Strong and Steady

“Gray thinks his dad’s behind it?” She dipped her nail polish brush into the bottle. “He sounds like a complete ass.”

I didn’t want to tell her that the guy was well known in the business community, to have her impressed with him. It didn’t matter what his career was, how much power or money he had. A child beater was a child beater.

“Mmm,” I replied, trying to remain neutral. If Gray wasn’t telling people about his past, I wasn’t going to do so. It was something for him to share in his own way, in his own time. Or ever. The fact that he told me was… huge. His dad affected him so deeply, so painfully, I knew it had been hard to share. I wondered if he'd shared it with anyone. Thor, perhaps. The fact that he'd gifted me with the knowledge, that he'd made himself vulnerable to me, was telling. Overwhelming. My strong cowboy.

“I don’t know much, but it’s possible.”

Christy must have picked up my vague responses. “So, you and Gray?” She waggled her eyebrows as she grinned.

I flushed like a schoolgirl.

“Yeah,” I said on a sigh. “Me and Gray. I… I like him.” Perhaps more than that. A lot more.

She turned to look at me, eyed me carefully. “This isn’t some fling, is it?”

I shook my head, and she grinned. “Is he good?”

Oh yeah, he was good.

My cell rang in my bag, saving me from answering. I didn't want to kiss and tell. My heart skipped a beat at the thought that it was Gray, but I quickly squelched it. It was too soon. The drive to the casino was about three hours, so he was most likely driving, focused on dealing with his dad. He needed to work on that, not me, and I understood. I wanted him to be able to let go of the crap with his dad, to put it all behind him. If going to Wyoming could do that, I'd support him. Wait for him, just as he'd been waiting for me.

I didn’t recognize the number on the display. “Hello?”

“Emory, this is Quake Baker.”

I was a little surprised to hear from him. While I had his number on the matchbook Frankie’d given me, he didn’t have mine. Obviously, he did. “Hi, Mr. Baker. I've been meaning to call and thank you for the meal. It was excellent.”

“Quake, remember? I’m glad the meal was good.” He didn’t seem interested in lingering on small talk. “Heard your home was broken into last night. You okay?”

Concern laced his words. I had to wonder how he knew about the break in. It wasn't newsworthy.

“Yes, thank you for checking. It was scary, but it’s over.” I wasn't going to go into details with him either.

Christy eyed me as she continued to do her nails.

“I’d like you and your friend, Mr. Green, to come to the Double-B tonight. Have some dinner. On me. I have some things to discuss.”

“Oh.” I paused, wondering why he didn’t want to just talk now. Then I realized maybe it wasn’t something to share on the phone. “That’s very kind of you. Gray is in Wyoming today visiting his father but should be back by dinner.”

“You’re alone?” He sounded concerned. “Frankie will come and stay with you, wherever you are.”

I frowned. Why would he want Frankie to stay with me? Were all the new men I met overly protective or had the ones in my past just been slackers? “I’m with my friends. I promise I’m well supervised.”

I heard his gruff laugh through the phone. “You can’t trick a mother,” he said. “Good. Glad you’re not alone. It’s not safe for you on your own right now. Have your friends come, too.”

Christy glanced my way as she screwed the top back on the nail polish bottle. I pasted a fake smile in the hopes to hide that I was worried by Quake’s words. What did he know that I didn’t? He obviously thought I was still in danger if he would send Frankie to watch over me. If a president of an MC worried about me, then I was worried.

“You’re sure it’s all right to come?” I didn’t mean about eating but about showing up at the restaurant and remaining safe, not that Christy would know that.

“Yeah, the diner’s safe. You, too, if you’re with Mr. Green or your friends. As I said, you took care of Jackson, so I take care of you.”

“Then there will be four of us. What time?”

“Whenever your man gets back from Wyoming,” he replied then hung up.

I tossed my phone back in the bag.

“What are we doing tonight?” Christy asked.