Bear: Chapter 3
I felt like there were butterflies in my stomach, or maybe it was frogs. I was nervous as hell as I parked outside Angel’s Delights. Madisen had sent me a text to say Ilara was here. I’d been hanging around town since noon, waiting for her to call me. I took a second to take a deep breath before I got off my bike and strolled into the bakery. When I saw her sitting with Madisen, I knew.
This wasn’t just a case of instant attraction. She was meant to be in my life. My only hope was that it would be in the capacity I was dreaming of and not just as her friend. When the door chimed, she looked up. Her face registered surprise when she saw me. Then I saw something else pass over her face. Maybe I was reading what I wanted to read into it, but I thought it was interest. I hoped like hell it was. I headed straight for the table she was sitting at and sat down. Madisen gave me a smile. Jessica was working behind the counter. Hope was sitting on her momma’s lap. When she saw me, she smiled and let me see those little baby teeth in the front. She held out her arms toward me.
“May I?” I asked Ilara. She gave me a distracted nod as she let go of Hope. I took her into my arms and hugged her against my chest. I took in her smell. She smelled so sweet. She laughed and ran her tiny hands over my goatee.
“No, Hope, don’t. I’m sorry, Bear. She’s never been around a man with facial hair. She’s curious,” she told me anxiously.
“She’s not hurting anything, Ilara. I know she’s curious. Her daddy must be clean shaven then.”
Her face got a little tense and pale. “She doesn’t have a father,” is all she said before turning back to stare at her daughter. I caught Madisen’s look. The way Ilara said it, made me think it wasn’t because the man was dead. She and Hope’s father obviously were not together. Good.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to raise a sore subject,” I told Ilara. I didn’t want to offend her.
She sighed heavily then looked back at me. “You didn’t offend me, Bear. I’m sorry. He’s not a subject I want to discuss. Hope hasn’t been around any men really, since she was born. She’s never had a chance to touch facial hair. If she does something you don’t want her to do, just tell her no. She usually listens. When you’re tired of her, let me know.”
“I doubt she’ll do anything I don’t like. Don’t worry, she’s not the first to touch my facial hair.”
“Oh, you have kids of your own. I didn’t know. Your wife must be really happy if your hands-on like you seem to be with her,” she said quietly.
I fought down the wave of sadness that came over me when she mentioned children of my own. “No, I’m not married and I don’t have kids. I’ve just been around a lot of them. Between our Dublin Falls chapter and now this one, there are a lot of kids and babies.”
“Chapter?” she asked with a frown.
“Didn’t you notice our cuts the other day?” I turned sideways, so she could see the back of my cut. Her eyes got round as she took in our logo. Her eyes darted to Madisen.
“Y-You’re in a motorcycle club?” she asked softly. Her face was a little pale.
“We are but there’s no reason for you to look like that, beautiful. We’re not one of those outlaw ones. We’re respectable business owners here and in the other towns where we have chapters. Have you had problems with a club in the past?” Her response had me wondering if she had. She shook her head no.
“No, I haven’t ever talked to anyone who’s been in one. I’ve just heard things about them.”
“Don’t always believe what you hear, see, or read. Not all of us are like that. No one in the Archangel’s Warriors or our ally clubs would harm women and children. That’s not our way. In fact, we hate it and try our best to help when we can. Now, where were you ladies on the job front? Did you find anything yet?”
Ilara sighed and shook her head. “No, I haven’t and Madisen said the person she was talking to still doesn’t know if they’ll have an opening or not. I think I need to call it and move along to somewhere else. Thank you for trying. I appreciate it.”
My heart started to race. No, I couldn’t lose her! “Wait a minute, it’s not over yet. I might have something. I need a day or two to find out if it’s going to work out or not. Can you at least give me until next week before you leave?” I asked, trying not to let her hear the desperation I felt.
She looked at me for a couple of moments then nodded slowly. “Okay, I can do that. But if it doesn’t pan out, thank you for trying. I’m trying to decide whether I should go to a bigger city and try to find work. I hate the idea, but it might be the only choice I have.”
“Mind if I ask where you’re originally from?” I asked. She stiffened in her chair. I thought she wasn’t going to answer me.
“I’m from Pennsylvania, near Philadelphia.”
“Could you go back there?” Madisen asked.
“No! I can’t go back there,” Ilara said with a note of fear in her voice. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up. Who or what had her afraid to go back? I was determined to find out. No woman or child should be afraid.
“Okay, we can forget that. However, I do think we can still find you something, Ilara. I know you said you had to leave by three,” Madisen told her soothingly. Ilara looked at the clock then stood up.
“Yeah, I do. Thank you both so much. I’ll stop by again in a couple of days if that’s alright with you?”
“You still haven’t gotten a new phone?” Madisen asked her.
“No, I haven’t had a chance yet. I will. Thank you so much.” She held out her arms for Hope. She’d been quietly sitting in my lap almost dozing. I reluctantly handed her back. As my fingers brushed Ilara’s arms, I felt her shiver. Tingles ran up my hands. I wanted to touch her again to see if it would happen again.
“Here, make sure you take these with you,” Jessica said as she came over to the table with a box of treats.