Diamond had told Autumn, even though life hadn’t always been perfect growing up in an MC, she wouldn’t have it any other way. That gave Autumn hope for the future. For her future children, if she and Sig decided to have any.
They hadn’t talked about it and were in no rush to do so. Unlike Trip, who kept saying he wanted two sons, Sig never mentioned children. Not once.
But if, down the road, she asked, she was sure Sig would be fine with it. He always tried to make her happy, no matter what.
She loved that about him.
And it was why she tried to make him happy, too.
It was also the reason why she was sitting at the kitchen counter completely naked.
Though, he acted like he hadn’t noticed.
It wouldn’t take much for him to be naked, either, since he was only wearing those long, loose nylon shorts he wore when he needed to go out and burn off some energy when either his nerves were shot or he was completely wired and ready to split in two.
Sometimes she wondered if she should also use the equipment in the shed. On those days where things could get overwhelming and dark. Especially after a restless night of nightmares.
Diamond had told her if she and Stella wanted to learn to kick box, she’d be glad to drive up for a few days and teach them. Or they could come down to Shadow Valley to her gym where she taught it. She just needed a couple more weeks to recover from Sawyer’s birth and she’d be ready to get back to business.
Sig moved behind the counter, grabbed a glass out of the cabinet and filled it under the faucet. He downed most of it before lowering the glass, a few dribbles of water sliding into the wiry hairs on his chin. “Whatcha doin’?”
“Working on the motel’s spreadsheet. The books are a freaking mess and it’s going to take me weeks to straighten it all out. I haven’t even touched the repo business’s books yet. And Dutch wants me to start handling the garage’s books, too. He said, quote, goddamn numbers are the fuckin’ devil. I told him I don’t agree, but he just flapped a hand in my direction.” Dutch could be a grumpy old man but had a good heart.
“You gonna do ‘em?”
“Yes. It’s money for us. But... I need a place to work, Sig. The counter isn’t working now that I’m responsible for all the books from all the club businesses. Well, except for Justice Bail Bonds. But Deacon’s been talking about handing them over to me also. If I get a little office somewhere, maybe I can do the bookkeeping for some outside businesses, too.” She raised her eyebrows. “Make some money to help pay for things?”
Sig finished gulping down the rest of the water in the glass, then he just left it on the counter. Which was typical Sig. “Not in town.”
“No,” she murmured. “Maybe not in town. Not yet.”
“Will talk to Trip ‘bout it.”
“I already did.”
His chin jerked back. Autumn was learning to read his non-verbal expressions like an expert. The chin jerk pretty much meant, “What the fuck?”
So, she responded to it just as though he’d said it out loud. “Well, he’s the one who gave me this job, Sig.”
“Yeah, but I’m your fuckin’ man.”
“Wait. I need to go through you?” She jerked her eyebrows up in a non-verbal reaction of her own.
Sig’s lips flattened out.
“I didn’t think so.” She pressed her own lips together to smother her grin. She had always been a bit on the bossy side and as the weeks went on, Sig was starting to get a taste of the real her.
She wondered if he was starting to regret wanting her to stay.
She never thought her path would lead her here. To this place. This family. This man.
But it had.
It was not the best or easiest path to find him, to find her place in life, but she did.
When she thought of Levi, she was always amazed with how something so beautiful had come from something so ugly.
That didn’t only apply to Levi.
It applied to her relationship with Sig, too.
Ugliness had led her to him.
And he’d turned around and handed her beautiful.
Maybe beautifully broken, but beautiful nonetheless.
“Are you going to ask me why I’m naked?”
“Have I asked the five million other times you’ve walked around here naked? It’s nothin’ new, Red. Used to you torturin’ me and thinkin’ it’s fun.”
“I don’t do it to torture you. I just got used to being naked and then coming here I was comfortable with it since no matter how big my belly got and how awkward I became you made me feel beautiful.” She shut the laptop and turned on the stool. “But that’s not why I’m naked right now.”