Page 26 of Baby Me

“The way I see it, we’ll have time to get to know one another as the adults we are now. It’ll give us a stronger foundation to start on than when we were just two crazy, hormonal kids.”

I held her tighter and placed a kiss on the top of her head. It was unfortunate that she still over-processed her hair with all the dyes, but nothing could be done for that.

“Why didn’t you ever have kids?”

“The right man to have them with got away.” She shrugged as she insinuated that I was the one who should have fathered her children. I couldn’t and wouldn’t feel bad about that or the fact that I had my children with another woman. “My husband was a convenience and neither of us were too inclined to bring children into the mix.”

“Do you regret it?” I asked. “I’m guessing that ship has already sailed now.”

“There isn’t a chance for me to have them biologically any longer,” she admitted, though she didn’t seem too torn up over the fact.

“You good with that, or would you want to try for adoption or something?”

“No. I’m good with it. I made my peace years ago and I don’t mind having all that extra time with you. Call me selfish, but we waited this long to get our second chance, I want it to be just us.”

“I do still have grown kids and a grand baby in my life. So, it won’t always be just us.”

She tucked her head into my chest, so I couldn’t see her face, but there was no missing the way her body froze up for a second either. “Yeah, I know all that. It’s fine. It’s not like they’re around twenty-four-seven the way it would be if they were children.”

“That’s true.”

Chapter 12

Tripp - a month later

“Are you ready to celebrate with me tonight?” June asked as soon as I picked up her call.

“What are we celebrating?” I was going through recent receipts for the bar in the clubhouse as I waited for her to fill me in. It seemed like the men were drinking less these days. That in itself might have been worth celebrating if it didn’t feel like shit was about to hit the fan. That weird feeling in my gut was almost never wrong, and I’d learned to pay heed and keep aware when it hit me.

“Freedom,” June answered cryptically.

“Okay, I’ll be there in about an hour to get you.”

“Can we take one of your motorcycles?” She asked in such a deceptively sweet voice that I had to stop and think about it.

“You remember what I told you about being on the back of my bike?”

“I remember. I think it’s time.”

“But you’re still…”

She cut me off. “We’re celebrating my freedom tonight, Tripp.” It finally clued in what ‘freedom’ meant.

“How?”

June giggled. “He filed for divorce a month ago when I talked to him about it. He seemed happier than a clam to do it too.” That last bit had a bitter note to it, but that wasn’t something I’d get into over the phone with June.

“Okay, well wear some sturdy clothing then. Jeans, closed toe shoes, leather jacket if you have one. I’ll have to stop and grab a new helmet for you.”

“You don’t have an extra?”

“No. The only extra I keep laying around is for my daughter and she doesn’t share helmets ever.”

“I suppose, I can see her point there.”

“Be around in about an hour to pick you up.” I told her before hanging up. There was something about the way she said that last bit that made me tense. That same feeling in my gut hit me again. Something wasn’t right. It was possible that I was projecting that feeling onto something completely innocuous said by June, but it wasn’t something I was willing to ignore either.

When I threw my leg over my motorcycle and turned it on, I took a minute to imagine June on the back with me and my stomach knotted in on itself again. I wasn’t ready, but considering June had finally freed herself from the husband that was holding us back from taking our friendship to the relationship level, it was the least I could do.

---