Page 17 of Heart of a Hero

“Why don’t you bring her here to the clubhouse? Both her and the little girl?” Ben asked.

“It’s a bit smoky in here for that,” I said.

He glowered at me. “Obviously we won’t smoke around the kid. Jesus, what do you take us for? Besides, Diego could bring his niece, and Justin could bring his daughter. They should all be close enough in age to get along.”

“That’s a good suggestion,” Jaxon said. “I’ll get everyone to pitch in on dinner and dessert. Bring them by and we’ll get to know them.”

“I can bring Avery,” Logan said. “My sister is always up for meeting new people, and having another woman here might make Nora feel more comfortable.”

I nodded. “All right. I can do that, as long as she agrees. It’s not like I’ll force her to come.”

“We’ll go ahead and prepare just in case,” Jaxon said.

* * *

The sun hung low in the sky as I pulled up to the apartment I called home. Nora was in the living room when I walked in, her dark hair loose around her shoulders, a hesitant smile on her face. Taylor peeked out from the hallway, her eyes wide with curiosity.

“Hey there, beautiful,” I called out, my heart skipping a beat at the sight of them. “You ready for an adventure?”

Nora’s brow furrowed, her hands fidgeting with the hem of her shirt. “An adventure? Dawson, what’s going on?”

I shut the door and walked closer, reaching out to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear. Her skin was soft beneath my fingertips, and I ached to pull her into my arms. But I held back, knowing she needed time. Not to mention Taylor was watching us, and I wasn’t sure what she’d think of me doing such a thing to her mom.

“The guys and I, we want you and Taylor to come to the Swift Angels clubhouse tonight. Meet the rest of the club, see what we’re all about.” I held her gaze, willing her to trust me. “It’s just dinner, Nora. A chance for you to get to know the people who have my back. The people who will have yours too.”

She hesitated, her teeth worrying at her bottom lip. I could see the uncertainty in her eyes, the fear lingering just beneath the surface. But then Taylor tugged at her hand, her little face alight with excitement.

“Can we go, Mommy? Please? I want to meet Mr. Dawson’s friends!”

Nora’s face softened, and she knelt down to look her daughter in the eye. “Okay, baby. We can go. But you have to promise to be on your best behavior, all right?”

Taylor nodded solemnly, her pigtails bobbing. “I promise, Mommy.”

I grinned, scooping the little girl up into my arms and spinning her. She giggled, her arms wrapping around my neck. “All right then, let’s hit the road!”

“You mean right now?” Nora asked. “Dawson, I’m not dressed to meet people.”

I scanned her from head to toe. “What’s wrong with how you’re dressed?”

She huffed at me. “Seriously? I’m in leggings and an oversized shirt, and you want to introduce me to your friends? Like this?”

I shrugged, still not seeing the issue. She rolled her eyes at me and hurried down the hall. Taylor and I waited a good half hour before Nora came back, dressed in jeans and a sweater. I noticed she’d pulled her hair back in a ponytail and it looked like she had some lipstick on. I hadn’t realized Akira had included makeup in the stuff she’d brought over.

“Ready now?” I asked.

She nodded. “You can’t tell me this doesn’t look better than what I had on before.”

“You look beautiful to me no matter what you put on.” Her cheeks flushed and she ducked her head. “Come on. Let’s head to the clubhouse.”

As I buckled Taylor into the back seat of my truck, I caught Nora watching me, a strange expression on her face. It was almost… tender, mixed with a hint of longing. Like she was seeing me in a new light.

I held out my hand to her, my heart in my throat. “You coming?”

For a moment, she wavered. But then her fingers slid into mine, warm and soft, and I knew I would do anything to keep her by my side.

* * *

The clubhouse was already buzzing with activity when we arrived, the smell of fried chicken and fresh biscuits wafting through the air. I could feel Nora tense beside me as we walked in, and I glanced her way, only to see her grip on Taylor’s hand tightening.

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