, unsure of whether I should round the corner or not.
“I just…he’s fresh out of prison. He’s in a motorcycle club, and he has no intention to toe the straight and narrow,” Frieda said. “I know you think he’s a good guy, and maybe he is, but don’t you think you have enough to worry about right now? That’s not the greatest of role models for Holt.” She cleared her throat. “And, just sayin’, I saw that he just dissolved his company with no notice. All those people were displaced from their jobs. Hundreds of them. Just boom. No job. In this economy? That’s heartless.”
I came around the board and stood at Baker’s side.
There was no way that I’d allow her to talk Baker into leaving.
Baker had made her choice, and that was me.
I would not…
“I can see this was a mistake,” Baker said as she stood up from the red metal bench. “Dad, you’re more than welcome any time. But don’t bring her.”
“Baker!” Frieda cried. “Wait!”
“But, baby…” Shad said. “She didn’t mean anything by it. She’s just worried.”
Shad shot me an apologetic wince.
I jerked my chin up at him in understanding.
Shad had been in love with Frieda for his entire life. Though, they’d had quite a few rough spots over the years, which was understandable.
Maybe it was understandable to most people, but to me? I couldn’t get over it.
I’d never liked Frieda.
I’d liked her for Shad, because Shad loved her.
However, every time I’d met her I’d felt like she was too judgmental.
She’d always referenced Shad’s time in prison, and her time waiting for him, as the “best time of her life.” How she’d “been married but hadn’t had to put in all the work. The best of both worlds.”
Shad had always laughed it off, but I hadn’t ever been able to.
I’d thought she was heartless.
“But what about seeing Holt?” Frieda asked.
“You could’ve seen Holt any time the first three months of his life, yet you chose not to,” Baker pointed out. “I’m going to need more time. And when I do finally allow you back into my life, this man will be my husband, and you’re going to have to suck all that piss and vinegar back into yourself and keep your fucking mouth shut.”
The way my heart soared…
“Love you, Dad,” Baker said as she pressed a kiss to her dad’s throat. “Come on, Copper. Let’s go to the clubhouse and enjoy the night.”
I handed her the ice cream, and she snatched it up out of my hand.
“Yum,” she said as she all but inhaled it.
The first time that I’d witnessed her do that, I’d been impressed.
But when she told me that she hated melted ice cream, I’d understood.
“Worth the brain freeze,” she said as she wolfed it down in two minutes flat.
Frieda watched Baker and I go with a sour expression on her face.
When I got to the bike and started strapping her helmet on, I said, “Married, huh?”
She flashed me a grin. “Yep. Just waiting on you to ask me.”
“And if I did it right now?” I asked.
“I’d say no, unless you had a ring to follow up your question with,” she chirped.
My eyes sparkled as I said, “What makes you think I don’t have one?”
She tilted her head. “Do you have one, Copper?”
I reached into my pocket and produced a ring I’d been carrying around for months.