Page 3 of Wild Runaway
She looks back at me and nods.
I bring up Symon’s number as she jiggles the baby on her hip.
“Who will I say is looking for them?”
She bits her lip again, leaving imprints from her teeth. She worries it a lot, and I long to run my thumb over the puckered skin and smooth it out.
“Trish,” she finally says. “I’m Hailey’s sister.”
“Trish.” I like the sound of her name. It’s fierce like she is. “I’ll call the ranger.”
I make the call to Symon, but no one picks up. I leave him a quick message without mentioning Trish.
Next, I call the Wild Taste Bar and Restaurant. It’s where the HQ for the Wild Riders MC is based. Kobe and Hailey often come over for lunch or a drink. Every man in the MC is ex-military, and Kobe knows a fair few of us. He’s social for a mountain man and likes to keep in touch, but we all know he’s checking in on us. Making sure no one falls over the edge of the precipice that so many of us came back tottering along.
Kendra picks up the phone. She’s Barrel’s sister and Hops’s old lady. That caused a huge stir and nearly got Hops banished from the club, but luckily they sorted out their differences.
“Are Kobe and Hailey up there?”
Kendra checks the restaurant, but no one’s seen them. Hops is speaking in the background, and Kendra must hand the phone across to him.
“They’re away for the weekend. Went to the coast.”
That will explain the phone. They’ve probably got a remote spot where there’s no signal. Having some time together before the baby arrives.
“I went up there to give Kobe some deer meat and found a girl on their doorstep. Says she’s Hailey’s sister.”
Trish gives me a worried look, but I can trust my MC brothers. They won’t breathe a word.
“Is she okay?” Kendra asks.
I glance at Trish, and she’s cradling the baby. The shushing seems to have worked, but all of a sudden the infant lifts its tiny pink head and gives an almighty wail.
“Is that a baby?” asks Hops.
The pink mouth is contorted into an angry cry that’s so loud it’s scaring the birds away.
“Yup, she’s got a baby with her.”
Trish bounces the infant on her shoulder as she paces the porch. Tiny fingers grasp at her hair, and she looks down at the pink scrunched up face with love. Even though the thing is screaming at her, even though it’s cold and windy and I just felt the first drops of rain, all I see emanating from her is love.
A bolt of realization shoots through my veins. I want that loved trained on me.
The thought is so strong it makes me stagger. I don’t know anything about this curvy beauty, but she’s vulnerable out here. Her and the baby, they need me. My heart does a little flip, and my chest swells with new purpose.
Whatever this woman is running from, whatever she and her baby need, I will provide. A surge of protectiveness rushes through me, and I know I’ll do whatever it takes to keep Trish and her baby safe.
Kendra’s saying something on the other end of the line, asking if they need help, but I barely hear her. I know my purpose; I know what I need to do.
“She’s fine,” I say. “I’ll take care of it.”
I hang up the phone and slide it back in my pocket. I’ve never been around a baby, and it’s been years since I was with a woman. But I’ll do whatever I need to do to take care of these two.
2
TRISH
Ikeep my face turned down, focusing on the tiny bundle in my arms. It’s been over five hours since Rose had her last bottle. The train took me to the town of Hope, and I stopped at a cafe where they were kind enough to let me heat up a bottle for her even though I didn’t buy anything.
