I melted into him, feeling every inch of his words. I loved him too, more than I had loved anyone, except for my daughters. I’d never fallen out of love with him. It was because of my love that I had let him ride away with the Nomads, leaving me here to deal with my abusive father, my broken mother and to find Neal. The one who had posed as my knight in shining armour, only to reveal his true colours once I was pregnant and married to his ass.
“When are you gonna start calling me Sheridan Malone?” I whispered in his ear. It was meant to be a joke, but I foundmyself wanting him to say it would be soon. I needed him to want me as much as I wanted him.
He looked down into my eyes. “Don’t play, Sher. I’ll take you down to the clubhouse now and wake Butch to marry us right fucking now.”
I smiled, loving how much he wanted me, how much he would give me anything I asked. “Would that I could, babe. I’m still married sadly.”
“There’s a simple fix to that, Sher.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah, the second I get my hands on him, I’ll drive my knife through his chest, throw him in the lake and you’ll be declared a widow. I’ll have you nine ways to Sunday on the lakes’ edge, right after I say I do.”
“That shouldn’t make me so hot for you,” I laughed, kissing him.
“Ew!” I heard Ryleigh squeal as she came into the kitchen. We separated immediately, both of us smiling. “God, can’t you two keep it in your room?”
“Sorry, darlin’,” he said. “You hungry? I don’t have much in the house yet, but I can whip us up some bacon and eggs.”
“Actually, that sounds good,” Ryleigh said, sitting down at the table. “Are they as good as Shona’s?”
He rolled his eyes. “Better, darlin’. Call your sister down.”
Ryleigh sighed. “She’s on the phone with her friends. When she smells bacon, she’ll be down.”
Cooper laughed as he opened the fridge and pulled free the contents he needed.
“Need any help?” I called out.
“You sit,” he said, pointing at me with a spatula. “I got this.”
Ryleigh looked over at me with a smirk. “If he puts on a frilly apron, I’m outta here.”
I smacked her hand playfully, but all I wanted to see was my man in an apron and only an apron. I looked over at him, and he smirked at me as he caught me staring.
“Jesus,” Ryleigh said, annoyed at us. “Me and Shauna will be out of the house soon going to university. Can’t you two keep it in your pants until then?”
“How long until that happens?” Cooper asked.
“Two years,” I moaned in mock annoyance.
“Jesus, it’s gonna be a long two years.”
“You know what,” Ryleigh said, getting up in frustration. “Go at it on the kitchen bench, you can deliver my bacon and eggs to my room.”
I moved over to her, pulling her into a hug. She stiffened for a moment, before she hugged me back just as tight. Finally, she pulled away, and looked from me to Cooper.
“I still want breakfast in my room.”
Cooper and I both laughed as she stomped off to her room. I slid from the table and moved over to him at the stovetop. The sizzle of the bacon allowed my senses to kick in, and the smell overtook me. I was near drooling.
“This is great,” I said. “They don’t feel scared here. They finally feel free I think.”
“They were scared in his house?”
I nodded. “Yes.”
I saw the anger swell in his eyes and the tension in his shoulders returned. “Fuck I hate this guy.”