Shadow and Skulls (Rebel Skull MC Series Book 6)

32. Chapter Thirty-Two

It was an ordeal, but we’re here. We were going to drive, but with Grandma passing, my mom decided we’d fly out to cut the time of the trip in half. I know it’s important to get back to Dad.

We’re going to see my mother in the morning, so we’ve had the afternoon to explore the area. My mom is quiet as we walk along the river. I exchange a glance with JD, and he falls back, giving us a minute.

I grab her hand. “Thank you for sacrificing to be here for me.”

She waves a hand in front of her face to keep from crying. “Kelsie, I’m not sacrificing. I want to be here with you.”

We walk a few steps. “I know you’re worried about Dad, and I just want you to know I see all you do for us. You’re the best mother,” I say quietly, the leaves crunching under our feet.

A little fox runs across our path, and I laugh at the way she squeaks. She’s so cute.

She composes herself. “Where should we go after this?”

“How do you feel about ice cream?”

Her face lights up.

When we get to the ice cream shop, I let the memories flow. An image of my biological mom smiling at me from the counter flits through my mind. She was always happy here. But was she really? I think back, remembering how I would study the slight bump on her nose as she stared out the window … and then she would turn to me and smile … was it a real one?

I realize she sacrificed for me, too. She tried so hard; that’s why she went to Dr. Williams to begin with. She wanted to get better for me. She wasn’t strong enough to realize it when he began to manipulate her. And I know in my heart she loved me. She wasn’t a bad person.

My thoughts halt when someone walks beside our table, dropping heavily into the booth behind me. I raise my head as his scent washes over me. He’s here. My mom and JD are so busy chatting about the plans for tomorrow and what time we’ll meet up that they don’t notice him.

His presence frees my lungs, and I’m able to suck in a deep breath. Everything is okay. I hadn’t realized how much I had been caught up in my thoughts. Could he see that it had become hard for me to breathe?

My mom looks at me. “You look tired, hun. Were you up late?”

The booth shakes lightly, and I know the fucker is laughing. When I asked Tank to make love to me last night, he didn’t disappoint. He made love to me all night long. I can say with confidence that the man doesn’t half-ass anything.

“Yeah, couldn’t sleep.”

“We should go,” she says, glancing out the window to see it’s getting dark outside.

“You guys head out. I’m going to order some fries to go. Do you want anything?”

Both decline. Mom heads out to the car but not JD. No, JD watches me from the door, his gaze never leaving me.

I roll my eyes. This is Dad’s doing.

The girl at the counter looks at me like I’m crazy when I order a hot fudge sundae and ask to have it delivered to the big guy at the table in the back. She looks past my shoulder at him.

“That guy?” she asks, pointing her pen in his direction.

I wrap my hand around hers, lowering it. “Yes,” I say quietly, looking over to see if JD has caught on. He’s straining his neck in the direction she pointed.

Crap. I throw the money at the girl and grab the fries I ordered for myself.

“I’m ready,” I say, wrapping my arm around JD’s and spinning him toward the door.

He laughs and not in amusement. “You’ve got to be kidding me. Right under our noses?”

I ignore him, pushing him to the driver’s side of our rental car. “Please, you’re all a little crazy, right? He fits right in.”

My mother looks at JD when we get in. “What’s wrong?”

“My stalker is here,” I tell her honestly. I’m not going to ask JD to lie for me anymore.

Her head spins over the area as she looks for him.

“He’s inside. You do know this is his hometown, too. I mean, he might be visiting someone. His ex is in the same place as my mom, you know.”

Shit, why did I say that? They both turn in their seats to face me. I have to explain more than I wanted to right now, but ugh, I’m just over all of this.

“I know. It’s crazy that his ex and I are both victims of the same man …” I let my words trail off.

“Kelsie,” my mom says sadly as JD starts the car. “Are you sure he isn’t trying to redeem himself with you? Since he couldn’t help her?”

Ouch.

I watch a flock of birds fly over, heading south for the season as we head across the road to our hotel. I’m hurt my parents don’t seem to see what I see in Tank. They’ll never give him a chance to show them who he is.