Page 5 of Royal

“That makes me happy she is yours, you went to such lengths to protect her.”

He gives me a small smile, just the corners of his lips slightly curled. “She is my whole world,” he repeats.

Donovan wants out of the seat, so I lift him and put him in my lap. I eye the clock and realize I only have a few minutes left before I need to take him back and return to work.

“So is my sweet boy.” I tickle Donovan’s side, causing him to giggle loudly, showing off his cute dimples. I love the freckles on his face, they’re just like mine.

“I have to get back to work,” I tell Royal, not wanting to be rude, but I don’t want to be late again after I was late this morning.

I lift my hand to see if I can wave Meghan over for our check. She walks over and slides the bill over, but Royal takes it, giving her cash. “I got it.”

My mouth opens, shocked that he has done that for a near stranger. “Wait, I could have gotten our food. You didn’t need to do that.”

He takes hold of my huge purse that passes as a diaper bag half of the time, filled with toys and a million other little things that Donovan could need.

“I will walk you back to work,” he tells me, and before I can even respond, he puts his hand on the small of my back. I peek over my shoulder and see Marie grinning at us both.

I feel myself blush at the look she is giving me. Her boyfriend, Dante, peeks out of the kitchen to check out the diner, and then he returns inside.

“It’s right across the road here.” I point in the direction of the day care. He looks both ways and leads me across the road. “You don’t have to take me there.”

He laughs. “I want to.”

I don’t bother arguing with him, and when I drop off Donovan, my heart hurts instantly.

I’m blessed that he has such a good day care, but I’m always scared that someone will be mean to him or not treat him as they should.

That is crippling at times, and I have nightmares because I think I would kill someone if they laid a hand on my baby.

Royal is standing at the day care entrance. I stop before him, wondering why he is still hanging around.

The second the door shuts behind me, he backs me up until I’m pressed against the nearest wall. It doesn’t scare me, though. “Go on a date with me?” he asks.

Wait, what? Did he just ask me out on a date?

What do I say? I haven’t been on a date since I was a teenager, and it was just a drive-through fast food joint.

You know what? I’m just twenty years old, almost twenty-one, and I need to live. I deserve to live. “Okay, deal. Friday night. I can get the day care to watch him.”

He smiles widely. “Deal.”

Royal takes my phone out of my front pocket and adds his number without asking, but I think it’s hot that he is so forward about what he wants. A second later, his phone buzzes. “I have your number now, too.”

He reaches behind me and holds open the door to the pharmacy so I can walk inside. All the girls scramble behind the shelves to hide that they are snooping.

“Text you later,” he tells me, and I nod, walking inside. I can feel the heat of his eyes until I’m out of sight, and only then it feels like I can breathe.

“Holy shit, girl! You just got asked out by the last bachelor in the MC! I’m so jealous of you.”

I giggle. “I can’t believe it myself.” I rub my chest where my heart is beating so fast.

One of the older married ladies walks up to me and hugs me. “You’re a beautiful girl. You deserve to go out and have fun. If you need a babysitter, I am more than willing.”

I hug her back, thankful I know some great people.

Chapter 2

Royal

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