A Very Cerberus Christmas (Cerberus MC)

I don’t want to have to explain why Micah would even think I’d wear my pajamas out of the house or how he would warm me up, but I come up with several ways he could as I get dressed for work.

I realize just how good of a wingman my son is when I get a text thirty minutes later.

See you Saturday evening 7pm. Wear something warm.

I find myself smiling all night at work.

Chapter 6

Snake

“Texting again?” Ace asks as he settles in the chair beside me in the garage.

I nod, my face angled down at my phone.

“She only gets thirty minutes for lunch.”

“Then shouldn’t you let the woman eat?”

My nose scrunches up with his words because he has a point. I’ve been bothering her all damn week during her lunch break.

“Leave him alone,” Skid interrupts. “The woman can text as she chews. She has a kid. I’m sure she’s good at multitasking.”

It only alleviates the guilt a little.

Me: Are you eating?

I watch the three little dots as they appear on the screen.

Lucy: Peanut butter and jelly today.

I smile down at my phone.

Me: Grape or strawberry?

Lucy: Strawberry of course. It’s the best.

Me: Creamy or chunky?

Lucy: Creamy.

Me: You’d tell me if I’m bothering you, right?

Lucy: Yes. I like having an adult to talk to.

Me: You don’t talk with the people you work with?

Lucy: They complain a lot. I don’t like being in the middle of people’s drama.

Me: Understandable.

“You really like this girl, huh?” Ace asks, kicking at my boot with his own.

I look up at my best friend.

“There’s just something about her.”

“She’s hot,” Skid says.

I nod in agreement. “That she is.

“There are always hot chicks,” Ace adds. “What’s different about her?”

I shrug. “Couldn’t tell you.”

“Is it the damsel in distress thing?”

I shake my head. “She’s doing fine on her own. I mean, she struggles, but most single moms do. She’s handling her business. She seems like a good mom. Harley is a great kid. He’s respectful, well taken care of. She doesn’t need a man. She was agitated when I bought their dinner the other day, not expectant at all. She wanted to pay for the screen door I replaced. Wouldn’t even invite me inside. She’s cautious.”

“So now she’s a challenge?” Skid asks, leaning forward in his chair like he feels the need to defend her in some way.

This is what I love about my friends. We’ve never had a problem getting women, and we’re quick to accept an offer from a woman who’s wanting to play but coercing a woman into bed isn’t our thing. We don’t play games or manipulate, and both of these guys would be on my ass if they thought that’s what I was doing.

“She’s not a challenge,” I assure him. “She’s different.”

“Love different?” Skid raises an eyebrow, a small smile playing on his lips.

I grin a little too. “I don’t know, man. It’s early days, but she’s special. I can just feel it.”

“Dating a woman with a kid isn’t the same as dating a single woman. Package deals have to be treated with a softer touch,” Ace warns.

“I’m well aware,” I grumble. “I’m not playing games with her. I’m taking both of them to the tree lighting on Saturday. I’m not alienating the kid to get to his mom.”

“Good,” Skid says as he leans back in his seat.

“So does this mean you aren’t going to Jake’s with us after the tree lighting?”

“Not a chance,” I tell him.

“Pussy-whipped already,” Skid says.

***

“Nice truck!” Harley says as he waits for Lucy to situate the booster seat from her car.

“Thanks, little man. I didn’t think to grab one of those,” I tell her.

“It’s fine. I don’t expect people without kids to have one. Honestly, it would be weird if you did. There you go. Seat belt,” she says.

Harley, filled with energy, plops in the seat and reaches for the belt. His little body is thrumming with excitement.

“We went last year. It was so cold. My new jacket is going to keep me warm this year!”

Lucy’s eyes dart away, and I have no idea what the look means, so I ignore it.

“Hopefully, there will be a vendor selling hot chocolate, but I doubt it’ll be as good as your mom’s.”

“No one’s hot chocolate is as good as mom’s,” Harley says as Lucy gets in the passenger seat.

I wait for her to buckle up before closing her door and walking around to the driver’s side.

The drive to the main street in town is quiet, the roads already crowded by the time we arrive.

“I need you to stay close,” Lucy says in warning as I try to find a place to park. “No running off.”

“Okay, Momma.” His nose is plastered to the window, his eyes wide as he takes everything in.

Before turning off the truck, I look to the back seat at Harley. I don’t have kids, and I never dated a woman with one before, but I already feel protective of him.