Page 43 of The MC’s Surprise (Bikers and Babies #4)

Sierra

“ A re you sure you’re ready?”

It was getting hard not to laugh at him.

Justin had already asked me that question half a dozen times, and he still hovered beside me.

It didn’t matter that the doctor had cleared me to return to normal activity and Mel checked on me pretty much daily and agreed with the assessment that I was ready.

Justin was a worry wart, and I couldn’t complain about the coddling too much. He was just so sweet about it.

“I promise I’m fine. Here, hold your daughter.

You need cuddles to chill out,” I said, handing off Melanie to him.

We’d spent the first few weeks just being together as much as possible as a family, and as much as I loved every minute of it, I wanted out of this gorgeous house.

Besides, it was time for the rally. I’d been planning it with Skylar for weeks and I’d already had to miss the firefighter event since I’d gone into labor early. I wasn’t missing this.

Justin melted the second she was in his arms, just like he did every time I handed her off to him.

It was adorable just how much he loved her.

How much he loved the both of us. He’d taken paternity leave, despite owning his own business, and refused to drive out when Charlotte summoned him.

I’d overheard that conversation and he said unless the building was crumbling, he wasn’t leaving and she could handle it.

I couldn’t help feeling a little smug about that.

If there was a ranking system, me and Melanie came out on top that day.

I looked in the mirror, studying my appearance.

It’d been so long since I could fit into clothes like this, I wasn’t sure what to think.

While yes, the breastfeeding had helped with losing some of the weight I’d gained during the pregnancy, it wasn’t a fix-all.

And I wasn’t cleared for any type of exercise until earlier this week.

I was a little chubbier, a little more soft, but when Vegas stepped up behind me, he didn’t show even an ounce of judgement.

“You look gorgeous, sweetheart. Ten out of ten. Isn’t that right, Melanie? Isn’t your mama gorgeous? Yes she is,” he cooed at her, winking at me in the mirror.

I felt my cheeks flush, but his opinion was definitely biased. I snapped a picture and sent it to the group chat with the other old ladies.

Sierra: Do I look okay?

Skylar: You look great!

Maggie: I think so too. I love the dress.

Mel, instead of answering with a text, sent a series of gifs all complimenting me and cheering me on.

I smiled as I read through the messages.

While we hadn’t gone to the clubhouse much since Melanie was born, the old ladies showed up almost every day.

They did things I’d never expected, like laundry and washing dishes, and whenever I tried to talk them out of it, they said it was their job as my friends to take care of me when I needed help.

Since I wasn’t allowed to do anything more strenuous than holding and feeding my baby, that meant they were going to do the rest. It meant the world to me and we’d grown so close over the past six weeks.

Skylar was a wealth of information on post-pregnancy and the newborn stage.

Maggie showed up with food at least once a day.

And Mel was like my personal nurse, and she was quick to answer any and all questions no matter the time of day.

If it worried me, she wanted me to call her.

They were the best friends I could have asked for, not an ounce of shallowness between them.

They made my old friends look bad just by existing.

Bolstered by their approval, I drew in a breath and nodded. I thought the outfit was cute and as long as I felt good about myself, no one could get me down.

“Okay, final check. Spare diapers?”

“Check,” Justin answered promptly. We’d both regretted the one time we didn’t check and ended up needing to borrow too big diapers from one of the old ladies.

“Baby carrier?”

“Check.”

“Diaper bag?”

He grinned, obviously enjoying my fretting. “Check. We’re all good, sweetheart. I even remembered to pack the headphones.”

I rolled my eyes at that one. Justin was against bringing Melanie to the rally unless we got her some protection for her hearing. I didn't plan on getting that close to any loud music or motorcycles, but I didn’t mind the extra precaution. Besides, she looked so cute it them.

With one final glance around the room to make sure we weren’t forgetting anything, I nodded. “Okay. Put her in her car seat, then we can go.”

His bottom lip came out, just like it did every time I told him to put the baby down. Big marshmallow.

“Do I have to?”

Rolling my eyes, I tried as hard as I could not to smile. It would only encourage him. “Yes, Justin. You have to. Unless you want her in the car without any protection.”

“Nope. We’re good,” he immediately backtracked, heading for the carseat near the door.

