Page 19 of Devil

“It wasn’t me. I voted for flames on the tank. Coast did all the pink.”

“Coast looked disappointed when Mac didn’t get to stay.” Lance shifted to straddle the bench facing me.

“Yeah, I think he was looking forward to spending time with her. Too bad she got called no sooner than she got out of her car.”

“She will be disappointed at what she missed, but then again, she left to bring a little person into the world.”

“You looking forward to starting work at her practice?”

I smiled. “Yes. I worried at first because of leaving my mom alone at the bakery so soon.But today helped to ease that worry,” I looked over at the table where my mom sat with Romeo and the other dads. She was laughing at something one of them said, “Watching her have fun for the first time in a long while, especially when in the beginning, we didn’t know if she would make it through everything, made for an outstanding day.”

“I’m sorry, Bay, for not being there,” Lance said, and all I could do wasnod. He reached out and pushed a piece of hair that had escaped my ponytail away from my face. Lance studied my face and his brows creased, then he stood.

“Something wrong?” I looked up at him, and he held his hand out for me to take.

“It’s time.”

“Time?”

“Yeah, it’s time for you to get an explanation. Let’s go down by the lake.” I nodded and took his hand and stood.

“I need to check on my mom first. Make sure she is good to wait for me to get back.” Lancenodded,and we walked to the table my mom sat at.

“Mom, Lance and I are going to walk down to the lake. Are you good until I get back or if not—” I didn’t get to finish before Romeo cut me off.

“You kids go ahead. I’ll take Claire home when she gets tired or is ready to leave. We,” Romeo waved his hand at the other men at the table, which included Sami’s dad and brother, “are going down to Soft Tails later so I can drop her off then.” Romeo turned to my mom who sat beside him. “You good riding on the back of my bike? If not, it isn’t a problem, I will take you in my truck.”

“I haven’t ridden on the back of a bike in years. It should be fun. Go ahead, Bailey. I’ll be fine and that way you don’t have to hurry or rush home. Enjoy yourself for a change,” she said and smiled at me.

“Are you sure?”

“Positive.” My stomach might have rolled with Lance’s ‘it’s time’ because I didn’t know what he was going to say or if I was ready to hear it. But my mom enjoying herself had me smiling back at her.

“Okay, I won’t be too late.” Lance and I started to walk away.

“You’re an adult, Bailey. You can stay out as long as you want. Just text if you aren’t coming home!” my motheryelled,and the men at the table chuckled. Lance squeezed myhand,and I didn’t even answer or turn around, I just waved over my head and kept on walking. We passed the others as they watched Ally ride her bike. We didn’t stop, we only waved and the expressions on their faces varied from uncertainty to worry to knowledge. None made me feel any better.

Lance shook out the blanket we’d grabbed from his house and laid it down on the ground. He sat and then held out hishand,and when I placed mine in his, he helped me lower to the blanket. Once I was seated, he moved and positioned himself behind me and leaned against the tree. When he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me back against his chest, I felt seventeen again. I realized then I missed this, the closeness to him that had been built when we were younger. Hell, I plain missed him.

Neither of us had spoken on the way to the lake nor in the time since we arrived. Lance wanted to talk withme,and I guess he would when he was ready. While I waited, I looked out across the water and listened to the sounds of nature around us. Lance and I had done exactly this on more than one occasion that it felt familiar yet somehow not.

“You warm enough, Bay?” Lance asked as he bent forward and placed his chin on my shoulder.

“Yes, I’m fine. The breeze actually feels nice. Lance?”

“Yeah?”

“What’s this about? Why did you bring me here to talk?” I couldn’t hold out any longer, the need to know what was going on with him won out. He leaned back against the tree again and pulled me even closer as I literally laid against his chest, his arms wrapped around me with his hands resting on my stomach. I felt his chest rise and fall against my back. When he sighed, I tried to turn around to facehim,but his arms tightened stopping me.

“Don’t, Bailey. Let me talk and when I’m done, then if you want to look at me you can. Okay?”

“Why wouldn’t I want to look at you?”

“Bailey,” hesaidand sighed again.

“Fine, but now you have me a little scaredofwhat you’re going to say.”

“Christ.”

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