Chapter 16
Gage
“Where are we going?” Conleigh asked as we walked out to the garage hand in hand.
I shrugged. To be honest, I wasn’t ready to talk about where we were going.
And when I walked her to the side of the SUV, she asked, “Why are we not taking the bike wherever we are going?”
“Because my woman will not be on the back of a bike while carrying my kid. I’m having a cage surrounding you to protect you.”
When she started to climb in, I knew she saw the bag that was packed in the back seat because she turned her head over her shoulder and shot me a glare. “I want to know where we are going.”
I sighed. I was glad that Collins had wanted to spend the night with Laci because I didn’t exactly know how I would be received at where we were going. Looking into her eyes, she could tell that something was off because she placed a hand on my cheek and the other, she wrapped around my waist.
Tilting my head, I pressed my face firmer into her touch when I closed my eyes and asked, “You remember Shooter?”
Her face softened as she said, “Of course, baby.”
“His daughter graduates high school today. They sent an invitation but… well, I wasn’t sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing for me to go.”
And the smile that hit her face, let me know that if this went bad, she would have my back. That was proven even more true when she said, “Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s hammer down.”
With that, as my woman put it, we hammered down and drove to South Carolina.
It took us just under four hours to get to the location where the graduation was taking place.
We had an hour to get dressed and to the venue where Carla would be graduating. I couldn’t explain how proud of her I was.
To have what happened to her dad and then graduate on time and with honors? That was something else.
Sadly, while we headed to the ceremony an hour later, I was sporting a massive case of blue balls and I regret packing that light green summer dress and heels into our bag.
“I’m a fucking idiot,” I said as I shook my head with my hand held out, helping her climb from the SUV.
She scoffed and then smacked my arm as I shut the door behind her. “Why did you say that?”
“Because my dumbass picked that dress for you. It’s bad enough that other motherfuckers are going to be looking at what’s mine, but I didn’t have the time to make sure any man within a hundred-mile radius can smell me on you.”
“Caveman.” She whispered up at me.
“Zero fucks given, Baby girl.” With my arm thrown over her shoulder, I led us into the auditorium.
Shooter’s family had offered to allow us to sit with them, only I hadn’t wanted to do that. Instead, we grabbed a few chairs in the back. A spot where I had a visual of the exit signs and an easy path.
If there was any doubt that Conleigh wasn’t the woman for me, everything had been answered. She kept her hand in mine, no matter how many times I tried to pull it from her grasp. All so I couldn’t bury my head in my hands every time my eyes drifted to the side where the students were sitting. And that happened every time my eyes landed on her.
I couldn’t tamper down the emotions that were pouring out of me at what I had done to cause this.
I still haven’t been able to tell Conleigh everything that happened. But I know that she won’t rush it out of me.
After the final words were spoken, and we stood up and congratulated the new graduates, Conleigh looked up at me and said, in a whisper, “I have to pee. Your baby is a hellion. I love you.”
Standing on her tiptoes, without even asking me, I titled my head for her to get the location where I knew she was aiming for. Pressing a kiss to the underside of my jaw, she started to turn away from me and walk away.
Before she could get a few steps from me I asked, “And you thought I would let you walk to the bathroom alone?”
Turning her head to look back at me, rolling her eyes as she said, “Gage, seriously. I’m a big girl. I can find the bathroom without your help.”