“We can go and grab your stuff now.”
“On your bike?” She looks a little concerned.
“I have a truck. We’ll take it back.”
“You have a truck?” Her question is sharp and piercing, like she’s surprised.
“Yeah. Why?”
“I just always see you on your bike. I guess there’s a lot I don’t know about you.” She shrugs, still looking around. She’s right. We might have just spent a lot of time together at the clubhouse, but we still know so little of each other
“Same could be said for you, Kenz,” I reply, watching her eyes shoot up to mine.
“Well, what do you want to know?” she asks, opening herself up to me.
“Don’t know. Let me think.” I grin and watch her place her ass down on the arm of my brown leather sofa. “When’s your birthday?”
“Ugggh, the worst day of the year,” she groans, rolling her eyes.
“Christmas Day?” I ask, thinking of the first day that comes to mind.
“No, February twenty-ninth.”
“Get the fuck out?” I blurt, thinking she’s messing with me.
“February twenty-ninth, nineteen-eighty. I’m not kidding. Why?”
“February twenty-ninth, nineteen seventy-six,” I reply with my own birthday.
“Are you serious?” Her brows rise in surprise, but her ass stays planted. “That’s crazy. What day do you celebrate your birthday?”
“I only celebrate on the date. Which makes me a hell of a lot younger than most assholes my age. How can you think it’s the worst day of the year?”
“I hate it. I celebrate on the first of March.” She shrugs and I can’t move the smile off my face knowing we share a birthday.
What are the fucking chances?
“Well, I still think it’s better than Christmas. Christmas you have to share all the presents. My sister was born Christmas Day and she hated it.”
“You have a sister?” she asks. “Jesus, we barely know each other.” Her words pull me out of my happy mood and into somewhere darker.
“Missy. She would have been thirty-two this Christmas.” I step back, done with this conversation. Kenzie’s hand reaches out and seeks mine. I stop at her touch but don’t look back. I scarcely talk about Missy. I’m shocked I even shared.
“I bet she was amazing,” she whispers, not apologizing for my loss, but giving me something else. Understanding.
“She was better than me in every way, darlin’. I miss her every day.” I return her squeeze and release her hand. She doesn’t ask any more questions, and I’m grateful for it. We’ve dived deep enough for the day. Hell for the month. At least I have.
“You ready to head out? If we leave now, we could have you moved in by lunch,” I tell her, walking back to the door.
“Yeah, but I just have one condition before I agree to move in.” I spin back, waiting to hear her terms.
“Yeah, what’s that?” I almost tell her I don’t make bargains, but like a lot of things with Mackenzie, I let her have her play.
“I get to cook breakfast.” Her arms fold over her chest, pushing up her breasts and it takes everything in me to stop my eyes from lingering.
“No,” I simply say and turn around ending all discussion.
“Come on, Beau.” She begins to argue her reasons, but I just shut her out. The woman cooks a mean meal. I’ll give her that, but breakfast is and will always be my gig.
Eleven
Mackenzie
“I think I’m done.” I wipe my hands on the back of my jeans and step back to look at the end result.
It might not be much, but it’s a start.
“You sure have accumulated a lot since you’ve been here.” Holly sits on my new bed while holding her son, X, in her arms.
“Thanks to you and the girls. I would still only have the clothes I arrived in if it weren’t for you all helping me out.” I move to the closet and slide the door closed.
I’ve just finished moving into Beau’s place. It only took one trip, but Holly and Kelly both decided they needed to be here and followed us back when they heard I was moving out.
“It’s no big deal. I had heaps of clothes from before X.” She shrugs, but I know she’s lying. Half the clothes given to me had new tags on them.
“Well, either way it means so much to me.”
Before Holly can answer, Mia, Kelly’s daughter comes running and falls down, tripping over the rug in the middle of my room.
I scoop her up instantly just as her tears come.
“It’s okay, sweet thing.” I console her, holding her close in my arms.
“You’re a natural.” Holly smirks, eyeing me carefully.
“Oh, I love kids. Some days I wish I would’ve had one, but then I realize I’m so glad I didn’t. Having a child in a marriage like mine would have been tragic.” Mia finally settles, her little five-year-old fingers playing with the gold necklace my nan gave me.
“Well, it’s not too late, Kenzie.”
“Please, I’m thirty-five. I missed the baby making boat.”
“Please, you’re like the average childbearing age these days, right? You still have time.”
“Well, I don’t see myself dating, getting married and having a kid all within the year.”
“I think you’re off to a good start, moving in with Beau.”