Reckless Love (Satan's Prophets MC, Book 2) (Satan's Prophets MC Series) (5 page)

Renee was upstairs in the bathroom giving Michael his nightly bath. It was one of her favorite times. She loved hearing him giggle when she swirled the warm water over his tummy. She lifted him out of the blowup bathing mat and wrapped him in an Elmo
Sesame Street
towel.

Aunt Jenny came in and burst out laughing. “New towel? I just got used to that yellow Big Bird one, and now this one with that big orange nose,” she teased. “Can they make these hooded towels any funnier? And just look at Michael. Can he get any cuter? I can’t believe how fast he is growing, which brings me to another matter.” Jenny handed Renee the baby lotion and continued on. “I have to leave soon to go back home. I’ve been here weeks longer than I intended, and I have to go check on my house and take care of some matters I’ve been neglecting. I called my neighbor and learned there have been some burglaries on our block, so I’m nervous, wondering if my house was broken into. You’re pretty confident with Michael now, and I’m only a phone call away if you need advice. I asked your neighbor Mrs. Smiley if she would allow her daughter to babysit for you. She said Annelle is seventeen and looking to earn some money, so that would be great. Plus, you have Susanna here who just adores Michael and your dad, of course.”

Renee knew this day would come, but still she was not ready for it. She bit her lip nervously. “Do you have to go right now? I don’t think I’m ready for you to go just yet.”

Aunt Jenny chuckled. “Believe me, honey, I don’t think any parent is ever ready when it comes to raising a child, from what my girlfriends tell me. You’ll do fine, and remember, I’m just a phone call away. Now,” she reached out for Michael, “let me spend some time with my great-nephew before I go and pack.”

Renee saw Michael’s eyes light up when Aunt Jenny picked him up. “Michael is sure going to miss his favorite playmate. I think he loves playing with you more than all his toys combined.”

Aunt Jenny gave Michael a big squeeze. Renee noticed her eyes got misty. “I am really going to miss this little munchkin.”

Charlie drove out the following morning with Jenny to take her home.

Renee was holding Michael on her lap near the front window of her dad’s store. Michael’s eyes would follow the moving cars driving by or the people walking on the sidewalk, and when some kids would tap on the window to play with him, Michael would coo back at them. When she saw Mick crossing the street and heading straight for the store, she jumped up and yelled for Susanna.

“What’s wrong, Renee?”

“Mick is headed this way. I’m going to hide with Michael in a storage room. See what he wants. Tell him I’m not here today. Make up some excuse, like I had to take Michael to the doctor’s or something.” Renee was in such a hurry to hide that she forgot to take his bottle with her.

Seconds later, Mick entered Charlie’s Clothing Closet. “Hey Susanna. How ya been? I need some new jeans.”

“I’m doing good, Mick,” she returned. “The jeans rack is right over here.” Susanna led him to it and tried to hurry him along. “If you tell me the size you need, I’ll get them for you.”

“Renee here?”

Susanna hated to lie, but Renee was counting on her. “No, sorry. She took Michael to the doctors for a checkup today.”

“How’s my son doing?”

“Just great, Mick.” Susanna didn’t know what else to say, so she kept silent and hoped he would leave soon. Mick grabbed two pair of jeans and headed to the checkout.

He pulled money out of his wallet, then heard baby cries coming from the back of the store. Susanna was thinking fast of something to say to him, but she didn’t want to be caught up any further in Mick and Renee’s business, so she kept quiet. Mick shot Susanna a knowing look and walked to the back of the store. He listened to where the cries were coming from and opened up the door. Renee was sitting on a chair trying to calm his son down.

“Hey, Renee. Guess you didn’t want to see me, huh?” He bent down to rub his finger along Michael’s cheek. He was surprised when Michael turned his head, trying to suck on his finger. He smiled. “I think someone is looking for his bottle.”

His eyes pierced Renee. “I want to see him, Renee. He’s my son and I want visitation rights. We can do this the easy way… or the hard way. It’s up to you. I will come to your house if need be, but I want him to get to know me.”

“Mick, you can’t come to my house,” she argued. “My dad will have a fit! And you certainly can’t take him to the motel by yourself. He’s too young and I won’t allow that. I just don’t see any way for it to work out. I told you, I don’t want him around you and your lifestyle.”

Mick stood up, his eyes cold and hard when he looked down at Renee. “What the hell! What do you think I’m gonna to do? Take him to the club and give him beer or something?”

Renee glared back at Mick. “He will
never
be in that clubhouse, you can count on that!”

