Chapter Twelve

Bethany

Four days later, I was strolling around our local supermarket with Nessa, she was sitting in the shopping cart seat trying to grab boxes of brightly colored cereals, normally I'd be trying to distract her, but today my head was totally in the clouds. Since the night I spent with Coyote, he'd been all I could think about. Being intimate with him again was even better than I remembered. My life had been filled with chaos ever since I was a young teen, and I was made homeless when my mom died.

Although being raped was the most horrible experience of my entire life, aside from my mom dying, those months I spent being homeless were a close second. Finding a safe place to sleep had been nearly impossible and I was always hungry. I remember dumpster diving, cramming whatever food I could find in my backpack and climbing a tree to get onto the flat roof of a local strip mall. It had a knee-high edge that enabled me to go unnoticed if I lay flat.

I found occasional odd jobs, sweeping parking lots, raking leaves, or mowing grass. It was never enough to keep me fed, much less come close to putting a roof over my head. As I hadn't graduated from high school and had no fixed address it made getting regular work impossible. I ended up being attacked one night and had the strangest feeling that I wasn't going to survive. Fortunately for me, a police cruiser noticed something was amiss in the alley he'd cornered me in. When the officer came to investigate, my attacker fled. I ended up in the ER overnight. After that, it was all about being cautious enough to avoid running into him again.

Back then Coyote had been my knight in shining armor, my protector. He introduced me to one of his club brothers who owned a gym. I ended up with a job and place to stay. We eventually hooked up and it was the happiest I've ever been. Then Cyclops noticed me. He was a member of Twisted Metal MC. They were a one percent club with a reputation for being into all kinds of criminal activities. Eventually, he wouldn't take no for an answer. I know back then if I'd told Coyote what had happened, he'd have gone after him, but I couldn't risk that. Cyclops was crazy and his club were outlaws. I didn't want the Dark Slayers to go to war with Twisted Metal over me. So I ran, taking my problems as far away from Coyote as possible.

Glancing down at Nessa as she sat in the shopping cart singing a silly song to herself, I gazed at her dark hair and brown eyes. Both Coyote and Cyclops had the same hair and eye coloring, I had dark hair and eyes too which made it hard to tell anything. When she looked up at me, I tried to see if she was starting to look like either of them. Her facial features were delicate, like mine. She even had my nose. Not knowing who fathered her was more painful now that I'd spent time with Coyote again. I wanted her to be his daughter so badly and I had convinced myself that she was starting to look like him. That dimpled smile was so reminiscent of his. I think he would accept her and be a good father to her, but not if he came to find out she belonged to a disgusting criminal from a rival MC. He might try for my sake, but the truth of her conception would always be floating around in the back of his mind. I imagined as time passed and the novelty of getting back with me wore off, he'd start resenting the fact that in order to get me, he was stuck raising another man's child, an enemy's no less.

Maybe keeping her father a secret was the better option?

It felt wrong, but if Coyote turned out not to be her dad, then that would open up a whole new can of worms and might even push Cyclops back in my direction. As I hadn't seen that bastard since the night he attacked me, I had no wish to be at his mercy again. My lips would stay sealed.

"Thought you could get rid of me by siccing that biker on me, didn't you Miss Bethany?"

My head jerked around to look in the direction of the cold, mocking voice. Sure enough, Rufus was standing about six feet away with a case of beer tucked under his arm.

"You look like you done seen a ghost. Well, I ain't dead yet, missy. And that new boyfriend of yours don't scare me, if that's what you're thinking."

"Hello Rufus. I didn't see you there." I shot him a disapproving look and told him in no uncertain terms, "I didn't sic anyone on you. Whatever is going on between you and Coyote is no concern of mine."

Suddenly, Nessa spoke up. "I want cookies, Mama."

Rufus leaned around to catch a glimpse of my daughter and that made my hackles go up. "Well now, who do we have here?" he said curiously as he tried to peer over.

I turned, intentionally blocking his view of my daughter. "Rufus, I should have told you long ago that I'm not interested in being your friend—or anything at all. I'd like you to steer clear of me entirely if that's possible. And don't even think about approaching my child or speaking to her."

His expression took on a dangerous edge. "I don't take to kindly to women telling me what to do."

A deep voice resonated from behind him. "Well, why don't you let me explain it all to you."

