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So, I swooned hard for the biker, complimenting him a lot and watching him like I was undressing him with my gaze. My behavior was less horny than lovestruck, but Jessica ate it up!

Though she was a nice enough woman, I wouldn’t normally hang out with someone with her interests. I certainly didn’t care about scrapbooking or Tai Chi. She wasn’t particularly interested in what kind of motorcycle I rode or details about my club.

Though we were wired differently, I still put effort into being presentable for Jessica. York’s mom mattered to him, meaning she mattered to me. Despite how I told Boone that I didn’t care if she lived or died, I found myself growing fond of her. She was the woman who brought York into the world. She kissed his boo-boos and helped him with homework. She might not be the most present mom when he was growing up, but she was never cruel.

I also sensed deep down that York wanted something deeper with Jessica. Maybe she wanted more, too. As a stubborn person myself, I knew how easily people fell into habits. York and Jessica had learned to expect little from each other.

As we finished up after thirty minutes, I said, “We’d love to have you over to the house for a meal.”

“Do you cook?” Jessica asked.

“Yes, but don’t expect anything fancy.”

An amused Jessica agreed to join us for lunch in a few days. She couldn’t stop smiling, and her adoring gaze frequently flashed to York. She didn’t even seem upset to learn he wasn’t gay!

A smile was also planted on York’s face during the drive home. I had worried he might feel his life was changing too quickly. He was accustomed to spending most of his time alone or with his bros. Suddenly, I was always around, and my family frequently visited. Now, I had his mom coming to his house. Rather than feel crowded or put out, York was learning to be ready for anything.

YORK

Jessica had clearly imagined a dark and dangerous life for me despite how many pictures I’d shown her over the years. Goldie wasn’t the trashy troublemaker she assumed. Then, Jessica was charmed by my house. She was even surprised by Junior’s skittish nature, having assumed the pound mutt would behave aggressively.

During her visit to my house, Jessica explained that her gal pals had refused to believe I wasn’t gay. The only way they’d accept my relationship with Goldie as real was if we had a baby. Since Jessica wasn’t a very good liar, I suspected the baby thing was her idea.

“We’re leaning toward a late summer wedding,” Goldie told Jessica as we sat together on the back patio. “Once I’m walking normally, I’ll stop my birth control and roll the dice.”

Jessica’s gaze flashed to me. When I nodded, she clapped her hands. Yeah, that baby thing was totally her idea.

“I think she’s fun,” Goldie said after we were alone at the house. “We should have her over at least once a month. I’d like to go with you on visits.”

Goldie’s reaction to Jessica reassured me more than I expected. As much as I said I didn’t care if they liked each other, I wanted my mom and the woman I loved to get along. Of course, Goldie was watering down her real personality. However, I wasn’t about to complain about her tactics, as long as she was always real with me.

Living with Goldie was better than I’d imagined. We fell into a quick routine. Her brother and Nova visited often. I was only away from Goldie for a few hours in the morning and one night during the weekend.

The club sluts were doubtful about my domestication announcement until I showed them a picture of Goldie. Suddenly, they swooned over how I saved the woman I loved.

With everything going well, I agreed to invite a few of my club members over for dinner. Ojai had been dying to come over and hang out. In the past, he and I would watch sports on Sundays. For nearly a month, though, I’d been fully focused on Goldie.

Knowing Alabama was the queen of the Black Rainbow wives, I invited Stamp and his wife to join Ojai, Goldie, and me for dinner.

Stamp was an original Black Rainbow member. He took a risk by siding with Zodiac over Wrecker, but the man had a solid sense for the future. I sensed more than anything, he wanted to make sure the Black Rainbow was strong for his sons to join.

These days, Stamp sported a bald head and gray goatee, looking like a rowdy grandpa. He arrived on his motorcycle with Alabama riding bitch. The brunette wore a red bandana around her forehead and a denim vest to match Stamp’s club one.

By then, Ojai had already arrived and been teased for his pretty blond hair.

“I’m like Samson,” Ojai told a snickering Goldie. “I’d be a weak man without it.”

Goldie appreciated his ability to take a little ribbing and invited him back to the house to watch the NBA Finals.

“We’ll order Cajun food and get drunk,” Goldie suggested, winning an approving grin from us.

In contrast to her casual behavior with Ojai, Goldie seemed nervous about meeting Alabama. Her worries made sense to me. Ojai was a biker. She treated him like she did her club brothers back in Little Memphis. But Goldie wasn’t sure if she needed to behave differently with the Black Rainbow wives.

Goldie had mostly spent her life around people like herself. At school, she stuck to her friends from the townhouses. The people she lived with, rode with, and laughed with were wired in the same way she was. That’s why she had to put so much effort into dialing down her behavior with Jessica.

“Just be you,” I whispered in her ear. “Trust me that Alabama won’t edit herself, so why should you?”

Though Goldie nodded at my words, she remained overly quiet once Stamp and Alabama entered the house. When she spoke, she stuck to topics like cooking and the dogs. Even Ojai noticed her change in demeanor.