by K. L. Ramsey
“It’s what bikers call their girlfriends and wives. It’s a term of endearment and it will mean that no other biker in my bar will try to lay claim to you. If you’d rather be hit on by every man in the place, be my guest.” Savage released Dallas and picked up Greer, to go into the bar.
“No,” she shouted. “Tell them whatever you want to,” she insisted. “Just as long as they leave me alone, I don’t care.”
“Ol’lady it is, then,” he teased, holding the front door open for her. Dallas brushed past him and was hit by the smell of cheap beer and leather when she realized that everyone in the place had basically stopped what they were doing to turn and look at her and Savage.
“Shit,” she mumbled under her breath. Savage grabbed her hand, setting Greer’s car seat on the closest table.
“Since we seem to already have your attention,” he said. “This here is my Ol’lady—Dallas.” Everyone started shouting cheers and hello and she smiled and looked around the room as if she wasn’t scared half to death. “And.” He took her sleeping daughter out of the car seat and snuggled her against his chest. Seeing Savage holding their baby did crazy things to her heart. Things she wasn’t sure she was ready for.
“This is our daughter, Greer.” A loud cheer and clapping rang through the bar, causing the baby to squirm and wiggle in Savage’s arms. She watched as her daughter looked up at her father for the first time and then gently closed her eyes again to fall back to sleep. Greer had no idea what was going on around her, but it sounded as if they had just won the Super Bowl, the way the guys all carried on.
A little girl walked over to Savage, a smile as big as she was on her beautiful face. “This is Chloe,” he said.
“Hi, Chloe,” Dallas said. She looked so much like Savage, Dallas imagined his sister Cherry and he must have looked a lot alike. Chloe and Greer shared the same hair color too.
“Hi,” the little girl said. “Is this my little sister?” she sweetly asked, peeking at the baby when Savage squatted down to give Chloe a better look.
“Yep,” he said. “What do you think, Sprite?” Savage asked.
Chloe nodded and smiled up at Dallas, “She’s good,” she said.
Dallas laughed, “Wait until you hear your little sister cry later—you might change your mind about her.” Savage laughed and stood back up with the baby, handing her over to Dallas.
“Can I hold her?” Chloe asked.
“If you sit down, I think it would be fine,” Dallas offered, looking to Savage for confirmation.
“You have to be gentle with her—she’s still new and very little,” Savage said. Hearing the way he was so gentle and sweet with Chloe made Dallas want to audibly sigh but coming off as a lovesick schoolgirl wasn’t a part of her plan.
Chloe sat on one of the chairs that she pulled out from the table and held her little arms out for Greer. Dallas gently laid the baby in Chloe’s arms and stood by her side, just in case. Savage protectively flanked Chloe’s other side, making sure Greer was safe. He looked at Dallas and mouthed the words, “Thank you,” and she wasn’t sure she’d be able to take much more. Her hormones were still out of whack from having Greer and here she was, standing in the middle of a biker bar, getting teary-eyed.
“Was I this little when you found me, Dad?” Chloe asked. Savage smiled and shook his head.
“No, Sprite,” he said. “You were just a little bit bigger—but not much.” Chloe nodded and smiled down at Greer.
“Is she your real daughter or is she like me?” Chloe asked. Dallas could see the concern in Savage’s eyes and it broke her heart that his daughter felt like she was less because of Greer.
Savage got down on one knee, to be level with Chloe and looked her in the eyes. “You are both my daughters, Sprite. Greer isn’t more real to me than you are, Chloe. I love you both the same and that will never change—got it?” The six-year-old looked at Savage and smiled.
“Okay, Daddy,” she said. “I’m done holding my sister now. Can I go play with my dolls in your office?” she asked. Savage took Greer from Chloe’s arms and nodded.
“Go on then, Sprite. Don’t touch any of Daddy’s stuff though,” he ordered. She ran off, smiling and waving at Dallas on her way back to where she assumed Savage’s office was.
“She’s adorable,” Dallas said.
