by LeAnn Ashers
Joslyn runs behind the bar and comes back, a second later, with a towel and ice.
“Thank you.”
She holds her hand up. “No, you got hurt because of me.”
I take her to the side. “Don’t you dare feel guilty. You’re my friend, and I wasn’t going to let you be harassed by someone right in front of my face.” With my good arm I wrap her in a hug, squeezing her slightly.
The door opens with a bang. Wilder runs in and Travis is right behind him, looking angry. Wilder touches Joslyn’s face. “Baby, you okay?”
Travis looks at my hand and touches it gently. I wince, feeling sick to my stomach. “Fuck baby, we need to get you to the hospital. How did you do that?”
Jean comes out of nowhere again, holding a phone. “I know how!” She hands Travis the phone, and he and Wilder watch as, with one punch, I almost knock the guy on his ass. “Fuck, baby.” Travis looks at my hand again.
Wilder pushes him out of the way and hugs me. “Thank you for protecting my wife.”
“That’s what family is for, right?”
He stares at me for a beat and nods, grinning. I hear a door open and then a “What the fuck?” It’s the stupid prospect who was supposed to be watching us. I march over to him, and he looks at my hand and then at Travis, who is at my back. I start to throw a punch with my left hand. Travis catches my fist and does the job for me, punching him so hard in the face he hits the ground, knocked out.
“What the fuck, both of you are sluggers,” Jean slurs and her man throws her over his shoulder and carries her out of there.
“Come on, we need to get you to the hospital.” Travis puts his hand at the small of my back. I glare at the prospect lying on the ground. If he had been doing his job, none of this would have happened and girls’ night would still be in full swing. The girls wave at me, smiling, as Travis leads me out of the bar, and I wave back with my good hand.
“Another night soon?” I ask them.
“Yes!” they all yell back and I laugh. I guess we are all trouble. I mean if we can handle being with bikers, how can we not be?
“Wait, where’s Gabby?” I ask Travis.
“Aiden walked over to stay with her. She’s in bed so I doubt she will even notice me gone.”
“Good, she loves Aiden anyway.” I follow him to his truck. “I’m disappointed that we aren't on your bike.”.
“Don’t pout. First, you’re hurt and second, you’re carrying precious cargo, Momma.” He touches my stomach and opens my door, and my pouting is gone in that second. He helps me into the truck. I can’t use my right hand, and that’s put a damper on my climbing skills. He shuts the door, and I lean my head back against the headrest, closing my eyes. My hand is throbbing like a heartbeat.
He shuts his door. I look over at him and he is staring at me. “Hurting?”
I nod. I don’t really want to speak at the moment. The adrenaline is wearing off, and the pain is really starting to sink in.
“I am fucking sorry, baby.” He rubs my leg.
“I will be fine.” I grin at him. Well, I try to.
Breaking your wrist is for the freaking birds. The x-ray was painful. The bone on the side of my wrist is cracked. I almost needed surgery to fix it but, luckily, I can get away with a cast.
I lay my head on Travis’s shoulder while they put the cast on me. We made sure to tell the doctor that I may be pregnant before we did the x-ray. It’s not the most fun thing ever being poked and prodded, but I’m not taking any kind of pain meds in case it would affect the baby. This is sucky, but I would never jeopardize him or her. I do hope it’s a boy, a little boy who looks just like Travis.
An hour later we are leaving the hospital, and I am ready to go home and sleep. As we get in the truck, I rub my eyes, yawning. The clock in the truck reads 1:00 a.m. “Can you see how Joslyn is?” I ask.
Travis hands me his phone, and I read his texts from Wilder reassuring us that she is fine and sleeping. I hand his phone back and scoot over to the middle seat. I just want to cuddle with him. I want to feel safe. I know that I was on the winning side with that guy, but I am also a woman and I want to feel protected by my man.
I spot a diner. “Shall we get some breakfast?” I ask him and he grins. He pulls into the parking lot, and I climb out his side. We sit beside each other in the booth. The diner is filled with drunk people and truckers. Travis and I are neither.
