Page 17 of Protected By the Biker

Max

Three Months Later

I never thought I’d be the kind of guy who took paternity leave, but here I am, holding my baby girl against my chest while I ignore every other responsibility piling up around me.

“You excited to go back to work tomorrow?” Collette rubs my shoulders from behind. “Outlaw said he’s stopping by later with some kind of case. That’s exciting.”

“It’s funny, bounty hunting was my whole life three months ago. Now I don’t want to leave.”

“We don’t want you to leave either.” She kisses the back of my neck, spreading warm, wet heat across my skin. I’m going to miss this. No stress. No worries. Just Collette, Maddy, and I. “You can still stop home for lunch, though, and I’ll have dinner waiting for you when you get home.”

“You don’t have to do that. I want you rested, not waiting on me. You’re busy with the baby, anyway. I’ll cook for you.”

She laughs. “I’m not sending you out into the world to work all day and not have dinner waiting when you get home.”

“I appreciate it, but I’m not going to have you doing everything around here.” I stand from the rocker and turn toward her. “Outlaw is rolling up. I’m going to talk to him for a bit. Can we finish this conversation later?”

She nods her head, takes the baby, and tips up onto her toes for a kiss. “She needs a nap, anyway. I love you.”

“Love you more.”

This is what life has been since the wedding, sweet and peaceful. I’ve never been happier. We made it official right here on the ranch with the guys from the MC and a few close family members. It was small and simple, but that’s what Collette wanted. Her mom even came around when she found out I kicked the shit out of her ex and sent him back to Wyoming. Turns out, even the kindest folks can respect some well-deserved violence.

I step out onto the porch and return to my rocking chair, gliding it back and forth slowly as I harmonize with the squeak the old girl has been giving off for years.

Outlaw is slow getting off his bike. He’s been quiet lately, which scares me. At first, I thought he was giving me space given the wedding and subsequent birth of the baby, but as time went on, I realized something isn’t right.

He swings one leg over the top of the bike and steps toward the house, one heavy boot at a time. He’s a big guy, muscular and covered in tattoos. We all are, but he’s especially built. Outlaw’s expectation is that every bounty could end with a sprint or a street fight, and he trains hard for everything in between.

Survival is what he calls it.

“Hey, long time.” He climbs up the front steps and holds out his hand. “How’s the baby?”

“Good. Crazy she’s three months old already.”

“Crazy you have a baby.” He laughs. “You like fatherhood?”

“Ah, so far so good. I haven’t dropped her on her head, so that’s a plus. Figure the real mistakes don’t happen until she’s older, anyway. Maybe around thirteen when she starts talking about boys… that’s going to be tough.”

Outlaw laughs and leans back in the rocker next to me. “Yup. I don’t envy you. I’ve made it this long without kids. I can go another thirty years.”

“It’s a lot better than I ever thought it would be, even the shitty diapers. She’s just so damn cute.”

“You’re drunk right now. Have you been sleeping?” he jokes. “Kidding, man. I’m happy for you. How’s Collette feeling? I heard a few details from the delivery, and it sounds pretty scary.”

“Yeah, we were walking down by the river and the baby just came.” I shrug. “Call it mother nature or whatever but she just started having contractions, bent down, pushed once, and Maddy was here. I took her to the hospital—”

“On your bike?” He laughs.

“That’s funny, but no. In the truck, and thankfully everything was fine.”

“You’re definitely different.” He stares forward as he says, “This isn’t going to affect work, is it?”

I want to throw him a ‘fuck off,’ or a vehement ‘no,’ but truthfully, I don’t know. I never thought a baby could do this to me, but I feel softer. Suddenly, I don’t want to put myself in reckless situations. I want to protect my family and work a nine to five somewhere with a good retirement plan.

“No. It’s not going to affect my work. I’m excited to be getting back.”

“You’re full of shit.”

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