“She’s something all right,” Savage agreed. “Some days she’s pretty damn cute and others I just want to lock her away and hope that time slows down a little. She’s growing up so fast. Holding Greer really brings that home for me,” he said. “How about we sit and have that conversation and then you let me get you something to eat?”
“Sounds good,” she agreed, sitting in the booth where he had put her diaper bag. “I’ll have to feed the baby soon,” she said. “Do you have a place I can have a little privacy?”
“Sure,” Savage said. “My house is just out back, about a quarter-mile down the road.”
“Wow, you live next to your bar?” she asked.
“Sure,” he said. “I owned all of this property and when I built the bar, I decided why the hell not. I was spending most of my nights here anyway, so it was kind of nice just being able to stumble a few hundred feet to my front door. Plus, that way I can be readily available for the guys, in case they need me.”
“You said you’re the president of this club?” she asked.
“Yep, and they are great—for the most part. We’re basically made up of military misfits,” he said.
“I had no idea,” she said. “How could I have spent so many nights with you and not known any of this?” Savage reached across the table with his free hand and took hers, linking their fingers together.
“I didn’t give you the chance to know me, Dallas. I’d like to change that now if you’ll let me,” he said. She wasn’t sure what Savage meant by that, but she was too tired and too busy being a single mom to figure it all out.
“What are we doing here, Savage?” she asked, cutting to the chase. “I don’t have time for games. Not now that I have Greer.”
“I was hoping we could figure this all out as we go,” he admitted. Dallas pulled her hand free from his and Savage’s scowl was back in place. “I can’t go through the disappointment of watching you walk away again, Savage.”
“I told you that’s not going to happen this time,” he growled. Greer stirred in his arms and he looked down at their daughter and sighed. “I was an ass for ghosting you but you have my word, that won’t happen again, Dallas. I won’t do that to you or to her,” he said, nodding to the baby. He reached for her hand again and she allowed him to take it.
“It will take some time,” she said. “For me to trust you at your word. I’ll allow you into Greer’s life—she needs a father and seeing Chloe tonight confirmed to me that you are a good dad. But, I don’t need or want to be anyone’s booty call, Savage. Things between us need to be platonic.”
He smiled at her from across the table and ran his thumb over her hand, eliciting a shiver from her. Damn it—he knew exactly what she liked and he’d use his firsthand knowledge to get what he wanted from her. Dallas was just going to have to remember how it felt to be left. The pain of believing she wasn’t enough for any man, let alone Savage. Holding onto her hurt at his betrayal might be her only solace.
“I mean it, Savage,” she said. Dallas knew that the only way to make him believe her was to explain what his walking away did to her. She looked down at their joined hands, knowing that if she looked him directly in his blue eyes, she’d never find the strength to get through what she had to say.
“At first, when I didn’t hear from you, I worried that something had happened. I called hospitals and asked if they had anyone named Savage admitted and when they’d ask me for your last name, I’d hang up. God, I felt like a complete fool for believing I meant something to you. You used me—I was just a good time, a piece of ass and the hurt and betrayal was what fueled me to get out of bed every morning. Then, I found out I was pregnant a
nd I had daily fantasies that you’d find out and ride in to save me. You know—like we’d ride into the sunset and live happily ever after. But, you never showed.”
“I’m so sorry, Baby. I’m here now,” he said.
“Yeah,” she agreed. “And I’m happy that Greer will have you in her life. But, I don’t need to be saved anymore, Savage. I figured it out on my own because I had no choice and you know what? I’m damn proud of me.” She chanced a look into his eyes and wished she hadn’t. What she said seemed to hurt Savage and that was the last thing she wanted.
“I’m not saying this to hurt you, Savage. I’m telling you all of this so you understand why I can’t let you back into my personal life. We can be friends, for our daughter’s sake, but that is where this stops.”
“Understood,” he said, not letting go of her hand when she tried to pull hers free. “But, you have to know that I won’t stop trying, Dallas. I’m going to prove to you that I’m sticking around and that you’re worth it—because you are.”
