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“My friend said that Smoke was probably the one person who could fit into my world. I wasn’t looking for that, but maybe the universe had other ideas. I know that someone can look rough and gruff, but even the toughest guy has feelings, even if they don’t know how to find them. I’m talking about the guys from the club, not Smoke. He seems very in tune with his thoughts and feelings, and he’s bold enough to express them. I appreciate that. He seems like the kind of guy who is strong enough to know that tears are sometimes a strength and that hope is never a weakness. Honestly, that’s why I decided to tell him about the baby. I had a really short time with him, but he seemed to have his head straight and his heart in the right place, and to me, that’s the most important thing, especially in a father.”
Mary’s lips twitch, and she grabs her coffee cup to hide it, but then she seems to make a decision and lowers it. Her shocking green eyes are softer than I’ve seen them yet this morning. Certainly, her face is also much softer than when she was blowing the shit out of that target earlier. One day, I’m going to ask her who taught her to shoot like that. I haven’t met many people who could outdo my dad, but she probably could, and that’s just freaking awesome.
“Are you sure it wasn’t just the hot sex you had?”
Oh. My. Good. Sweet. Pineapples. And. Peaches. And. All. The. Fruits. What? Did she really just say that? Out loud? Yes. I swear I’m not getting auditory hallucinations over here. “Ummm, I…suppose good chemistry is important in all aspects of…uh…I guess it doesn’t hurt.”
“So your plan is to just be friends with my grandson. Not to fall in love with him or dive into a relationship that neither of you has properly considered just because the pregnancy took you both by surprise?”
“But if…you’re…what you’re saying right now is that you believe it’s real and that I didn’t dupe him into anything, or trick him, or that I want something?”
Mary shrugs easily. She clearly has zero shame about what she said earlier. “I do apologize for that. Really. I hope you won’t hold that against me as being the first thing I said to you. I should have used more tact, but I wanted to take you off guard so you’d tell me the truth one way or the other, even if it wasn’t with your words. I just wanted to make sure he’s in good hands.”
“Or you wanted to vent about this because it upset the delicate balance of your plans for him, but guess what? This wasn’t in my plans either. Just as I told Smoke, I have a lot of things that I want to do. Not that this is going to stop me. I’m just going to change and alter those plans a little, and above all, I’m going to love the crap out of this baby. I will fight for her, I will teach her everything I know, I will love her like crazy, and I will never, ever leave her. She will always have me, her grandpa, and all the club brothers to champion her.”
“Her?”
My hand flies to my very flat stomach. There are moments—no, whole chunks of the day—when I can’t believe this is real. “Yeah, I’m sure it’s a her.”
Mary’s eyes dance despite her face still remaining totally without emotion. “Well then, I’m sure she’ll be just the kind of woman this world needs.” She sighs. “Yes, okay, you’re a wrench in plans you know nothing about. You’re a stone thrown into the cogs of more than just my grandson’s life, but if you’re sincere, and I can see that you are, we’ll make room for you.”
“Oh. Thanks.” What? It’s not my fault that my words came out dryer than the bottom of a foot in the dead of the winters we don’t have here.
“You might be sarcastic now, but wait until you get to know him a little. My grandson, I mean. Wait until you get to know the whole family. One day, you’ll understand. Until then…” Mary’s hand rockets out from under the table faster than a snake about to grab its prey and strangle the life out of it. For all that, her palm is quite benign, and I only have to stare at it for a few seconds before I determine that it’s just a handshake, weird as that might be. “Until then, welcome to the family,” she finishes as I clasp her hand. She pulls me in just a little, her strength surprising me even after everything I’ve seen her do. “Hurt my grandson in any way, and you’ll wish you hadn’t. I have skills you know nothing about.” She’s grinning, but damn, if that’s not ominous as all fuck. I just saw her use two Glocks in tandem and hit the mark every time. What other frightening skills could she possibly have?
