Page 55 of Riding Hard

“It’s not,” I confirm. “So we’re going to protect her, but I need to ensure that you also protect yourself.”

“I will,” he says.

As much as I don’t want to believe he would put himself in danger, I know he probably would if the situation arose. I just hope it doesn’t. I need to get this fucker taken care of before he can get to Cade, before he can hurt Juliette again.

I’ve got shit I need to do with the club, money I need to figure out how to make. Contracts that need to be created and signed so we can get some fucking money flowing on the regular.

I’m not sure I’ll be able to think about anything but this asshole until I’ve taken care of him. I decide to make finding him a top priority. At least that’s what I tell myself. I’m sure something will change when I get to the clubhouse.

There’s always something that takes the place of whatever is the top priority at the moment. Even when I don’t want it to and don’t have the time for it.

CHAPTER

FORTY-FIVE

JULIETTE

When I agreed to stay the weekend, I had no idea I would never want to leave. Ever. As I stand in the kitchen, Cade watches me intently. I’m creaming together butter, white sugar, and brown sugar to make chocolate chip cookies.

“What’s next?” he asks.

He’s sitting on the edge of the barstool, leaning all the way over, his mouth practically drooling as his eyes move around with the beaters, following their every twirl in the bowl.

I smile.

When Slade left an hour ago, claiming to need to be down at the clubhouse for a meeting, Cade and I were left staring at one another with no clue what to do. I thought about taking him to a movie but then decided we should probably do something where we could get to know one another better.

There was nothing in the kitchen to bake cookies with, something I thought might be a good icebreaker for our first time alone together. I didn’t want to tell him to just watch TV and ignore him. I want to get to know him better.

So I packed him up, and we went to the grocery store to get all the ingredients for chocolate chip cookies. I even let him get some white chocolate chips because he said he’d never had them before.

I may not know much about cooking, about families, about anything, really, that isn’t pain, fear, and running for my life. But Cade is a kid, a mature, smart, sweet kid, but still a kid. And since I don’t even remember what being a kid was like, I’m trying my hardest here.

So cookies.

Everyone loves cookies.

“Next, I crack two eggs and add some vanilla, then mix that together.”

He dips his chin in a single nod. “Do you think you could help me at all?” I ask.

I know he can. I also know that I don’t need any help, not a single ounce. But I want him to be involved, and this is the best way to do it. Sliding a large empty bowl toward him, I sink my teeth into my bottom lip as I try to hide my smile.

“I would love for you to mix the dry ingredients for me. That would be a huge help.”

His eyes spark with excitement. “We need two and a half cups of the flour for starters,” I instruct.

He reaches for the measuring cup and rips the bag of flour open. He makes short work of measuring the flour before he’s ready for the next ingredient.

“A teaspoon of both baking soda and salt,” I call out.

He does that, then I hand him a spoon. Slade didn’t have a whisk, which I’m not surprised at by any means. The things he has in the kitchen are very much rudimentary, which is more than I have, so I don’t judge.

“Add half of that to this creamed mixture, and I’ll beat it together,” I continue my instructions.

He does, then, once it’s mixed, he adds the other half. Once everything is incorporated, I look at the milk chocolate and white chocolate chips. “Do we do one, none, or both?” I ask.

His eyes widen, and they meet mine, searching. “I don’t know,” he whispers.