A huge man wearing a Dark Slayers' cut was on him before I could open my mouth. The next thing I knew, the man had jerked the case of beer out of Rufus' hands, set it aside and walked Rufus out of the store, like cops do to shoplifters. I watched them disappear, unsure of what had just happened.

"Cookies, Mama," Nessa's voice pulled me back to the present.

I grabbed the bag she was pointing at and gave it to her to hold. "Remember you can only have one, after dinner."

"Cookies," she said as she stared down at the bag, her eyes big and covetous.

This was the third time I'd seen one of the prospects from the Dark Slayers hanging around town. It dawned on me that maybe they were hanging around me, as in keeping an eye on me for Coyote. Naw, that was crazy talk. If so, why did it feel like that's what was going on? I should have known something was up when Coyote, being the overprotective type that he is, didn't keep showing up every day to check on me.

I wasn't sure how I felt about that.

I pushed the shopping cart to the check out, trying to figure out if I felt insulted or grateful for the inconspicuous bodyguards he'd sent to look out for me. I was all kinds of anxious when I left the store, because I didn't know what happened to Rufus or if he was going to be waiting for me in the parking lot. I looked around and thankfully didn't see Rufus or the big man in the leather prospect cut. Maybe it was just a coincidence, and Coyote hadn't done something as dramatic as sent prospects from his club to keep an eye on me.

I put Nessa in her car seat first, loaded my groceries and then slid behind the wheel. Still feeling worried, and to be honest a little scared, I locked my doors, and called Coyote.

"Hello, Bethany. Are you alright?"

"Yes. No. I don't know," I stammered.

"Don't worry about Rufus. I'm taking care of him."

"Um, did you hire someone to shadow me?" I asked tentatively.

"Well yeah. I assigned three prospects to take turns looking out for you when you're not with me. I had a bad feeling that Rufus wasn't going to stay away and I don't trust that asshole any further than I can throw him."

Truth be told, I'm feeling some kind of way about him doing that without asking. "I don't believe hiring me a bodyguard is necessary."

"Clearly, it is. How can you even say that after he just accosted you in the store? Mace told me what happened. That asshole has no right to keep harassing you."

"Well, he didn't really harass me. He confronted me about you telling him to stay away from me. He was pretty upset."

"Well, it sounds like he's having problems following orders. If he keeps it up, he's going to be sipping his meals through a straw."

This was exactly what I didn't like about being with Coyote before, this arrogant vigilante attitude. Coyote and his club brothers honestly thought they had a right to take matters into their own hands and in doing so become police, judge, and jury for whoever was foolish enough to cross them. The Dark Slayers claimed to be a law-abiding club, but they were no better than Twisted Metal when it came right down to it. And that broke my heart. Becoming emotional, I tried not to let it show in my voice.

"Look, I'm going to get off here. We're still in the parking lot and I've got ice cream melting in the car."

Coyote hesitated for a second before agreeing, "Yeah, you'd best get home. Your kid will scream the walls down if her ice creams melts."

"I'll talk to you later," I murmured before ending the call.

I glanced into my rear-view mirror and saw that my darling daughter had somehow managed to open the bag of cookies and was happily working her way thought the entire bag. There were broken cookie bits and crumbs everywhere. Damnit.

I hit the ignition switch, put the car in gear and headed home. God, I was the world's worst mother. I had a lot on my mind but that was no reason to make rookie mistakes like this. It wouldn't kill her to have cookies before dinner, but I was not about to let that happen again.

As I drove, my mind drifted to Coyote again. The big man who stepped in was called Mace, and there were two more besides him, all apparently trading off shifts. I'm not the kind of person who merits a bodyguard. Those are for celebrities, and CEOs of multinational corporations. Not for small-town event planners. Surely, this was overkill on Coyote's part?

Well now, who do we have here? Rufus' oily voice showing an interest in my daughter was genuinely alarming. It's strange how I didn't speak up for myself but turned mama bear in an instant, once he indicated a casual interest in my child. That told me I should be sticking up for myself as well. Lesson learned, I guess.

***

When I got home, Reggie was working in his garden. He loved fussing over his vegetable patch. He came over and started helping me carry my groceries into the pool house. I nodded towards his garden.

"Your tomato plants are looking strong and healthy this year."

The older man grinned and took the bags I handed to him. "I'm really tickled with size and yield. The key is to prune the plants vigorously early on, so all its energy is concentrated on making fruit."

I opened the back car door and brushed cookie crumbs off my daughter. She had a butter wouldn't melt in her mouth look as she waved the empty cookie bag at me.

