Page 11 of My Three S**y Bikers

Melinda rushed in for a hug, not accepting the hand Erin had stretched out for a handshake.

“Easy, tiger. I’m holding this little fellow. Lucky, go dump the baby chair in the room to the far left. Next to mine.”

“Yes, ma’am!” I saluted her and took the seat and case upstairs, though I could have gotten one of the guys to do it.

I turned as I reached halfway up the stairs, wondering what this little lady had done to me.

She had me running around her like a puppy dog, but it was as if she wasn’t used to anyone helping her or even taking care of her.

This was all I wanted to do.

Or was it?

6

MELINDA

I’d only been here for a week, and everyone had been so generous, especially Erin. She said it was nice to have another girl in the house instead of being stuck with all these men.

I called Bridget to tell her what had happened, and she was so apologetic about it. She’d tried to help me, though. I couldn’t let her think this was all her fault. It wasn’t, and she made it clear, the moment I was ready to go back to Fairmont that I should let her know and she would get the money to me, somehow.

I hadn’t seen Drake since the first day, when I saw him in the bar. I knew he was avoiding me, which was fine by me. I didn’t need the confusion right now. I had to keep things simple, because I had nowhere else to go. This was home for now, and I needed to make it long term, not only for me, but for my baby, too.

“Suga’, you good to lock up?” Ashley asked me.

Ashley was a couple of years older than me and had her whole life planned out. She worked behind the bar during the night and during the day she worked at the hair salon. She’d hinted more than once that I needed to pay a visit to the salon. I didn’t remember the last time I could afford to go to one. The idea of having someone take care of me felt like a dream come true.

“Sure. It’s nearly clean, and Erin said Dwayne is sleeping and there’s no rush.”

I blinked while saying the last word and noticed Ashley had already left. She didn’t need much encouragement other than the wordsureto leave me to lock up. I’d been given so much responsibility in such a short space of time. It felt nice to be trusted, and it gave me the security of knowing I could stay here as long I needed.

“She left early, so she can hook up with her boyfriend.”

Drake startled me, and the glass I’d been holding shattered to the ground. I hadn’t even heard him come in.

“Shit, I didn’t mean to scare you. Don’t move. I’ll get it cleaned up.”

I froze, my heart beating out of control.

We were alone. The man who’d avoided being close to me was now the only one in the bar, and I couldn’t get away because there was broken glass everywhere.

Fuck!

As he returned, I decided to break the ice with some light conversation. I was being silly. Of course, we were going to bump into each other. He lived in the house, too.

“Is Lucky here?”

“No,” he snapped as if I’d touched a nerve, and he didn’t even look at me as he bent down then started putting the big pieces of glass in the trash.

“Did you run away from your ex?” He paused, and I was surprised he was thinking that way.

All I could smell was oil, as he was near me. The guys always reeked of oil—the joys of being a mechanic Greyson had said to me.

I couldn’t believe he used to be a teacher. The idea of him changing to this new profession seemed so dramatic. But the men all appeared happy, as if they’d found their haven.

“Did you leave to find your haven like Greyson did?”

He shook his head, avoiding my stare. “No. I wasn’t looking for anything other than my dad, and I found him. You didn’t answer about your ex.”

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