Page 14 of Her Grumpy Biker (Savage Kings MC #1)
CAMDEN
“ T hat’s adorable! Oh my gosh, this display makes me want to buy every single copy of this book,” Sadie gushes. My friend turns to me with the cutest, most sincere expression.
“Let's hope everyone else who walks in today has the same reaction,” I joke. “Thanks again for your help today. I have interviews set up tomorrow afternoon for another part-time employee.”
“I love any excuse to come down and visit you, Diego, and the kiddos. We’re so proud of you for taking over Tall Tales & Turned Pages.”
I beam at her praise, and I know my cheeks are flushed, though I’m not as self-conscious as I once was about it.
Evie wanted to retire last year, and she floated the idea of selling the town’s beloved bookstore to me.
I turned her down at first, but she kept asking.
Diego asked if I was saying no out of fear, which, of course, I was.
I didn’t realize it, but he was spot-on.
Me? Owner of a bookstore? I knew nothing about running a business.
Diego pointed out that I can always learn.
He reminded me of how much I’ve grown since that day we met over twelve years ago, and how I’m living a life I never thought I’d have when I first ran away from the compound.
When he put it that way, I felt invincible.
Knowing Diego would support me, as he always has, gave me the confidence to finally say yes to Evie.
“Thank you, Sadie. It means a lot to me to have you and Cutter in our lives.”
“Speak of the devil…”
The front door opens, and our kids come running inside, followed by Diego and Cutter.
Our friends drove down this morning to help me with inventory and setting up a few new displays.
We have four kids between us, all within a few years of each other.
They were getting restless, so the dads offered to take everyone to the park to burn off some energy.
“Mom! I found a frog, and Dad said I could keep him in my room!” Andrew, our seven-year-old, exclaims.
“Hold on there, buddy,” Diego says as he steps up beside me. He wraps an arm around my waist and tucks me into his side, though he keeps eye contact with Andrew. “I said we could make a spot for him in the backyard, next to the pond.”
“That’s basically the same thing,” he informs us.
“Not even a little bit,” Diego counters. He’s trying to be stern, but when it comes to his children, Diego is an even bigger sap than he is for me. It’s adorable and makes me love him more.
“As long as the frog isn’t in the store, we can talk about it later,” I say. I crook one eyebrow up and wait for my son’s response.
He shakes his head no. “Sir Froggington the Third is right outside the door, safely in his container with food, water, and air holes. See? I’m a good pet owner. I should probably get a dog, too.”
I laugh while Anabelle, our five-year-old, shrieks in excitement. “Puppy! I want a puppy!”
“No puppies,” Diego says, though I can tell he’s considering it. What a pushover.
I grin and lean into my husband’s side. He kisses the top of my head, making me smile. “I give it a month before you break and we have three dogs.”
A deep chuckle rumbles up from Diego’s chest, the sound warming me up from the inside out. I love my giant, muscled, tattooed biker. I love even more that he’s a teddy bear for me and our kids.
“Give me a little credit, sweetheart. I was going to say three months.”
I laugh and then gasp when my husband cups my cheek and pulls me in for a kiss. Just like every time our lips meet, I forget the rest of the world and melt into Diego’s kiss.
“ Stooooop ,” Andrew whines, making us break apart.
Diego kisses my temple, and we both laugh at our son’s protests. “Sorry, kid,” Diego says. “Can’t help myself sometimes.”
Andrew rolls his eyes, then turns to his friend, Seth. “Come on, let’s go check on Sir Froggington!”
The two of them run back outside, and Cutter follows them. He’s such a good and attentive father. I know Sadie is thinking the same thing when I see the look of love and pride on her face.
“Daddy! When are we going home?” Anabelle asks.
“As soon as we help Mommy clean up. Then we’ll have pizza with Uncle Cutter and Aunt Sadie.”
“Seth and Samantha are coming too, right?”
“Yes,” we both say at the same time.
“Good. I like them.” Anabelle promptly sits down in front of a box and a pile of books that need to be moved and re-shelved in a different section. She starts picking up the books, then gets Samantha to join in. Sadie takes on a different pile of books while keeping an eye on our girls.
I step away from my husband so I can help, but he keeps me anchored to him. I look up and am caught off guard by the love in his eyes. I furrow my brow, wondering what I did to earn this look.
“You’re amazing, and I don’t think I tell you that enough. I’m so damn proud of you for taking a chance on this bookstore. I know it was scary, but look at what you’ve accomplished. You’re already getting enough business to hire a third employee.”
“Thank you. I couldn’t have done all of this without you,” I tell him with a soft smile.
“You absolutely could have, but thank you for letting me be part of your accomplishments.”
God. Swoon. This man always knows what to say. “You’re so good to me,” I tell him, repeating one of our favorite phrases through the years.
“We’re good to each other,” he replies easily.
I nod and wrap my arms around Diego’s torso. He cradles me in his embrace, making me feel whole and precious and loved more than I ever thought possible.
THE END