She fussed a bit being put into it, but I laid her favorite blanket on her once she was all buckled in and she settled with that comfort item.

My mom suggested I sleep with it for a few days so it smelled like me and it seemed to work wonders in keeping her calm.

After getting the car seat situated, Justin hesitated, staring down at our daughter.

There was a war going on in his head, I could see it in his eyes.

He hadn’t been away from us for very long since she was born, but today he had to go meet the crew.

They’d drive into the rally en masse, and we would meet up afterward.

I could tell just how much he hated the thought of it, so I put my hand on his chest, lifting to my toes to kiss him lightly.

“We’ll be alright. I’m going to pick up my mom, and we’ll drive in together. I’ll keep you updated every step of the way.”

Wrapping his arms around my waist, he sighed. “I’m trying so damn hard not to be clingy. I don’t know how the guys walk away from their families every day. I’m worried I’ll blink and miss everything.”

“Ask them when you meet up,” I suggested, because I didn’t know how they did it either.

I’d eventually have to return to work and even though I had my mom and Justin’s mom on standby for childcare, the thought of leaving her behind made me want to cry.

And I still had a couple months left. Justin wheedled at least three months of maternity leave before I went back to work.

Mom pushed for more. I’d be lucky if they allowed me to go back to work before she was six months old.

He wavered a bit, glancing between Melanie and me and his bike before eventually relenting with a heavy sigh. “Alright. I’ll go. But I call dibs on wearing her for the first half of the rally. It’ll be a reward for being apart from you two.”

I bit my lip, trying to hide the huge grin that threatened to stretch across my face any time he expressed how much we meant to him. He wasn’t at all shy about it. We were his, and I’d never felt so wanted before in my life.

“Deal. I’ll make sure to feed her first so she’ll have a nice long nap on you.”

He beamed, smacking a kiss on my lips before taking a few big steps back. “You know just how to make me feel better, sweetheart. Be careful with that. I might just keep you forever.”

“You better,” I shot back with a smirk.

Mom was still getting ready when I arrived.

I rested Melanie’s carseat handle in the crook of my arm, keeping up the rocking motion since she was asleep and I didn’t want to wake her.

Dad was in the garage, doing some final touch ups to his bike.

He was going to be riding in with the old timers of the crew, an honor he’d been quite proud to receive when Tank invited him to join.

I think in another lifetime, Dad would have been part of the original Dirty Devils crew.

He got along well with them, and loved having people to ride with when the weather allowed it.

“Hey, Dad,” I called as I headed his way.

He lifted his head, his eyes crinkling as he smiled at me. “Hey, sweetpea. You here to pick up your mama?”

“Yep. We’re heading down together. I’m surprised she’s not riding in with you, honestly.” I totally would’ve ridden with Justin if I could stand the thought of being away from Melanie yet. Maybe in a few weeks.

He snorted, wiping his hands on a rag before pulling me in for a hug. “Your mama supports me riding, but getting her to ride with me is a task and a half. I’ve only managed it half a dozen times since we got married. It makes her anxious.”

That tracked. Mom was the rule follower. Dad was the adventurous one. I got my bravery from him.

He tipped his head to get a good look in the car seat, smiling down at his granddaughter. “You know, I took you to a rally when you were little. Not as little as her, but you were maybe three?”

My eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Really? Mom allowed that?”

His grin turned sheepish. “Well… It may have been when she was out of town visiting her folks. You got an ear infection, couldn’t get on a plane and go with her.

You stayed with me instead. I took you to a rally about an hour from here, let you look at all the bikes.

You were the star of the show. Makes me happy to see the tradition will continue. ”

I leaned into his side with a big smile on my face, grateful that my hormones weren’t so overwhelming anymore. If he’d told me that a few weeks ago, I would’ve burst into tears instantly. I was still choked up, though, and I did my best to swallow down the lump in my throat.

“Don’t tell your mother that story,” he murmured, eyes locked over my shoulder as she came out of the house and waved at us. “Just because its been over twenty years don’t mean she won’t tan my hide.”

I snickered, pulling away from him. “Your secret is safe with me. Now stop fiddling and get moving. The crew is already gathering at the clubhouse.”

And if it made me feel a little better having my dad watch out for Justin, then no one else needed to know.