Hope that he can find a way to love me.
Hope that I can let go of the past and look to the future.
We end up driving to the next town over to a bar and grill. The parking lot is crowded, and it sounds like there is a live band. Abel helps me off his bike and slides an arm around my waist. He stares into my eyes, lips witching into a smile. “I like this look on you.”
“What look?” I gaze back at him unsure of his meaning.
“Happiness…peace.”
“It’s all the hot sex,” I sass.
“Is that all?”
“Maybe it’s partly you. I like this…you showing me your sweet side.”
“I can be your dream come true or your worst nightmare, baby. I give what I get.”
“No.” I shake my head. “Even when I didn’t deserve it you were gentle with me.” Emotion is thick in my throat as I remember our wedding night and how I betrayed him after giving him my word. I know I hurt him. I was too selfish licking my own wounds and feeling sorry for myself to see what I had in front of me. A chance to start over. A chance at something real. The fantasy that Axel promised me but never planned to deliver.
I have a chance at it with Abel. I’m done wasting it.
“In the past. We’re starting over with a clean slate.”
I suck in a breath knowing I need to tell him what he probably already suspects, but I don’t want to ruin a good thing. He says if I am pregnant that it won’t matter that this baby will be his but saying and doing are two different things. I have so much hope, but hope can be a dangerous thing when you’re a girl in my position.
“Unless there is something you want to tell me.”
Stephanie’s advice from earlier echoes in my head but even if it makes me a fool, I can’t lie to him.
“Can I tell you tomorrow?”
He kisses the side of my head. “Tomorrow, Ainsley, but I’ll not have lies or secrets between us. Not now.”
“I promise.”
He nods and leads me inside.
The double western saloon style doors open to a loud scene. To the left is a dining room and to the right is a bar. In the back is a stage with a live band and in the middle of the joint is a mechanical bull. Abel follows my gaze. “You wanna ride?”
My hand instinctively moves to my stomach. I quickly brush at my shirt like there was something there, but my husband isn’t stupid. “Some other time. I’m hungry.”
“Yo’, Prez,” a deep voice booms from across the bar.
Abel sees the apprehension on my face but squeezes my hand. “Come on. They aren’t that bad.”
I don’t tell him it’s not his men I’m worried about. It’s the blonde with them and the way she stares at my husband. Guess I know which whore belongs to him. My stomach drops when she bats her lashes at him. “Hey, Abel.”
“Oaklyn,” he says her name coolly and my stomach flip flops. I want to grab her by her hair and ram her head into the table, but instead I smile and lean into my husband.
“Scoot over fucker, I mean Trucker.” The dark-skinned brother named ATL throws fries at Trucker. He moves down and Abel motions me into the round booth. I scoot in by Trucker and my husband slides in placing a hand on my upper thigh.
“What do you want?”
I was hungry until we came over to this table. Now my appetite has left me. “Just a bacon burger and fries.”
“What about to drink?”
“A Sprite.”