Keeping Her Warm(17)

“Breakfast,” I answer. It’s the truth. I don't want to scare her, but I don’t want to ambush her either, so I tell her the rest. “At my mom’s.”

I glance over at her. Her eyes are big. I reach for her hand and slide mine into it. “She’s going to love you. I promise. Trust me. She’s going to be over the moon to meet you.”

I give her hand a little squeeze. I don’t live far from my mom. I could walk it if I really wanted to. When we pull in and I park, I look over at her. Bringing her hand to my mouth, I kiss it.

“Moms don’t like me,” she whispers, looking down at her lap. Her words make me feel like someone sucker punched me in the gut.

I put my finger under her chin, making her look at me. Her eyes are filled with worry and I fucking hate that, but I push on, knowing that she’s going to love my ma. That my ma will be good for her. I’ll show her not all parents are shit and my ma will soon be hers, too.

“You trust me baby?” I ask her.

“Always,” she says instantly.

“Then trust me that I wouldn't bring you here unless I knew it would be good for you. My ma is going to love you. You’re hard not to love.”

Her breath hitches a little at that.

“You got dealt shitty parents and that has nothing to do with you. You’re fucking perfect. They are the ones who lost out.”

She gives me a small smile. I lean over and kiss her. She melts into me and I feel the tension leave her body. I hop out of my cruiser and go around to her side of the car and open the door. I give her my hand and help her out.

When we walk in the door I give Chuck a head nod. His eyes go a little wide when he sees Catherine. I pull her into my side. I don’t like any man looking at her and I want to stake my claim on her. I need to get a ring on her finger. Maybe even a baby in her belly. My mind goes to all the times I took her without protection and I smile, thinking maybe that will come true soon enough.

I move my mind to something else because my dick hardens at the idea of my rings on her finger and her belly swollen with our baby. I know these things will happen. This girl was made for me. The past twenty-four hours have been the best of my life and I don’t fucking care if I’m moving too fast. Fuck, I wish I could move even faster.

I kiss her on the top of the head when we reach my ma’s door. I reach for the knob and am a little shocked when it’s locked. I smile at that. She’s finally listening to me. I knock. A few moments later the door opens and George is standing there. I shake my head.

“About time,” I tell him. I’m not talking about how long it took him to answer the door. I’m glad he and my ma stopped pussyfooting around their attraction. Well, I guess it was more my ma.

George smiles. “Finally got her to break.” He shrugs. “Okay, maybe I broke when that new prick from apartment 9A tried to hit on your ma.”

I laugh at that.

George's eyes move over to Catherine.

“Catherine?” he says.

“Hi, George,” she says back. She tries to move a little more into me, but I already have her fully against me.

“Come on in.” George steps out of the way and we walk into the apartment. My mom comes out in a robe. She smiles when she sees me, then her eyes go to Catherine and her smile gets even bigger. Her whole face lights up.

“Collie! Who is this?” she gushes, rushing over to us.

“This is my girl Catherine,” I tell her. I glance down at her and I see her cheeks are pink.

“You’ve been hiding this precious thing from me?” My ma smacks me on the arm and she grabs Catherine from me and pulls her in for a hug.

“Oh my goodness, you are tiny. Come, I’ll feed you.” Ma pulls her from the living room toward the kitchen. Catherine looks over her shoulder at me, her eyes big with a what-is-happening look. I give her a wink.

I turn to George when I think they are out of hearing distance and drop my voice down low. “You know her?” I ask.

“Small town. I knew her dad. Everyone kinda does. Town drunk is hard to miss.”

I run my hands through my hair. I hate this shit—that she had to put up with this crap. “Don’t bring up her father,” I tell him. I felt Catherine lock up next to me when she saw George. She was probably sure he was going to ask about her father, and she doesn’t like talking about him. I still haven't gotten much out of her and I’m not going to press. Not yet anyway. I want her to tell me on her own, to open up about it, and I know with time she will. Just like she talked a little about her mom in the car. She mentioned yesterday that her mom had left when she was young but not much else. She hadn't said it with much emotion, but it bled through today and I vowed to myself that I would work at stopping that shit from bleeding.

“All right,” he agrees easily. “She’s a sweet girl.”

“I know,” I clip instantly.

George smiles at me. “Glad you found her.”

“Me too.”

“Town is going to talk,” he adds, and I know he’s right. She’s still in high school. Ten years younger than me.

“Don’t give a fuck,” I admit. Because I don’t. Nothing is going to stop me from having her. Not even being the sheriff. They don't like it then they don't have to elect me again.

George laughs. “Good.”