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I shook my head. “I won’t hide—so long as you’re with me.”
“I’m with you, Clara. I can’t be without you.”
I smiled again and slid my hands along his jaw to circle his neck. “I don’t want to be without you, baby.”
Eyes slamming closed, he released a shuddering breath and yanked me against him, burying his nose in my hair.
“Make sure you mean that. I’m an unemployed mechanic, mama, not exactly the guy in the suit you fell for.”
“Oh, please. I fell for my motorcycle man long before I saw you in a suit.” I kissed the center of his chest then rested my head there. “And I don’t know if you noticed, but I make my own money, so…”
He huffed a laugh, squeezing me tighter. “That’s my girl.” Balling my shirt in his fist, his lips grazed my temple. “That’s my fuckin’ girl.”
I tipped my head back, and he took the opportunity to press his lips to mine, sweeping me up in the pure, easy beauty of being loved by Jake Hayes.
I still had my fears, but my love for this man and our beautiful life was strong enough to beat them back. One day, even defeat them entirely. As he held me tight yet was oh so careful not to step on my bare toes, I knew that to be true.
We’d ride this thing down the middle, leather and wind all the way to the end.
Epilogue
Jake
Three Years Later
“Daddyyy!”
“Dad!”
“Daaaaaa!”
I grinned down at Clara, and she smiled back at me.
“Thwarted,” she whispered.
“Little cockblockers,” I murmured against her upturned lips. Louder, I called out, “Hold your horses, I’m coming!”
Clara snickered. “Good thing they’re cute.”
“Damn right.”
I rolled off my wife and threw on a T-shirt. “Sleep a little more. I’ll see what the ruckus is about.”
My beautiful Clara stretched languidly in our bed, her eyes already fluttering closed. A lot had changed over the last three years, but she was still a night owl who loved her sleep-ins. I tried to give her that as often as I could. Our kids, on the other hand, didn’t always cooperate.
All three were waiting in the hall. Nellie’s hands were on her hips, but her sass was hard to take seriously when her hair was a tangled cloud of brown on top of her head.
“Hi, Daddy,” she greeted. “Nico went into my room. Can you tell him not to do that, please?”
Nearly seven, Nellie had long since stopped saying “peas,” which had just about killed Clara. Our girl was growing up faster than either of us was ready for, but she was full of the kind of vim and vigor that made a dad proud as hell. I didn’t have to worry about her being pushed around at school or in the world. She handled her business and sometimes tried to handle other kids’ too, which they didn’t always appreciate.
“He was saying good morning.” Sage bounced her brother on her hip, and he melted into her. Clara and I had been worried about the vast age difference between them and whether they’d bond as siblings, but they were two peas in a pod.
Nellie stomped her little foot. “He was trying to steal my capybara stuffie.”
Sage ruffled her sister’s messy hair. “Don’t worry, Nell-Belle. I wouldn’t have let him.”
Nico waved at me, the dimples in his round cheeks popping. “Hi, Da!”
