20
20
Liam
It had been a little over a week since I’d left Liberty at The Judgment Sanctuary. I’d considered calling her a few times to see how she was settling in, but decided against it. I called Nina instead to make sure she was doing okay. Since there was no cause for concern, I was able to relax somewhat.
Selena was becoming a bit of an issue. I had been dodging her calls and responding to her texts at a minimum. I felt guilty every time her name appeared on my screen. I knew I needed to make a clean cut with her. We hadn’t been exclusive, but it was clear she had read more into whatever we’d been doing than was there. When Liberty wanted to tell her about the pregnancy, she could, but I was leaving that up to her. As for me and Selena, I intended to just stop seeing her.
She was probably the classiest woman I’d ever date. The fact that a doctor, with all she had going for her, was interested in the president of an MC club, who had long hair and tats, was surprising. Sure, I’d fucked high-class bitches before, but not dated them. I had just been their walk on the wild side. Didn’t matter. Selena and I were done.
A couple of prospects were on the far right side of the parking lot when I parked. Looked like Pinch was working on his bike. The fucker always had something wrong with it. The others with him were taking a smoke. They all called out a greeting, and I just nodded my head and continued inside.
Liberty’s first doctor’s appointment was in an hour, and I’d come to take her and have church with the club officers. After, I thought I’d head over to Paradise Brew—Pepper’s bar—and socialize with the men a bit before going back to Ocala. Normally, I’d stay the night, maybe two, but with Liberty in my bed, that wasn’t going to happen.
Taking long strides toward the kitchen, in hopes that Nina and Goldie had something left from breakfast, I glanced at the stairs, wondering if Liberty was ready yet. I’d told her I’d be here at twelve and to be ready to leave. It was ten till that, so I had a few minutes to grab something to eat.
Shoving through the red door, I stepped into the kitchen and paused at the sight of Liberty standing there with an apron on, laughing with Nina, who looked to be rolling out some dough. Dolly, my VP’s fiancée, was on the other side of Nina, watching with a huge grin on her face. They were clearly enjoying themselves.
Seeing Liberty happy like that gave me a funny feeling in my chest. She didn’t laugh like that around me.
Nina spotted me first. “Prez,” she said, stopping whatever she had been doing.
Liberty’s gaze swung to mine, and her amusement vanished. “I didn’t realize the time. I’m sorry,” she immediately said and began to untie the apron she was wearing.
“I’m ten minutes early,” I explained, then looked back at Nina. “Was hoping you had something to eat.”
She nodded, laying the rolling pin down.
“I can fix it. You keep doing that, and then the filling is ready to go on the stove. Just cut it in round circles, like I showed you. Scoop it in the middle, fold it over, and seal it with the fork tongs. Tablespoon of butter per pie. Two to three minutes on each side. Be sure to use the iron skillet though. Mama D said that made all the difference,” Liberty told her, then walked over to the fridge.
I watched her, not sure what to make of the fact that I’d walked in on Liberty teaching Nina how to make something.
“She’s showing me how to make fried apple pies the way her grandmother used to. I’ve made them in the past, but they were from some recipe online,” Nina told me, smiling, then glancing over at Liberty.
I looked at Dolly. “Micah here?” I asked, knowing he had to be if Dolly was.
He didn’t trust any male around her. She was a sweet thing. Quiet and tiny. Her amber eyes softened slightly at the mention of his name.
She nodded, her cheeks a touch pink. “He went upstairs to take my things. He’s here for church, but we’re staying a couple of nights.”
Micah had once lived here until he got pussy-whipped by Dolly. He put a ring on it so damn fast after she got out of the hospital due to an accident caused by his ex-girlfriend. At first, I’d worried it was because he felt guilty over what had happened to her, but I hadn’t been here much to see the entire thing play out. The man-whore had been reformed by his sister’s best friend.
“This is the plate you put back for Liam, correct?” Liberty asked Nina, pulling a plate out that was covered in aluminum foil.
“That’s it,” Nina replied as she went back to cutting out a circle of dough.
“You knew I’d come hungry,” I said as I pulled out a stool and sat down across from Nina.
She glanced up at me. “I’ve been cooking for you long enough to know you,” she said, and then she nodded toward Liberty, who was heating up my plate. “That one though makes me feel a tad bit inferior. I’ve yet to find something she can’t do.”
Liberty looked over her shoulder at Nina. “Don’t start that. I can’t make your biscuits or your fried chicken the way you do.”
Nina chuckled. “Thanks for that, but if you tried, I have no doubt you’d excel at it.”
“I want you to come help me in my flower beds at home,” Dolly told Liberty. “Now that the house is finished, I feel as if the outside looks bare.”
