AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Nope. Mom’s with Harper planting some flowers. Do you like flowers?”
I sighed. Isla seemed determined to get my attention.
“I like looking at them,” I replied.
“Me too,” Isla said.
“That’s good. Shouldn’t you find your mother? She’ll wonder where you are.”
Isla didn’t get the hint. “When are you taking me on the bike?” she pushed.
“I won’t. Only I ride it.”
“Why?”
“Because that’s what bikers do.”
I hid a smile at the way Isla’s little face scrunched up. She was clearly considering something.
“I’ve seen two riders on bikes,” she argued.
“Yes, husband and wife.”
“Nope. Apache put Kai on his, and Rock had Bastian on his one,” Isla stated.
“That is because they are father and son,” I quipped, and Isla’s eyes narrowed.
“You don’t have kids.”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“That, Isla, is something I don’t talk about… nuh huh… let me finish before you interrupt. Sometimes things happen in a person’s life, and they decide they don’t want things.”
“And you don’t want children?”
“No.”
Isla’s face scrunched up. She didn’t like my answer, but I waited as I tightened the bolt I was turning for her next question.
“But what if someone gave you ready-made kids?”
“I’d still say no, Isla. Something terrible happened when I was young, so I decided I didn’t want to expose any youngsters to that. And that is my final word,” I said firmly.
“Well, I think that’s mean, and you’re not a bad man.”
Isla’s words kicked me straight in the chest, and I forgot to breathe for a few seconds. She got to her feet and stared at me with a sad expression.
“You have a house and a garden. You could have ready-made children and make them happy. Goodbye, Savage, I’m going to find Mommy,” Isla announced and skipped away.
Isla’s words had hit below the belt. I loved my brother’s kids. Hell, I knew how old they all were—and their birthdays. Never having my own children was a decision I’d made years ago. And it was the right one, but it didn’t stop that little bit of yearning for them.
Whenever you deny yourself something, you automatically desire it. That was natural.
Was I being unnatural by not having babies even when the core of me wanted them? Probably. Years ago, I believed I’d made an informed decision. I was still considering this when the phone rang.
“Mr Jesse Walker?” a voice asked, and I straightened.
