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I can’t help but tease my daughter a little bit and ask, “If they’re all perfect, how will you choose?”
“I’ll know it when I see it,” she retorts, full of confidence and sass.
Tanner barks out a laugh and speaks softly so only I can hear, “I guess she told you how it is, huh?”
I smile up at Tanner, loving the way he reaches for my hand, “She usually does.”
He kisses my forehead before he’s yanked away with the force my kiddo should not possess. Her eyes are darting back and forth between two trees, indecision clearly written across her face.
That’s when I hear Tom’s voice behind us, “Did you find the perfect tree?”
Tanner and I turn around, but Shiloh doesn’t even glance in his direction since she’s so focused on seeing which tree is right for us. Tom’s eyes narrow and then glint with cruelty.
“Oh, Journey,” he sneers and glances at Tanner, “up to your old ways, I see.” He gives his full attention to Tanner and my stomach tightens. “If you have money, watch out. She’ll try and trap you. Didn’t work with my buddy, but it was close.”
I shake my head, wanting to defend myself, but the words simply don’t come. I can’t even look over at Tanner. Red hot embarrassment flows through my veins and I wish I could run and hide.
“This is the one,” Shiloh declares, and I turn away from Tom to focus on my daughter.
Before I know what’s happening, I hear Tanner’s feet against the ground. I glance over to find him looming over Tom in a way that makes my former classmate look like a scolded child. Tanner shoves, none too gently, some cash against Tom’s chest and turns toward me.
I don’t know what I was expecting to see in his eyes, but affection sure as hell isn’t it.
Tanner grabs my hand as he heads over to Shiloh who is pointing at the tree that she wants to take home. “Grab your mommy’s hand,” he insists, and I can hear just how pissed he is in his voice. “I’ll grab the tree.”
And he does. With one hand. Without letting go of mine with the other.
Everything about him screams rage, even though he’s trying hard not to show his emotions to Shiloh. Somehow, I know he’s not pissed at me. He’s mad on my behalf.
And just like that, I’ve fallen for my biker.
I hope he doesn’t break my heart. Or my daughter’s.
CHAPTER 4
PEACEMAKER
I check the food one more time, just in case. I want everything to be perfect. Having my girls over for dinner feels like a big deal. I want them both to like my home. I could see them both here, soon, and I want them to want it just as much as I do.
Journey is it for me. I’ve never felt the way I do when I’m around her. I want to protect her. I want to make her smile. I want to fuck her until she’s pregnant with my baby.
Yeah, the last one took me by surprise the first time I thought it.
I never really thought about having kids before I met Journey. The fact that she already has Shiloh would have a lot of guys running in the opposite direction. Not me. That little girl has bewitched me just as much as Journey has.
I want to stand in front of them both to make sure nothing bad can touch them.
They’ve only been in my life for a short time, but I know there is nowhere else they belong. They’re my home and I want to give them a place where they can thrive.
It’s been a few days since I took them to get a tree at the lot. It was a lot of fun and I loved how serious Shiloh was about finding the perfect one.
Then that weasel came out of nowhere and opened his fucking mouth. He made my Journey sad and that shit is not acceptable. I hated the resigned look on Journey’s face, like his treatment of her was something she expected. It made me really think about how young she was when she was pregnant.
I’m hoping she’ll open up to me because I want to know the source of all her pain. Then I want to carry the burden with her.
I’m an okay cook, but I was nervous as hell about fucking up dinner. Which is why a roast is the perfect choice. I’ve never messed up when it comes to cooking meat.
The doorbell ringing has my palms sweating. I might be nervous, but I’m still desperate to see my girls. I stomp to the door with eager feet and practically rip the door off its hinges when I get to it. Journey’s eyes are shimmering with amusement as she looks at me while Shiloh is dancing from one foot to the other.
