Page 24 of Wyatt (The Black Roses MC #5)

When Colby and I get home, I fix him a snack.

Cece texts and confirms that she’ll be here tonight.

She’s only missed one babysitting gig, but she still feels guilty about it, even though I’ve told her about a hundred times that it happens and not to stress about it.

Since then, she’s been confirming every afternoon any time she’s set to watch Colby.

I look at my outfit for tonight before laying it down on my chair in the corner.

I decided to go with a dress. Nothing fancy, but I feel like getting a little dressed up.

It’s a white spaghetti-strap peasant midi dress that I plan to pair with a belt and cowboy boots.

Seems fitting for the western-themed steak house we’re going to.

Plus, it’s rare I’m in anything other than jeans or shorts paired with a loose T-shirt.

I’m also hoping getting dressed up will improve my mood and get me a little excited to be going out tonight.

I don’t have the same nerves as last time, which is good.

Or bad, depending on how you look at it, I guess.

There are no flutters of excitement at the thought of seeing Steven.

I don’t dread it by any means, but there’s no eager anticipation.

Okay, that’s it. If I don’t at least feel one flap of a butterfly wing, I’m not going out with him again. This isn’t fair, especially seeing as I had an entire kaleidoscope of them in my stomach at Colby’s game today when Wyatt smiled at me.

With that decision made, I already feel better about tonight.

As though there’s less pressure. I’m not going to stress about trying to make something work with someone I don’t feel a spark toward with the hopes it will come.

I’m going to enjoy a nice dinner out with a perfectly nice man and probably not go for a third date.

It’s not as though either of us is emotionally invested at this point.

Plus, this will give him the opportunity to find someone who lights up every time he’s in the room.

After a few hours of cleaning and paying bills—all the fun life stuff—I’m ready to head out. There’s a knock on the door, and Cece stands on the porch holding a container of something I’m sure is delicious.

“I don’t know what that is, but if you save me some, I’ll give you an extra ten bucks,” I say, moving out of the way so she can enter.

She walks to the kitchen, and Colby runs up to her with a piece of paper waving in his hand. “Look what I made you.”

Cece takes the picture from his hand and examines the drawing with a smile on her face. “This is the best one yet,” she says, and he beams.

He jumps and runs out of the room, most likely to work on another drawing.

“I’ve been meaning to bring this up, but I felt kind of weird about it,” Cece starts. “Colby showed me the painting he did with him, me, and Cash at the park. I hope it’s okay with you that he sometimes meets us there.”

“It’s totally fine with me,” I say, sensing that she wants to say something else.

“It’s not like something’s going on between us or anything. He’s just…easy to talk to when I’m having a hard time. It never interferes with my time with Colby, though,” she rushes out.

“I know it wouldn’t. Colby loves you. Trust me, if he didn’t, I would know about it.

That kid has no filter.” I absolutely love that about him.

He’s a terrible liar, not that he ever really tries.

I’m raising him to be a hundred-percent honest, and he knows he can tell me anything, no matter how small.

I think that’s part of the reason showing me a picture with Cash and Cece didn’t seem at all strange to him.

“Right. And nothing’s going on anyway, so there’s nothing to worry about.”

“You already said that,” I say.

I think the lady doth protest too much.

“He’s too old for me. Plus, he’s a brother, and Lucy would have a shit fit if she ever thought I was getting involved with him. Not that she can talk, but she has a different set of rules for herself than she does for me.”

I sense a bit of irritation coming from Cece over that fact.

“Lucy has a different set of rules for the world,” I say, and Cece chuckles.

“That she does.”

“If you feel like there’s stuff you can’t tell your sister or want to talk to someone other than Cash, I’m here for you, too.”

Cece sends me a small smile. She really is strikingly beautiful with long blonde hair and eyes so big and blue she almost looks like a doll. But there’s pain behind those eyes, pain I don’t have the first clue about.

“Thanks. That really means a lot,” she says. She walks into the living room with Colby. Maybe one day she’ll be comfortable enough to talk about everything she holds inside. But that day is not today.

I grab my purse and head into the living room, finding Cece and Colby sitting on the floor in front of the coffee table, each with a crayon in their hand and paper in front of them.

“Okay, kids. I’m taking off. There’s money on the counter for dinner, which you have to eat before you have whatever Cece brought over,” I say, giving my son that look that tells him I mean business.

“Okay, Mommy.” He jumps up from the floor before walking over and wrapping his arms around my waist. I bend and kiss the top of his head.

“Love you, buddy.”

“I love you, too.”

He lets me hug him for a beat longer before he’s squirming out of my arms, ready to work on his next masterpiece.

The restaurant is pretty busy for a Saturday night, but Steven made reservations, so we don’t have to wait for a table.

He looks nice tonight in a collared shirt and a pair of slacks with his dark hair swept to the side.

Perfectly respectable and looking every inch the accountant that he is.

And just like last week, there is zero spark. Not even a flicker of something.

Steven is handsome in the classic sense.

Good bone structure and nice hair. He’s got a friendly smile, but when he turns it in my direction, I feel nothing.