"No cookies," she said licking her lips.

Well, there's someone who wouldn't be wanting her dinner tonight, and no doubt after a sugar high would get cranky and wake up in the middle of the night saying her tummy hurt and she was hungry. I sighed, "Uncle Reggie has tomatoes, they're much nicer than cookies."

My daughter pulled a face, "I like cookies."

Reggie laughed, "Me too, but the doc says I need to eat more fresh fruit and vegetables."

"We could all do with eating healthier, especially a certain little girl," I murmured as I carried my daughter into the house with Reggie following close behind me.

Once inside, Nessa ran off to play in the living room, I started unpacking my groceries and settled down to have a chat with Reggie. I'd not had much of a chance to speak with him since he returned from Vegas, and I was dying to hear his news.

"Would you like a cup of coffee, Reggie?"

He perked up, "I'd prefer a cold drink if you have one." Looking at him, I could see the sweat on his forehead from working hard in his garden.

"Sure. Let's see, I have iced tea, cola, or milk."

"Iced tea sure sounds good about now."

"You got it," I said warmly. As I moved around pulling a glass out of the cabinet, filling it with ice cubes and pouring him some sweet tea I asked, "Are you enjoying your day off?"

"Absolutely. I make sure that I have enough hobbies to keep myself busy. How about you? Did you stop by the farmer's market when you went to town this morning?"

"Yeah, you'll never guess who I bumped into when I was in the supermarket there."

"Was it that biker you have a crush on?" He responded with a twinkle in his eye.

"No, unfortunately not. It was Rufus."

His expression turned angry in an instant. "I thought we were shot of him since I'd banned him from the store." After Reggie returned from Las Vegas and I'd explained what happened, he told me that he'd ban him from the premises. He continued, "That man just doesn't give up. I think we're going to have to file for a restraining order to keep him away from you, Bethany."

"To be honest, I don't think I would qualify for one. Rufus is annoying and creepy, but he hasn't really crossed the line into threatening me, or doing anything the law would consider dangerous."

When Reggie didn't immediately respond, I told him about the other thing that had happened. "I was surprised when a man in a leather vest came out of nowhere and escorted Rufus out of the store."

Reggie froze for a second before speaking. "You think he was from the Dark Slayers?"

"I know he was, because when he turned around his cut had their club name and emblem on the back. You know what that means, right?"

"That your biker friend has taken an interest in your safety." His face was scrupulously blank as he blinked at me.

"Yeah, I called Coyote, and he didn't even deny it."

"At least he's honest," Reggie deadpanned back.

"But why would he waste manpower on having someone follow me around so Rufus couldn't annoy me? Doesn't that seem like overkill to you?"

He frowned at me. "No, not really. Why? What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking that I might be in danger somehow, because Coyote is back in my life, and he feels guilty enough about that fact to send this prospect to watch over me."

"I see what you're saying," Reggie responded grimly. "Are you sure it's really like that though? Maybe he's just the overprotective sort and all this is just because Rufus is a persistent asshole. I mean, look at what happened today."

I took a sip of my iced tea as I turned the situation over in my mind. "It's possible," I admitted. It was possible—but given what happened three and a half years ago, I was worried. Maybe me and Coyote being around each other wasn't a good idea. Back then, I took off because I was scared that if he found out what Cyclops had done to me it would start a war. But what about now? Could being associated with the Slayers put me and my daughter at risk for other reasons, and was that why he was having us followed?

"How close are you with Coyote. Is it just you planning his event or have the two of you gotten back together?"

"Well, aside from the picnic, we've been doing a lot of working lunches. I made a trip out or two out to his business. I had to in order to plan his event effectively," I felt my cheeks burn.

"And," he prompted me.

"And what?"

"And my nieces told me they spent the night at your place because you had a hot date." Something about the tone of his voice was sly and teasing. His expression was expectant as he brought his glass to his lips.

I let out a long sigh, "Since you already know, I did spend the night at his place. We decided to enjoy one night together for old times' sake. And before you ask, it was perfect. But it was just a one-off thing."

"Is Coyote aware that you saw it as a one-off?" Far from teasing, Reggie was as serious as a heart attack.

My eyes narrowed on him as I tried to remember if we actually talked about it as one time only indulgence. "I believe I mentioned it was a onetime only situation. He didn't object or voice any kind of complaint." Thinking it over for a second, I added, "He didn't exactly agree either."

