Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 110721 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 554(@200wpm)___ 443(@250wpm)___ 369(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 110721 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 554(@200wpm)___ 443(@250wpm)___ 369(@300wpm)
Taryn’s cheeks expanded like a chipmunk before her breath exploded from her. “Those are the types of comments you need to refrain from when my mother is here. Please.”
His chin jerked back. “What was wrong with it?”
“If you don’t know, then…” Taryn shook her head.
“Got it. Be on my best behavior when Momma Bird’s momma is here.”
Taryn groaned and a look of defeat filled her face.
Shit. He needed to do better. He needed someone to help with Sunny and doing stupid shit could scare Taryn away.
Problem was, he was being himself. He wasn’t going to change his ways simply to appease her.
Fuck. Maybe he’d try for Sunny’s sake.
He wasn’t making any promises, though.
Chapter Eight
When her mother’s text stated she’d arrive in the next few minutes, Taryn checked dinner one more time before heading outside to meet her.
She wanted to make sure her mother’s initial shock of seeing her temporary home—and who she’d be sharing it with—didn’t cause her to lock her car doors and speed away with Taryn’s son in tow. All in the name of Wren’s best interest.
On the outside, the situation might not seem ideal.
On the inside…shit. She had no idea how the situation would play out. Not yet, anyway. She’d only finished moving in this afternoon and hadn’t even spent one night under Stone’s roof yet.
Time would tell.
In the meantime, she had to make sure everything appeared hunky dory to her mother.
For Wren’s sake.
Hers, too.
“Hi, Mommy!” Wren’s Spiderman lunchbox bounced against his hip as he ran to her. She squatted down, opened her arms, and grunted when he hit her full speed.
She pressed a kiss to his forehead and ruffled his hair. “How was school, little man?”
“Good,” he answered in a sing-song voice. “Paulie tried to kiss Debbie when we were at recess.”
“Oh no.”
“Yeah, she didn’t like it so she pushed him down and he cried.”
Good. “Oh no,” she repeated. “Did he apologize?”
Wren shook his head. “No. Mrs. Tuttle told Debbie to apologize to Paulie.”
What?
“Debbie’s mommy came and was maaaaad. She was all red in the face and shaking her finger at Mrs. Tuttle.”
Good.
Taryn got to her feet but tipped his face up toward her. “Did you learn anything from that?”
Wren squinted up at her. “Not to kiss girls.”
That would work.
“You must always, always, always ask permission to touch anyone first, and if someone doesn’t want to be kissed, then you don’t kiss them.”
He swung his lunchbox around. “Okay.” His eyes landed on the house behind her. “This where we’re gonna live, Mommy?”
“Yes, for now. And, look! It’s got a pool!”
He bounced on his toes. “Yay!”
She turned toward her mother. “Thanks for picking him up from school.”
Her mother’s worried green eyes shifted from inspecting the back of the house to her. “Of course. We had fun at the playground.”
“Gramma said not to throw rocks at the squirrels.”
“I agree with Grandma. How about you don’t throw rocks at all?”
Wren pouted.
Suddenly, her mother’s spine snapped straight when her attention was drawn to something beyond Taryn. Shit. Shit. Shit. Taryn guessed her mother wasn’t looking at something, but more like someone.
“He’s behind me, isn’t he?” Taryn whispered.
“By he, do you mean a tall man full of tattoos with a scruffy beard and even messier long hair?”
“That would be him.”
“Why, Taryn?”
“It’s not like that. This is only a temporary pit stop in the rat race of my life.”
Her mother pursed her lips as she inspected him head to toe.
“Remember me, kid?” Stone asked Wren when he stepped up beside her.
With her son’s little hand shading his eyes from the sun, he peered up at the much taller man. “Noooo.”
That could be a good thing. He was still dealing with some PTSD from that day over a year ago, despite the therapy. Unfortunately, seeing his father, the only male figure in his life, beat the crap out of his mother would stick with him for a long time.
She’d also be working for a long time on fixing her mistake of meeting Vic to exchange Wren without anyone else accompanying her.
All due to that goddamn court order.
If she had canceled, Vic would’ve made her life a living hell. He looked for any excuse to take her back to court for custody. That meant she had no choice but to take the risk.
One that obviously hadn’t paid off.
She didn’t want Stone reminding Wren of that day all over again. She bugged her eyes out at the biker in an unspoken warning. “Of course he doesn’t. You only met for a minute that busy day.”
His dark eyes flicked to her before dropping to Wren. When he lifted his gaze back to her, he gave her a single nod in understanding.
Thankfully, the man could pick up on clues. She gave him a pointed smile. “Stone, can you take Wren inside, please? I’ll be in in a minute.”