Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 70515 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 353(@200wpm)___ 282(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70515 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 353(@200wpm)___ 282(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
I found her car empty, and when I turned around to head into the house to see if she was there, I stopped when I saw her in the front yard with Body.
She was showering him with kisses and whispering sweet words in his ear.
Body also had a very massive bone that he hadn’t had when I’d left for my garage office this morning.
I walked diagonally across the grass toward the two, stopping when I was a safe distance away that wouldn’t have her in reaching distance.
“Hey,” I said as I looked at Sophia’s smiling face. “What are you doing?”
“I went to Skinner’s on my lunch break so I could get some steak for dinner.” She explained. “And I saw these massive bones that the butchers make for the dogs. And thought that Body really needed it.” She hesitated. “I had to put my steaks in your fridge because I came here during my lunch break. I’ll have to come back for them later.”
“Steaks?” I asked. “I thought your dad gave up steaks?”
She rolled her eyes. “He might’ve given up red meat, but that doesn’t mean that I did.”
When Jasper died, Madden had gone to the doctor and come back with the knowledge that he had high cholesterol and blood pressure, and the order to avoid red meat, and anything that had a high salt content.
I’d have rather died than give up steak. Everyone had to die of something.
“So you make them and expect him to be able to turn down the smell of steak?”
Her eyes went to something over my shoulder, and I knew that Easton had come into her view.
Her back tensed, and I saw the fear flash over her eyes for a few brief seconds before all the fear drained away.
She did stand up and move closer to me, though, which did something fucked up to my heart.
“Soph,” I said, pulling her to where she was closer to me but not too close. “This is Easton, a prospect for the Battle Crows.”
Sophia inhaled at my words. “I thought that the Battle Crows was a family thing?”
She’d be right.
Until now.
“Well…” I hesitated.
“Does this have to do with your business that you don’t want to tell me or Clem that you do, but we both know that you do?” she teased.
I rolled my eyes.
Madden, nor I, had ever hidden what we did from our kids. In fact, I would say they knew more than most kids knew about their family.
It was easier to just tell the truth, in my opinion, than it was to hide something from kids that were perceptive as fuck.
“It does,” I answered. “And usually, we do only do family. But Easton coming on is for family reasons, so… same thing.”
She bumped me with her shoulder as she said, “I won’t ask any more questions. If I don’t know, I can’t incriminate you, right?”
I reached up and twirled a piece of her brown hair around my finger before giving it a little tug.
“Easton.” I jerked my head toward Sophia. “This is my daughter’s best friend, Sophia.”
“The one that was here last night when that dumbass tried to break in?” he questioned.
I felt anger surge through me all over again at the reminder.
I was visiting that fucker in the hospital.
Asshole.
“Yes,” I said through gritted teeth.
Easton nodded his head. “It’s nice to meet you, Sophia. I’m sorry that you had to go through what you did.”
Sophia shifted so that she was leaning partially into me.
It took everything I had not to curl my arm around her shoulders and pull her in tight.
Used to when I did that, I wasn’t having the type of conflicting feelings that I was now.
So yeah… no touching.
But her leaning into me… I’d take that.
I’d take anything she wanted to give me, as long as it wasn’t me taking it from her, then it couldn’t be bad… right?
“I’m lucky that Body was there,” she agreed. “Though, if I hadn’t had him, I’d have just shot him with the .38 I keep on me at all times. The only problem was that it had fallen down the side cushion of the recliner.”
Easton was quiet at that, unsure what to say.
I, on the other hand, burst out laughing.
Sophia shot a smile my way, and I damn near felt that smile in my dick.
“I gotta go,” she sighed. “My lunchtime is over. See you this evening, Mr. C.”
Then she was gone, leaving me watching her ass.
It wasn’t until she was all the way down the road that Easton cleared his throat.
“So you have the hots for your daughter’s best friend,” Easton drawled.
I walked up to him and poked him in the chest, causing his eyes to widen.
“If you want to be a part of this club, I suggest you never fuckin’ notice what I do again.” I jerked my head toward my bike. “Now let’s get to the hospital.”