Zip, zilch, nada. That doesn’t mean I’m going to have a terrible time, though.

In fact, I’m having a perfectly nice evening with someone with whom I have as much chemistry as I would with my cousin—which is to say, none.

“I like this little town here. It’s like an unknown gem,” he says as we eat our spinach and artichoke dip appetizer.

“You wouldn’t be saying that if you grew up here,” I reply with a chuckle. “It’s small and everyone knows everyone. You can’t really get away with anything without someone telling someone who tells your parents or grandparents.”

“I don’t know.” He tilts his head to the side. “That seems kind of nice to me.”

I lean back and take a sip of my wine. “I like it more as an adult than I did when I was younger. At least I know my kid won’t be able to get away with anything.”

Just then, the server brings over a glass of wine and another beer. I look at her with confusion in my gaze.

“From the two guys at the bar,” she says, seeing my unasked question.

I look around her, and sitting at the bar with smiles on their faces and beers in their hands are Wyatt and Barrett. Wyatt tips his beer bottle in my direction, and I turn back to Steven.

“Who’s that?” he asks.

“One of my bosses,” I tell him. “Perks of a small town.” I try to smile as though it’s no big deal, but I seriously doubt I’m pulling it off.

And those butterflies I was talking about earlier?

Yeah, they decided to try to migrate out of my belly.

Unfortunately, not toward the man currently sitting across from me.

“That guy’s your boss?” Steven asks, probably noticing the MC cuts Wyatt and Barrett are wearing.

“Yup, they own the bar I work at. Good guys,” I say and pour the remnants of my wine into the glass that Wyatt sent over before taking a healthy swig.

“I didn’t realize you worked in a biker bar,” he says, and immediately my hackles rise.

“It’s not some sort of trashy place.” Like your tone suggests , even if I don’t say it. “They run a clean place. And they’re all great guys. A few of my girlfriends are dating some guys in the club, and Colby loves all the brothers.”

His head rears back. “You raise your kid around bikers?”

Okay, this conversation is taking a very judgmental turn, and I am not impressed, nor am I feeling as though I want to spend my evening defending my parenting choices to a man I’ve gone out with all of twice.

“I don’t know what you think you know about bikers, but it’s probably completely off base.

” It probably isn’t too far away from the truth, but that shit stays away from me and Colby.

Plus, I really don’t like what he’s implying.

“Those bikers were there for me when my grandma passed and have made Colby feel loved and supported for no other reason than we’re a family of our own making.

Exactly like all the brothers are family.

” I think back to the game and seeing everyone show up for my kid, back to last weekend we spent at the lake, Knox teaching my son to fish.

“Sorry, it’s just not something I’ve ever been around.

Accountant, remember? I don’t exactly run with that type of crowd.

” He must see the annoyed scowl on my face because he’s quick to add, “Not that there’s anything wrong with people who do.

I just…I just don’t know if I’d be comfortable with it. No judgment.”

I give him a flat smile. If it wasn’t obvious before, this clinches it. There will be no third date.

Steven excuses himself from the table before our entrées arrive, and I lean back in my seat, letting out a long breath.

Well, at least I’ll get a decent meal out of the evening.

That has to count for something. Steven is perfectly nice.

He tried to clean up the mess he was getting himself into when he put his foot in his mouth about me working for—and hanging out with—the MC, but it was too late.

I’m pretty sure he sensed that he'd stepped in it when he asked about me raising my kid around bikers. I grew up surrounded by people who were judgmental assholes. I don’t need to put up with it now, especially because I live my life and raise my kid to be the exact opposite.

“This seat taken?” Barrett asks, sliding into the booth before I have a chance to answer.

“My date is going to be back any minute,” I say, looking toward the bathroom then around the bar area of the restaurant. “Where’s Wyatt?”

Barrett shrugs. “He had a phone call or something. Thought I’d come over and say hi. Having fun?”

It’s my turn to shrug. “Sure.”

“You don’t really sound like it.” He’s eyeing me like he’s waiting for me to admit something, which is odd.

I’m not particularly close with Barrett, though he’s been known to make me laugh when he comes into the bar with jokes and tall tales.

If there’s one person in the club who has Wyatt beat in the totally free and unmoored way of life, it’s the man sitting across from me.

“I’m having a perfectly fine time. Why wouldn’t I? It’s a nice restaurant, good food—”

“You’re on a date with a dentist,” he interjects, cutting me off.

“Steven is an accountant,” I inform him.

“Huh,” he says, tilting his head to the side. “He looks like a dentist to me.”

“Well, he’s not, and he’s going to be back any second.”

Barrett shrugs and points to the dip. “You mind?”

“Go for it,” I reply and notice he’s looking pretty much anywhere other than me.

Studying the man in front of me, the way he’s trying to play it a little too casual, I get the sneaking suspicion that Barrett and Wyatt didn’t just happen to show up at the same restaurant as me and Steven by chance.

And I also know a distraction when I see one.

“Mmm, this is good,” he says around a mouthful of the creamy dip.

“Glad you like it.” I lean across the table. “Now tell me, where the hell is your partner in crime?”