Page 39 of Nomad
“So, you will always go if they call?”
“Always.”
“A friend told me not all people who do what the law deems bad are bad people.” She kissed my chest. “I won’t say I won’t worry about you. But if you want me, Junior, and this little one inside me, I willing to make this work.
It took a minute to understand her words. Excitement, awe, and terror filled me. I sat up and a smile that could light the world on fire crossed her face. I couldn’t even speak the words. She nodded, grabbed my hand, and placed it on her stomach.
I was going to be a father.
I’d made a promise to one of my closest friends to take care of his family if he didn’t make it home. Although I didn’t expect to fall in love, I didn’t believe it was supposed to happen any other way. I loved Aaron like a brother, and I believed he would have wanted what was best for his family, no matter how we achieved that.
We loved each other, and that was all that mattered.
“I love you, my Angel.”
EPILOGUE
SANDMAN
“How many times do we have to go over this, Junior?” she snapped, and all I could do was sit back and laugh. “I said no.”
Junior was as stubborn as his mother and relentless, much like Aaron used to be. He’d ask her the same question over and over until he got the answer he wanted.
They’d been living here in Windhaven since March, and Junior had settled in, making tons of friends. His mother, not so much. She wasn’t trusting of the townspeople who thought she was crazy for shacking up with a biker. Her outrage was cute, although she didn’t need to stand up for me. But it was good having her in my corner ready to fight my battles if I needed her to. Not too many people had ever done that for me.
“Ma,” Junior said, exasperatedly tossing his hands in the air and bringing me out of my thoughts. “We’re going to the theater to watch the new horror flick, then we’re all staying a Stephen’s. I don’t see what the problem is.”
He’d been pleading with her since the beginning of the week to hang out with his friends this weekend.
“Of course, you wouldn’t, Junior.” She rubbed her temples, stress covering her face. “I don’t know who this Stephen is, Junior. That’s the problem.”
“William, can you please help me out?” Junior asked.
“His father works at the garage, Angel,” I chimed in.
Junior gave me a thankful expression. I believed he was old enough and responsible enough to hang out with his friends for a weekend. And Jade needed a break. Junior staying over with friends would give her some time to rest. Junior was a good kid. He did everything me and his mother asked him to around the house and in school. My angel believed Junior was growing up too fast. She wanted to shelter him from the gossip of the town, and the world, but a boy his age needed to get out and be around other boys his age, not under his mother all the time.
I knew this conversation had more to do with her anxiousness with the baby than Junior hanging out with his friends. I wrapped my arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer to me, kissing her on the head. I loved when her body relaxed against me. After all this time, it still amazed me, I had my family with me. With me killing Samuel Allen, it could have ended a lot differently between us. I thanked the Big Man upstairs every day for what he'd blessed me with, and I sure as hell didn’t take it for granted.
“Because you know him, William, doesn’t mean anything.” She peered up at me through her long lashes. “I don’t know him.”
“What if I introduce you to Hogan, his father? Then will you consider letting him go?”
She sighed. “Yes, I will.”
“Yes!” Junior did a fist pump.
“Junior don’t wake the baby,” Jade scolded.
“Sorry, Ma.” He rushed out the room, up the stairs.
“Thanks.”
“For what, Angel?”
“For being there for him, for us.”
“No place I rather be.”
