Chapter One
Present Day
Smokey pushed his cart through the grocery store, his mind more on getting what he needed and getting out of the store than paying attention to where he was going or who was around him.
He was walking down the aisle, his eyes on the shelf as he searched for his favorite brand of tortilla chips and cursed whoever rearranged the fucking shelves.
He wanted to knock shit down and yell but taking his shitty mood out on the manager and staff would do no good and possibly get him banned from the store, then he’d have to drive all the way to Billings to get groceries.
His cart ran into something and stopped cold, making him lean forward over the handle before he caught himself and straightened. Glancing around, he found that he’d managed to run into the cart of a woman with a small child in the front seat of the basket.
“I’m so sorry,” Smokey said, moving around his cart to check on them. “I wasn’t watching where I was going. Did I hurt you?” He glanced at the woman’s face for the first time. Her large sunglasses didn’t keep him from recognizing her as Tania.
“I’m okay.” Her voice was soft and hesitant in a way he’d never heard before.
Smokey tilted his head and watched her more closely.
A hint of purple peeked from beneath her sunglasses.
Without thinking, he reached up and gently slid the glasses down her nose.
The deep blacks and purples of the huge shiner made him clench his teeth.
If that fucker had done this to her, Smokey would find him and end him.
“What happened?” Smokey fought to keep his tone gentle and his voice calm. “Did you have a fight?”
Tania shook her head but pressed her lips together.
Smokey knew that meant she wasn’t going to tell him.
Her gaze flicked to the cart, to the baby sitting there watching them with big pale brown eyes.
Smokey followed her gaze and found the baby blinking and laughing. For a moment, it didn’t register.
The baby was dressed in a blue top, jeans, and tiny boots. At the bottom of the cart lay a tiny, puffy coat.
“What’s his name?” he asked, glancing back at Tania. There was no missing apprehension in her blue eyes.
Wait. Blue eyes. That’s when he remembered the moment in the wedding when he’d thought about the babies she would have with the fucker she married. How could two blue-eyed people have a baby with brown eyes?
“Carter Edward Werner.”
Smokey’s gaze snapped back to her face. “Carter?” Why had she named her baby his middle name?
It wasn’t like she didn’t know it. She’d known his full name since they were kids, just like he knew her middle name was Michelle.
The guilt on her face was clear to anyone who knew her as well as he did.
Smokey turned back to the baby, studying him more closely this time. “How old is he?”
“Eight months.”
Smokey didn’t take the time to do the math down to the day, but that sounded about right for when she’d shown up drunk.
He started to lift the baby from the carrier, then froze, and turned back to Tania.
“May I?” The words stuck in his throat. He wasn’t used to asking anyone for permission, but if this was his son, he wouldn’t want just anyone coming in and picking him up, so he asked.
Tania nodded, closing her eyes for a moment.
Smokey released the strap around Carter’s middle, hooked his hands under the baby’s arms, and lifted him out of the seat. Then he moved him to rest against his chest and inhaled the sweet baby powder scent as he searched the baby’s face.
Was that his mother’s nose? Smokey wasn’t sure, but now that he looked at the kid more closely, he definitely had Smokey’s chin, and that had come from Smokey's own father.
“He’s mine, isn’t he?” He turned his body so he could see Tania without having to turn away from his son.
“Yes,” she barely whispered.
“Why didn’t you tell me? If you wanted to get married, I would have married you.” His voice was soft as he looked at his son. Taking in his chubby cheeks and full lips, Smokey noticed that the kid had started blowing spit bubbles and laughing when they popped.
“I didn’t tell anyone. By the time I found out, Daddy pushed me to marry Rod.
If he found out, he would have just insisted I do it faster.
There were already so many rumors flying.
I couldn’t make it worse by dropping him and marrying someone else.
” She dropped her head so she was looking at the floor.
“Does he know?”
“Daddy or Rod?”
“The shithead you married.”
“Tim—”
“I go by Smokey now. Mom’s the only one who gets to call me that anymore.”
She nodded slowly but didn’t look up or meet his gaze. “Smokey then. Yes. He knows.”
Smokey made sure Carter was secure in one arm then gently lifted her chin until she reluctantly met his gaze.
“Is that what this is?” Smokey smoothed the back of one finger gently along the side of her face, indicating her black eye.
Tears pooled in her eyes as she nodded.
“Do you love him?” It was something he had to know. He was about to change everyone’s lives, and he had to know how much fight he’d get from her.
Tania shook her head.
“Where is he now?”
“At work.”
“When do you expect him back?”
“He gets off at five thirty. He’s usually home by six.”
Smokey checked his watch. 9:23 AM. They had plenty of time.
“Other than your father, is there a reason you stay with him?”
“I have nowhere to go. No job. No money to support us. I’m stuck.” A single tear trembled on the edge of her lashes trickled down her cheek. Smokey reached up and wiped it away, sucking the moisture from his thumb before pulling his phone from his cut. He dialed Raven and put the phone to his ear.
“This is Raven,” the club president said.
“Hey, it’s me. I’ve got a situation. I need someone to bring a vehicle we can put a car seat in to Jeff’s.
I’m also going to need a room at the clubhouse for a few days and a few men willing to do some heavy work this afternoon.
I’ll explain the whole thing to you when we get there.
” He glanced up and caught Tania’s gaze.
She stared at him wide eyed but remained silent.
“Well, don’t say hello or anything,” Raven grumped. “I take it someone’s in danger?”
“You got it.”
“I’ll have someone at Jeff’s in the next twenty minutes. Do you need bodies for back up or just for transport?”
“Just transport for now.” He’d go into detail about what was going on when he had a chance to sit down with the president and the rest of the officers.
“No problem. See you when you get here.” Raven disconnected without saying goodbye. Smokey shoved the phone back in his pocket and glanced down into the cart he’d lifted Carter out of.
“What do you need for you and him?” Smokey jerked his chin toward the cart.
“Just the formula and baby food for him. The rest was for dinner tonight and tomorrow.
“Move what you need to my cart and we’ll go to check out.”
He watched as she moved the items from her cart to his.
“Do you have enough diapers and stuff with you to last a couple of days?” He planned to go get their things this afternoon but he wanted to be prepared in case something came up and they weren’t able to get to it.
“I could do a few hours, but not a couple of days.”
“Then let’s go grab what you need.” Smokey grabbed the front of the cart and pulled it past hers, hugging Carter with the other arm. He’d just found out he had a son, and he wasn’t ready to set him down.
Not yet.