Command (Storm MC 6)

Harlow grinned. “Sign me up before I change my mind.”

“Oh no, girl, you never get to change your mind now. This is happening!”

“Harlow!” Scarlett’s voice sounded from the front door.

“Shit,” Harlow muttered as she stood. “She’s probably been knocking on the door and we couldn’t hear her.”

I groaned as she left us. Scarlett had a way of irritating the fuck out of me, and I thought we had tied up all our loose ends with her, and sent her on her way.

“What’s wrong?” Cassie asked. “Don’t you like her?”

“I don’t dislike her, but she has the ability to frustrate me in a matter of seconds.”

Cassie scoffed. “Doesn’t everyone have that ability with you?”

“I’ll admit I have a temper, but I’ve been working on it. Scarlett messes with my concentration where that’s concerned.”

The back door opened and Scarlett appeared. “Oh hey, there’s the resident moody biker.”

I stood. “And to what do we owe this pleasure?” I asked, not even attempting to hide my sarcasm.

“I left a pair of my shoes here. And I also wanted to say thank you to you.”

“Really?”

She huffed out a breath. “Yes, really. Don’t be a prick, Scott. I’m trying to do the right thing here. As much as you and I have had run-ins and said cross words to each other, you came through for me when most don’t, and I appreciate what you did. So, thank you.”

Scarlett was unlike most women I’d met in my life. She said it like it was, didn’t put up with bullshit, and as far as I could work out, she had balls the size of most men’s. “I appreciate that, but let’s get one thing straight – you kicking me in the balls is not classified as a run-in in my book, it’s a lot worse than a run-in, and it won’t ever happen again.”

A grin teased her lips, but didn’t quite form. “It will if you act like an ass.”

“Jesus,” I muttered with a shake of my head. Eyeing Harlow, I said, “I’m gonna leave you girls to it, but don’t take too long, baby. We’ve got shit to do, if you recall.”

Harlow tried not to laugh. “I do.”

I left her to her laughing about my situation of an unresolved hard-on, and headed into the lounge room. I’d just settled in front of the television and put my feet up when Lisa came through the front door. We’d given her a key a while ago, but she didn’t use it very often, so I was surprised to see her.

“Hi, Scott,” she greeted me.

“Hi, darlin’, how’s your day been?” I motioned for her to take a seat. As far as she’d come with her confidence over the last year, she still had a way to go. Feeling comfortable enough to make herself at home in ours, was something Harlow and I had been encouraging, yet she was still a little shy about it.

She settled on the edge of the couch. “I qualified to compete in the school swimming carnival which is on next week, so it was a good day today.”

“What day is it on next week?”

“Friday. Why?”

“Can I come and watch?”

Her body stilled as she stared at me. “Really?”

I fought to hold my cool. It still killed me when she displayed surprise at Harlow’s or my interest in her life. “Yes, really.”

A smile slowly filled her face. “Sure, that would be awesome. Do you think Harlow can come, too?”

“If she can get the time off work, I’m sure she’ll come.” Harlow would do everything in her power to be at that swimming carnival. Of that, I was sure. “Is your mum going?”

She nodded. “Yes. So, I’ll have you and her there, and maybe Harlow.” Her excited voice hit me in the gut. Hard and swift. It was so easy to make a child happy, and yet some parents failed at it. Harlow and I wouldn’t. We would make sure our child knew deep in their soul how loved they were. And we would continue to find ways to show Lisa how much we cared about her.