I had known Nina and Goldie would befriend Liberty and make her feel comfortable. Dolly would be a good influence on her. I hadn’t expected to walk into my club and see Liberty fitting in so well. She hadn’t been easy for Selena to live with, growing up, and the way she’d stormed out of her house, I’d been prepared to find out she had shown that side of herself here by now. She was sleeping in my suite. I knew everyone was letting her have her way because of me. I’d thought she’d be a little more demanding, not so … helpful.
Liberty placed the plate in front of me. “I reckon you can get your own drink,” she said, then walked over to the stove and began to stir something in a pot.
Nina’s eyebrows shot up as she looked at Liberty’s back, then at me. There was amusement dancing in her expression, but she didn’t dare smile. Standing up, I walked over to the fridge and got a bottle of water, then went back to my plate of food.
“Look what the cat dragged in,” Micah drawled as he entered the kitchen. His hand patted my back hard. “How’s big daddy?”
The laughter in his eyes when I looked at him wasn’t surprising. He was a smart-ass, and the fact that I’d knocked up a one-night stand must have been an endless source of entertainment for him.
“Micah!” Dolly scolded him.
He turned his attention to her, and his smirk switched to that ridiculous lady killer smile of his. “What, Tink? I was just having some fun, baby.”
She shook her head, trying to act as if she wasn’t melting under his gaze. The two of them were a touch nauseating.
“I’m sure it’s not fun for everyone,” she hissed under her breath.
He cupped the side of her face and brushed his thumb over her cheek. I was trying to eat. I didn’t need their public display of affection while doing it.
“Don’t be mad, Tink,” he told her, lowering his mouth to hers.
I decided it was best to just keep my eyes on my food.
“Liberty, got that soil you asked me to pick up,” Country called out from the back entrance to the kitchen.
My eyes shot back up, and I paused with my fork halfway to my mouth. Looking at Liberty, I watched her beam brightly before putting her spoon down and hurrying around the corner.
“Thank you! You are the best!” she called back.
“No problem. Need anything else, just let me know,” Country replied.
I could feel Micah’s gaze on me, and I looked at him for an answer.
He wagged his eyebrows at me. “Good ole Country. You can count on him to make sure everything is handled,” he said, then gave me a pointed look. “No, wait. Come to think of it, that don’t sound like him at all.”
He was determined to make me uncomfortable. Well, I was verging on pissed. I swung my gaze to Nina, who was also watching me for a reaction. She gave me a little shrug and went back to rolling the leftover dough after she cut out a circle.
When Liberty turned around, her eyes met mine, and again, the smile vanished. She said nothing, but went back to the pot to check on what was inside.
“You planting something?” I asked her when it seemed no one wanted to explain why Country had bought her soil.
Liberty’s shoulders tensed, and she turned back to me. “Yes. I hope that’s okay with you. I made sure the others didn’t mind.”
“It looks real nice out there,” Nina said. “Never thought much about adding flowers and such, but she’s sure made it pretty.”
“Oh, yes! You should see it! She’s brilliant. I need her to come to our house and help me,” Dolly exclaimed with excitement.
Liberty’s mouth lifted slightly at the corners. “I’m not done just yet,” she said.
I took another bite and then washed it down with some water. “Been using that scrapbook you got for inspiration?” I asked, remembering what she’d told the nurse and how I’d thought she was full of bullshit.
She nodded. “Yeah. First time I got to do that. I, uh, appreciate everyone being so nice about it.”
Country was doing her bidding. Nina was making stuff that Liberty was teaching her. My VP’s fiancée was trying to get her to come to their house and do their landscaping. Had she charmed the whole damn place?
“Hope it’s not making the mowing any more complicated,” I replied, and her face fell.
A worried frown wrinkled her forehead. I hadn’t meant to sound like an ass, but the men weren’t crazy about keeping the grass cut, and they had to get off and use the edger and weed eater enough as it was. The property wasn’t small.
“Country has been handling the extra edging and weed eating,” Nina said, giving me a sharp look.
“You don’t say,” Micah piped up, grinning like a damn fool.
I wasn’t taking his bait. He could kiss my ass. By looking at Liberty, he thought there was more to this. He was wrong.
I shrugged. Guessed they had it all worked out. I finished my plate without saying anything more, then stood up.
“Ready?” I asked Liberty.
She closed the dishwasher she’d been loading and turned to me. “Yep.”
“Thanks for the meal, Nina,” I said before turning toward the door. “Delicious, as always. Tell Goldie I said thank you.”
“Liberty helped me make breakfast. Might want to thank her instead,” she replied.
I glanced back at Liberty, who gave me a forced smile, then took her purse from a hook and placed it over her shoulder. She was making breakfast? I studied her, finding this hard to believe. Cooking for this bunch wasn’t easy. Why would she offer to do that?
“Can’t wait to hear about your appointment,” Nina told her.
“Me too! If you get an ultrasound, bring pictures,” Dolly added.
Liberty gave them a little wave. “I will be sure to give you the highlights.”
Shoving the door open, I headed out into the hallway just as Grinder was coming in from the back door.
