Coyote (Hawks MC Next Generation #1) - Lila Rose Page 0,16
“After the morning rush, we’ll have a coffee, and I’ll explain everything,” I told them, just as we all heard the front door open.
“As long as you do,” Stanley ordered in a fatherly way. I nodded, and Denise and I went back out front to deal with the morning customers looking for breakfast and coffee on the way to work.
As soon as it looked like things had settled, Denise called, “Stanley, coffee and explanation time.” Denise shooed me towards a table. “Go sit. I’ll bring the coffees over.”
I didn’t want to say anything to them about the situation, but I hadn’t come up with a lie they would buy. I’d thought maybe I could say I owed the Hawks MC money, and they were watching me to make sure I didn’t run from town. Only they would try and give me money and neither of them had much. I knew that.
Denise was a single mum; her ex didn’t want anything to do with her when she told him she was pregnant and left her with no support. Since then, he hadn’t paid a single cent towards Mariana. Denise had done it all on her own since her parents weren’t around either. She was an amazing mum, worked at the bakery, and then at home, making soap and selling it online.
Stanley had been married, though never had children before he lost his wife when he was fifty. He’d never dated anyone since. I knew he used to be in the army, and maybe got a pension off them as well as his wage here, but I would never feel comfortable with accepting money from either of them, especially for a fake situation I would make up.
I considered pretending I was dating a Hawks member, but having them out front watching over the shop wouldn’t help that suggestion, as they’d likely think the man I’d picked was a stalker.
There was only one option, and that was the truth. At least I thought it was. Even after I sat down at the table, I still wasn’t sure which way I was supposed to go. What happened if the Hawks MC didn’t want me to say anything? Maybe I could just tell them that.
I screamed in my mind, but it didn’t help.
When Stanley and Denise sat down and Denise pushed a coffee my way, I sat on my shaky hands. I was nervous, but only because I worried what my mess would do to them.
“So?” Stanley asked.
“They like the front of Bakery Bliss?” I tried.
Stanley dropped his coffee to the table after a sip and crossed his arms over his chest. Denise just snorted and rolled her eyes at me.
“They want me as their girlfriend?” Dear God, these were lame. I didn’t usually choke under pressure, but my brain was farting something shocking in my head and giving me nothing.
They looked at each other and laughed. That was just rude.
Stanley shook his head. “We’re not laughing at what you said, more that you’ll try lying to us when you’re so shit at it.”
“Hey” burst out of me.
“And even though the biker pissed on you in front of Bryson, you’re just pulling our chains. Just tell us what’s going on, kid.”
“Fine.” I sighed. “But I want you both to say you’ll not worry and stay out of this first.”
“Promise,” Denise said quickly. Too quickly.
Stanley nodded.
“Say it, Stanley.”
“Yeah, yeah, I promise.”
“It’s nothing too bad,” I told them, and realized I probably should have started with that. “This morning there was a crash out the front of my house. A guy, who is friends with the Hawks MC, was jumped. They were going to… um, hurt him a lot. I had to do something, so I stepped in to help him.” Denise’s eyes widened and Stanley cursed. “It’s okay. I got them to back off and helped the guy.”
“Then why are they watching over you?”
I waved a hand around, trying to play it off with a snort as well. “It’s nothing. They’re a little concerned the, ah, bad guys will come back. They offered their help by keeping an eye out.”
Stanley rested his arms on the table and leaned forward. “When you said you helped the guy, how did you do it?”
I glanced around and prayed for a customer to come in or for time to speed up and the lunch rush to start.
“Channa,” Denise said softly.
“Well, um, you know. I shouted at them, told them the cops were coming to scare them off.”