"I know you didn't ask, but I think you should give him the benefit of the doubt. According to everything you've told me about this man, he seems like an honest, upstanding human being. I think if there was some kind of danger other than Rufus, he would have told you about, don't you think?"

I found myself nodding before he even finished the question. "Coyote is honest and dependable. I think you're probably right. He would tell me if something was amiss."

Starting to feel uncomfortable for being so suspicious, I added quickly, "I'm probably just letting my anxieties run amok."

"Well, that's understandable. You've been through a lot. It's just important to remember who you can trust in life. I'll bet if you talked to Coyote, he'd be able to set your mind at ease."

"Yeah, I should have just talked to him about the situation in a little more detail. But then again, I'm thinking that maybe he should have warned me that he had prospects looking out for me. That way I wouldn't have been blindsided when one popped up out of nowhere."

Setting his empty glass back down on the counter, Reggie gave me an indulgent smile. "You should bring it up with Coyote then next time you see him."

"I guess that will be this weekend at his grand opening. I'll probably wait until after the event and kind of play it by ear. I don't want to ruin his day by complaining about personal issues, nor would I want to come at him about it if he's stressed or exhausted afterward."

Reggie gazed at me. "You always overthink things, honey. Just remember to keep the lines of communication open with this man. Hopefully, at some time in the future you'll feel comfortable telling him that Nessa is very likely his daughter."

My head jerked up to look at him, because I was not expecting him to bring that up. He must have seen the shocked look on my face because he chided me gently. "You know he has a right to know about his child. It's not fair for you to keep that possibility from him. Especially not if you want to have any kind of relationship with him moving forward."

My shaking hand came up to discard my own cup on the counter beside his. I sighed and told him, "I've got a full-time job and a small child to keep up with. I really don't have time to focus on a serious relationship right now."

He reached out and put his hand on my shoulder. "Listen up, sweetheart. People make time for what's important to them. Millions of single mothers who work full-time jobs find time to have a personal life, and you should too. Don't deprive yourself of love, and your daughter of a father because you're scared."

"What," I said, shaking his hand off my shoulder. "I'm not afraid. Where did that even come from?"

A stern expression settled on his face. "If you're not afraid then tell him and get a paternity test."

I opened my mouth and unceremoniously closed it again. Reggie wasn't wrong. Not usually, and most especially not this time. Being wary of his reaction did have me paralyzed. "If she turns out to be his, he's gonna hate me for not coming clean earlier."

"Probably, but if he loves you, the two of you will find a way through it."

"But what if he's not the father?" That was my real worry, because if Coyote wasn't Nessa's father, then that only left Cyclops and there was no way I wanted him back in my life.

"But what if he is, and you let your worries rob you and your daughter of the chance to be happy? You deserve all the good things life has to offer, and so does Nessa."

I don't even argue that point because I know deep down inside, he's right. "He wants to meet Nessa again. I told him I would bring her to the grand opening. I'll try to work up the nerve to talk to him about this once everything calms down."

His shoulders relaxed and his expression brightened.

"Anyway, enough about my news. You've been tight-lipped since you returned from Vegas. Got any news for me?" I teased.

A slow smile spread across his face.

"He asked you to marry him?" I shrieked.

"I'm officially off the shelf!" Reggie said as his face split into a huge grin.

I was so happy for my friend, "Congratulations! So have you set a date yet?"

"We still haven't decided, obviously it's gonna have to be off season because I don't want to be planning my own wedding while trying to sort out our clients' events. Where's the fun in that?"

"Well, just let me know when you decide. I'd love to help you plan it," I offered.

"You're a good woman, Bethany. And a good mama too. Now, let me get outta here and trim my hedges."

I walked him to the door. "Don't work too hard." Glancing to the side at the thirty-foot-long hedge running along the edge of his property, I commented playfully, "To be honest, tackling that hedge row looks like a herculean task."

"I've been doing it every three months for twenty damn years. Trust me, I've got this."

I watched him walk towards his tool shed and start unlocking it before I turned around and went back inside my house. Suddenly feeling exhausted, I dropped down on my sofa. Sitting there watching Nessa quietly playing in the corner, I thought about coming clean with Coyote about her. Before, I was worried about angering and disappointing him. Now, I was worried about him not wanted anything to do with the lying, coward he used to love and respect. I had little doubt he'd step up for Nessa if she was his, but deep down inside I knew he'd never forgive me for keeping her from him for all these years.