Page 83 of The MC's Surprise
“Event planner,” I replied.
He snorted, looking around the rally. “I guess I should have thought of that. She’s got skills. Think she’d be willing to try again? I bet a lot of businesses around here would be interested her in expertise.”
My brows furrowed. Maybe that was the key. Sierra saw the way her business ended as a failure. She refused to acknowledge that she was sabotaged. Maybe if she could see for herself what people thought of her work, she’d realize that she was better than good at what she did. Everything she touched got better. The animal shelter, the park, our club reputation. Maybe she needed to see it for herself.
Turning to Prez, I said, “I think I’m gonna need your help on this one. I want to get this right.”
His smile was full of pride as he gripped my shoulder. “Whatever you need, brother. I’ve got your back.”
With Prez’s help,we made a few phone calls and set up some meetings for that same evening. I also contacted Sierra’s mom to extend our time away so I could take Sierra on a drive. I met Sierra right as she was handing Melanie off to her mom, hovering as she explained everything to her.
“There’s a little cooler part in the diaper bag that holds the bottle in case she gets hungry. Or you can call me. I’ll come right back. And we packed extra diapers and a spare outfit. Don’t keep her out in the sunshine too long. I’m worried she’ll get sunburned. Do you think I should–”
Noelle laughed, shaking her head at her daughter. “I’d be offended if I didn’t remember doing the same thing to my own mother. I’ve got her, sweetie. I raised you without any issue. I can handle my grandbaby. Me and her are just going to the cafe to relax. It’s quiet in there and I want to show her off to Darlene and Ruth. I’ll text you updates whenever you need them. Go enjoy the show with your man and take a breather. It’s good for you to take care of each other too.”
I didn’t take Sierra’s reluctance to heart. It was almost impossible to walk away from the two of them that morning. I got it. Still, I wrapped my arm around her waist, leading her away from her mom and toward where Circus’s show would be at. Sierra glanced over her shoulder a few times, but once Noelle disappeared into the cafe and was out of sight, she sighed.
“I don’t want to be a helicopter mom, but I don’t want her out of my sight either.”
I chuckled, pressing a kiss to her hair. “I know, sweetheart. I feel the same way. But you know she’s safe with your mom and we won’t be gone long. An hour. Two tops.”
Her brows furrowed as she looked up at me. “Why would we need to be gone two hours? His show isn’t that long, is it?”
Prez and I agreed that it was better not to tell her the plan until it was already in motion to avoid her making excuses not to go. Instead, I improvised.
“I was hoping to take you on a ride. You said you wanted to before. I figured if we stuck close, stayed in town, you’d be close enough to Melanie and still get to enjoy it.”
She bit her lip, and I could see the conflict in her eyes. She wanted to go, but she also wanted to get back to our kid. I was so damn happy she was such a good mom. When I eventually went back to the casino, I knew my kid would be okay as long as she was with her mama.
“Just a short ride?” she hedged.
I nodded once, making an ‘x’ with my finger over my heart like Gracie taught me when making a promise. “Cross my heart, gorgeous. Just a short drive around town.”
She looked back over her shoulder in the direction of the cafe, then back at me. So I gave her my best pout, batting my eyes and looking at her through my lashes. It did the trick because she burst out laughing.
“No! Not the pout! Anything but that!” She fake reeled, covering her eyes. I drew her back into my arms, grinning at her when she peeked through her fingers. Her eyes were dancing and she obviously was just playing along, but I was pretty sure it put her at ease.
“Alright, alright, I give. We’ll go for a ride. But I get first dibs on Melanie when we get back.”
“Whatever you need, sweetheart. I’ll just hold you both.”
49
Sierra
While it gave me a little anxiety to be away from my baby for the first time, Circus’s show was a blast. He did things I didn't think were possible on a bike. At one point, he pulled the bike onto one wheel and spun it in a pirouette before landing back on two wheels without breaking himself or his bike. I heard Mel next to me let out a sigh of relief when he landed safely. I hadn’t realized I’d also been holding my breath until he drove past with a big smile and my shoulders relaxed.
Justin cupped his hands around his mouth, cheering for his friend. I smiled up at him, enjoying not just the show, but watching Justin support his friend with such gusto, I was surprised he could speak afterward. All the crew was doing the same thing and the kids were lined up at the fence, waving and calling out his name.
As I looked around, I saw more than just our crew. There were the visiting crews, a few of which had guys taking part in this show later on, but there were also people I recognized from around town. They all looked excited, taking picturesand cheering. Honestly this was the event I worried about the most. It embodied the loud and bad influence ideas. But Circus came up with a work around for that. There were signs posted everywhere saying the stunts were done by professionals and should not be done at home, and the emcee for the event reminded the crowd often that these tricks were risky and shouldn’t be done by anyone who wasn’t a professional. I hoped it helped with the more uptight crowds.
After Circus was done, Justin took my hand, tugging it lightly. “Come on. Let’s go for a ride.”
There were more people there doing stunts, but I’d always intended to head back to meet my mom after Circus was finished. I didn't mind leaving early. I let Justin lead me to his bike, hand in hand, and when we stopped in front of it, I felt a bubble of excitement in my gut.
The prospect watching the bikes was Riggs. He was the quiet and intimidating one, which made him good security. Not that we expected any trouble, but there was still that crew causing issues in town and the cops hanging around. It made sense to have someone watching over their stuff.
Vegas greeted him with an upnod, but didn’t stop to chat. He grabbed his helmet, then offered me a spare that he stole from Butch’s saddlebags. When I raised an eyebrow at him, he grinned.