“You do what you need to do, Savage,” she challenged. Dallas wanted to believe all the pretty promises he was making her and Greer but she knew from experience that would only land them both in heartache.
“What the fuck is this?” An angry-looking man stood over their table, looking between her and Savage, his eyes resting on their joined hands. Dallas recognized him from the bar earlier that week, at her friend Ally’s bachelorette party. Savage pulled his hand free from hers and Dallas had to admit, it felt like a slight given all the things he had just promised her. He stood and handed Greer to her.
“Give us a minute, Honey,” he asked. She waved him off as if it didn’t matter, but it did. She wanted to get up and leave but she was effectively trapped, since Savage and the guy stood in the entryway to the bar, blocking her only route of escape. From the way the younger guy was swinging his arms around, he wasn’t too happy with Savage and she wondered what had happened between the two of them. Savage admitted to being on a first date with him, that night in the bar, but this seemed to go deeper. The poor guy was too hurt for only having a first date with Savage and Dallas suddenly felt bad for him. She was him not so long ago and she hated the hurt and sadness in his eyes—it brought back too many bad memories of the past year. Dallas stood and walked to the corner of the bar where they were having their heated exchange.
“I’m not sure what’s going on here, but I’ll just get going. I don’t want to cause any trouble,” she said.
“No, you stay,” the younger guy said. “I’m the one who’s leaving.” He turned to leave and Savage pushed him up against the wall.
“No, you’re fucking not, Bowie,” he said. “You’re both staying and we are going to sit down and the two of you are going to let me explain—everything,” he demanded. Bowie and Savage were both looking at Dallas as if they were waiting for her to agree and honestly, her curiosity had gotten the best of her. The whole bar seemed just as curious about what the three of them were doing and right on cue, Greer started fussing, waking for her seven o’clock feeding.
“I have to feed her,” Dallas almost whispered.
“Shit,” Savage cursed. “We can’t do this here. Please,” Savage begged, letting go of Bowie’s shirt. “Just give me a chance to explain,” he begged.
“Fine,” Bowie agreed.
“Great,” Savage said. “Let’s get Chloe and head over to my house, where we can talk in private and Dallas can feed the baby.” She nodded and Savage grabbed her things, ushering them both to the back of the bar.
“You two wait here,” he ordered. Dallas watched as Savage disappeared to the back of the bar and came back with Chloe. The whole time, she could feel Bowie looking at her but she wasn’t sure what to say to the guy.
“Let’s go,” Savage said. Dallas wasn’t sure what she had just agreed to, but from the angry look in Bowie’s eyes, she wasn’t going to like any of it.
BOWIE
He had waited for two fucking hours for Savage to show up to the restaurant they agreed on for dinner. It had been almost a week since their night together and Bowie was beginning to worry that Savage ghosted him like he had the gorgeous blonde now sitting next to him, nursing a baby.
He finally threw in the towel, paid for his drinks and drove all the way home only to sit around his place getting more pissed by the minute. He remembered Savage telling him about his MC bar and put two and two together since there weren’t many bars around town with a line of motorcycles out front in the parking lot. Huntsville was becoming a breeding ground for scientists and their yuppie families, which made Bowie want to laugh since Savage was among the league of science professionals living in the area. But, there was nothing yuppie about his guy. Savage was bad-assed and had the attitude to go with his look. The only time Bowie saw Savage relax and smile around him their one night together, was when they were in bed after he had given Savage a blow-job.
Bowie decided that instead of sitting around his apartment, drinking and brooding, he was going to go out and find Savage and demand some answers. As soon as he found Savage’s black pick-up parked behind the bar, he knew he had found the right place. He still had to confront Savage and that wasn’t something he was looking forward to until he found Savage holding a baby and the same blonde’s hand from earlier in the week. The blonde who had given him the evil eye the whole time they were on their first date. The blonde who Savage ghosted and now, it looked as though he was doing the same thing to Bowie. There was no fucking way he was going to step aside and let Savage ignore him for some pretty blonde.
