The three of us stood at the window as she climbed onto the Harley, pretending to ride, flipping off the goats, and making faces. “She’s a menace,” I said. A damn cute one.
Cruz crossed the room, grabbed his boots, and sat to put them on. “Can I stay?”
My heart took a little hiccup. Cruz was uncomfortable with my family. I recognized his request for what it was. He was trying. “You don’t have to.”
Cruz glanced at Ryatt. “Are you staying?”
“Don’t you think Linda and Lane are going to find it awkward?” Ryatt asked.
Both guys turned to me.
“Baby, it’s up to you,” Ryatt said.
“Ah fuck, you’re calling her baby.” Cruz gathered his hair and slipped it into a ponytail. Then he stood, closed the space between us, and rested his hands on my hips.
Ryatt grumbled and rolled his shoulders. This was already getting messy.
“I’m starving,” Cruz said, “but I’ve got daddy issues.”
“You won’t have to talk to him if you sit next to Cece. She never stops talking.”
“I can’t stay long,” Ryatt said. “I told Kiss I’d be at the meeting.”
“Will I see you later?” I asked.
“I’ll text you.” He smiled as he slapped his hands on his pockets. “Fuck. No phone. I’ll just retrace the route I took last night,” he said as we went down the stairs and out the garage doors. “Maybe I’ll get lucky and find it on the road. Worse case, I’ll be without it for a couple days while I donate blood to make some money.”
“You just need a phone, right? Because I have an old one that only needs charged. It still works. You can have it if you don’t mind a cracked screen. You’ll need to switch your service to it, too.” Because not only would I miss not being able to text him, but he had to have a phone to work.
“Thank you.” He grabbed me and kissed the side of my neck. “You saved my ass.”
Cece’s brows pinched, and she jumped off the bike. “No kissing her,” she said to Ryatt and sandwichedherself between us. “Cruz will beat you up.” She gave Cruz a wide toothy grin.
“My bad.” Ryatt smiled, and Cruz laughed.
“Do you think you should take off the cut before Dad sees you wearing it?” I asked her.
“No. I like it.” She flung open the screen door and entered the kitchen.
Breakfast scents and coffee permeated the air. My stomach growled. My mom manned the griddle, alternating between piling pancakes on a platter and turning the sausage patties in the skillet next to the pan of scrambled eggs.
“Ryatt, will you grab the strawberry jam out of the refrigerator?”
I stood next to Cruz as my mom put Ryatt to work. Since he’d first come to dinner, my mom had been on a mission to feed him.
“McKelle, I set a place for Cruz and Ryatt.” She set the pancakes on the table.
My dad came into the kitchen and poured a cup of coffee. “Take the cut off,” he said to Cece.
“Why? I look mean.” She smoothed her hands down the leather.
My dad grumbled but let it go. I hope that meant he wouldn’t be critical of Cruz and the MC. At least, during breakfast.
“I heard you all ride in last night,” he said to me.
“We went to Chrome. Levi needed a night out.”
“Coffee?” I asked Cruz.
