“Hold up,” Tania said, speaking to another adult without being spoken to first for the first time in longer than she cared to remember.She reached into the cart and pulled out Carter’s jacket.“It’s cold out there.He needs his coat.”She wrestled the baby into his coat while Smokey held him and tried to help.“Okay.We can go out now.”She settled herself behind the handle of the cart once more.
Smokey didn’t move, but stood still, staring at her.Tania frowned.Why wasn’t he going out?Surely the car he’d called for would be out there waiting on them.
“You forgot something,” Smokey said, dropping his gaze to the cart.She glanced down to see what he was looking at and realized he was looking at her coat.She hadn’t forgotten it, she hadn’t wanted to make him wait longer on her.Not knowing what to say, she pulled her coat out of the cart and put it on.Once she zipped the front, he nodded and headed for the door.Tania grabbed the cart and followed, wondering what that was all about.
“Where’d you park?”Smokey asked as they stepped into the cold air.At least the wind wasn’t blowing.That would only make the day more miserable.
“Over there.The Escalade.”
“I can make sure you have everything you need, Tania, but I can’t afford to keep you kitted out like he can.Are you sure you’re ready to give that up?”
“I never wanted the money,” she said, shaking her head.“I don’t know what I wanted.But it wasn’t Rod or what his money could buy.”She blinked rapidly, trying to hold back the tears that were so close to falling.
He stopped beside the big SUV she’d indicated and waited while she dug out her keys and hit “unlock.”
“Why start it?We’re just going to get your shit out and leave the truck here,” Smokey said with a frown.
“Carter.He needs to get inside and be warm.It’s too cold to keep him outside for long.”
Smokey looked at the baby in his arms, then opened the door to the middle row of seats.
“How does this thing work?”he called out the door.
“You can just set him in the seat for now.We’ll pull him out to move the seat, but at least sitting in there he’s out of the elements and will be warm.”She glanced around wondering if Rob had someone watching her or if they’d manage to get out of here and to wherever Smokey was taking them.The clubhouse most likely.
That thought alone sent butterflies divebombing in her belly until she thought she must have ostriches in there instead.She’d heard a lot of rumors about what happened at the Fallen Angels club house but she’d never been there.Her father spent years telling her that only sluts went to the clubhouse and he wasn’t raising a slut.But she couldn’t see the Tim she’d known growing up having anything to do with a group like that.After last night and what the man her father had chosen for her did, she didn’t much care what her father thought.
She hadn’t gone to him because she knew he wouldn’t help.She might not have ever seen him hit her mother but she knew something wasn’t right between them.It wasn’t something she could have explained to anyone, but she’d felt it for a long time.
A car she didn’t recognize pulled up and parked directly behind the SUV.She looked at it for a moment wondering if it was the guy Smokey had called or if it was someone sent by Rod.They turned the car off and the driver got out.The moment she recognized his leather vest, she had to hold back the laugh that threatened to bubble free.She didn’t know why.Nothing about this was funny.
“Hey, David,” Smokey addressed the guy as he came toward them.“You know anything about car seats?”
David looked about nineteen to Tania.Unless he had siblings who were much younger, she didn’t think he’d know much about how to install a car seat.
“Sure.If they’re in the front, you want buckets, in the back go for a bench.Bench seats are way more comfortable to lay someone down and get a little loving.”
Smokey back handed the newcomer’s shoulder.“Baby seats, you dumbass.”
“Baby seats?Nope.I’ve done my best to avoid ever having to deal with one of those.”
“Your luck just ran out.I need Carter’s seat moved from here into your car.”
David’s eyes went wide and he looked back and forth from the SUV to his car and back again.
“You’ve got a baby in there?”He looked at the SUV with what Tania could only call panic.
“Relax.It’s not like I’m asking you to raise him.Or even to hold him.I just need his car seat moved.”
“I can install the seat if you’ll hold him,” Tania offered.
“Are you sure?”Smokey turned his attention to her.
“I put it in this.I can move it.”
“Your husband didn’t help?”Smokey asked with narrowed eyes.
She just shook her head and moved to the rear door to get started.After easing Smokey out of her way, she climbed up into the seat and lifted Carter into her arms.
