Bones__ Satan's Fury MC-SG(8)
Author: L. Wilder

 

“What?” Henley scoffed. “No way.”

 

“I know it’s hard to believe, especially now. But we had some rough patches.” Wren let out a breath before saying, “Mainly because I pushed him to do things he didn’t really want to do.”

 

“All kids need a little pushing from time to time.”

 

“That was definitely true for Wyatt. I remember the summer when Michael and I took him to the beach for the first time. He was only five at the time, and we’d just gotten his Asperger’s diagnosis. It wasn’t the best time to hit the beach, especially when he was going through this phase where he didn’t want to touch or be near anything that felt funny on his skin.”

 

“What happened?”

 

“Girl, the second that baby’s feet hit that sand, he lost it. He started screaming and fussing, and I immediately regretted my decision to go to the beach.”

 

“Oh, no. What did you do?”

 

“I did the only thing I could. I took his little hand and forced him to walk down that beach.” My chest tightened when Wren said, “The screaming only got worse, and it didn’t help matters that everyone around was staring at me like I was the worst mother on the planet. And to be honest, I felt like the worst mother on the planet.”

 

“Oh, Wren. I can’t imagine how hard that must’ve been.”

 

“Oh, it was, but it had to be done. He had to learn that he could do the hard stuff.” I could hear the emotion in her voice as she said, “And in the end, it was totally worth it ‘cause when we finally made it to the ocean, and that water touched his little toes, his entire face lit up. He totally forgot about the fit he’d just thrown. And when I saw that smile on his face, I forgot about it, too. The next day was much better. He knew if he could just get to that water, all would be well. We both learned a big lesson that day.”

 

“That story makes me want to cry.” Henley’s voice was filled with emotion as she said, “You were a good momma, Wren. You still are.”

 

While I enjoyed hearing Wren’s story, I felt guilty eavesdropping on them, so I decided to skip dinner and headed back to my room. I crawled into bed and thought about Wyatt on that beach. I could almost picture the smile on his face when he reached the water for the first time. It was a thought that had me smiling as I drifted off to sleep.

 

The next few days were filled with various chores around the clubhouse and lots of studying. By the time the weekend rolled around, I was ready for a break. Even more so, I was ready for my date with Ben.

 

Knowing the brothers would never let me live it down, I chose not to have him come to the clubhouse and made plans to meet at the restaurant instead. I had no clue what to wear, but Lacy was kind enough to help me piece something together. She even helped me with my hair and makeup, and her face lit up when she saw the final product. “You look incredible! Your guy is gonna flip when he sees you in that dress.”

 

“You really think it’s okay?” I tugged at the hem. “It’s a little short.”

 

“It’s not too short. It’s perfect.”

 

“What about the necklace?”

 

“It’s good. I like it.”

 

Lacy and I couldn’t have been more different. I was tall and curvy. She was short and thin. She was a club girl, and I was not, far from it. But we did have one thing in common—something that made us closer than either of us could’ve imagined. We’d both suffered from a tragic past—one that left us both with no family. Lacy’s mother and little sister were killed in a tragic car accident, and with her father out of the picture, she was left to fend for herself.

 

I understood her pain, and she understood mine.

 

That meant something to us both and was one of the many reasons we spent so much time together. Lacy grabbed my purse from my dresser and offered it to me with a bright smile.

 

“Now, stop worrying and go have yourself a great time with your hot fella.”

 

“Thanks, Lace.”

 

I gave her a quick hug, then rushed down the hall towards the parking lot. I was just about to reach the back door when I heard Q shout, “Whoa! Where are you running off to dressed like that?”

 

“I’ve got a date!” I was running late, so I continued out the door as I answered, “I’ll be back in a few hours.”

 

“A date with who?”

 

Before I could answer, the door closed behind me. I continued out to my car and got inside. I started the engine, and as I started to back out, I spotted Wyatt standing next to his bike. His eyes were fixed on me, and his expression wasn’t a good one. He stood there watching as I drove through the gate. Even though it seemed odd, I figured Wyatt was just being Wyatt, and I continued out onto the road and headed towards town.

 

When I pulled up at the restaurant, I was pleased to see that it didn’t look very crowded. I parked, then got out and started for the front door. I was about to head inside when I heard, “Elsie! Hold up!”

 

I turned and found Ben walking towards me. I couldn’t help but smile when I saw that he was wearing khakis and a crisp white button down with loafers--which was quite different than the brothers’ jeans and leather vests. I gave him a warm smile as I said, “Hey, Ben. I’m sorry I’m running a little late.”

 

“Don’t worry about it. As far as I’m concerned, you’re right on time.” His eyes skirted over me as he said, “You are totally worth the wait... You look incredible.”

 

“Thank you. You look really nice, too.”

 

“Glad you think so.” He reached down and took my hand in his, then led me up to the front door. “I hope you’re hungry.”

 

“I’m starving.”

 

“Great.”

 

He held the door open for me and waited as I stepped inside. It was a small, family-owned Italian restaurant with worn leather seating and quaint little lanterns glowing at each table, making it feel warm and inviting. It was the perfect place for a first date. The hostess led us to one of the small booths in the back, and once we were seated, she took our drink orders and offered us each a menu. “I’ll go get your drinks while you two take a moment to decide what you want to eat.”

 

“Sounds good. Thanks.” Ben studied his menu a moment, then asked, “So, whatcha thinking?”

 

“I’m not sure. The lasagna is really good here, but I think I’m leaning towards the chicken marsala.”