“Prez,” he said. “Didn’t expect you until later. Church is at four, right?”
“Yeah,” I replied.
His gaze shifted to Liberty as she followed me into the hallway, and he grinned. When did Grinder ever fucking grin?
“Liberty,” he greeted her. “Didn’t see you when I came into the kitchen this morning; you’d gone up to get ready. But them fried potatoes were something else. I had two helpings before Nina cut me off.”
Was I in the motherfucking twilight zone?
I looked at Liberty, who was blushing.
“I’m glad you liked them. I know Goldie does them different, but Nina wanted me to do them the way I knew how.”
“The general consensus is, we all prefer yours,” he said in a low voice.
Liberty laughed softly. “Well, I don’t know the secret to her cheese grits, so don’t go telling her that. She might withhold them, and there would be a riot.”
He chuckled as I stood there, watching in silence.
Finally, I cleared my throat. “We need to get going.”
Grinder glanced at me as if he’d forgotten I was there. “Where you taking her?” He seemed concerned.
This wasn’t his fucking business.
“Doctor’s appointment,” Liberty offered when I didn’t respond.
His eyes widened. “All right then. See you at church, Prez,” he said to me, then walked into the kitchen.
We made it to the Charger without any more of my men stopping to chat with Liberty. Neither of us spoke as I pulled through the gate. I was annoyed, but I wasn’t sure exactly why. I should be fucking relieved. She wasn’t being difficult, and everyone seemed to like her being there. I wouldn’t need to relocate her, which was something that had been in the back of my mind. I wasn’t there full-time, like I once had been, and if Liberty decided to be the spoiled bitch she’d been with Selena, then I couldn’t expect them all to deal with her.
Clearly, I’d been worried for nothing. She’d charmed the whole damn bunch, it seemed.
I glanced at her. She was wearing a hot-pink sundress that showed off her tan. She had a natural olive complexion, but she’d been out in the sun, and it had deepened. Her dark brown hair had some light streaks from the sun as well. It was almost as if she was glowing. Her face didn’t appear as thin as it had when I left her here.
“How are you feeling?” I asked, breaking the silence.
My voice seemed to startle her. She jumped slightly and her eyes widened.
She licked her lips, then replied, “Good. Better actually. I haven’t felt sick in the past four days. It’s been a relief not to want to throw up when I smell bacon and sausage in the mornings.”
Was that a good thing? How far along was she?
“How many, uh—how far along are you? I mean, like months or whatever.”
A small frown crinkled her forehead slightly. “I’m not sure. This will be my first doctor’s visit, but I have been reading some pregnancy information websites before I go to bed at night, and I know that you count by weeks, but the first week isn’t actually when you conceived. It’s the week of your period—or rather day one is the first day of your last period. I did the calculations, and I should be ten weeks tomorrow. That is, if I counted it right.”
If she was two months, then there were only seven more to go. At least if she’d understood the website and it was a reputable one. She probably should have seen a doctor by now. I’d had to make some calls to get her an appointment with one of the best in the area.
“My Medicaid came through,” she said, smiling. “I got the email two days ago.” Then, she paused and bit her bottom lip. “But I don’t think all doctors take it. Did you ask about this one?”
This doctor did not take Medicaid. She was one of the top OB-GYNs in Miami. However, I’d known that when I booked the appointment. I wasn’t letting just anyone take care of her while she carried my kid.
“We won’t be needing the Medicaid. I’m handling the bills,” I told her.
“But this could get expensive. I mean, it will get expensive.”
I glanced at her. “I’ve already gotten you on the insurance I have for my employees,” I told her. “You don’t need the Medicaid. Once the baby is born, I will have him or her put on my insurance. You can choose to use the Medicaid for yourself then if you want to.”
She nodded and turned to look back out the window.
“It would probably be smart to have regular checkups after the baby is born. I’ve never had that before, but I am in my thirties now.”
And there was the reminder of how irresponsible she was. As the mother of my kid, she needed to take better care of her health. I hoped like fuck they didn’t find something wrong health-wise with her today that could affect the baby’s health.
“You didn’t see a doctor before this? So, you weren’t on birth control?” I asked, feeling my annoyance creep back in.
“I went to the free clinic. They checked me and gave me birth control. But when I left Wallace, I didn’t go get them refilled. I didn’t think I’d need them …” She trailed off.
Well, maybe she hadn’t been spreading her legs for random men. Just me. I still couldn’t figure that one out. I was sixteen years older than her. She was a head turner. Men had to hit on her all the time. Why had she invited me into that motel room?
“I just assumed that a regular doctor that is getting paid does more of a checkup than the free clinic,” she said. “I can’t remember the last time I went to a regular doctor, so I don’t know what they do at those.”
I started to snap off at her and point out that if she’d let her mother help her, she’d have had all those things, just like Selena. I didn’t though. There was no need for us to get into that. Her past was not my business. Getting along with her was my goal here.