Did they know? Most of them, yeah.
Did he talk about it? Fuck no.
Of course, they were all about family when family life was good. But he still didn’t want to remind them that he spent every Wednesday night with his mother. He’d been doing it ever since he became a prospect, moved out of her house and into the bunkhouse.
His mother claimed she had nobody but him. Even though he knew that was a lie—she had a younger sister who lived in the Midwest, as well as a few local friends—but she had guilted him anyway into coming by once a week.
Truthfully, it wasn’t a hardship.
The only problem was after he moved out, she moved back into his pap’s house. Unfortunately, that house held not-so-great memories for them both.
He didn’t understand why she wanted to do that. But she explained that his grandfather’s house was paid for, while the house they had moved to after his pap died was rented. However, every week he went to his pap’s house for dinner, he begged her to sell it, take the money and move somewhere better.
She told him the house wasn’t worth enough to buy something decent and she didn’t want to be strapped with a mortgage payment.
If he could buy her a house, he would. If he could give her the damn world, he would.
But he couldn’t.
He was just a mechanic living in a room in a bunkhouse.
He really had no lofty goals or dreams. He didn’t give a fuck about being rich or traveling the world or impressing anyone. Like Fallon, he was content to “just be.”
He had a solid job. He loved his mother, his brotherhood and his Fury Family.
He might not have a lot, but what he had was more than enough.
But because his mother currently lived in that house, he gritted his teeth and went back to sit with her while she made dinner and caught him up on her life. After dinner, they watched Jeopardy together and then he left.
It made her happy. And he wanted nothing more than for her to be happy. She more than deserved that after all the shit his father put her through.
“That’s so sweet.”
He groaned. “Gotta stop sayin’ that shit.” It killed him every time she did.
“Why? I think it’s sweet that you make time for your mother.”
“She gets lonely.”
“Whip, you don’t need an excuse to do it.”
“Ain’t makin’ an excuse, just sayin’.”
She shot him a smile and whispered, “It’s sweet and you’re being a good son.”
He grabbed her face and took her mouth.
When he was done, she said, “Just so you know, I don’t mind you shutting me up that way. It’ll only encourage me to tell you just how sweet you are even more.”
He shook his head. “You don’t gotta say that shit if you want my mouth on you. Just tell me where you want my mouth and I’m gonna oblige. No hardship on my end.”
“If no one’s told you yet, then I want to be the first… You’re a really good kisser,” she teased, poking him in the gut.
With a snort and a shake of his head, he got up. “Gotta get ready for work.”
“While you’re there, can you ask Reilly to get an update on my parts?”
He paused while rounding the bed to glance over at her.
Fuck, she looked too damn tempting sitting naked in bed. It was one reason why he struggled to walk out that door every morning.
Plus, no one at the garage looked as good as Fallon. And he’d seen their bare asses more than he could count. Reilly maybe, but even if she hadn’t been already claimed by Rev, she was too much like a sister to him, so fuck that.
Again, to each his own. Rev and Reilly were perfect for each other.
“You in a rush?” he asked.
He’d already replaced her tire yesterday but her oil pan should be coming in any day now.
A harsh reminder that time was running out.
“I’m not in a rush, but I’d like to get her back sometime soon.”
Once that happened, she’d be good to leave. “Gonna have her check for you, then.”
He heard the clock counting down in his head, and each tick made the tightness in his chest increase. Shit.
“How ‘bout you come to my mom’s tonight for dinner?” Goddamnit. He hadn’t meant to ask her that.
Fuck. He closed his eyes and mentally groaned at that slip-up.
Did he want to have dinner with Fallon? Fuck yeah.
Did he want Fallon to meet his mother? Fuck no!
Not because he didn’t think they’d like each other. His mother would love her. Hell, she’d love any decent woman he brought home to her.
Well, except Billie. She never quite understood Billie or why Whip was with her. Luckily, Billie had tough skin and never took offense to that. She found it more amusing than anything.