Surprise flickered across Naomi’s face. “You are? Just like that? No arguing or fighting?”
“I’m tired,” Gavin said simply.
Even I could pick up on the almost too innocent tone of his voice. He was up to something, and I had an idea he might be trying to play matchmaker by giving me some time alone with Naomi.
It probably wasn’t a bad plan and I certainly couldn’t argue with it.
“Okay, if you’re sure,” she said, running her hand through his hair while looking at him closely, as if she was trying to figure out what he was up to.
“Goodnight, Mom,” he said, giving her a hug around her waist. Then, he came over to where I was sitting. “Thanks for the ice cream, Dad.”
Another jolt hit my heart at the word, and I patted his back. “Goodnight, G.”
Naomi stayed in place, watching Gavin go to his bedroom and shut the door. “What was that about?” she wondered aloud. “He never goes to bed without a fight for extra time. I swear, it’s like he’s afraid he’s going to miss something if he’s asleep.”
“I think all kids are like that. No one appreciates sleep until they’re older and have to work their asses off for a living.”
Naomi chuckled. “I hear that. You remember kindergarten nap times? You don’t know what you got until it’s gone.” Coming over, she took a seat beside me on the couch.
It didn’t escape my notice that there were two chairs in the living room she could have chosen to sit on, but she came to my side instead. “Thanks for coming tonight,” I said. “It was nice to have you there. I wasn’t exactly in the best frame of mind when I got here, but I didn’t want to cancel on Gavin. The last thing I want to do is let him down like that when we’re still getting to know each other.”
“You’re a good dad.”
Appreciation and affection for this woman swelled inside of me at her words. I could see she was a great mother, so the compliment actually meant something to me. “Thanks for introducing me to him,” I said.
Guilt reflected on her face as she broke eye contact.
I wondered if this would always be a sore spot with her. “No, really. I know that this situation is messed up and I was kind of an asshole at first, but I’m really glad you decided to bring him to meet me.”
“So am I,” she said, turning to face me fully, looking at me through her dark eyelashes.
I wrapped an arm around her shoulders, drawing her closer to me. Her curvy body pressed into my own, as she reached up, putting the palm of her hand on my cheek. My lips met hers, and I slipped my tongue inside, tangling with hers as I ran a hand up her thigh.
I wouldn’t go further than this today, not with Gavin in the other room, probably still awake. I didn’t want to rush things with her, anyway. This thing developing between us wouldn’t be another one-time tumble between the sheets. I wanted more from her. Something was happening here between us, a chemistry that had to be explored.
“Shit, this is a disaster,” Maverick said as we entered the bar. It still smelled like smoke, even though Bones had left the windows open overnight to let the place air out. The pool table that had been burned was ruined, but as I looked closer, I could see that the one beside it was in bad shape as well. The heat from the flames had warped the wooden frame. They’d both need to be tossed.
“Holy shit, are those scorch marks on the ceiling?” Coyote asked.
I followed his line of sight.
“Yeah,” Bones said gruffly. “But the Fire Marshall said that there was no structural damage done to the building. The fire was put out in time. Thank God.”
He patted my shoulder, but I still wished I’d shown up even earlier. Maybe I would have seen who did this or, better yet, been able to stop it.
This was the first time that most of us had seen the damage to the bar since yesterday morning, because we left not long after the ambulance to go to the hospital and wait for news about Ink. After the doctor had finally come out and told us that he had twelve stitches, a skull fracture, and was still unconscious, I’d left the hospital to go get Gavin. Staying at the hospital wasn’t something I was interested in when Ink was just lying there. It only made me feel frustratingly helpless. I liked to have a problem that could be fixed, even if it was difficult. But I couldn’t do anything in this situation.
Bones had kept the bar closed, of course, and it looked like it would stay that way for a while. There might not have been structural damage, but we had a lot to clean up from the smoke damage before the place would be fit to reopen.
“Well, let’s get started then,” Bones said.
We all moved to the pool table. The thing was massive and so heavy that it took six of us to move it outside and even then, I was pretty sure I would have a sore back tomorrow.
Bones had rented a dumpster which would be delivered tomorrow afternoon, so once the table was out of the bar, and in the parking lot, it would be dismantled and thrown inside bit-by-bit, when the time came. We’d just set it down when the sound of a single motorcycle arriving drew our attention.
Hawk’s Harley was coming down the road and it came to a stop in front of us. An angry anticipation ran through the men gathered at the sight of him. Hawk was supposed to be looking into the whereabouts of Devil Riders yesterday morning, especially their leader, Snake. He used to be one of us, practically family, so no one wanted to think he was responsible for this, but it was the only thing that made sense. They were our rival club, and Snake was our enemy, by his own choice. Who else would attack a Rebel Saint in our own bar?
But Hawk’s grim expression when he pulled off his helmet made me think that he wasn’t about to give us the answers we were hoping for.