“You feeling okay?” he asks.
“Yeah, I’m fine. I was just worried for Joslyn. I feel like she has been through some things, and my momma bear instincts came out.”
“You did the right thing, Momma.” He kisses my temple and helps me open the menu.
“Gabby is going to freak when she sees my cast.”
He laughs. “She will, but not as much as she will if she finds out she may have a sibling cooking.”
I have to roll my eyes at that. “She or he is not a turkey roasting in the oven, Travis.” He does that smirk thing that makes me want to jump his bones, but that will have to wait until we are home.
The waiter comes and we order our food: a huge platter of hash browns, eggs, toast, etc. “I already asked Aiden if he would stay with Gabby tomorrow when we go to the doctor,” Travis says. “I figured you didn’t want her to know yet.”
Shock rings through me. He is always so thoughtful and it still shocks me. From the very beginning it’s just been me, and now it’s not. “Every single day I fall more and more in love with you.”
He cups my jaw, kissing me softly. The kiss is filled with so much passion and love. It’s like he is making love to me with a kiss, right here in the middle of the diner, but we are in our own world--others have not noticed.
Bailey
Travis and I look at the little bean on the monitor and listen to the sound of our baby’s heartbeat.
“It’s real,” I whisper to myself. All of it is finally sinking in. One part of me was afraid to think I was pregnant. Sometimes I talk myself out of believing this is real life. How can life be this good? I love someone in a way I thought only existed in books, but it’s real and right here in front of me.
I’ve changed so much. When I first got here, I was so anxiety ridden. Travis made me realize that the little things don’t matter. I just need to let things go and live in the moment.
He has made me so happy. I was happy before—don’t get me wrong—but this is a different kind of happy. It has filled my heart to the brim. I still worry, though—what would happen if I lost him?
Travis’s eyes haven’t left the monitor.
“How far along am I?” I ask the obstetrician.
“Around four weeks,” she says.
“So fucking tiny,” Travis whispers, touching my flat tummy.
Aiden is in the waiting room with Gabby, distracting her, while Reid is being seen by another doctor. I happened to notice all of the women in the room staring at him like they’re smitten. I can’t wait for the day he falls hard for someone. He deserves that. He took Reid, and most men couldn’t even fathom the idea.
“Here is a prescription for your prenatal vitamins, and stop at the front desk to make your next appointment.” The doctor stands up and hands me a piece of paper and the prescription. “On this piece of paper is my cell phone number in case you ever need me ASAP.”
She leaves the room and I change back into the sundress that I am wearing today. My hair is in loose barrel curls, my makeup is light, and I am wearing a pair of cute sandals. Gabby is in a sundress similar to mine, and her hair is curled too.
When we return to the waiting room, Gabby is fast asleep against Aiden’s side. He has her covered with one of Reid’s blankets. He is like the brother I always wanted, if I really think about it.
Travis rushes over to him and hands him the picture of our baby. Aiden takes it and grins. “Congrats man, happy for you.” Travis is beaming. Reid thrusts his little leg out and kicks Gabby, waking her up.
She looks at me and then Travis. “Time
to leave?” she says sleepily.
“Yes, sweetheart, you hungry?” I push her hair out of her face. She nods and lifts her arms toward Travis, and he picks her up. He has her so spoiled already.
“Thanks, Daddy.” Her eyes widen at her slip, and then she shakes her head. “I meant Ravis.”
Travis looks like a deer in headlights; then he snaps out of it and smiles at her with such emotion. “Don’t sweat it, angel, you can call me whatever you want.” She doesn’t say anything, but I am more than happy with that response.
“Bye Aiden, see you soon.” I take Travis’s hand and walk out of the clinic. My mind is reeling after what just happened. It seems like an honest mistake, but I don’t think it is. How could she not have started to see him as a father figure? He is with her all day, takes her to practice, takes care of her, and is there for her like a father would be. Not just any father, an incredible one. I squeeze his hand. I want him to know that everything is okay. Part of me thinks I should be panicking that she is getting so attached, but he is Travis.
