Wild Ride (Wind Dragons MC #4.5)(22)
“Promise?” he asks, showing a moment of vulnerability.
“I promise.”
The Wind Dragons are just going to have to deal with it.
When Bailey shows up at my door the next morning with the kids, I’m surprised to see Anna standing there too.
“I assume you heard the gossip,” I say after I greet her with a hug.
“I did, but I want to hear it from you,” she says, making herself at home on my couch. I hug my son, kiss his face, and tell him and Cara that there’s food on the kitchen table if they’re hungry. They run off to Rhett’s room to play while Bailey and I join Anna on the couch.
“Can I get you ladies something to drink?” I ask, looking between the two of them.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were dating Talon?” Anna blurts out, looking a little hurt. “You know I’d have been on your side. I think Talon is a great guy, even though he can be a pain in the ass sometimes.”
“I didn’t tell anyone except Bailey,” I say, wincing when I see Bailey do the same. “Sorry, but that’s the truth. We only just started seeing each other. You know what it’s like at the start. It’s new and amazing, but you have no idea where it’s heading, and with all the drama involved I didn’t want to go around broadcasting it, especially when I knew the men were going to give me shit about it.”
“It was up to Tia to tell, not me,” Bailey says, crossing her arms over her chest. “And we all knew Rake was the one going to be the most unhappy with it, so I was enjoying the calm before the storm.”
Anna rolls her eyes. “Rake needs to let it go. Talon is becoming closer with the Wind Dragons every day. We all know we can trust him—he’s not going to betray any of us, even if he is the president of another MC. He’s different.”
It feels nice to have someone on our side for once. I smile at Anna, then tell her the story—leaving out the sexual content, of course.
When I’m done, I wait for the two women to comment.
“Okay, who cares about what Rake thinks?” Bailey says, shaking her head. “I’ve never seen you like this, ever. I’ve never heard you talk about a man like this. Usually I only hear the sex stories, nothing about feelings. Your eyes went all dreamy just now. I don’t want to freak you out, but you’re either falling for him or you’re already there.”
I put my hand up to stop her. “Okay, let’s not go there just yet.”
Even though I’ve been thinking the exact same thing.
“I think Bailey and I will be able to talk to Rake so he’s not such an ass about it,” Anna says, smiling at me. “I’m happy for both you and Talon. He needs a good woman, and I have to say, I’ve never even seen him with a woman before, so this is definitely out of the norm for both of you.”
“Has he met Rhett yet?” Bailey asks, leaning back against the couch.
“Not yet, but I think it’s time,” I admit. “It’s such a hard thing, dating when you have a son. I want Talon and Rhett to like each other, like genuinely, not just because Rhett is my son, you know? But I don’t want Rhett to be confused if it doesn’t work out. I don’t know; there are no rules here. I’m just going with my gut.”
“Does he even like kids?” Anna asks, a thoughtful expression on her face. “I personally think he’d make a great dad. He protects those he loves with everything he has, and he’s pretty funny at times.”
“I can’t believe Rake was so rude to you last night,” Bailey says, looking apologetic on her man’s behalf.
“What did Talon mean when he said Rake needs to get over his daddy issues?” I ask Anna, remembering that I forgot to ask Talon about it.
“Talon was raised by our biological father,” Anna says, shrugging her shoulders. “Talon’s mother ended up with him, so he was Talon’s stepfather. Our dad pretty much abandoned us; we didn’t even know who he was when we were growing up. I guess Rake has to blame someone, and Talon is the only one around.”
My eyes widen as I try to process this information. It wasn’t Talon’s fault, it was their father’s, but I can also see how that would pain Rake. His own father abandoned him and ended up raising another son, one who wasn’t even his. That has to hurt every time he thinks about his fatherless childhood.
“That f*cking sucks” is all I can think to say. “I’m sorry your dad was an *.”
Anna laughs. “I had Rake. We got by just fine, but thanks. I think Talon feels guilty in a way, like somehow he took what was ours, and that’s why he was so interested in me. He treats me like family, like I’m somehow his responsibility too. Who knows how that man’s mind works.”
“So when are you seeing him next?” Bailey asks, being nosy.
“I’m not sure,” I tell her. “Not tonight, because I’m spending it watching movies with Rhett and Cara. Maybe I’ll invite him over tomorrow and finally have him meet Rhett. That ought to be interesting.”
“To be a fly on the wall,” Anna says, grinning. “You’ll have to tell me how it goes.”
“Rhett’s never met a guy I’ve been dating before. I have no idea what to say,” I admit, my eyes going wide. “He saw me out front with Talon one night when he showed up at my house, and Rhett asked me a million questions about it. Primarily concerning whether he could get a motorcycle like that one day.”