right. You doin’ okay, sweetheart?”
“Yes, I’m great. How’d your trip go?”
“Uneventful, but it was a pretty ride. Missed seein’ you, though.”
“Me too. I’ll see you soon.”
“Okay, I gotta run. Text me later.”
“I will. Bye.”
I wave over the waitress and ask for the bill.
“We haven’t even eaten yet,” Hayley complains.
“I need you to drive me back while you’ve had only half that margarita.”
Two hours later, Hayley pulls up to my house.
“You sure you want to do this?” she asks.
“It’s the only way. I can’t go on hiding a secret like that from him. I made a mistake. Maybe it’s not too late to get his trust back if I just come clean.”
She reaches over and squeezes my hand. “Call me later.”
“I will, and thanks for everything.” I climb out of the car and head inside. I texted Gypsy on the way back to Atlanta and asked if he could meet me at my mother’s place. He said he could be by at two. It’s almost that now.
I dash upstairs, brush my hair, and dab on some lip-gloss. My eyes still look red from my earlier crying. Seems like everything has me so emotional now. I guess it’s the pregnancy; my hormones must be running wild. Maybe that’s why I’m making such rash decisions. I shake my head. I can’t even sell that lame excuse to myself.
I hear the roar of a motorcycle. It gets closer, and I move to my bedroom window to peer out.
Gypsy rolls to the curb and drops his kickstand, shuts the engine off, and climbs from the sleek Harley.
My gaze sweeps over him. God, he looks good. I dash downstairs and swing the door open as he steps up on the porch. I smile brightly, my heart fluttering just at the sight of him. “Hey.”
He steps in, cups the back of my neck, and hauls me to him for a kiss. He takes his time, drawing a response from me, and I slip my hands up his chest.
He finally lifts his mouth an inch from mine and smiles down at me. “How’s my baby?”
I go still at his word choice. “Um, fine.”
He frowns. “You okay?”
“Sure. Great. Come on inside.” I shut the door and gesture toward the kitchen. “Let’s go in here.”
His booted steps follow me as I lead the way. The kitchen isn’t big, and his broad-shouldered body fills the room with his presence. The smell of leather and motor oil and just his unique manly scent make all my carefully chosen words fly out of my head.
He wraps a lock of my hair around his finger and tugs me to him for another kiss. When his lips release mine, his gaze moves over my face, and he brushes a piece of hair back from my face. “You wanted to talk about something?”
Nerves clutch at my throat, and all I can do is nod. How do I even start?
He frowns. “Babe, you okay?”
I move to the table and sit. “Yes, fine.”
“Sorry I couldn’t drive you down to Columbus this weekend. Club’s been keepin’ me busy.” He sits in the chair next to me and turns me to face him, his hands on my knees. “And anyway, I’ve been thinking, maybe we can find a way you don’t have to go down there anymore. I know you hate it and—”
“It’s okay. I understand. Besides, Hayley took me.”
He pulls his chin back slightly. “You went anyway?”
“Yes.”
“How’d it go?” His voice deepens.
“Not so well.”
“What happened?” His palm strokes up my thigh then returns to my knee and gives it a squeeze.
I get lost in his touch, wondering if it’s the last time he’ll touch me like this. I take in a breath, and the words tumble out of my mouth. “Growler wanted to know about the club’s trip to Sturgis.”
He pulls back and stays eerily quiet.
I can’t stand the look on his face, so I blurt the rest out. “He wanted me to find out and tell him in exchange for telling me where the key is.”
“You did it, I take it?” His jaw has become as hard as granite and his eyes cold.
I nod.
He stands and paces a few steps, running his hand through his hair. The pieces of the puzzle fall into place and he whirls on me. “That night at my house, when the boys came over, you heard us talk.”
“Yes.”
He huffs out a nasty sounding laugh. “You get what you wanted, I hope?”
“No.”
“Why am I not shocked he wouldn’t keep his end of the bargain?