Page 53 of The MC's Surprise
That was such a lie. My mom was always of the opinion that as long as we weren’t cussing at each other or other people, it was just a form of speech. She was so nonchalant about it, it actually made me and Erica take longer than other kids to start using that kind of language because it wasn’t a shock. If we stubbed our toe or dropped food or something, we could express our frustrations however we wanted. I only started using that kind of language more frequently in college hanging around my friends.
Thankfully, Erica interjected before I could point that out. I loved poking at my mom, she was fun to tease, but she was still recovering so I needed to watch myself.
“Sierra, this might sound weird, but I used to fill my mouth with water and then shove the pill in there and swallow. It tricked my brain and I was a lot less likely to choke on it.”
Sierra looked thoughtfully at the pill before doing as Erica suggested. She swallowed hard, grimacing, but then her eyes popped open in surprise. “That actually worked! Thank you!”
We eventually moved into the kitchen, where Sierra’s mom served up some lasagna with garlic bread. I was in heaven and it took me a minute to realized me and Sierra were at the center of attention again. I blinked, looking around, my mouth still full. When I shot my sister a questioning look, she snorted.
“You two eat like you’re starving. She has an excuse. What’s yours?”
After swallowing my bite, I answered the way I always did. “I’m a growing boy. I need sustenance.”
“Yet again, I’m glad I never had sons,” Noelle teased. Mom shot her a commiserating look.
“Oh, you wouldn’t believe how bad he was as a teenager. I thought we’d go bankrupt with how much he was eating. And he was always so messy about it. We had to start buying him his own carton of milk because he would drink straight out of the jug without thought toward who else was sharing it with him.”
“Mom,” I complained. I didn't want her sharing shit like that with Sierra. It might make her second guess moving in with me. I was better about that stuff now. After living in a house with at least five other dudes, I learned to be more conscientious about my surroundings.
“Hopefully they’ll have a girl,” Noelle said.
Sierra patted my shoulder as I slumped a little in my seat, listening to my mom share all my most embarrassing moments with Sierra and her family. I had no doubt this was my punishment for keeping her out of the loop.
“Don’t worry. I’m not sure I’d be a good roommate either,” Sierra whispered. “I’ve never lived with anyone other that my parents.”
“I’m not that bad anymore,” I grumbled. “If we acted like that at the clubhouse, Butch would knock our heads together.”
She wrinkled her nose adorably when she said, “I’m not sure I believe that. He was a sweetheart the last time I met him. I couldn’t imagine him hurting anyone.”
That made me laugh out loud. “Oh, you haven’t seen anything yet. He’s only nice to the kids and the women. The rest of us have faced his wrath more than once. I think Rooster lives on Butch’s shit list permanently, and those two are blood related.”
I was glad I could say shit like this and it didn’t phase Sierra in the slightest. She knew my crew was good people. She’d never shown an ounce of fear or discomfort being around them. She fit in with us in a way I wasn’t sure Charlotte ever could have. Charlotte always had something to say about my bike or my patch, and the look she gave me whenever I mentioned my crew always made me apprehensive about introducing them. They came to the casino every now and then, but usually on the night shift when she wasn’t around. I hadn’t realized until now how grateful I’d been about that. And wasn’t that saying something? I’d been pining for years over a woman who I couldn’t see accepting my crew. What the hell had I thought would happen if she actually gave me a shot?
Luckily, I didn’t ever have to face that reality. Sierra loved my crew and my crew loved her. And from the way our families interacted, they all got along too. I must’ve done something good to deserve all this. I just wasn’t sure what.
31
Sierra
When I received a text from Charlotte letting me know when and where the baby shower was going to be held, I thought again about turning her down. I didn’t trust her in the slightest. But Vegas was so pleased that she’d cared enough to plan something and was still blind to her true personality. I couldn’t say anything without looking like a jealous jerk. There wasn’t a chance in hell I was going in there alone, though.
I bounced on my toes outside Skylar’s home, resisting the urge to chew my thumbnail. It was an old habit I forced myself to quit when I finally got my business going. I didn’t want to greet new customers with raggedy nails. I wasn’t going to let myself pick up that habit again now, just because I was nervous about making new friends. Skylar had already proven she was awesome. I had nothing to be nervous about.
The front door open and my gaze went up, up, up. “Oh. Hi, Butch.”
His smile was kind, and he stepped out of the way without even bothering to ask why I was there. “Hey, Sierra. Heard today was your baby shower.”
I lifted a shoulder. “I mean, maybe. I’m not sure about the woman who planned it. She’s been kind of a jerk in the past.”
His brow furrowed as he frowned. “Then why you goin’?”
“Because Vegas is excited about it. And it would be rude to say no. Right?” A part of me hoped he’d agree with my thought process and give me an excuse to skip it, but he didn’t seem to know what to say to that. And he was distracted after a minute when Skylar came down the stairs and offered him a baby to hold. He took his son with a proud smile, kissing her on the cheek.
“Don’t forget to pick up Ellie in an hour,” she reminded him as he helped her with her jacket.
He snorted. “Stop fussin’, woman. I know I gotta pick up her and Zoey. Go have a nice time and call if you need anything.”
She beamed at him, the look so full of love that it almost made me want to blush. Those two were so cute, it should be criminal.
