“Oh.”
“Yeah. Don’t be so damn defensive. There’s nothing to be embarrassed about.”
“I’m not embarrassed,” I said. It was true. I just spent a lot of time with lifelong bachelors that disparaged anyone that settled down. Moves was a prime example. He’d often given Ryder shit about settling for one woman when there were so many to pick from in La Playa.
As usual, Swole seemed to understand where my mind was at without me having to say a word. “Fuck anyone that gives you a hard time. You find your happiness and take it. You’ll be a better man for it.”
“You think so?” I asked, taking a big swig of my beer.
“Hell, yeah. You think I’m a bitch now? You shoulda seen me before Tammy made an honest woman outta me.”
I laughed. “Thank God for good women.”
“Amen to that,” she said, and we drank together.
* * *
I walkedinto Tiny’s and spotted Hawk at a table by the door. He was working his way through a mountain of food, which was so typical of him. He was a workaholic, the type to get hyper-focused on whatever he was doing and forget to eat until he was starving. I’d told him a million times that it was unhealthy as hell, but he was a stubborn ox and would continue to do whatever he pleased.
I walked up to the counter and ordered a couple of meals to-go. I was supposed to meet Erica and Dominic at the park soon, and it seemed like a good idea to bring dinner. After being told the food would take fifteen minutes, I doubled back and took a seat at Hawk’s table.
“What are you up to?” he asked after swallowing a mouthful of food.
“Picking up dinner.”
“Why not just eat here?” he gestured to the diner around us. “The décor not to your liking?”
“I’m meeting someone. A woman.”
“Anyone, I know?”
“Erica Mills. Have you met her yet? She teaches yoga at the fitness center.”
I saw something like surprise flash through Hawk’s eyes. He definitely knew who I was talking about.
“Erica… Erica…” he looked thoughtful. I couldn’t shake the feeling that was an act, but I let him play it that way, for now. “Brown hair? Kid? Rockin’ body?”
“Yes, to all three.”
Hawk let out a low whistle. “Damn, you’re hittin’ that? You’re a lucky son of a bitch.”
“Yeah, I am.” I couldn’t help smiling.
“Is it serious?” he asked, a little too casually.
“Yes.” The cagey feeling I’d had when talking to Swole disappeared now as I realized that Hawk might be interested in Erica too. I needed to stake a claim now. “She’s mine.”
“Interesting.” Hawk didn’t seem bothered by my words. He just pierced me with a speculative look.
The waitress brought my order to the table in a couple of white plastic bags. I stood. “Catch you at The Blue Dog for the fight tomorrow night?” I asked.
“I’ll be there.”
The park Erica wanted to meet at was less than a mile from her house. When I asked her why she wanted to go there, she told me that it was a nice day and Dominic could use the exercise. Before I met her, I wouldn’t have thought that I would find responsible parenting to be an attractive feature, but I liked how dedicated she was to her son. It showed what a good woman she was.
I hadn’t been to this park before, it wasn’t exactly my normal hangout, but I lucked out when I saw that there was a shelter space with wooden picnic benches. Grabbing the food out of the passenger seat of my truck, I shrugged out of my jacket. The leather was great to protect from potential road rash, but on a sunny day like this, it was too hot for hanging around outside.
Erica was already sitting at a picnic table with a can of soda in her hand. There was a happy smile on her face as she watched Dominic running around, climbing like a monkey on the playground equipment. She was so damn beautiful. Even in the shade, she seemed to shine somehow, as if her inner beauty was showing through.
