Page 28 of Caden

“No, not really, but I wanted to let you know. I’m not unaware that a large part of why Tank and the others were stripped of their patches was the things they were keeping from the club. I don’t want any thought that I’m trying to do anything similar.”

“I see.” Cowboy wove his fingers together and rested his hands on his stomach. “Do you think you’ve done anything wrong in any way here?”

Caden frowned. “You mean in seeing Olivia? No. Not at all. I haven’t even tried to keep it quiet or hide it from her mother. Hell. Our second date was her sister’s wedding where I met a good chunk of her family.”

“Wow.” Cowboy’s brows shot up. “That’s moving fast.”

“I didn’t see it that way. She thought it would be a lot of pressure for someone you’d barely started seeing, I saw it as less. I wasn’t personally invested in wanting them to like me, not yet.”

“And now?”

Caden lifted one shoulder and let it drop. “Now? At least her dad and I get along. I think her mother will come around when she sees that there’s no more trouble coming for her from the Kings. At least that’s my hope.”

One corner of Cowboy’s mouth lifted in a wry smile. “You know, a couple of months ago I probably would have given you shit about it, but now I’ll say that I hope she does. If you like this Olivia as much as it looks like you do, then I hope to hell her mother comes around. But it may be a long time before she does. Just be prepared for that.”

“I am. But if things go the way I think they’re going, I’ll be there to see it. And I’m looking forward to it.”

“Have you told her yet?”

“Told her what?” Caden frowned.

“That you love her.”

Caden opened his mouth to deny it, but no words came out. Did he really? How had Cowboy known before he had? Caden shook his head not sure what else he could say at the moment.

“Need anything else from me?” Cowboy asked.

“No. I just wanted to let you know we may have more police attention for a while.”

“Thanks for that.” The tone was a little wry and Caden wasn’t sure if the sarcasm was for the warning or for earning them more attention. “I need to get back to this, if we’re done here?”

“No, that’s all. I’ll see you for the ride Saturday then?”

“See you then.” Cowboy turned his attention back to the design he was working on.

Caden left the shop, thinking about what his president and friend had revealed to him. He loved Olivia. But how to tell her? And he knew he had to tell her, it was just a question of when and how.

20

Olivia wandered around the house, doing her usual house cleaning, and running laundry before work. She couldn’t help but wonder what Caden was saying to his president and what Cowboy was saying back to him. The older man had seemed nice enough when she’d met him, but anyone could be nice for five minutes, right?

She couldn’t help but worry what Caden would do if the leader of the men he called his brothers told him she wasn’t worth the trouble she would bring to the club. Would he walk away from her? How badly would that hurt?

With a shake of her head, she pushed that thought away. Caden wasn’t like that. He didn’t take orders from people without a good reason, and he’d assured her a little bit of police attention didn’t bother him. She could only hope it had been the truth.

She tried to push all the worries out of her mind as she finished her chores, showered, and got ready for work. She wasn’t looking forward to her shift, but hopefully it would get her mind off things.

After work, she sat in the parking lot and texted Caden before heading home.

Olivia: You coming over tonight?

She didn’t bother to wait for an answer before dropping her phone into her purse and making the drive home. She was on her way into the house when she heard an incoming message alert. Inside, she locked the door and fished her phone out to find a reply.

Caden: Just got out, be there soon.

She set her purse on the table in the short hall where she kept it and caught sight of her reflection in the mirror on the wall over the table. She hadn’t realized she was smiling. Must be knowing he would be here soon. She wondered if she would have time to change clothes then decided he worked far enough away she would and went to the bedroom to change out of her work clothes and into something more comfortable.

She’d just pulled the oversized T-shirt over her head when a knock sounded on her front door. Olivia didn’t even bother to fight the grin that spread across her face as she went to let him in.