Over. I didn’t know what to do next or what that meant for my future.
***
After the sheriff left, and we returned to the room, Pike turned to me, “How do you feel, babe?”
I shrugged. “Numb but glad I can reclaim my life, whatever that means. I’ve spent so long going from one day to the next that thinking any further than that seemed ridiculous. And now I can.”
He grinned. “Now you can.”
“We can find something for you, if you’re interested,” Diesel offered.
“Thank you. I might take you up on that. I need to start working. To earn my keep.”
Pike’s expression darkened. “No, you need to start working because you want to and no other reason.”
Instead of cowering at his angry tone, I smiled. “Yeah, sure. That too.”
He rolled his eyes. “You’ll pay for that. Later.”
Instead of scaring me, his words sent a shiver of awareness down my spine. “Good.”
“On that note, I’m leaving,” Diesel said, leaving us alone.
I laughed at his retreating form, waiting until we were alone before turning to a more important topic. “So, the letter from Ashley?” I was burning to know what it said. “Did you read it?”
“Two dozen times. At least,” he shook his head, taking my hand in his. “She thought we were a good fit. Said I could show you that bikers were rough, but we love soft, whateverthatmeans.”
I laughed, leaning forward to wrap my arms around him. “I know exactly what it means, and she was right. You do.” I brushed his hair from his face and held it in my hands. “So she was playing matchmaker?”
He nodded. “Yep. And she was right. The little shit found a way to get the last word. Again.”
We laughed together and it felt really, really good to just laugh. It wasn’t pent-up tension or delirium, it was just a shared moment of humor. It wasn’t anything spectacular, this moment, but it was perfect all the same because I didn’t have to worry about someone trying to snatch it away. It was the perfect moment for something else too. “I think I know a way you can have the last word.”
He shook his head. “I’m not into seances and shit, babe. Sorry.”
I laughed again. “Neither am I, as a matter of fact. But I was thinking that we name our baby after her. Ashley is perfect for a girl, but we can go with Ash or Ashford if it’s a boy.” I’d been holding the news in for a few days now, unsure of how Pike might respond. My mind still conjured up thoughts of Marcus’ reaction, which wasn’t fair to him.
The two men were nothing alike.
He froze but only for a quick second before he smiled so wide that his gorgeous eyes nearly disappeared. His hand went to my still flat stomach and when he spoke, his voice was filled with awe. “You’re pregnant.”
The reverence in his voice threatened to shred my resolve. “I am. Is that okay? Is this something you think you might want?”
“No,” he barked. “I don’tthinkI might want it, I know damn well that I do! I want you and this baby and Gemma. Our family.”
My heart was so full it nearly burst out of my chest. “Yeah?”
He nodded. “Oh yeah. I just have one request.”
“What’s that?” I asked.
“A marriage license. I want the new baby to have my name. The old baby too.”
Gemma.Tears sprang to my eyes, and I shook my head. “You want to adopt Gemma?”
“Of course. She’s already my kid and this will just make it official.”
More tears came and his brows dipped, wrapping his arms around me. “I’m sorry, Chloe. Shit babe, I should’ve realized sooner. You want something more romantic than this. Fuck,” he growled. “I’ll figure it out. Promise.”
