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“It’s for Pop’s grandkids,” Ritz reminded him.
Bull narrowed his eyes at Ritz but was interrupted by Bear. “Anything else?” When everyone shook their heads, he turned his attention back to Gunner. “Make the plan. Let me know the time.”
“Done,” Gunner answered.
Bear adjourned the meeting but called out to me when I stood. “Need you to stay back.”
I watched the others filter out, then faced Bear when he began speaking. “Not gonna be home much. Need to make sure we’ve cleaned house here.”
He was beating himself up for Skinner slipping past him. Knowing Bear the way I did, I knew he was going to do whatever it took to make sure it never happened again. If that meant working nonstop, then he’d do it. “He got past all of us, brother.”
“It shouldn’t have happened.” He put his hands on his hips. “Stopped paying attention.”
“Other shit was goin’ down,” I reminded him, but I could tell it wasn’t working, so I moved on. “What do you need from me?”
“Need to know where your heads at with my sister,” Bear admitted. “Watched you two do this song and dance for years, but it seems to me like things are changing. I need to know if you’re in there for good or if this is temporary.”
I wouldn’t answer many people who had questions about my personal life, but I knew he needed this. He was carrying a lot on his shoulders, and eliminating the need to worry about Becs would give him some reprieve, so I gave him what I could. “We’re in a good place. I intend to stay exactly where I am. She knows I’m not goin’ anywhere.”
He nodded slowly. “She’s been through a lot. Never thought she was carryin’ as much shit as she was until recently.”
“Know that.”
“Yeah.” He studied me carefully. “She gets hurt, only one person is payin’ the price.”
I narrowed my eyes, surprised by the threat. Bear usually stayed out of people’s personal shit, especially his sister’s, but something had changed. I wondered how much of this had to do with Becs and how much had to do with a short blonde who just walked away from him and the club.
“Think you know me better than that, brother.”
He shook his head. “Thought I knew another brother too, and look where that got me.”
There it was. He was doubting himself. After the shit with Skinner and Josie, he’d lost the confidence he had to lead, to trust his gut, and that was unacceptable. “You don’t carry that regret alone.”
He jerked up his chin, but it was obvious he thought he should be the only one to carry the blame. “Take care of her.”
I nodded and turned to leave. He didn’t need the words. He was an action man, and I knew he was watching closely to make sure my actions didn’t hurt the only family he had left.
Chapter 21
Race
I moved quietly down the dark hallway, surprised to hear Wyatt whimpering through the monitor. Usually Becs had him the second he made a sound, but I’d just turned off the television when I heard him start to stir. I pushed open his door, moved to the crib, and smiled at him. He squealed and smiled up at me. Reaching down, I lifted him from the crib and held him against my bare chest before moving to the rocking chair. Sitting down, I held him and began to rock, watching as his eyes blinked slowly.
Tomorrow was Christmas Eve, and Becs was excited. If anyone had ever told me Becs loved Christmas, I would’ve called them a liar, but she’d proven me wrong the past few days. She’d been talking nonstop about putting up the tree on Christmas Eve, which was a tradition she grew up with. I didn’t have any Christmas traditions, so listening to her talk about her family’s made me excited to start our own. I wanted Wyatt to have the traditions and good memories Becs did.
And I wanted to be right beside him while he experienced them.
I didn’t know if it was Christmas approaching or the medication, but something brought Becs back to the woman I’d known and fallen in love with. It was nice to see her smiling and laughing so easily again. Even Bear seemed happy when he spent time with her, but that was Becs. Her carefree attitude was contagious and even more so after we all missed it for so long.
Glancing down, I saw Wyatt had fallen back to sleep, and I sighed. I didn’t want to go back downstairs to sleep on the couch, knowing the woman I wanted to sleep next to was right across the hall. I hadn’t pushed, and she hadn’t given me any indication that she was ready for more than the kiss we gave each other before one of us left and when one of us got home. We never really talked about it, but I’d kissed her one morning before I left for work, and it just became something we did.
Wanting to do what was best for Becs, I stood and laid Wyatt back in his crib. I wouldn’t push her into something she wasn’t ready for, no matter how much I wanted her. Grinning when he sighed, I turned and saw the very woman who held all my attention standing in the open doorway with her shoulder leaning against the jamb.
I tilted my head slightly but didn’t say anything because I didn’t want to wake Wyatt. Moving slowly, I went to the door and paused when she didn’t move back. I couldn’t read her expression, but gone was the lightness I’d been seeing, and it was replaced with an intensity that surprised me.
She lifted her hands and laid them flat against my chest before running them over my bare skin to wrap around my neck. Pushing to her tiptoes, she pressed her lips to mine and kissed me softly, but just as I laid my hands against her hips, she dropped back to her feet.
Her eyes skimmed down my body so slowly that my skin heated and arousal settled low in my gut. She ran one of her hands over my chest and down to lay on my stomach just above the waistband of my pajama pants. My breath hitched when she pushed her fingers below the band, and my hardening cock turned to steel.
