Her eyes widened with surprise. “I can’t believe that just came out of your mouth.”
“Right?” Naomi added. “Check you out… all making progress and shit. I’m proud of you, girl.”
Since I was a grown woman, their acceptance and respect shouldn’t fill me with joy, but it did. It felt good to have friends rooting for my success.
“Speaking of progress, you still considering teaching for us?” Monica asked.
Since I’d chosen not to return to Canada, I was officially jobless. While Hound was laid up, I’d been working to get my American teaching certificates. I almost had everything I needed to start applying for a job.
But what the girls were asking of me was quite a bit different. The broad squad had started a non-profit called Ladies First that helped women in need get on their feet. Everyone did their part. Julia donated counseling sessions, Emily helped out with all things legal, Monica and Naomi taught classes about how to be a boss bitch in a man’s world, Jayson helped women piece together job interview outfits to help boost their confidence, Jessica was in charge of the business’ branding and marketing, Sasha taught self-defense classes, Carly helped out with registration and called women who didn’t show, and the whole lot of them called potential sponsors and collected donations.
They wanted me to teach a GED class once a week.
Having never taught adults before, my first response was a resounding ‘hell no.’ But the broad squad was relentless, and they had a lot more faith in me than I did in myself. It had taken weeks, but they were beginning to wear me down.
After all, the classes would only be one evening a week.
And by providing an education, I could help women find an alternative to spreading their legs and putting their lives in danger in order to get ahead in life. Our goal was to give them the bootstraps they needed to pull themselves up, and to be there if they needed a little shove.
I’d be able to help women like me. Women like Polly.
“Still thinking about it,” I confirmed.
The grin they shared spoke volumes about their confidence that I’d give in. I had to agree, since I couldn’t imagine those two powerhouses giving up until I did. Having adequately harassed me, they scurried over to see if they could pry the baby from Havoc’s arms.
I laughed and wished them luck.
Hound wrapped his arms around me from behind, squeezing my backside to his front. The scent of him washed over me, making me feel safe and protected. Loved. “Did you find her yet?” he asked.
“Nope, but I know where she is. Look around, who’s missing?”
He scanned the area, and then let out a low chuckle. “Of course. I should have known. Ready to go spring our little girl?”
I turned in his arms, so we were facing one another, and slid my arms up around his neck. “Only if afterward we can go home so I can springyou.”
Heat filled his eyes and he dipped his head to brush a kiss against my lips. “Baby you can spring me anytime you want.”
Another thing I’d learned over the past few weeks… Hound could make anything sound dirty. And I meantanything. When he was in the hospital, it had become an ongoing joke between the two of us. Now that he was on his feet again, it felt more like foreplay.
With the promise of a good time stirring between us, we climbed the stairs. Hound led me to a door and knocked. A few minutes later, Frog answered with a fluffy little ball of fur in his arms. He took one look at us and immediately swung his arm around to hide the kitten behind his back.
“Hey. What brings you two here?” he asked, trying his best to look innocent.
Never, in a thousand years, would I have guessed that a bunch of bikers would go gaga over a kitten, but that’s exactly what had happened. I’d had to retrieve Daisy from almost every single one of them. Even Link’s dog, Boots, had adopted her. But Frog was the worst offender. If I ever needed a kitten sitter, I knew exactly who to call.
“I’m gonna need you to hand over the kitten nice and slow like, so nobody gets hurt,” Hound said, doing his best to keep a straight face while his eyes lit with laughter.
“What makes you think I have her?” Frog asked, holding onto his innocence for dear life.
I laughed. I couldn’t help it. The situation was too ridiculous. “We’ll bring her back for visitation,” I promised. “You can even come to our place to see her whenever you want.”
“Promise?” he asked, his expression hopeful.
“Well, not whenever,” Hound replied, sliding a smirk my way. “You might wanna call first.”
We carried Daisy downstairs and said our goodbyes before securing her in the cat carrier in the backseat of my silver Toyota Camry. I’d paid movers to bring the car, along with all my other worldly possessions, to Seattle as soon as I’d made the decision to stay. Everything except the car had been packed into storage until we found our own place, but it had proven helpful for getting Hound to and from doctor and physical therapy appointments.
And it was kind of growing on me.