Susanna stepped in, hearing their raised voices. “Hey, you two. Quiet down. We have customers in the store and they can hear every word.”

Mick lowered his voice. “Okay. It’s the hard way then.” He ran his finger along his son’s cheek before he turned and walked away.

Susanna looked at Renee’s flushed face. “Are you all right, Renee?”

She shakily replied, “No. I just need a few minutes to calm myself down and then I will be fine.”

Mick was beyond frustrated when he walked out of the store. Same old Renee. He had hoped she would’ve overcome her aversion to his lifestyle by now, but she was stubborn. That used to be one of the things he liked about her when they first met. He was really starting to dig Renee, then boom, she dropped the bomb and told him to get lost. He often wondered where it would have led between them.

Then again, he really could understand why she dumped him. It was a hard life he lived and often dangerous.

Mick headed back to the motel. He needed to sit and think of what his next move would be. He had a lot to think about and one of those things was giving money to Renee for his son’s extra expenses. He knew she wouldn’t accept anything from him, but he still wanted to make it happen. Maybe a bank account with his son’s name on it. Mick also wanted to make sure his name was on Michael’s birth certificate. He pulled out the phone book and looked up lawyers.

Mick met with a lawyer the following week. Mr. Watkins was very understanding and sympathetic to Mick. He advised Mick to get a paternity test done first to prove he’s the father, then he could have his name put on the birth certificate. Mick followed his advice.

Renee was cooperative, knowing she had no choice as she had to sign for Michael to have the test done. The results came back proving Mick was Michael’s father, as she knew they would.

Mick’s wish was granted. He signed a declaration of paternity and his name was added to the birth certificate, identifying him as Michael’s dad.

At the next meeting, Mr. Watkins explained various ways to handle the rest of this situation. Mick settled for him sending Renee a friendly letter informing her that Mick was seeking visitation rights and Mick would rather meet with her to make arrangements rather than drag her into domestic court. He also mentioned the monthly sum of money Mick would provide for his son’s upbringing.

Once again, not wanting to go through lengthy battles in which she knew she would lose out in the end, she agreed. She and Mick worked out a supervised visitation for him to come to her house two days a week for three hours each visit, to start out with until Michael got older. She made sure it was on days when her dad worked at the store.

* * *

At his first visitation with his son, Mick was a nervous wreck. He stood looking at Michael, not knowing what to do. When his son cried, he tried to pick him up and didn’t know where to grab him. Mick was at a loss and looked at Renee for help. She showed him where to place his hands to pick Michael up, and to make sure he supported his head, plus a few other important things. Other than that, she would look at him smugly and remind him that it was
he
who wanted these visits, not her, and he would just have to learn how to care for Michael himself.

The first time Mick changed Michael’s diaper, Renee couldn’t stop laughing. When Mick took the wet diaper off and tried to work a new one under him, Michael peed like a jet stream and wet the front of Mick’s shirt. Mick didn’t say a word or look at Renee, he just continued on until he got it right. Then, he calmly took off his shirt and wore only his colors for the rest of his visit.

Renee found it hard not to look at Mick’s muscular chest. She had to leave the room to bring her racing pulse down. Renee knew she couldn’t afford to have her feelings swayed by Mick. She reminded herself that he was there to see his son, not her.

The ultimate test came when Michael pooped. Mick opened up his diaper and gagged. Renee handed him the wet wipes and watched as Mick tried to clean him up the best he could in between bouts of gagging. Renee did take over then, wanting to make sure Michael was cleaned up good. Mick thanked her for her help.

The more visits he made, the more confident Mick grew, and soon he was even feeding him his bottle. Mick couldn’t believe how fast his son was growing. It seemed like he grew inches in between his visits.

As the weeks went by, Renee found it harder not to look forward to seeing Mick. Memories of when she had been friendly with him were clouding her mind. When he smiled his sexy smile, she felt like she was going to melt. When Mick’s muscles bulged as he picked up Michael, she felt her panties getting wet. And when Mick would stand proud and tall with Michael in his arms, she wanted to run to him and wrap her arms around him.

She couldn’t allow herself to fall under his spell again. She kept reminding herself that she had to think of her son now and his future. Still, it was hard not to remember.

When Renee saw how good Mick was doing with Michael, she felt confident enough to leave them alone. She would go to her dad’s store to help Susanna and her dad out for the afternoon. That seemed to be the only way she could cope with all of the memories that taunted her.

