Page 8 of Ace's Legacy
A motorcycle roars to life nearby, reminding me where we are. "Look, this isn't the best place to talk. Let me take you somewhere quieter."
She hesitates. "I should probably get home. I have lesson plans to finish for tomorrow."
"You're a teacher, right?" I remember her mentioning it that night.
"First grade," she confirms with a small smile. "At Pine Haven Elementary."
An image flashes in my mind. Sarah surrounded by little kids, patient and kind. It fits her perfectly. And now she'll have her own child to teach. Our child.
"We need to figure this out," I say. "Make some kind of plan."
"I know." She stands, smoothing her dress. "Maybe we could meet for coffee sometime this week?"
I stand too, towering over her. "Tomorrow? After you finish work?"
She looks surprised at my eagerness but nods. "Okay. The coffee shop on Maple? Around four?"
"Here, please. I can't tell you why yet, but it's for the better. Believe me," I watch as she gathers her purse, looking like she can't wait to escape this place. I can't blame her. "Can I walk you to your car?"
"Here, then. And that's not necessary—"
"Please." I'm not sure why it matters, but it does.
She relents with a nod, and we walk side by side around the clubhouse to where her little blue Honda sits. The brothers hanging around out front watch us, but no one approaches. They know better.
At her car, she turns to face me. "Thank you for not freaking out."
"Who says I'm not freaking out?" I attempt a smile. "I'm just doing it internally."
That gets a small laugh out of her. "Fair enough. I did my freaking out yesterday in my bathroom."
And then there's an awkward moment where neither of us knows what to do. A handshake feels ridiculous. A hug too intimate. A kiss unthinkable, despite the fact that this woman knows every inch of my body.
"I'll see you tomorrow," she finally says, breaking the tension.
"Tomorrow," I agree, stepping back as she gets into her car.
I watch her drive away, standing in the dusty lot long after her car disappears from view. When I finally turn back toward the clubhouse, Viper is waiting by the entrance.
"Well?" he asks as I approach.
"Well what?"
"What's the plan?"
I brush past him, suddenly needing a drink stronger than coffee. "I don't know yet. But I'm not walking away."
Inside, a few of the brothers are playing pool. Ghost looks up as I enter, his perceptive eyes taking in my expression immediately.
"Everything okay, brother?" he asks.
No. Nothing is okay. My whole world just shifted on its axis. In seven-ish months, I'm going to be responsible for a human life. Me—the guy who can barely keep himself alive sometimes.
"It will be," I say instead, heading for the bar and the whiskey I know is kept beneath it.
As I pour myself a double, my phone buzzes in my pocket. A text from a number I don't recognize.
*This is Sarah. Figured you should have my number. See you tomorrow.*
