Page 55 of Faking it with the Bad Boy Bikers

“Mom? Aren’t you going to tell the pack you love them?” Waylan stared up at me with her head cocked to the side, the answer so obvious to her.

Again, Henry came to my rescue. “You can’t rush someone into saying they love you, Way. Even if you know they do.”

Mills grumbled. “Arrogant much?”

Vera elbowed him. “Shut up. It’s so sweet. They love her. She’s going to stay forever because they’re staying forever and now I have my sister back!”

“Can I stay with the pack?” Waylan curled her lip up while studying my brothers. “Or do you need me to come with you?”

I couldn’t miss the flinch of pain which crossed Mills’ face. Knowing I couldn’t let Waylan think the worst of her uncles, I knelt in front of her. “Baby, your uncles aren’t bad guys. They’re my brothers and that means that sometimes we fight. Like how you and Papa Jack fight. You still love Papa Jack and he’s still a good boy, even if he makes you mad and you scare him with pickles. We came to Devil’s Den so you can have a bigger family. These are your uncles and I think you should come with me tonight to get to know them.”

“But, the pack—”

“We’ll go back to Ms. Vivian’s tonight so you can be with the pack.” I stroked her cheeks. “I love you, Way. So much. You’re the best thing that ever happened to me, you know?”

She stuck her tongue out and pretended to gag. “Fine, Mom. I’ll go with you. I love you, too. You owe me two ice creams, though.”

“We have ice cream at the ranch, kid.” Mills snorted. “A long time ago, your Mom looked just like you and demanded more than her fair share of ice cream, too.”

Waylan crossed her arms. “Who’s to say what’s a fair share?”

CHAPTER 43

Nellie

Without a buffer, things were awkward between me and my big brothers. Waylan had spotted Maxie taking a bunch of apples into the barn and had sprinted after her when I mentioned she was probably taking a snack to the horses. In a competition between me and horses, I would lose every time. So, it was just me sitting across from Mills, Tate, and West, wondering why I’d come.

West was the most laid back out of the three of them and he couldn’t seem to hold back a smirk as he looked between me and Mills. “Well, hell.”

Mills glared at him. “Shut up, asshole.”

I sighed, concerned we’d made a mistake in thinking we could be siblings again. Things were too different. “Maybe I should go.”

“No!” Mills winced and held up his hands. “Sorry. I just… I don’t want us to keep fighting. Do you think we can start over?”

“If you can reserve your judgment for the moments I deserve it, then yes.” I looked between the three of them. “You have the same faces as the brothers I grew up obsessed with but I don’t know you at all. We’re all adults now and it feels like it’s too late to get to know each other now.”

Tate leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. “What happened after we left for the service, Nellie? I know what we were told and I’ve heard a version of the truth since you returned but I want to hear it in your own words.”

“Which is what we should’ve asked for on day one.” Mills shook his head. “That’s on me. Mom and Dad told us you went off on some bullshit about hating the ranch and the way we lived. They told us you’d told them you were moving onto bigger and better things. They seemed so upset whenever your name cameup that I just believed you’d hurt them. I let that determine how I welcomed you home and I’m sorry for that. Seems I was wrong.”

“You were dead wrong.” I sniffed but managed to keep the tears at bay. “After you left, they just got colder and colder towards me. Vera, too. Maxie never stepped a foot out of line so she stayed in their favor. But me? It was like no matter what I did, they hated it. I wasn’t a bad kid. I believed I was back then but I know better now. If I got a ninety-eight on a test, the reason I hadn’t gotten a perfect score was because I was out partying. If I worked the ranch, it was because I was after one of the ranch hands.”

“Jesus.” West growled. “You were a kid. Those hands were in their thirties.”

“I made one mistake. A mistake I’d make a million times over because it got me Waylan, but it was one mistake. I lost my virginity and got knocked up and dumped all in one go. It was like Mom and Dad had the excuse they’d been looking for to finally get rid of me.” I ran my hands over my thighs as the old shame crept in. “They were smiling at me for the first time in years. I thought for a second they were excited about the baby. I was so stupid.”

“They made you leave.” Tate scowled. “Why? They could’ve done a million different things. They could’ve sent you to us. We had a place by then. They could’ve sent you to Steve. That man would’ve murdered the town for you.”

“I still would’ve been in their world. Instead, they kicked me out with nothing and no one. I was homeless for a few months. Homeless and pregnant and so fucking scared I’m not sure I slept until Virginia took me home.”

“I can’t understand why they did it.” Mills stood up and paced. “They were good to us. They were brilliant as parents. What the fuck happened?”

Maxie’s voice startled us all. She’d managed to join our little meeting without making a sound. “You weren’t Dad’s.”

She gripped her hands together in front of her so tightly I was worried she’d snap her fingers. I looked behind her for Waylan but didn’t see her.

“She’s in the barn with Jolene. I came in to ask if it’s okay that she rides. But…” She frowned. “I was there with Mom in the end. She decided to unburden herself to me.Onme. She cheated on Dad. They weren’t sure about Vera but she knew for sure you weren’t Dad’s.”

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