He puts her in her seat, and I stand outside the truck with him, knowing he needs to speak to me. He runs his hand over the top of his head. He looks nervous for the first time since I met him. “Travis.”
He finally looks at me. “She called me Daddy, Bailey. That hit me right here.” He puts his hand over his chest, and I put my hand over his.
“Travis, you have been a dad to her since the moment you met her. You have been there for everything.”
He looks at me, letting my words sink in. “I want her to be mine. I think of her as my daughter. I want to be with her through every step of her life. It doesn’t matter if she is mine biologically, she is fucking mine.”
He hesitates before saying, “I want to adopt her. I want her to be officially mine. She is mine in my heart, but I want that shit documented.”
“I would love that, Travis. Her dad signed his rights over, so it won’t be an issue.” I don’t even care if this seems too soon. Even if, for some horrible reason, we don’t work out, I still want him to be a part of her life. He smiles, and I can see the weight of the world has been lifted off his shoulders. I realize that this has been bothering him quite a bit, and I am just glad he has some peace of mind.
Gabby loves him—she thinks the world revolves around him—and if I denied her this, what kind of parent would I be?
“I want to talk to her about it first,” he says, “to see if she wants it.” This is why he is perfect.
Travis
For the third time since meeting Gabby and Bailey, my world changed in a split second.
First was coming to realize that I loved them both, so fucking much. They stole a part of me the moment I met them. Second was finding out that Bailey was pregnant. Third was Gabby accidentally calling me Daddy; that shit hit me like a ton of bricks, right to my soul. My first thought was that I wanted to hear that every single day of my life. I want her to be officially mine, and I want to make sure she is okay with the idea. I want to get her thoughts on it. She is five years old, but she is intelligent enough to kind of understand what is happening.
At least Bailey is okay with it. I was scared of what her reaction would be. What if she told me no? I’m just in my fucking head; I knew better. Now it’s time to talk to Gabby.
I am fucking nervous. Beyond nervous—I am a wreck. I am sitting on the floor in Gabby’s room playing with her.
“Angel, can I talk to you?” I hold my breath waiting for her to look at me.
“Yes, Ravis.” She scoots closer to me, giving me her full attention. So fucking smart for her age.
“Do you remember when you called me Daddy earlier?” Her eyes widen. “No baby, don’t be scared. I just want to ask you something.” I grab her small hand and smile at her, trying to ease her worries. “Do you want me to be your dad?” She doesn’t say anything for a few seconds, before she nods. I close my eyes, overcome with emotion, and I pull her into my lap and just hug her. I open my eyes and look at her. “Good, I want you to be my daughter. You don’t have to call me Dad if you don’t want to. It’s totally up to you.”
She nods. “I think I would like to call you that. You and Mommy are together, so that makes you my daddy, so I would like to call you that. Right?” So fucking smart, way beyond her years.
I kiss the top of her head. “I would love that, angel.” I take out my phone and give Lane the go-ahead. We have deep connections. We are getting a judge to draw up the papers, as we speak, and they will be here later today. That is technically illegal, but when everyone’s in your pocket it’s easier to get things done. Why would I wait? They are what I want.
Gabby climbs out of my lap and goes back to playing, not realizing the impact she just had on my life. Bailey is standing at the door, watching us. My life has changed so much since I met her. Everything has changed. I have a family. My world never started until I saw them get off the plane. I stumbled and almost fell on my ass and I knew, in that instant, when their eyes hit mine.
Bailey
I laugh as Gabby runs across the beam at the park. Travis is clenching his hands. She jumps and, as he runs to catch her, she lands gracefully.
“I’m about to panic,” Travis tells me and I burst out laughing again. I understand the feeling.
“You should have seen me when she was jumping off of tables, doing flips.”
He shakes his head. “I think it’s best we wrap her in bubble wrap before she ends up with a broken wrist like her momma.”
“Ha, ha, ha,” I say. “Want me to break my other one?” I tease him.
He holds his hands up in mock surrender, taking a step back.