When Renee and Susanna were walking home from working at the store one day, Renee heard her name being called. She looked over to see Peter Dempsey crossing the street and approaching. Renee pretended she didn’t recognize him and started walking faster. She’d had enough of all the sympathetic looks and words she could handle from people. He caught up to her shortly.

“Hi, Renee.” He smiled. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were trying to avoid me,” he joked. “I relocated back to town and you’re one of the first old friends I’ve seen. I was wondering if we could get together and talk sometime.”

Renee looked at Peter incredulously and wondered why he’d want to talk to her. The whole town knew she had a child out of wedlock.

“I don’t know what we could talk about, Peter,” she said. “I mean, we haven’t been in touch since our high school days. No, I really don’t think it’s a good idea.”

“I always liked you, Renee. Surely you knew that. It’s just that you were never interested in dating or anything, so I never bothered. Come on, let’s meet tomorrow for lunch. I just want to talk about our high school days. It’ll be fun to rehash those crazy times.”

Renee thought Peter was handsome back in high school with his cute dimples when he would flash a wide smile, but when she looked at him now, she thought he was even better looking. He was a year older than her, and she didn’t remember him being so tall and lean. His deep green eyes and jet black hair were striking together. 

Susanna nudged Renee. When Renee hesitated, she nudged her harder.
Damn!
With Susanna there, it looked like she wouldn’t have a choice.

“Okay, Peter,” she agreed reluctantly.

“Great. How about the diner on Main Street? Around one, tomorrow?”

Renee nodded. When Peter walked away, Renee just stood there, stunned. “Wonder what’s up with that?”

“Well, you’ll find out tomorrow,” said Susanna with a wink. “Maybe he really did like you more than you ever knew. He’s really cute.”

“Oh, stop. I can’t even think about another man right now. Especially
that
way,” Renee said with a flush creeping across her cheeks. “Besides, he was always more of a loner than I was, but it will be interesting to see what he’s been up to since then.”

* * *

The next day, Renee called Annelle and asked her if she could babysit Michael. She was happy to and came right over. At one o’clock, Renee entered the diner and found Peter seated and waiting for her. He stood up and waved to her as she approached the little square table. Peter pulled out a chair for her to sit in.

“Hey, lovely lady,” he greeted her. “I’m glad you came. I was worried you might back out. I ordered us lunch while I was waiting. I hope you like diet coke and egg salad sandwiches.”

“Yes, I love them.” Renee let out a little nervous chuckle. “I almost did back out. I’m not into socializing much these days.”

“Oh? And why is that? Pretty woman like you? Come on, now. That’s not the Renee I remember. You always had girlfriends around you.”

“Yeah, back in high school. Things are different now. My friends are either married and settled down or moved away. What brought you back here, Peter? Everyone I know tries to leave and get out into the world.”

“I did get out into the world, but I wasn’t happy. I came back here to get away from the hustle and bustle of big city life. I missed the quiet and calm. So, here I am. You’re looking at Fulton’s new veterinary technician. I just got hired at the vet’s office. It’s what I always wanted to be, not some computer geek like everyone else. I love working around animals.” He gave a wide smile. “Looks like you’ll be seeing quite a bit of me.”

Renee just stared at Peter wondering what was up with him. Why would he be interested in her? It’s not like she had all these guys beating her door down for a date since high school.

“Peter, I think we’d better get some things straight,” she decided. “First, I happen to be a single mom. Surely you knew this. I mean, this is a small town and you must’ve heard the gossip about me.”

Peter smiled sympathetically at Renee. “Yes, I’ve heard. Sorry, Renee, but like you said, this is a small town. And look, I’ve always had a secret crush on you and, the way I see it, I love kids, and you’re available, so… why not give it a go? I’m not asking for any type of commitment. Let’s just get to know each other all over again and see what happens.”

“I need time to think. I’m not sure I’m ready to date or whatever.”

“That’s understandable, Renee. I won’t push you. I really would just like to hang with you now and then. I don’t have too many friends here now. A movie or a walk around town. You might be surprised at how much fun I can be.”

Renee took a deep breath and shook her head. “I’ll consider it Peter. I can’t promise you anything more than that.”

“That’s all I am asking for, Renee,” Peter said seriously, looking into her eyes. Then, he winked at her. “And maybe someone to have egg salad sandwiches with now and then.”

* * *

Susanna was waiting for Renee when she got home. She opened the door before Renee’s hand touched the doorknob. “Well, don’t keep me in suspense. How did it go?”

