Page 9 of In It for the Long Ride

I snorted. “Instead, he thought you were making moves with his ol’ lady behind his back?”

Carl nodded. “He calmed down after a time. But, yeah… It was rough for a minute.”

The rumble of laughter that followed, left me staring at him.

“That isn’t funny. It isn’t something that family or friends would do… You realize this, yes?”

He looked away, as he always did when I started bitching about the club.

“I’m gonna take the boy to fish. We don’t have to eat it tonight, but it would mean we didn’t have to go to the store until tomorrow. I ain’t got no supplies out here. Hell, I don’t even know if there is toothpaste or soap in that washroom, to be honest.”

I glanced at the door he’d indicated and nodded in understanding.

“Out there in the shed are a couple fishing rods. Why don’t you go get those for us, Bud?” he told Blaze.

“Carl,” I called, just as he moved to exit the cabin.

He held the screen door open with his fingertips and looked back at me.

“Thanks,” I whispered, suddenly unable to find my voice.

He smiled and gave a small nod, “Anything for you, Doll.”

Chapter 5

Montana

Blaze darted backtoward the porch with two crappies in hand while I trailed after him with our poles.

“Aunt Daisy, Aunt Daisy look!” he cried, leaving the screen door to slap shut behind him.

I washed my hands at the sink after I put everything away and marveled over the way she handled him. She always was good with the boy. For a moment I stood there with my back to them, while my thoughts jogged down a few lanes of what ifs.

I jerked a paper towel off the roll and dried my hands, flashing a quick smile to her when our eyes met.

“What?” She hiked a brow, her voice taking an edge.

“Nothing, woman. Damn.” I laughed. “Why do you always sound confrontational? I was just thinking you’d have been a great mother.”

Daisy’s eyes turned cold, and her face instantly became unreadable. She made a throaty sound that might have been a grunt and took Blaze’s hand.

“Come on, B Man. Time for a bath.” She sighed and led the boy toward the bathroom.

I sat at the table and watched as she fried the fish after running Blaze’s water and fetching him a towel.

My mind was running laps. I couldn’t run and hide now. I helped raise Oakland. Shit, I was at the hospital the day Eric was born. Chef gave me a cigar that announced the baby was a boy that afternoon. I still had it in my lock box with all my other cherished memories.

How would I live with myself if I let Daisy lead me away while they took the fall?

I rubbed my face and groaned as she set a plate down in front of me.

“Thanks,” I grunted, just as Blaze scrambled in and hopped onto his seat at the other end of the table.

His arrival was so violent the chair tipped back, but he flailed his arms and righted himself without a hint of concern on his little features. One might have thought that was how he always came to the table.

Daisy snorted and I realized I was staring and scowling at the boy.

“You never shared space with a small child before, huh, Carl?”

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