Page 6 of Blaze

Mama and Norman used to be high school sweethearts, but his parents didn’t approve of her. So, of course, he listened and dumped her. He never dated again, and neither did she and he wants her back after all these years.

It wouldn’t surprise me if they were seeing each other and she just isn’t ready to tell me.

“Have you heard from your sister?” she asks, quickly changing the subject, and I scrunch my nose up.

“Last week, she called Norman’s and wanted to see if I would meet up with her for lunch so we could catch up, maybe reconnect,” I grumble, and she narrows her eyes.

“She knows you’re turning twenty-five soon,” she mutters, and I nod.

“She’s hoping to sweet-talk me, I know, which is why I denied her. Several times over the years since she realized I’m doing okay for myself while her husband is stuck in the mail room at his father's office, she’s asked for money. I wasn’t shocked when I received her call,” I say as I pick up my water, taking a sip before I admit, “I told her where to go.”

Momma nods and mumbles, “Good, that woman is a disgrace for what she did to you, knowing what her then fiancé tried to do. She still married him and didn’t even tell you, letting you find out through the news.”

“Well, to be fair, it’s how I had found out about her engagement anyhow,” I remind her, and she hums, still not happy, before she asks, “You seeing anyone?” just as I’m taking another sip of my water, and I choke.

Crap…

I pat my chest before I croak, “Where did that come from?”

How did we go from talking about my sister and her cheating rapist husband, to me dating?

She shrugs and mentions, “I’ve never really seen you with anyone, and if you weren’t nearly in the middle of your twenties, I would have thought you were a virgin…”

I clear my throat, hoping to hide my flinch because I am indeed still a virgin, which is lucky considering my sister's husband tried to rape me.

“I’m content how I am,” I say softly as I put my glass down, but she shakes her head as she sits forward.

“Working twenty-four-seven and talking to your dog in the evenings is not living, sweetie, and you know it,” she replies just as softly, “I don’t want you being alone.”

“But I like being alone,” I remind her, “My life, while not thrilling like others may be, it’s mine, and I’m happy with how it is. Besides, no one has ever held my interest, not at work or even when I’m at the store or out and about.”

Mama shakes her head as she looks around the diner, Carnage Grubs, before she looks back at me and asks, “What about a biker? They could be fun?” and I let out a laugh at her last ditch to set me up just as Crash, Clark’s big brother turns in his seat and raises a brow at me. I shake my head and state, “Turn back around, Crash, I don’t need Belle coming to stab me,” and the man smirks, his dark green eyes sparkling and instead of doing as I said, the man stands and saunters over to me making me groan.

“Well, if it isn’t my favorite accountant,” he says as he sits at our table, and I shake my head at the man.

Mama gasps, “You know bikers and never told me?!” and I roll my eyes at Crash, who waggles his eyebrows.

Damn man.

“I know, two bikers,” I admit, “This idiot who is the club's secretary and Bones, who is the club's treasurer because I’m their accountant.”

“Okay, one, I take offense to the idiot comment, and two, you used to hang around with my sister and try to help Alexiana with her math. Don’t try acting like you didn’t know me in school,” he says, and I half smile which soon disappears when he says, “I know a few brothers who may want to date your daughter,” and I kick him underneath the table making him laugh.

“Don’t even think about it, Mama,” I warn my mother as I point a finger at her, and she grins wide before I shake my head and look back at Crash and ask, “Shouldn’t you be ten feet away?”

He groans, “Does everyone know how possessive Belle is?” and I nod.

I remind him, “Every time a girl would even look at you, she’d lose it, and that was before you two got together, and I may have been homeschooled, but word still got out that her jealousy escalated.”

He huffs, “Fuck’s sake,” making me giggle just as the woman herself walks into the diner and snaps, “Crash!” and he shakes his head as he stands.

He looks at Mama and says, “It was nice to meet the woman who raised the ball buster,” making me scowl before he looks at me and says, “Speak to Clark, will ya, and Alex,” and I nod even though I won’t before he walks over to Belle, who is glaring at me and he snaps, “You’re banned from all club properties, Belle!”

Her jaw ticks, but I look away, and smile at Mama who has her head tilted my way. Before she can bring up possibly setting me up, I lean forward and ask her, “Do you want to hear the story of my patient from yesterday who somehow managed to stab herself with her own knife after attacking her cheating husband?” and she falls for it like I had hoped, she leans forward and demands, “Spill!” making me chuckle and I do just that, happy to distract her.

My jobs, my mama and my husky, are all I care about. I don’t need friends or a man who will leave me.

Chapter 3