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“Not as boring as it should be for such a small damn town,” I admitted.
“Is that what’s keeping you here?” he asked.
“Some of it. Some of it’s the club and the roots I’m putting down. Never really had that before.”
“I have a feeling I know the biggest reason you’re putting down those roots.”
He knew. Hell, they all knew that one person was keeping me from packing my shit and moving on. I could find a club anywhere and probably the same sense of community I found here, but none of those places had Becs, and I was done running the minute I laid eyes on her.
“What made you think she’d take you back to the man you used to be?”
“She’s wild and impulsive,” I answered honestly. “Wasn’t sure I could be with someone who made me want to be the same way and not follow through on that.”
“If that’s what you really saw in her, then you hadn’t been paying attention.”
“What do you mean?”
“Becs loves to live her life and makes no apologies for that. Some might call that wild, and maybe she can be, but she’s also a rock. For all of us, but especially Bear. She’s pulled him from the edge more times than I can count, and she does it without one fucking complaint. She’s also put herself last for a lot of years to help her brother beat his demons. If all you see is wild, man, then you ain’t looking close enough ’cuz all I see is loyalty.”
He tapped his bottle and gestured for Dozer to give him another while I took a much-needed drink. I did see all those things in her, but I hadn’t thought past what she could potentially bring out in me.
Dozer set another beer in front of Ritz, and he glanced at me. “Want some advice?”
“Probably not,” I joked, but the truth was I no longer thought I needed it. I’d decided what I wanted, and I thought Becs had too. We just had to get through a few things before we could concentrate on ourselves. One of them was getting Wyatt home and settled tomorrow.
He chuckled. “I’m gonna give you some because I like you and trust you. So does her brother, or you wouldn’t be anywhere near her or his townhouse, but you need to know she’s the princess of this MC, brother. Ain’t a man in here who wouldn’t lay down his life for her. It has some to do with Bear and the respect that brings, but it’s mostly because of who she is.” He grunted. “Hell, it has a lot to do with the fact that she’d stand beside us and fight to defend this club if her brother wouldn’t lose his shit over it.”
I nodded. “I had to stop her from doing just that not too long ago.”
“I heard.” He exhaled loudly. “Not trying to get in the way of anything, brother. I doubt there’s a better man for her. Just want you to be prepared for what that means before you decide how far you want to take this.”
I appreciated the compliment, but that was laced with something that felt very much like a warning. “This a warning?”
He turned to face me, and his expression held no humor. “Just looking out for you. You need this club as much as the club needs you, and we all respect you as a member. A misstep with Becs could change that.” He gestured behind us. “The guys in this place will make prison seem like a paradise if you hurt her.”
“I’d never hurt Becs.”
“I don’t believe you would. Not on purpose, but shit happens, brother.” He dropped his hand on my shoulder and grinned, which told me Ritz was done talking about it. He said what he needed to say, and I had a feeling he wasn’t only protecting Becs with his advice but he was looking out for me as well. “I’m only telling you what Bear would tell you if he wasn’t distracted with a short blonde right now who has him on his fucking knees.”
Chuckling, I nodded. “Appreciate it.”
Turning, he grabbed his beer and smirked at Dozer. “Hey, Dozer. I heard your boss’s niece got one of those Barbie Jeeps. Maybe she’ll give you driving lessons if you ask real nice.”
When laughter filled the room, I chuckled and listened to Dozer and Ritz trade insults, but my thoughts were on Ritz’s words. Becs and I were at a crossroads. I couldn’t go back to the way we’d been, not after everything we’d been through recently, but I knew Ritz’s concerns were warranted.
The only thing I was sure of was that I didn’t want to move forward without her.
And maybe that was all I needed to know.
Chapter 18
Becs
“He’s okay.”
I glanced at Race and nodded before looking out the windshield again. We’d met with the doctor and Wyatt’s team of nurses before we left the hospital. He’d finally gained enough weight to go home, but he still didn’t even weigh seven pounds. They told me a lot of babies are born only being five or six pounds and they were full term so that made me feel better. He no longer needed oxygen, which also was a sign of how strong he had gotten.
“I should’ve ridden back there with him.”
