Page 19 of Ask Your Mom If I'm Real

I was leaving my abusive father with a man I barely knew.

I felt somewhat crazy for making this rash decision.

Yet, in my soul, I knew it was the right one.

I knew the man standing in front of me would protect me forever.

I also knew that I loved him.

I knew that it was stupid.

I’d only known him for a few short hours, yet…it felt like I’d known him forever. We’d had an instant connection the moment our eyes locked across the bar top.

I wasn’t supposed to be there that day.

In fact, I knew if my father had caught me, he’d hurt me.

He hated having me in the bar.

He hated even more that my brother consistently ‘allowed’ me in there to cover for him.

He hated most of all when I had my own money to buy things, and didn’t need to rely on him to buy me things. That way he couldn’t force me to do his bidding.

The moment Dixie had introduced himself, a feeling of utter peace had washed over me.

Like I’d known him in hundreds of other past lives, and we’d finally made our way back to each other.

The pure contentment that I felt being around him was enough to make me draw a full breath.

I hadn’t felt peace like what he gave me ever in my life.

“Blue or red, darlin’?” the man in front of me asked.

I looked at the helmets, then looked at him. “What do you suggest?”

He pointed at a helmet, then a pair of goggles. “This is what most of us wear. But you’re a tiny little thing, so I think you might be a little more comfortable in one of these kid ones.”

I smiled, then turned back to the helmets.

“Let’s try them on, shall we?” I asked as I reached for it.

When I looked at it, wondering how best to get it on, Dixie reached and took it out of my hands, placing it on my head for me.

I giggled when it slipped forward, covering my eyes.

“The goggles will help keep it in place, but not that much,” he mused as he took it off and tried the next one.

He did this for a solid ten minutes before we both found the perfect one.

When we paid for it, and we were once again at the bike, he pulled me to him and reached into the paper sack to pull the helmet out.

This time when the helmet slid into place, I couldn’t help the beaming smile that overtook my face.

He cupped the massive helmet once it was on my head, then leaned forward until his mouth was close to mine.

“Can I kiss you, Mary?” he asked.

I swallowed, butterflies overtaking my belly.

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