And now, the three of them were sitting in Savage’s family room, while Dallas fed her kid and Savage’s daughter played up in her room. “We had a date,” Bowie shouted.
Savage winced, “I know you’re angry, man but can you keep it down, at least for the kids’ sakes. If you need to yell at me, we can go outside and you can have at it,” he offered. Bowie wanted to do just that. Hell, he wanted to take a swing at the guy but that wouldn’t do him any good. Savage was almost two of him and that was saying a lot since he wasn’t a small guy at six-two.
“No,” Bowie breathed. “Sorry,” he said more to Dallas than Savage.
“I know we had a date tonight and I fucked up and forgot to call you to cancel,” Savage said. “But, something has happened and I’ve had a lot to deal with.”
“Don’t you mean someone has happened,” Bowie spat looking over at Dallas again.
“It’s not like that—Bowie, is it?” Dallas asked.
“Yeah, sorry,” he said, holding out his hand for her. She used her free hand to shake his.
“Dallas,” she said. “And, this is Greer.”
“My daughter,” Savage said. Bowie wasn’t sure if he had heard correctly.
“Wait, I thought you said you only have a six-year-old,” Bowie asked.
“I did. Well, I thought I did until I found out that Dallas had my kid a few months back and never told me.” Dallas looked as if she wanted to say something but Savage held up his hand. “And, rightly so, since she couldn’t find me. Like I told you at the bar the other night, I ghosted her. I was an ass. Hell, she didn’t even know my last name was Savage until a few days ago.”
“So, how did you find out about the baby between our date and now?” Bowie asked. He already had a feeling that he wasn’t going to like Savage’s answer.
“I went back to the bar where we had our date and talked to Dallas’ friend. She told me about the baby and I put it all together. I remembered where Dallas lived and went to find her. And well, that’s how I found out that Greer is mine.”
“And, you didn’t think to call and tell me. Hell, you didn’t bother to even let me know that you were breaking our date. Seems like ghosting is your thing, man,” Bowie accused.
Dallas giggled and Savage shot her a look that said he wasn’t amused by any of this. “What?” She asked. “He’s right, you know. You do seem to have a go-to move when you want out of a relationship. There
are three people in this room with you right now and you’ve dumped two of us by just ignoring our existence.”
“I am not dumping Bowie,” Savage growled. “I just forgot about our date tonight.”
“Then what were you doing, holding hands with Dallas—you know, if you aren’t dumping me?” Bowie asked. Seeing the two of them together when he walked into that bar nearly gutted him.
Savage sighed and slunk down into the closest chair. “I want you both,” he admitted. Dallas barked out her laugh, causing Greer to jump and cry.
“Well, that sounds reasonable,” she teased. Dallas turned to face Bowie. “Listen, I’m not even in the picture here. When you walked in on us, I was in the process of telling Savage that I’m not interested in a relationship with him—outside of a friendly co-parenting partnership.”
Bowie nodded and turned to Savage. “What she’s not saying is that you were asking her for more—weren’t you?” Savage nodded.
“I told you that sometimes I feel as though I’m living only half a life by being with only a man or a woman when I want both. God, I found two people that I really like and all I can seem to do is fuck it completely up.” Dallas finished feeding the baby and fixed her shirt, standing to hand her over to Savage. Bowie watched him with the baby and he felt a pang of jealousy that Savage and Dallas had a connection that the two of them would never have.
“I know you feel the same way, Bowie. You told me that you did our first night together. What if we could try something different—you know, build the kind of life that we want and not one that everyone thinks we should have,” Savage was forgetting the lives that they both lived wouldn’t allow for them to have the lifestyle they really wanted.
“You’re talking about a third, aren’t you?” Bowie asked. Savage nodded his head and looked at Dallas. Bowie barked out his laugh. “Yeah, I think she’s made it pretty clear that she’s not interested, man.”
Dallas looked between the two of them wide-eyed and curious and Bowie wanted to curse because the woman looked anything but resistant to the idea of the three of them falling into bed together.
