Page 30 of Sabre’s Guard

“Sometimes you just have to laugh or else you’d cry,” I say. It’s true. I’ve used humor over the years to try and minimize the shit my parents and Dylan put me through.

“Just so you know, I’m not interested in one-night stands. I’ve been there and done that. I’m ready for something permanent. No pressure. I just want you to know what I’m aimin’ for here.”

I tip my gaze up into his clear blue eyes. This badass biker wants something real with me. I tell it to him straight. “I have to think about what’s best for my son as well as myself. I’m not sure I’m ready for a long-term relationship. But if I were, I’d want it to be with you.”

“That’s fine,” he responds. “I’m a patient man. We can keep it casual and see where this goes.”

“You should probably know that I don’t share and have a zero-tolerance policy for cheating, so club girls are off the table.”

He brings my hand to his lips again, and instead of kissing my hand, he nips at my knuckles with his teeth. “That’s something you’ll never have to worry about with me. You have my word on that.”

We fall asleep in each other’s arms, and for the first time since I learned that Dylan had been released, I slept soundly.

Chapter 9

Sabre

Ifind out about a community event at the last minute on Friday when I pick Noah up from school. A crumpled-up flyer falls out of his backpack while he’s rooting around for his math test to show me the A+ he earned.

I bend down and pick it up off the ground. The title across the top reads, LAS SALINAS PARKS & REC ANNUAL FATHER AND SON FIELD DAY. It’s being held tomorrow. I read over the flyer carefully. The event features outdoor activities like tying flies for fly fishing, a grilling contest, and competitive sports. It says, bring your boy, your favorite outdoor activity, and your appetite. It sounds all kinds of interesting, like something Gus and I would have enjoyed back in the day. I don’t remember there being cool shit like this when I was a kid.

Noah tugs it out of my hand, folds it into a small square, and stuffs it back in the side pocket of his backpack. “It’s for dads,” he says matter-of-factly. “My teacher handed them out to everybody, even kids without dads. She doesn’t check stuff like that.”

He climbs on behind me and is quiet all the way home. I drop him off like always and watch Aunt Carol open the door for him before I ride away. Something about the look on Noah’s face when he said it was for dads made my chest ache.

I toss and turn all night, thinking about this situation with Noah and that father-and-son event. I get up bright and early the next morning, shower, and dress in my cut like always. I grab the gift I ordered for Noah and head over to Linsey’s house. I stop and pick up a couple of coffees on the way.

When Linsey opens the door wearing a pretty pink robe with her hair loose around her shoulders, I almost forget the reason I came. She’s a beautiful woman, and this isn’t a sight that I could see myself ever taking for granted. She looks confused for a second. “What day is it?”

“It’s Saturday. I stopped by because there’s a father-and-son event in town, and I was wonderin’ if I could take Noah.”

She takes the coffee that I offer her and gestures for me to follow her. We end up in her living room. “Tell me more. I haven’t heard about this event.”

“It’s somethin’ the Parks and Rec Department is hosting, a field day out at the lake. There’s gonna be all kinds of kid-friendly activities. It starts at ten and ends in the late afternoon, around four. The flyer says fathers and sons, but I don’t think anyone’s checkin’ DNA at the entrance. I’d like to take Noah, if you give your okay, of course.”

She just stares at me, looking all confused and adorable. Then she takes a sip of the coffee I brought for her.

“Look, I don’t think Noah realized we could just slide right in there. He’s a pretty concrete thinker. He literally thought only kids with fathers were allowed to go. That’s probably why he never mentioned it to you.”

Before she can answer, little feet race down the stairs, and Noah comes to a skidding stop right in front of us. “You’re really here about the field day?” Looking from one of us to the other, he explains, “I was listening through the vent, and that’s what you said. You said you wanted to take me.”

“Yeah, the flyer that fell out of your bag looked like fun.”

Noah chatters away excitedly, but I notice that Linsey’s not chiming in to give her approval. “It really did look like fun. It’s out at the lake. I love going there. All the kids at school were talking about it, and some of the girls were even threatening to come. Can you believe that?”

“Let them,” I say. “The more the merrier, right, buddy? No reason girls can’t do stuff like fly fishin’.”

Noah shrugs. “I guess. I don’t care about girls.” Turning towards his mother, he asks, “Is it okay, Mom? We’ll be really careful around the water ‘cause I know you worry about that.”

I reach out and drape my arm around Noah’s shoulders. “Yeah, I’ll stick right by his side and make sure nothin’ bad happens to him. It would be great for you to get a Saturday all to yourself. You could have a spa day or get your nails done.”

Linsey takes another sip of her coffee before answering. “Of course you can go. Be back in time for dinner.”

Noah throws both fists up in the air and yells, “Yes. This is going to be the best day ever.”

I slide the box from under my arm and hold it out to him. “I bought you a little somethin’ special to wear.”

Noah reaches for it. “Another gift. You must really like me. Aunt Carol says I grow on people like an exotic fungus.”