Page 17 of A Christmas Surprise for the Biker

“Let’s go find, Momma,” I whisper against the crown of his little head as I carry him back to the kitchen, where Braelynn is waiting with a bottle.

“Here, babe,” Braelynn says, handing me a fresh bottle. “You're getting good at that,” she adds softly.

“I've got a good teacher,” I admit.

Brae smiles as she follows me into the living room and curls up on the couch beside me as I settle in to feed Ry. The last few days have been much like this—us, together with Ry, figuring out parenting together. She’s definitely had a head start, but with her help, I’m catching up.

“So,” I start, breaking the silence. “I was thinking we could go check out my office today. What do you think?”

Braelynn lifts her head, her eyes curious. “Your office?” she asks.

I nod. “Yeah, babe. Told you, I was a bounty hunter before I went inside. You’ve seen the stuff in Ry’s room,” I remind her. “The office I work out of is downstairs. Part of my parole is getting back to work, so I want to get shit up and running.”

She sits up straighter, her interest piqued. “I know, I just sort of assumed that wasn’t an option anymore.”

“Had a good lawyer, and it was part of the deal I took before I was sentenced.”

“Oh,” she says thoughtfully.

I shift Ryder to my shoulder and start to pat his back. “I've been thinking about starting it back up. It's good money, and it's something I'm good at.”

Braelynn tips her head to the side. “Is it dangerous?”

“It can be,” I admit. “But I know what I'm doing. And… I was hoping maybe you could help out.”

Her brow pops up. “Me? How?”

“Well, there's a lot of paperwork involved. Bookkeeping, filing, that kind of shit. You're smart, organized. I thought maybe you'd be interested in running the office side of things.”

I watch as she processes what I’ve said. “You'd trust me with that?”

“Babe.” I reach out and tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. “Wouldn’t have you here if I didn’t trust you.” Brae’s loyalty is one thing I know I don’t have to worry about. She’s always been solid.

She leans into my touch, a smile spreading across her face. “I'd like that. To help out, I mean.”

I grin, pulling her in for a quick kiss. “Good. We can head over after breakfast and check things out.” It’s going to be the biggest fucking hurdle, getting shit up and running again. I’m a fucking felon now, and that’s going to make it hard getting my foot back in the doors I used to be in. Not to mention I can’t legally carry anymore.

After we eat and get Ryder ready for the day, we head downstairs to my office. It's nothing fancy, but it served its purpose. I unlockthe door and step inside, flicking on the lights. There’s a thin layer of dust covering everything, but otherwise, it's just as I left it. “Well, this is it,” I say, turning to gauge Brae’s reaction.

She looks around with wide eyes, taking it all in. “It's... something,” she says diplomatically.

I can't help but chuckle. “I know, it needs to be cleaned up, but it’s functional for what I needed it for.”

She nods, a smile tugging at her lips. “Definitely needs some cleaning, a fresh coat of paint wouldn’t hurt either.”

She moves around the space, Ryder cradled against her chest. When she stops at my desk, she runs her fingers over the dusty surface. “It’s dusty, but it’s kinda cool in here.”

“Once things are finalized, I’ll be on the road a lot,” I say, coming up behind her and pointing to a smaller desk in the corner, “But if you want it, that could be yours.”

She turns to face me, her eyes shining. “Yeah. I want it. I want to pull my weight.”

I wrap my arms around her, careful not to squish Ryder between us. “You already contribute more than you know, baby. But I'm glad you want to be a part of this too.”

The next couple of hours are spent getting the office cleaned and put back into a semblance of working order.

Once it’s to Brae’s liking, I switch on the computer and show her the filing systems and scheduling software. She’s got an eye for organization, something I already knew about her. Her closet back in Jacksonville was something else. “I think a couple of days going through all this stuff and cataloging it into spreadsheets will make finding information a lot quicker.”

“Whatever you say.” I chuckle. She’s clearly in her element with all this shit. As long as it works for her, I don’t care what she does with it all.

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