Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 80982 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 405(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80982 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 405(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
“Stone.”
“It’s true, and somewhere in that thick head of yours, you know it.”
His words hit hard.
It hit even harder when he said, “Letting go isn’t about forgetting, brother. You’ll never forget, but you can move on. Em would want that for you. We all do.”
We finished our burgers and shared some small talk, but we’d both already said what we had to say. When we were done, Stone followed me back out to my bike and said, “Keep in touch.”
“You know I will.”
“And if you decide to move your patch, you have my blessing.”
“Appreciate that, brother.”
He gave me a brotherly pat on the shoulder before saying, “Give ‘em hell.”
With that, he turned and got on his bike. Seconds later, he was gone. There was no mention of coming by the clubhouse or seeing the rest of the guys. He knew, just like I did, that the open road was pulling us in opposite directions. And that was okay.
There was no need for a big goodbye, but I didn’t rush off. I got on my bike and let the engine idle, giving the moment its due. And after the time felt right, I rolled out, and this time, I wasn’t looking back.
28
RAELYN
It had been a rough week.
I hadn’t seen or heard from Walker since the night I left his house. I spent the first couple of days in bed, wallowing in my self-pity, but that didn’t last long. I had the boys and work to deal with, so I pressed on. Slowly, begrudgingly, but I managed to make it through the week.
Now, it was Saturday once again, and I had to get the boys to their dad’s.
I’d just started my pot of coffee when Milo started his little dance between my legs. Fearing he’d trip me, I gave him a scooch with my foot and fussed, “Me first… I’ll feed you as soon as I make my coffee.”
“I got him.”
I turned and found Thomas coming through the doorway. He opened the cabinet, and Milo darted over to Thomas the second he started pouring out his food. “Thank you, sweetie.”
“Welcome.” He put the food away before heading over to the fridge. “You got any plans for the day?”
“Not yet. I might run over to see Mom, but I’m not sure yet.”
“What about tonight?”
I knew he was curious if I would see Walker. I hadn’t mentioned anything to either of them, but I had no doubt they’d both picked up on my sullen mood over the past few days. I wasn’t sure how things would end up with Walker, so I kept everything to myself, hoping I would get some clarification soon.
It was looking like that wasn’t going to happen, so I told him, “I think I’ll stay in and watch a movie. There are several I’ve been wanting to see.”
“Oh, okay.” He stood there for a moment before adding, “If you want us to, we could call Dad and cancel… tell him we caught whatever stomach bug you had.”
“Oh, honey. No. There’s no reason to do that. I’m fine. Besides, your dad is taking you bowling tonight. You guys are going to have a great time.”
“Okay, but if you change your mind…”
“I won’t. Now, go get changed and pack your bag.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
He gave me a little shrug of defeat, then made his way out of the kitchen and up to his room. An hour later, we were in the Tahoe, and I was taking them to the Walmart parking lot to meet Dan.
As soon as I pulled up, the boys started unbuckling and grabbing their things. When Lucas opened the door, I leaned back and said, “Don’t forget your backpack.”
“I got it.” He jumped out and smiled. “See ya tomorrow.”
“Okay, sweetheart. Have fun.”
I watched them climb into their father’s truck, letting myself smile despite everything. I reached for my coffee, mentally calculating how long it would be before I could nestle up on the sofa and read a book or watch a movie. I’d barely taken a sip when I spotted Dan walking toward me.
Great.
I glanced up at him, and my stomach dropped the second I saw his face. After fifteen years together, I knew that expression. He had something on his mind, and I had a feeling it wasn’t something I wanted to hear.
I lowered my window before he reached me and asked, “They forget something?”
“No.” He shoved his hands in his pockets and shifted awkwardly. “Just wanted to say I’m sorry about the other night.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah, I shouldn’t have come into your house like that, especially at that hour.”
“No, you shouldn’t have.”
Finding him standing in my foyer, jealous and territorial after everything he’d done, was beyond frustrating, and the fact that he’d shown no remorse made it even worse. It was odd to see him changing his tune. I knew he hadn’t done it on his own, so I asked, “What happened? Did CeeCee find out what you did?”