“You better step back, if you know what’s good for you.”
His eyes flash with laughter, and he crosses his arms and gives me a look, daring me to do something about it.
“Ravis, help me reach the bars,” Gabby calls, jumping up and down to reach the monkey bars. He runs over and lifts her up. I sit down on the bench, press my hand to my stomach, and close my eyes, reveling in the sound of Gabby’s laughter. Travis is encouraging her and cheering her on. Everything is just perfect.
“Bailey,” someone says.
I open my eyes, and I can’t believe who is standing next to me. Randall. My stomach hits the floor, and I immediately feel ill. I stand up and back away, putting distance between us. He grins at me. It’s not a genuine one; that’s for sure. Chills are running up my spine, and I just want to run away. I look over at Gabby, who is still playing. “What are you doing here, Randall?”
Travis jumps up and I swallow hard. I don’t want Gabby to see Randall.
“I just wanted to come see you and my daughter. I got a call from the insurance company letting me know that our daughter was sick.”
I just laugh. “Our daughter? You mean...”
Travis stands beside me, facing Randall head-on, and finishes my sentence. “Our daughter.” He takes my hand, and I know that he wants me to be strong, to stand up to Randall.
“You gave up your rights, Randall,” I tell him. “You have no ties to either of us.”
His fake smile drops in a split second. “That doesn’t fucking matter. She is my daughter, and I am going to get her right now.” The sound of that familiar angry snarl makes me flinch.
“Watch your fucking tone, before I make you eat your words,” Travis snarls right back, getting closer to Randall. If looks could kill, Randall would have been dead ten times over by now.
His eyes widen; I guess he is not used to being talked back to. Then I realize Randall is not scary anymore. When I first saw him, all of those old instincts came back at the sound of his voice.
“Want to bet? I bet she will run right to me.” Randall starts in Gabby’s direction.
Travis reaches out and grabs his shoulder. “Take another fucking step, I will blow your fucking brains out.” I shiver at the tone of his voice.
Randall does the dick thing and yells, “Gabby! Baby, come to daddy!” Why i
s he such a cruel person?
She finally walks over and sees Randall. She shakes her head, and I motion for her to come to me. That’s when I notice three guys approaching her from the opposite side of the park.
“Travis.” My stomach hits the ground as they get closer and closer to Gabby. Travis runs toward them. As I start to follow him, an arm bands around my waist and I am lifted off the ground. Another man is holding me, with Randall right beside him. “Let’s go!” Randall roars.
“Let me go!” I scream, kicking and punching. I lean forward and then bring my head back, as hard as I can, and I hear a crack as the back of my head connects with his face. He loosens his grip, and my feet hit the ground.
Randall smiles before his fist connects with the side of my face. Right before everything goes black, I see Travis fighting off six men. He looks at me with panic and then continues to fight, and Gabby is running across the field.
Travis
I will never fucking forget her expression before the fucker punched her right in the face, a fucking van pulled up beside her, and Randall threw her inside.
Now they are gone. Anger hits me so fucking hard I can taste it. “Run baby,” I tell Gabby. I need her as far away as possible while I finish this. These are the same men who Bailey’s mom hired. They are wearing the exact same clothes, and the tattoos on their forearms are the same. I take out my gun; luckily, I have a silencer on it.
I look back to make sure Gabby isn’t looking; then I take the safety off and shoot the guy in front on the knee. He hits the ground. I kick him hard in the face. A fist moves toward me, and I duck and hit him with my elbow.
I raise my gun and pull the trigger again and again, in quick succession. All but two of the men hit the ground. One of them charges me. I am out of bullets, so I take out my knife, spin it, and plant it right in his fucking neck. The other fucker tries to run off, so I pull the knife out of the man’s throat and throw it, hitting him in the back of the head. They are all down around me.
“Gabby!” I yell and run in the direction I saw her go. She comes out of a tunnel on the playground and runs to me, her legs moving so fast that she falls against me. I catch her and sprint to my truck with her tucked against my chest.
