in like a lost puppy. I understand what it means not to have parents. I’d never do that to a child. Hate me all you want, but don’t give me your hate for your ex, too. That’s all his and he deserves it.”
I closed my mouth, startled by how much I’d said. She cocked her head at me.
“You’re right,” she said slowly. “You aren’t him. But that doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten what you did.”
It was a big concession.
“We’ll work on it,” I said, reaching out to touch her cheek. “Starting tonight. I’m taking you out for dinner.”
She snorted. “You mean like a date?”
“Yeah, exactly like a date. We’ll talk and get to know each other. Maybe go out to the clubhouse afterward and you can meet some of my brothers from Coeur d’Alene.”
“Not sure I’m ready for that.”
“There’s a party tomorrow night,” I said. “A bunch of the old ladies are coming to town.”
She frowned. “That seems a little random.”
I sighed, shaking my head. “It’s complicated. We’re making some changes in the club structure. It’s about rebuilding relationships, and having the girls here will help with that. Ultimately the club is for the men, but having all the women on board helps with that a lot. We want the local girls to understand what they’re part of. Let them bond with the old ladies, you know?”
“Why do you call them old ladies?” she asked, wrinkling her nose.
“Fuck if I know,” I admitted. “It’s just what they’re called. They’re our women—our property.”
“I’m not sure which part of that offends me more, the old or the property.”
“They’re both terms of respect,” I said firmly. “If a woman’s your old lady, it means you trust her. Not just with your life, but with all your brothers’ lives, too. Property is the same way—it’s about making it clear to everyone that you’re under our protection. They fuck with you, the Reapers will make them pay. Women in our world consider it an honor.”
“That’s bullshit,” she said, eyes sparking. Good. She’d seemed so defeated when she’d talked about her daughter, but now she was coming back. Here was the woman who kept fighting—exactly what I wanted to see.
“Only if you consider ‘old’ an insult,” I replied. “You saying that being old is a bad thing? You know, in the Reapers the older guys mentor the younger ones. Out in the regular world, people stick to their own age groups, but in the MC world everyone is together. You might want to reconsider before making a snap judgment.”
Tinker narrowed her eyes. “And property?”
I sighed. “I think you need to see it to understand. Give me a chance, okay? Get to know my people and you’ll see what I’m talking about. It’s different, but it’s good. We’re a family.”
She still looked skeptical, but she nodded her head.
“Okay, I’ll try to keep an open mind,” she agreed.
“So I’ll pick you up at six.”
“I didn’t say I’d go out with you.”
Yeah, she didn’t get a choice, although I was smart enough not to say it.
“Six work for you?” I asked. “I’m not him. Give me a chance and I’ll show you how much I’m not him.”
She sighed, then nodded. “Okay. But I’m not agreeing to anything more than one date, understand? You haven’t won.”
“We’re both gonna win,” I replied, then I leaned over and kissed her. Fuck, she tasted even better this morning, which was saying something.
I could get used to this.
TINKER
“You got laid,” Carrie accused when she walked into the shop at lunchtime. Randi gasped, then started giggling. I’d gotten another big order, so I’d asked her to come in for a while to help out. Mrs. Webbly had promised to check in on Dad, and while I wasn’t totally comfortable with the situation, it was the best I could figure out for now.
I decided to ignore them, focusing on sprinkling salt across the tops of the caramels before the chocolate set up.
“You can pretend you don’t hear me, but you do,” Carrie continued. “Tinker Garrett’s dry spell is officially over!”
Randi giggled harder, then mumbled something about the bathroom as she ducked out of the room. She burst out laughing for real in the distance, the little traitor.
“Jesus, now it’ll be all over town,” I said, glaring at my best friend.
“It’s all over town already,” she said, shrugging. “What, you think you have a private life? Nobody has a private life in Hallies Falls, Tinker. Get used to it. The minute Joel Riley called in a welfare check