The Lyon's Cub Caitlin (Lyon The Next Generation 1)

I’ve raised my kids to look out for one another, to have empathy for each other. So I know she’s worried about her sister, but when did she start thinking that she needed to play that role? Mancini’s gonna have to explain that shit to me because he’s the only one that seems to understand her shit.

TODD

The next day was Caitie’s road test; it was also the day I got to learn what that smile Colton had worn the day before at the mention of Grimaldi being in town meant. He took the whole car apart and he and his guys from the shop bulletproofed the whole thing from top to bottom. All while she was at school.

“She’ll never know the difference.” That’s all he kept saying as he walked around it. The kicker though is when he kept snapping pictures and sending them to someone. Then his phone rang and he grinned the most evil grin I’ve ever seen on a person. “Oh it’s on now.”

He put the phone on speaker and all everyone heard was a litany of cuss words with his name interspersed. “Asshole biker fuck! Why would you do that to a perfectly decent car? Where’s Kat, where’s Caitie? Do you know how much that shit cost? You’re gonna make that little girl cry.” And on and on he went while Colt just laughed his ass off.

“Listen asshole, I’m bulletproofing the shit.”

“Oh, then why didn’t you say so you shit?” Colt shrugged and turned off the phone. “This is a beautiful fucking car I can’t lie. You see this kid, this is the life your girl is accustomed to and I’ll tell you now if you can’t keep this shit up…Nah, I’m just fucking with you. Kid looked like he was about to pass the fuck out.”

Everyone found that shit funny and it took me a minute to register the fact that he was actually teasing me. He looked at his watch and clapped me on the shoulder. “Time to go kid.”

“Where are we going?” I asked as I followed him to the door.

“Caitie’s taking her test at two you’re with me. The rest of you have a couple hours tops get it done. If I know my kid, she’s gonna want to drive this thing as soon as she gets home.”

I’m not sure if he realized that his hand was on my shoulder as we walked back towards the house to tell his wife that we were going. So this is what it feels like to be liked by Colton Lyon. It’s one of my proudest moments so far.

Todd

She was amazing, even with her dad and I in the backseat. The instructor however looked like he was about to shit himself. He started off on the wrong foot by telling Colton that neither of us could be in the car, which he totally ignored as he opened the door for me.

And when the guy persisted he just basically put him in his place. “Look buddy, I don’t know you from fuck. That’s my little girl I’m here to make sure that she’s safe in a car with a strange man who gets to decide whether or not she gets something she wants, and he’s here for moral support. Now let’s get this shit done because I don’t know about you, but I got shit to do.” I want to be him when I grow up.

The test took maybe thirty minutes tops and the guy who’d learned to relax once he realized we weren’t there to rob him turned out to be cool. “I have a teenage daughter too myself so I get it, but it’s regulations you know, no hard feelings.” They shook hands and my girl got her certificate.

She was a bundle of joy in the truck on the way back. “Did you get the rest of the day off like I told you to?”

“Yes I did daddy can I drive my car right now?”

“Sure, but you know the rules.” He looked at me when he said it. “I’m sure my boy Todd will keep you on the straight and narrow.” And the hits just keep on coming. If I didn’t know better I’d swear he was setting me up. All this praise was going to my head.

Caitie seemed to smile wider at the fact that we were getting along so well and that was good enough for me. We pulled into the driveway and the girl was out of the truck before it came to a stop. “Hold it, go and tell your mother that you passed, and put your school things away.”

He waited for her to leave. “Go check and see if they’re done I’ll stall her, then you come in and let me know.”

“Okay!” Luckily the guys were done, just Jared was polishing the finish to a shine with some stuff her dad had already bought for her car. See, I have to learn to stay on top of things the way he does. The guy is seriously an all-rounder.