That’s been the problem in the past, but I vow right here, right now, that it won’t be anymore. “I will.”
He raises an eyebrow like he’s not sure he believes me.
“I promise.”
“Kiss on it?”
This time I lean up into him, stealing a smooch from his lips.
“Do you have any pictures of Walker?”
He laughs. “Do I have pictures of Walker? Who do you take me for?”
When he pulls out his phone, opening it up to his camera, I gasp. “He’s grown up so much!”
“It’s really amazing how much he’s grown up in the last few weeks. He’s gotten taller, too.”
“Is it okay that I don’t want to him to see me here? I already feel like I’m the worst mom in the history of moms, but I’d much rather him see me at home, when I get out.”
Dalton thinks for a minute. “He misses the hell outta you, babe, but I think he’d be able to live with it if you called him.”
“I got TV privileges, maybe he and I can watch a show together as he falls asleep?”
“You know he loves that.”
Before I can say anything else, someone knocks on the door, indicating it’s time for him to go. “I love you.” I hug him tightly around the neck, not wanting to let him walk away from me again.
“I love you too, I promise.” He leans in, burying his face in my neck. “We’re gonna get through this.”
Those words are muffled, but I hear and feel them just the same. “Tell Walker I love him. I’ll call tomorrow. Today’s been emotional.”
“You call when you feel comfortable doing it. We’ll always be waiting on you. Neither one of us are gonna let you go through this alone.”
Reluctantly I let go, crying as he walks away. When he gets to the door, he turns and waves, giving me a wink.
“Bye,” I whisper, waving back, bringing my hand up to my lips, blowing him a kiss.
He pretends to catch it, putting it in his pocket.
All too soon, he’s gone and I’m alone.
Like I have been so many times before, but this time I know my family is waiting on me. I’m really not alone, and all I have to do is reach out, ask for help, and let their love surround me.
Chapter Eighteen
Dalton
After the amazing day I had yesterday, I didn’t expect this one to be such shit. I overslept, was late to work, got Walker to school late, had to run back to the clubhouse to get something he left, and ran out of gas on my way to the school.
Which is why I’m sitting here on the side of the road waiting for someone to pick me up.
I’m in a foul as hell mood when a little sports car speeds by but then brakes and pulls a U-turn in the middle of the road, coming back to where I wait.
“Who the fuck is this?”
Already I’m on the defensive, and I don’t want to fuck with anyone today. Scratch that, they don’t want to fuck with me. They come to a stop in front of my bike and get out.
Tennis shoes cover the feet of the person getting out. Nothing I recognize, but then again unless they’re popular sports shoes that my son asks for, I’m not noticing them. Those fucking pansy ass skinny jeans are tight against their legs, and as they get out, standing to their full height, I see they’re about five inches shorter than I am. When they face me, I still have no idea who this is.
I’m all attitude with a side of don’t fuck with me as I stand to my full height, arms crossed over my cut and jacket. “Can I help you?”
He takes his sunglasses off, revealing someone younger than I expected. “You Dalton?”
“Who wants to know?”
He gets this cocky grin on his face as he comes closer.
“You can back the fuck right up.” I put some bass in my voice. “Who are you?”
For the first time, he’s not as confident as he was when he first got out of the car. “I heard you had words with my girl Laura the other night.”
Laura?
“Who the fuck is Laura?”
The name isn’t ringing a bell, but something tells me it should.
“She’s a dancer at Wet Wanda’s.”
Immediately I know who he’s talking about. The one who came onto me. “Oh, you mean the stripper who basically offered to suck my dick since my wife’s out of town. That Laura?”
His face starts to turn red, and I get a feeling she didn’t tell him that part of the story. “She didn’t tell you that, did she?”
“You were rude to her.”
Now he’s starting to piss me off. “She was rude to me. She disrespected the ring I wear, and she disrespected not only my wife, but me, and you. How are you okay with this, my man?”
“I ain’t your man.”
“Well apparently you ain’t hers either, so I suggest you go on somewhere before your mouth writes some checks you can’t cash.”
He spits on the blacktop, a little too close to my boot for comfort.
“You think that patch makes you invincible?”
This? This makes me laugh. Gives me a really good chuckle.
“The patch I wear makes me a part of a group of men who do as I say and ask questions later. You might need help reading it, but it says VP. Which means second-in-command. Vice President. You don’t wanna fuck with me, little dude, you do not.”
He grinds his back teeth together. His face is redder, and he’s clenching his fists. “That piss you off? That I call you little dude? Or did the fact she offered to suck my dick piss you off? Or maybe it was all of the above.”
“You
