Page 14 of Bone’s Choice

Hazel nodded. “We’re very efficient.”

Ma smiled up at me. “You can get back to your biker thing.”

My jaw tightened. “My biker thing?”

She waved one hand vaguely toward the road. “You know. Whatever it is you boys do down there.”

I knew damn well she knew what I did down there.

Not everything. There were things Ma didn’t need to know, and I planned to keep it that way. But she knew I was President.

She knew the coffin business and she knew the club owned Peace View. She knew being President wasn’t a hobby I fucked around with when I didn’t have anything better to do.

I narrowed my eyes at her.

She smiled sweetly.

I let it slide.

Mostly because Hazel was watching us with open amusement and I wasn’t giving either of them more ammunition. “Actually, that’s why I stopped over.”

Ma’s smile faded a little. “Something wrong?”

“No.” I shook my head. “Just going to be busy the next couple days.”

There were a few things I wanted to make sure were locked down before the next casket shipment left Wisconsin. “I’ll drop by when I can,” I told her.

“You don’t need to check on me every five minutes.”

“Never said I did.”

“You were wandering around my house looking for me five minutes ago.”

“You weren’t answering.”

“I was next door.”

“I know that now.”

She stepped closer and reached up. I knew what was coming and didn’t stop her. Ma put one hand against my cheek, then the other, patting both sides of my face like I was ten years old instead of a grown-ass man who had half a foot and a hell of a lot of weight on her. “I’ll be fine.”

“I know.”

“And now I have Hazel.”

Hazel lifted a hand. “Apparently.”

I glanced at her and she smiled.

Ma gave my cheeks another pat. “Stay safe.”

“Always.”

She gave me a look and we both knew that wasn’t entirely true.

“I mean it,” she said.

“I know.”