Reaper's Legacy (Reapers MC, #2)(25)

“Looked like berries to me,” I replied. “I’m going to warm mine up before I put the ice cream on.”

“I’m ready to say I’m sorry,” he replied. I allowed myself just a few seconds to gloat before I walked back inside, face stern.

“So?” I asked him.

“I’m sorry,” Noah said. “I’ll make better choices next time. Can I make my own taco?”

“You can’t use bad words like that,” I told him seriously. “You say that at school, you’ll get in really big trouble.”

“Why can Uncle Ruger say them?”

“Because he’s not in school.”

“That’s not fair.”

Kid had a point.

“Life isn’t fair. Make your taco.”

I was digging through the fridge for the milk when I heard a light knock on the outside door.

“Uncle Ruger!” Noah called. “We’re eating tacos. Do you want some?”

“Sure,” he replied. I straightened and turned toward him, wondering if he was still upset with me. I couldn’t quite figure out how he’d been the one to teach Noah to say “f*ck,” yet I’d gotten in trouble.

Of course, there were all sorts of things I’d never figured out about Ruger.

He came in and I handed him a plate warily, waving toward the food. He didn’t smile at me, but he didn’t scowl, either. I decided to take it as a positive sign.

“You made all this?” he asked.

“Nope, the girls from your club did,” I told him, figuring it was always good to make peace over food. And I definitely wanted peace with him, for both Noah’s sake and my own.

Maybe we could just forget today and start over tomorrow?

I decided I liked that idea a lot. I grabbed two more beers and handed him one, smiling hesitantly. “I found it all in the fridge. I still can’t believe they pulled everything together in one day. Thank you so much—I had no idea you were planning something like this. I’m blown away.”

He grunted, not bothering to look at me. Okay, guess we were back to him treating me like furniture.

Because I’m a perverse bitch, I didn’t like it. Stupid, right?

“You want to bring your food upstairs?” he asked us. “I’ve got a table on the deck. Hell of a view, and we’ll be able to watch the sunset.”

“Thanks,” I said, surprised. Guess he wanted to make peace, too. Thank God for that—neither of us had anything to gain from a cold war. And this really was nicer than any place Noah and I had ever lived. I liked the idea of having access to the deck … so long as Ruger didn’t turn on me again. Would I ever get to the point where being around him wasn’t hard to handle?

Yes, I told myself. I’d force myself to do it. For Noah’s sake.

Dinner went better than expected. Noah talked the whole time, which smoothed the way for me and Ruger. I finished my food and then went and grabbed us some more beer, refilling Noah’s glass of milk while I was at it. Eventually Noah got bored and headed down the stairs on the side of the deck to run around. By then I’d had enough alcohol to feel slightly less awkward, and Ruger seemed to be in a good place, too. I dragged my chair away from the table to the deck rail, propping my feet up against the railing. He went back into the house and started some music, a mix of old and new stuff.

We each drank another beer as the sun grew low in the sky. I went from feeling good to feeling f*cking fantastic all around.

Noah needed bed, so I took him down and gave him a quick shower. Poor kid was dead on his feet, falling asleep before I finished his story. I decided to go back upstairs and sit on the deck awhile longer. I liked a little time away from Noah every day, which had been hard to get in our last couple of apartments. This was different, though. Noah could be safe while I had space.

“Hey,” I called as I climbed back up to the deck. “You mind if I sit up here for a while longer?”

“What it’s for,” Ruger said. He stood at the railing, leaning forward on his elbows and looking out across his kingdom. He must’ve gone in and taken a shower while I was putting Noah to bed, because his hair was damp. He’d changed into a pair of worn flannel lounge pants that hung low enough to expose his hipbones.

Maybe I was projecting one of my dirtier fantasies, but I was pretty sure he wasn’t wearing anything under those pants, either.

They certainly gave me a nice, defined view of his ass.

The look worked for him in a big way. Ruger was all lean and muscular, with a six-pack that tapered down nicely and biceps that were a work of art. Oh, wow. One of his nipples was pierced, too. I’d never seen that before. His pecs were broad and hard, large enough to be hot without venturing into man-boob territory. And his tattoos …

I’d always wondered about his tattoos.

His back was all Reapers MC, but his arms and shoulders had ink, too. I wanted to study them up close, but that seemed sort of rude. Also, I couldn’t quite get my eyes to focus.

I settled for standing next to him, leaning forward against the rail.

“Want another beer?” he asked. I shook my head.

“I’ve had enough,” I replied. I’d had slightly more than enough, actually. I’d swayed climbing the stairs, and to be honest, I needed to either lean on the rail or sit. I felt my cheeks warm, and then I giggled.