Renee frowned as she started thinking. “I’m not sure. I mean, Peter told me he wants to hang out together. Why? What could he possibly want to hang with me for? I’m not the prettiest girl around and I was never popular back in school, so what could we even talk about? Besides, I just don’t know if I am ready for stuff like that.” Renee collapsed into the nearest chair and hugged herself tightly. “My life is just one big mess, Susanna. What am I going to do?”

Susanna moved to stand directly in front of Renee with her hands on her hips.

“First thing you’re going to do is quit beating yourself up all the time! You are a smart, intelligent woman, and you’re not the first one to be a single mom. Think of
yourself
for a change and grab that chance at happiness! Look, honey, you always said you wanted that house with the white picket fence. Peter just might be the one to give it to you. And… he
is
really cute,” Susanna added with a wink. “Just take it nice and slow and have some fun. No harm in that.”

Renee slowly rose from the chair, feeling like a feeble old lady. “I’m going to go upstairs to pay Annelle, then lie down with Michael for a while. I’m getting a headache from all this stress.”

Susanna watched her walking away with a heavy heart. She was glad she didn’t date anyone. Who the hell needed all these problems, anyway?

* * *

Later after Renee woke up, she went downstairs and was surprised to see a beautiful floral arrangement of white daisies, yellow daylilies, and pink carnations mixed in with some greens sitting on the table in the foyer. She walked over, wondering who they were for. Renee read the card, surprised to see they were from Peter. She closed her eyes and inhaled their sweet fragrance, thinking what a thoughtful guy he was.

Her dad came walking over, curious. “I see you finally woke up. Nice flowers. Who are they from?”

“Do you remember Peter Dempsey? He grew up here, moved away, and now he’s back. I ran into him yesterday, had lunch with him today.”

“Yes, honey. I knew his family. It was tragic how they both died in that car accident.” Her dad’s brow wrinkled. “But you just ran into him yesterday and he is sending you flowers already? Listen, honey, I think you need to slow down here. You’ve got enough on your plate as it is. You don’t need any more complications in your life right now.”

Renee knew her dad was right, but getting a bouquet of flowers was wonderful. No guy had ever sent her flowers before and she liked feeling that she was special to someone.

But… she still didn’t know if she wanted to get involved with Peter, even if it was just as friends.

* * *

The next afternoon, Peter called Renee and asked if he could come over to see her that evening. Renee told Peter she wasn’t up for company because Michael wasn’t sleeping well at night and she was exhausted. He called her again the next day and Renee made up another excuse.

Peter was relentless and called Renee a few times each week. She was running out of excuses, so she decided she would have to be blunt with him. She said she just wasn’t ready for any kind of involvement with anyone yet. He said he understood, but that didn’t stop him from calling her anyway.

One evening, Michael was especially cranky and wearing on her nerves. Renee was feeling down in the dumps, thinking on how she never went anywhere anymore except to work and home and the occasional shopping trip. Peter called at just the right time. He asked her if she would like to go to the movie theater in town with him. She was thrilled at the thought of getting out of the house and having some fun for a change. Renee’s dad said he would watch Michael as long as she wasn’t out too late. Peter said he would be by soon to pick her up.

Renee hurried upstairs to dress. She put on her favorite pair of jeans with the holes in them and her Nirvana t-shirt with her brand new red flannel shirt over it. Digging around the floor of her closet, she found her black Doc Martens boots. Her hair was a mess and she had no time to fix it properly, so she threw on a baseball cap. She looked at herself in the mirror and let out a happy squeal. She felt like her old self once again.

Peter arrived soon after with a box of assorted chocolates in his hand.

On the drive to the movies, Renee noticed a beautiful calico-colored cat crossing the street. All of a sudden, Peter swerved the car toward the cat and Renee screamed. She looked back and saw that the cat had made it safely to the other side. How the cat didn’t get run over, she didn’t know.

Renee noticed Peter’s lips were clenched tight. “Peter, didn’t you see that cat crossing the street??”

“Of course I did. I only wanted to have a little fun with it, Renee,” he explained defensively. “I wasn’t trying to actually hit it.”

“But you could have.” She frowned at him. “Why take the chance of that happening?”

“Chill, Renee. Nothing happened to the cat. Let it go. Look, I’m sorry I upset you. I won’t do it again.”

Renee looked at him, trying to gauge his sincerity. He looked sincere enough, so she let it go. Peter parked his car two blocks away, not finding any parking spots nearer to the theater. Renee didn’t mind. It was a warm evening and the walk felt wonderful.