Page 78 of Carson

“Mom, Jesse,” my son greets us, giving Jesse and me each a kiss on the cheek.

“You made it back,” Jesse says, turning her focus to the beautiful girl hanging on my son’s arm.

“We did.” He looks at Luna. “Luna, this is the matriarch of our club, Jesse. Jesse, this is Luna.”

Jesse holds out her hand, and the two women shake. Their skin is such a contrast it takes me right back to the day I shook Jesse’s hand.

I pat the chair beside me. “Sit. I want to hear all about your trip,” I tell them.

Luna doesn’t hesitate, lowering herself beside me as she pulls her phone from her back pocket. “I have so many photos to show you.”

She looks me in the eye as she speaks to me, and I hang on every word. It’s clear as day she loves my son. She speaks about him with such fondness it nearly brings me to tears. All I ever wanted was for my children to find love like I did.

I glance at Dan. He’s been watching me from where he sits with Dirk and Raffe … the old dudes, as the younger generation now calls them.

Jesse nudges me when Cole walks out from the warehouse.

I’m hopeful he will join us at our table, but he walks over to a group of guys, standing beside a keg of beer. He fills a cup, pretending his brother doesn’t exist.

Oh, how it hurts my mommy heart.

Carver joins us, raising one of his shoulders in a shrug. At least he got him out here. That’s a start.

“Brother, you made it back from the land of the leprechauns,” he jokes.

Carson stands up and shakes his hand, giving him a pat on the back. “Carver. Fuck, I’ve missed you, man.”

Carver looks Luna over. “Hey, little moon.”

Her chin dips to her chest at the nickname he’s given her. He drops into the chair beside her. “No flat tires on the way home, I hope?” he asks.

She lifts her face, her eyes narrowing on him. Jesse leans forward, interested in their interaction.

“No. It helps when you don’t run into crazy lunatics with knives,” she snaps.

Carson looks between the two of them, his brows pulling together.

“What are you guys talking about?” he asks.

They stare at each other, their faces going pale. Carver mouths an oh shit.

My son and I begin to put the pieces together at the same time.

When she ran, she had a flat tire … Carver gave her that flat tire. He knew she was running. The question is who else knew.

Carson looks over his shoulder at Cole before turning back to them.

“Did you slash her fucking tire?” Carson asks Carver.

He doesn’t wait for him to answer, turning his attention to Luna. “Did Cole come after you?”

Luna’s mouth opens and closes, because she cannot lie to him.

Carver speaks up. “Hey, man, she came back on her own. That’s all that matters.”

Luna taps him on the leg, because he’s not helping the situation.

“He did, but he was trying to talk me out of leaving.”