The Biker's Fate Chapter 127

Cassidy

Lunch with Tom was surprisingly relaxed and, dare I say, kind of fun. He was funny and sweet, and as Janie had said, a gentleman. He paid for the meal, which I appreciated since I hadn't budgeted for a lunch out that week. I quite liked the man, although, maybe not the same way he seemed to like me.

I was willing to admit that Carter might have been right, but I was confident I could handle the situation... and do it without Carter's Neanderthal interference.

I saw Tom again as I was leaving, but just a wave goodbye, then I was on my way home. I was feeling pretty confident in myself as I walked into my apartment. Even if I wasn't interested in Tom, it was flattering to have such a successful and good-looking man interested in me.

"Hey, babe," Carter called from the kitchen.

"Hi, honey." I dropped my purse on the sofa and made my way to him, raising up on tiptoes to kiss him. "How was your day?"

"Good. Yours?"

I smiled. "Well, other than someone stealing my lunch from the fridge, it was good."

"Hi, Mom!" Maverick said, as he wrapped his arms around my waist. "I helped Carter fix a Mustang."

"You did? That's awesome, buddy. What else did you guys do?"

"We ate lunch with the brothers. They were so cool, Mom! But they kind of swear a lot."

I wrinkled my nose. "Well, that's what some adults do, honey, but they're allowed to because they're adults. As long as you don't start copying them, it's all good."

"I won't, Mom." He lowered his voice. "But just so you know, when I make Lily my old lady, I might say 'fuck.'"

"Maverick!"

"Sorry, Mom."

I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing... or washing his mouth out with soap. I was conflicted on which way to go, so I dropped my shaking head onto Carter's arm.

"Go wash up, Mav. Dinner's almost ready," Carter said.

He rushed off to do what he was told, and I dissolved into giggles while Carter wrapped an arm around me. "What are you men teaching my child?"

Carter chuckled. "You'd be surprised by how little they actually swear around him. They're used to watching their tongues with the other kids, but sometimes shit filters out."

"I was wondering more about the whole "old lady" thing. Good lord, are you creating a pint-sized biker badass under my nose?"

He grinned and took a swig of beer. "He's gonna see it with us, so he's gonna have to figure out which way to go when he's older."

"Hmm-mm," I grumbled.

"Did you figure out who stole your lunch?"

I shook my head. "No. I ended up having lunch with..." My plans to filter had just gone horribly wrong, so I grabbed a soda out of the fridge and opened it.

Carter crossed his arms and leaned against the counter. "You ended up having lunch with...?"

I sighed. "You can't get mad."

"Fuck me," he ground out. "You had lunch with that dipshit Tom guy?"

"It's not like it was planned. He was in the kitchen and Janie told him someone stole my lunch. He was being nice!"

"He was probably the one who fuckin' stole it, Cassidy!"

I gasped. "He wouldn't."

"And you're fuckin' naïve if you really believe that."

"Don't talk to me like I'm an idiot, Carter."

"Babe, I don't think you're an idiot. Far from it. And I know why he'd do something like that. If I were him, I'd probably do the same thing."

"You'd steal my lunch," I countered.

"To get you to go out with me? Hell, yeah I would. But it's not just about that." Carter dragged his hands down his face. "What the hell is this fucker up to?"

"Nothing. He knows about you. He knows I'm not interested in him. I've been very clear and you hit him for Pete's sake! Pretty sure he got the picture."

"Guys like that don't listen, Cassidy."

"Guys like you," I observed.

"He and I are nothing alike."

I rolled my eyes. "I think you and he are more similar than you'd like to admit. You're both strong, successful men, who know what they want and go after it. I certainly never had a chance with you, and can you honestly say that if I decided you and I were over, you wouldn't wage an all-out war to get me back?"

"Is that what you want? Us to be over?" His tone was one of anger and panic.

"No! Of course not. I love you. I'm not going anywhere. I'm just simply trying to get you to see it from another side." I slid my hands up his chest and looped them behind his neck. "I think I can handle a man who isn't nearly as sexy and delicious as you are. I think I kind of already have."

"What do you mean?"

"Okay, don't get mad."

"Don't fuckin' tell me not to get mad, Cassidy."

 I frowned. "Well, then I'm not going to tell you."

"Mom!" Maverick called. "I'm wet."

"Cassidy," Carter growled.

"We'll talk about it later," I said, and headed to the bathroom. Maverick had managed to soak the entire front of himself while washing his hands. "Oh my gosh, buddy, what happened?"

He lowered his eyes.

"Maverick Carter Dennis, what did you do?"

"I'm sorry, Mom, I just wanted to see how far the water would shoot."

I groaned and grabbed a towel from the towel rack. "Strip."

He removed his clothes and I wrapped the towel around him. "Now, go get in your pajamas, we can skip a shower tonight."

"Yes," he hissed, and jogged off to his room.

"You okay?" Carter stood in the doorway and frowned.

"Yes," I said with a sigh. "Our kid just decided to have a water gun fight without an actual water gun... or a target."

Carter grinned from ear-to-ear as he grabbed another towel and began to help me sop up the water.

"What?" I asked as I stood.

"You just said, 'our kid.'"

I smiled. "Did I?"

"Yeah, baby, you did."

"Well, he is, right?"

"Damn right he is," Carter said, and kissed me. "I love you, you know that, right?"

"Yes. I love you too."

We finished cleaning up the mess and then sat down to eat.

"Maverick, next time you make a mess like that, you'll need to clean it up, got it?" Carter said.

Maverick dropped his eyes to his lap. "Okay."

"And no using language like that, even if you're making a joke, yeah? At least, not around your mom."

"Not around anybody," I countered.

Maverick gave Carter a little grin, but nodded when I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Okay," Maverick said.

"Apologize to your mom, please," Carter added.

"Sorry, Mom."

I smiled. "I forgive you, buddy."

Carter rustled his hair and we dug into the food. Again, Carter outdid himself with the chili he'd started that morning in the crock pot. I admitted that if he was willing to shop and cook for us, I'd do dishes and laundry, and he'd never hear me complain. The deal was struck and the roses confession was forgotten.