Violet nodded, then headed toward her room. Speedy went to see what Deacon was doing. His heart was lighter for the first time since his parents had passed. He so could do this.
Violet grinned at the look of accomplishment on Speedy’s face. He’d installed both car seats and packed Tessie’s diaper bag, which was a Harley backpack. She’d giggled when Deacon had informed her that they’d needed a manly bag, not the pink one.
It had taken no time to get to Regina’s Roadside Refuge for breakfast. Despite being busy, they’d found room at one of the Bluff Creek tables kept reserved for club members. Violet hadn’t needed to worry about her and Speedy taking turns holdingTessie while they ate because the club members at the table had confiscated her.
Rascal was currently rocking her while he had his other arm around his wife, Meg. She’d adored the story of how they’d found each other later in life. Rascal had always been nice to her over the years when she’d seen him. He deserved to be happy.
“Hey, you’ve had her long enough. You need to share her,” Dex said.
Violet found that interesting because every time she was around Dex, he always mentioned he was never getting married.
“No,” Rascal said.
Violet grinned at the consternation on Dex’s face. If there was one thing she’d learned living here for the last three and a half months, it was that no one had a problem saying what they thought. Violet longed for the day she didn’t consider how the consequences would affect her before she said something. The activity with Beth and the girls had helped but a lifetime of holding her tongue was hard to overcome.
“Anybody ever tell you that you’re an obstinate old man?” Dex asked.
Rascal chuckled. “Meg, every day.”
Deacon had finished his pancakes and was staring at the men suspiciously.
“You gots to give her back because she’s ours,” he said.
Speedy slid his arm around Deacon. “They know that. I’m so glad you’re protective of her. Rascal is one of the guys I told you will be one of your grandparents.”
Deacon got down and walked over to Rascal. “What do grandparents do? I’ve never had them.”
Rascal handed Tessie to Dex and scooted his chair back to lift Deacon onto his lap. “Well, first of all, we love you. But since we don’t have to raise you to be an adult, we get to spoil you. Take you fishing or even shopping. I think Meg and I need to take youshopping for some Bluff Creek clothes because you’re part of the club now,” Rascal said.
Violet wondered how Deacon would respond. Would he accept the offer, or was he still feeling a little unsettled with everything new?
Deacon turned to Speedy. “Dad, can Papa take me shopping?”
Speedy nodded with a smile. “Yep, and you can call him Papa Rascal because you have a lot of Papas.”
“And Nana Meg is going to buy stuff for Deacon and Tessie. Would that be okay with you, Deacon?” Meg asked, leaning closer to put her hand on his.
“Nanas and Papas, yes please,” he said.
Speedy, Violet, and Dex stayed at the table, with Dex holding Tessie. Violet finished her breakfast of French toast with strawberries and syrup. Since coming here, she’d eaten better than she ever had. She took a sip of her hot tea. She enjoyed coffee, but the diner also had hot tea, and today, she’d wanted its soothing warmth. She appreciated being out from under her mother’s censure and getting to enjoy a sweet if she wanted.
“How are you doing with all this?” Dex asked.
“I think with everyone helping, it’s been amazing. I think I’m still in the what-the-actual-fuck, I’ve got kids stage. I’ve vacillated between how amazing it is and how sad and a little angry I am about what I missed out on. I’m sure once we get past the newness, everything will hit,” Speedy said.
A loud, wet noise came from Tessie’s diaper. Dex dropped a kiss on her forehead.
“Well, here you go. The plus of not being the dad is that I don’t need to change the nastiness that is waiting in that diaper,” Dex said, handing Tessie back to Speedy.
He stared at Tessie, then looked over to Violet. She wondered if this would be one of thoseyou’re the nanny, change herinstances.
“Can you hand me the backpack?” he asked.
Violet was surprised but pleased. She grabbed the bag and handed it over. It wasn’t that she wouldn’t change Tessie, but she liked that Speedy was doing it because he already saw Tessie as his. She’d heard from Beth that Speedy hadn’t seen Anita in six years, so he couldn’t be Tessie’s biological dad.
From the first time she’d been around Speedy, she’d felt safe and attracted to him, but seeing him as a dad had her realizing it was going to be really hard and darn near impossible for her to not lose her heart to him.
Chapter Seven
