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Race rounded the counter and stood in front of me. “Do you need anything?”
Dropping my hand from the counter, I shook my head. “Nope, I’m good.”
He nodded, but he seemed unsure, so I gestured toward the front door. “Let’s go.”
He grabbed his phone from the counter. “I’ll just give Bear a call.”
“Why?”
“To see if he still wants me to take you.”
Reaching out, I grabbed his phone and tossed it on the counter. “I decide where I’m going or not going, Race, not my brother.”
He studied me closely. “We both just want what’s best for you.”
Annoyed, I pushed past him and headed for the door. “Then call Bear and you two can chat about it. In the meantime, I’m going to the party.”
“Why the hell do you have to be so stubborn?”
“Just livin’ my life, Race.” I yanked open the front door and looked over my shoulder. “But if it helps, I’ll tell Bear you tried, and I didn’t listen.”
He shoved his phone in his pocket and grabbed his keys from the counter before making his way toward me. “How were you gonna get there, Becs?”
I hadn’t really thought about that. I’d forgotten that Bear had my Jeep in the garage and was working on it, again, so I really was without transportation.
“Walk,” I blurted out.
“You were going to walk almost three miles in the dark, and you’re eight months pregnant?”
It was like a repeat of so many conversations we’d had over the past two months. I wasn’t reckless enough to walk that road at night, and I especially didn’t want to put my baby in harm’s way. If something happened to me on that road, it could be hours until someone found me. I was well aware of that, but I hated that I had to rely on someone, especially the someone standing in front of me.
I was so angry lately. I hated whatever this was between us almost as much as I hated that I felt like I was showing all my cards. I wasn’t hiding my feelings for him. He knew exactly how I felt and that made me angrier than I had been before.
“I’m capable of finding a way there without you.”
He pulled open the front door and gestured outside. “Yeah, I know.”
I couldn’t tell if he was being serious or sarcastic, and I was too tired and cranky to care, so I headed out to his truck without responding. It wouldn’t matter anyway. We would just continue to argue or ignore each other.
We were in his truck and heading toward the clubhouse with nothing but silence between us when something slammed into my side. I flinched and laid my hand along the side of my belly again, breathing deeply. I felt the heat of Race’s stare, but I didn’t look his way. Instead, I turned my head to stare out the passenger window and slowly rubbed my side. I had no idea why the baby was beating me up tonight, but I’d read babies could be very active during the last few months, so I just needed to get used to it.
Race pulled the truck into the parking lot, and from the number of cars, trucks, and motorcycles, I knew the party was in full swing. We were celebrating that one of the prospects, Skinner, had been patched in as a full member, which meant there was a very good chance this party would be wild. Those used to be my favorite kind of parties, but lately, I hadn’t been feeling it as much. I wasn’t sure if it was the pregnancy or the fact that I was getting older, and it just wasn’t as fun as it used to be. I wasn’t old, but I was starting to think a little differently than I did when I was young and living the party lifestyle. I’d also been wondering lately if the baby was a reminder to slow down. I’d been becoming more reckless, and I was pushing boundaries I didn’t normally push. Laying my hand over my belly, I smiled softly. Maybe this little one had saved me from doing things I would surely regret.
I’d just pushed the door open when another pain shot through my side, and my belly rippled.
“Jesus.” I heard from beside me and turned my head to see Race staring at my belly.
Glancing down at my belly, I wondered what he was seeing that had his attention. “What?”
He shook his head. “I saw your stomach moving.” His eyes flicked up to meet mine. “Does that hurt?”
“Not usually,” I replied, and that was true, but I didn’t tell him it was tonight.
As if his voice summoned the baby, my belly moved again, and this time, Race lifted his hand to lay against it. I was shocked by how intimate that felt. Bear had felt my belly, as had a bunch of the guys at the clubhouse along with the girls, but it didn’t feel the same as when Race pressed his palm to the spot where he’d seen the movement.
He grinned when he felt movement against his hand, and I couldn’t stop the smile that lifted my lips. It was rare to see Race wearing any expression besides irritation when he was around me, so I watched him and tried to memorize what his face looked like when he was happy.
“That’s so fucking cool.”
