Page 35 of Faking it with the Bad Boy Bikers

Stephanie had full on leaned away from me. She turned her sights on Woodrow. “What about you, Woody? Do you come from a big family?”

“I was raised in a cult.” Woodrow spit the words out and shot the woman a dark grin. “One of the really awful ones.”

I let out a bark of laughter, amazed Stephanie had been able to get Woodrow to open up just by coming onto him. He was willing to share his worst trauma to get her nails away from him, it seemed.

“Oh…” She turned to Henry. “Um… What about you?”

Henry’s grin was slow but it stretched wide. “Was I in a cult? Or were my parents murdered?”

“You know what? I just remember I told my momma I’d swing by her house for dinner.” Stephanie smiled at Ms. Vivian. “Thank you for inviting me to dinner, Vivian. I wish I could stay.”

We were all quiet as she practically ran out of the house. When the door slammed shut, Ms. Vivian let out a loud laugh. “Thank goodness. I was about to admit to committing a murder myself if it meant she’d get out of here faster. Good job, boys.”

“Wait. Were you just saying that to get rid of Stephanie or were you really raised in a cult?” Nellie’s eyes were laser focused on Woodrow.

“I was raised in a cult. In Australia. My Dad rescued me when I was ten and brought me to the US. It wasn’t as awful as you’re imagining, judging by your face. Mostly it was one man convincing a lot of lost women he was the way to enlightenment. If I’d been older, there would’ve been issues, but he wasn’t threatened by a scrawny ten-year-old.” Woodrow shrugged. “My Dad saved me. With a little therapy and time, I’ve turned out just fine. I mean, look at me. I’m great.”

I snorted. “Don’t get carried away.”

“The relationships like my sister’s…Do they bother you?” Nellie’s question betrayed the secret thoughts in her head. She could say whatever she wanted but it was clear the thought of thethree of us in a relationship with her wasn’t the scariest thing she could imagine.

“Nope. Even if I couldn’t tell that your sister and her men are crazy about each other,equally, it’s different because it’s Vera with three men. Maybe if it was one man and three women, I’d feel differently, but it’s not.” He lowered his voice and smiled at Nellie. “Were you asking for personal reasons, Nell?”

Ms. Vivian gasped and then fanned herself with her napkin. “Wow. Just…wow. I think I missed something while I was away. I just hope my grandmother’s couch made it out unscathed.”

Nellie’s entire head had to be the shade of a ripe tomato. Her ears looked like they were hot enough to cook an egg on. Her mouth opened and closed in a flapping motion as she struggled to figure out what to say.

Henry wiped his mouth with his cloth napkin and smirked. “Nell was very clear we weren’t allowed outside of a bedroom.”

“Oh, good. I always knew you were my favorite for a reason, Nellie.” Ms. Vivian cleared her throat and looked over at Waylan, who was still lost in her own world while scribbling away. “Waylan? Are you ready for dessert?”

Waylan lifted her head and looked around, almost surprised. “Huh?”

Nellie shook off her embarrassment and ran her hand over Waylan’s hair. The curls sprang back to life as soon as her hand passed over them. “What are you drawing, baby?”

Waylan held up her piece of paper and I felt like I’d been punched in the gut. There, scribbled roughly in pen, was a very clear picture of Waylan hugging me. She huffed. “I’m not done yet.”

Nellie, the previous conversation forgotten, was one hundred percent proud momma as she watched her daughter. An onslaught of memories from my own childhood hit me. I’d seenmy mother look at me that way hundreds of times. It was all too much.

“I’ve got paperwork to finish at the station.” I ignored all of their imploring looks and left the table as fast as I could without actually running.

CHAPTER 28

Nellie

What was I doing? I glanced at the baby monitor I’d set up so I could hear if Waylan stirred in our room. It was past midnight but Seth hadn’t come back from the station yet. Despite Henry and Woodrow trying to cover for him, I could tell something was wrong. He’d stared at that drawing and then at me, and then he’d sprinted away like his ass was on fire. So, I was standing outside of Ms. Vivian’s house like an idiot and waiting for him.

The night was chilly and the thin jacket I’d pulled on wasn’t cutting it. My nose ached from the cold. I was just about to give up and go inside when a dark figure seemed to form out of nowhere, coming from the direction of the station. I straightened and tightened my arms around myself. It was him.

He stopped at the edge of the driveway and studied me. Whatever he saw made him swear and move towards me fast, his long legs eating up the distance between us.

I swallowed a nervous lump in my throat and forced myself to stay exactly where I was even as he practically charged at me. “Your bike.”

He yanked open Beatrix’s back door and gripped the back of my neck. “Too loud. Get in, Nell.”

I didn’t so much get in as I was put in the backseat. I crawled across to make room for him and then he was there, closed in the dark with me, his hands on my hips. He dragged me into his lap with my knees on either side of his hips and then he clasped my hands between his big hands.

“Waylan?”

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