Page 144 of Claimed By My Biker Daddies

“Wind is not funny,” Gabe tells him, very serious. “It pushed Mama once. We are not friends.”

Deacon touches his shoulder. “Then we build better.”

Afternoon turns soft.

Rain thinks about visiting and then doesn’t.

The cupcake motorcycle logo catches a piece of sun and throws it on the floor for us to chase.

We chase.

We do not slip because Roman says walking feet, and when Roman says a thing, the thing is as solid as a chair.

Cara braids my hair this time.

She tells us a story about a woman who used to sing to bees so they would not be lonely in storms.

“Do bees get lonely?” I ask.

“All busy creatures do if no one reminds them to rest,” she says, looking right at Mama. Mama sticks her tongue out at Cara like a girl and sits down for a whole minute.

Isla shows us how to pipe icing roses on practice boards.

We make one that looks like a rose and five that look like octopi hats.

She says they are all art.

She says our bakery should have a gallery for brave shapes.

We say yes and show her the octopus hat that is also a rose if you squint and she says, “Avant-garde,” and I think that means very good.

A man with a leather cut from an allied club stops in and hangs it on the peg because the rule says people first.

He says to Roman, “Beautiful place.”

Roman says, “Behave,” and the man laughs like he understands every rule without hearing any words.

We close when the light goes gold.RESTING THE OVEN.

People always come right then and we give them one more thing because we are generous and because leftovers deserve homes.

Mama saves two lemon bars for tomorrow and Deacon writesLEMON, IMPORTANTon a sticky note and places it like a spell.

Dinner smells like stew and bread that sings when you break it.

We sit at the long table and pass plates and salt and stories.

I tell the fox story.

Gabe tells the wizard hair story.

Isla tells a story about a cupcake knight.

Papa Cruz sings while he wipes the table and the song gets in the cracks and makes them polite.

After, we all go outside for five minutes in the cold to see which stars showed up.

Roman points out the first one like it is his friend.