Page 13 of Claim Me

“I can get a bowl of cereal.”

“But I need practice for my restaurant,” Chef whines in that overly dramatic “I’m about to flip out” way kids get.

“Do you know how to make eggs?” I ask when I think she might cry.

Chef bounces on her heels. “I can make you an omelet.”

“Is Dot around?” I call after the kids when they run off. “Should I supervise?”

When they don’t answer, I follow after them. Tack cuts me off and sends Bear to watch the kids in the kitchen.

Once we’re alone, Tack insists, “I can’t imagine you said anything so bad to Siobhan that you need to hide out. Are you sure you aren’t overreacting?”

“I can’t talk to you because you talk to Hunter and she talks to Siobhan.”

“Hunter has kept your feelings secret for months,” he says and then softens his tone. “You don’t always read shit right. You thought Siobhan still wanted Sync, but Hunter swears she doesn’t. Between the two of you, I’m bound to believe Siobhan’s bestie over her stalker.”

“You were a stalker,” I mutter back.

“Yeah, and I won my woman. Let’s see about doing that for you.”

Sighing, I step back. “I don’t want to be strong or face facts or deal with consequences. I want to be a fucking bitch and hide out here where I can disappear into the chaos. Why can’t I do that? What’s the benefit of acting like an adult right now?”

“You might be reading shit wrong with Siobhan.” Tack’s expression shifts based on whatever he sees on my face. “It can’t be that bad.”

“I had my shot, and I fucked up. I don’t get a do-over, and she won’t want to be my friend. This isn’t you and Hunter. It’s not Bear and Natasha. It’s just over. I failed. If it was you who wanted to hide, I’d let you.”

Tack’s resolve cracks when I spell things out for him. I’m not one of these fucked up kids with their whole lives ahead of them to get things right. I’m thirty-three. I can’t do much more than ride with the Backcountry Kings. I was never going to win Siobhan’s heart or help her raise her girls. That was all a fantasy I built up and Tack encouraged.

Now, the truth is clear. Why shouldn’t I learn to accept what the rest of my life will feel like? A real friend would realize hassling me isn’t helpful.

Tack and Bear are great friends. That’s why they both stick around through my omelet, talking about stuff unrelated to my fuckup.

When they leave, there are no lectures or guilt trips. Tack says he’ll bring the dogs up tomorrow. I watch them ride off as I stand on Caveman’s front porch. The three kids join me, offering a distraction from the ugly realization of the dream I destroyed.

SIOBHAN

Indigo doesn’t return to the farm. I hear from Hunter how Tack drove the dogs and a suitcase of clothes up north to Caveman’s house.

Choosing not to ask any follow-up questions, I figure she’d share additional information if she thought it was important. Mostly, I fear if I seem too curious, I’ll give away what happened. So far, only Mom and Dad know.

Rather than obsess about Indigo, I try to focus on my life. I can’t stop being a mom or working a job just because of my crazy, sexy twenty minutes with Indigo. I still have responsibilities. I’m not planning to hide, even if he does.

As days spill into weeks, I struggle to keep his name out of my head. From time to time, people mention him around the clubhouse. One night, when the place is filled with only club guys and the loose women looking to get a taste, Scarecrow announces Indigo might be switching chapters.

“Fuck that,” Zoot snarls.

His dark eyes flash toward me as if he knows I’m the reason trouble has come to the club.

“Have you talked to him?” I ask my uncle.

“I texted him to say he deserves better than Caveman. He replied with ‘okay.’ I assume that means he’ll be back soon. No reason to ride up to the hills when I know he’s not staying there.”

Zoot’s certainty ought to make me feel better. I wish Indigo would come back. Not only because I feel guilty for upsetting him, but I also want to see him again. Everything happened so fast at the clubhouse. I never got a chance to think. I’d very much like Indigo to stand in front of me again while my wits are about me.

Mostly, I’m curious if we can make something real between us. I’ve longed to share my bed with a man who looked at me like Indigo did before everything went wrong. I feel like I lost more than a chance at a great adventure.I might have lost the love of my life.

“What?” Sync asks when I arrive at his house to pick up the girls after they’ve spent time with their dad. “What’s got you pouting?”

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