Page 36 of Prospect Year

“Mia said you can stay,” Amber called after him.

Mia was pointing toward a chair when he spun back toward them. He pulled it closer to the bed and fell into it. “So, what we talking about?”

“New Year’s Eve plans,” Amber told him.

“What do you two have planned?” he asked.

“This will be the first New Year’s I get to decide on my own. I think I’m hanging out here with Mia,” Amber told him. “I’m sure you’ll be at the clubhouse.”

“I will. I’ll be staying overnight. You both are welcome to come there for a while if you want,” he offered.

Mia immediately shook her head, spreading her hands far apart and then wiggling her fingers like people walking.

“There very well could be a lot of people,” he confirmed. “Only the club stays overnight though.”

“That’s odd,” Amber commented.

“It’s a tradition that’s been around since the early days of the club. It’s a belief about not bringing the old into the new.”

Mia smiled. A nice tradition to bring in the new year together. Her New Year’s had never been extravagant. And she had no plans for this year either.

“Now, if you want to go as my old lady, I’m cool with that. Just know you’re sleeping with me.” Lola’s brows bounced once as he looked between the two.

Mia’s face heated. His words always struck a fire in her. No. Maybe not his words, his voice, his eyes. To be honest, his presence did it. She dropped her gaze away.

“Do you ever stop?” Amber asked.

“That depends. How do you plan to make me stop?”

“Leave us,” Amber snapped.

“Okay, okay,” he said. “It’s the end of the year. Tell me, what have you learned or accomplished this year?”

Mia straightened. Good question.

“Deep question for a sex-crazed biker,” Amber told him.

Lola grinned. “Something my mom and I always talked about at the end of the year. So, what are you taking from this year?”

Amber bit the side of her lip and paused. “I accomplished gaining the courage to make a change and move to an unfamiliar place. I’ve learned that school is hard and math stinks. But it’s only numbers, and if I associate the numbers with something I’m familiar with, I can do it.”

“Cool,” Lola said.

Mia gave her a thumbs up and both Amber and Lola turned toward her. She smiled and began telling her accomplishments with her hands. Slow down and think. They don’t sign. She took a deep breath and lifted her hand to her chest, she tapped her palm in a rhythm, then signed a bit and exaggerated her smile.

Mia watched Amber jerk her head toward Lola and he smiled.

“That’s an accomplishment,” he said. “You’re alive. You’re learning sign language to communicate. And you’re happy.”

Mia smiled, and a warm sensation filled her. He understood. She nodded then she pointed toward Lola.

“I accomplished getting offered to prospect. I’ve learned way too much to list, but I guess the main lesson was that my father didn’t abandon us.”

“We’ve all had a good year,” Amber noted.

“I would say we have,” Lola agreed. “Now to make the new year even better.”

Chapter 17