She wrinkles her nose. The revolving door of my bedroom activities is apparently common knowledge.
"I'm happy as I am." The lie tastes bitter even as I say it.
"You're lonely," she corrects gently. "Just like your father was lonely, even with us."
The mention of my father hits like a sucker punch. Richard Murphy walked out when I was three, leaving my mother to work two jobs to keep us afloat. I've spent my entire adult life terrified I'll turn into him, walking away when things get tough.
"I'm not him," I say, the words harder than intended.
"I know that." She reaches across the table, her small hand covering my massive one. "Which is why you deserve happiness, real happiness. Not just club business and...whatever you do with those women."
The frustration builds in my chest. We've had this conversation a dozen times. My mother wants grandchildren, a daughter-in-law, Sunday dinners with a family that extends beyond just us. Things I can't give her because I don't trust myself to stick around if shit gets real.
And then, without planning it, words tumble out of my mouth:
"I'm seeing someone."
My mother's eyes widen, her hand tightening on mine. "What? Who? Why haven't you told me? How long has this been going on?"
Shit. Shit. Shit.
I've backed myself into a corner now. My brain scrambles for a name, any name, and lands on the one woman who's been occupying too much of my thoughts lately.
"Jenny," I say, the name escaping before I can stop it. "Jenny Bradley. Tank's sister."
My mother's expression transforms from shock to delight. "Oh, Derek! I’m so happy for you! A bit young, but—"
"It's new," I interrupt, trying to slow this runaway train. "Very new. We're taking it slow."
"How long?" she demands, practically bouncing in her chair.
I calculate quickly. Jenny arrived in town with Tank, Amelia, and Anna just over a week ago. "About a week. Like I said, very new."
"Is it serious? Wait, does Marcus know? I can't imagine he's thrilled with his sister dating one of his club brothers, especially you with your...history." She waves her hand vaguely in a gesture that encompasses my past relationships.
My stomach knots. Tank. Fuck. He'll kill me if he finds out I'm using his sister as a fake girlfriend to get my mother off my back.
"We're keeping it quiet for now," I say, which isn't technically a lie since there's nothing to keep quiet about. "And yes, it's...serious."
"Well, you must bring her over for dinner! How about tomorrow night? I'll make my pot roast."
Panic flares through me. "Ma, I told you, it's new. We're not at the 'meeting the parents' stage yet."
"Nonsense. If it's serious enough for you to mention her to me, which you've never done with any woman before, then it's serious enough for dinner." Her tone brooks no argument. "Tomorrow at six. And tell her not to bring anything. I'll handle everything."
I recognize defeat when I see it. "Fine. I'll ask her."
My mother beams at me, then launches into a series of questions about Jenny that I dodge as best I can. All the while, my mind races, trying to figure out how the hell I'm going to convince Jenny Bradley to be my fake girlfriend without her brother putting me six feet under.
After finishing the pie and deflecting more questions about Jenny than I thought possible, I kiss my mother goodbye with a promise to see her tomorrow… With Jenny.
I mount my Harley, the engine roaring to life beneath me, and head straight for the clubhouse. I need to find Jenny.
The roads of Blackwater Falls blur past me as I speed through town, the weight of my lie sitting heavy in my gut. Jenny's probably going to laugh in my face. Or worse, tell Tank, who will definitely beat the shit out of me for even thinking about his baby sister that way.
But as I ride, an unwelcome thought creeps in. There was a reason Jenny's name was the first to come to mind. The way she looked at me when she first arrived at the clubhouse, those defiant green eyes sizing me up like she wasn't afraid of my size or reputation. The curve of her hips in those jeans. The way she stands up to her brother, refusing to be controlled.
I've been noticing her. And that's dangerous territory for everyone involved.
