Funny,I thought you came out here to go off on me about my comment about you reading to Willow, not to play matchmaker.”
He chuckled. “It was worth it to see you squirm.”
“I did not,” I huffed.
“You turned the shade of a tomato and then tucked your tail and ran.”
With a roll of my eyes, I replied, “Fine. I was mortified by what I said to you, not to mention the whole mother comment in front of Willow.”
“It’s okay.”
Glancing past him to the house, I shook my head. “I hope I didn’t upset her.”
“Impossible.” When I started to argue, Deacon’s hand came to cup my cheek. “She worships the ground you walk on.”
“The feeling is mutual.”
“I really am sorry for what I said. It was wrong to stereotype you as a person and father.”
Deacon chuckled. “I don’t give a shit about that.”
“You don’t?”
He shook his head. “I understand why you said what you did.” After taking another drag on his cigarette, Deacon said, “Reading is how I started connecting to Willow when she first arrived and wasn’t talked. I could make funny voices for the characters and act like an idiot, and she’d reward me with the brightest smile and giggles.”
“That’s so sweet.”
He shrugged. “It was the same way with me and my late mom.”
It was the first time he had given me any insight into his childhood. I couldn’t help wondering what Deacon was like as a little boy. I was certainly curious about his life before he came to live with the Malloys.
“That’s wonderful you can pass that on to Willow.”
“Now what about Rev?”
With a groan, I replied, “Did you really have to go bring him up again in the middle of a sweet memory?” My comment earned me a scowl from Deacon. “What about dating him?”
“He seems very sweet, and he’s very good-looking. But…”
After exhaling a trail of smoke, his eyes found mine in the dark. “He’s not like Bishop and me if that’s what you’re worrying about.”
“How’s that?”
“He likes good women.”
“And after spending a couple of hours with me, you automatically know I’m good?” I countered.
“You’re sure as hell not a sweetbutt.”
“A what?”
He grinned. “Sorry, I keep forgetting you’re not of our world, White Bred.”
“Don’t call me that.”
After flicking off the growing ashes of his cigarette, Deacon said, “A sweetbutt is a chick who gets off by hanging around a MC club and banging any guy who wants to be with her.”
Wrinkling my nose, I replied, “You’re serious?”
