Burning Desires (Blue Bandits MC Book 4) (28 page)

“Reaper, what are you doing?” Sarah demanded, turning to look at him.

“It’s chilly outside today. You need a jacket.” Burner almost laughed as Reaper began to shove Sarah’s arms into the sleeves while she rolled her eyes looking exasperated.

“It’s not that cold, Reaper,” she grumbled, but he leaned down whispering something in her ear and she suddenly glowed happily and smiled at him. Reaper leaned forward kissing her on the nose, his eyes holding hers, and the love that shone between them made an ache form in Burner’s chest. Reaper guided her back to the door but glanced at him with a serious expression.

“Don’t be late and if I have to come find you tonight I won’t be fucking happy, Burner.” He then left with Sarah in tow.

“Well that was interesting. Wonder what she was worried about,” Pansy said, watching the couple too.

“Don’t know, but it seems all right now I guess.” Burner shrugged as he rose from the couch. Pulling out his phone he muttered, “See you later,” before he walked out.

Burner showed up at Reaper’s at five-forty because he wasn’t in the mood for anyone’s bitching. As he walked up the steps to the door, he noticed a new riding horse that Reaper must have had hand carved for Josh.

Damn, that kid was spoiled.

He grinned and knocked, leaning on the doorframe waiting. He stood there for about five minutes before he knocked again, wondering why they weren’t answering. He peeked into the window nearby unable to see anything through the lacy curtains. After five minutes and another knock, he figured they might be out back or upstairs maybe and didn’t hear him.

He turned the handle hesitantly, opening the door and stepping inside, calling out, “Hey, it’s me.”

Burner was halfway down the hall when a tiny naked body came hurtling towards him giggling wildly with Sarah chasing behind him, a towel in her hands, trying to catch the little bugger.

“Come back here, you little devil. You’re still wet,” Sarah yelled from behind him.

Burner caught the boy when he barreled into his legs still laughing like a little hyena. Shaking his head, he lifted him up, letting Josh hug him around the neck in a death grip.

“Burn, I took bath,” Josh informed him.

“I can see that,” Burner said laughing.

Sarah came up to them shaking her head, a smile on her face as she wrapped him in the towel. Burner allowed her to wrap it around the little boy by holding him out from his body, hearing the wild giggles that Josh let out.

“Little mongrel got away from me when I turned to get the towel. Reaper is responsible for him needing one before dinner. I should have made him do it,” Sarah muttered.

“Hey, I’m cooking,” Reaper grumbled, coming up behind Sarah to wrap his arms around her waist, kissing the top of her head.

“You’re also the one who took him to play out back in the mud leftover from the rain yesterday.”

“You needed a nap,” Reaper defended.

“I suppose I did. I better get him dressed so that we can eat the burgers you grilled,” Sarah agreed before she reached out to take Josh from him, but Reaper jerked around her, snagging Josh before she could take him.

“You’re not to lift him. He’s too heavy,” Reaper commanded glaring at her.

Sarah rolled her eyes at him. “I can carry him, it’s fine. I do it all the time.”

Burner stared from one to the other wondering what was going on.

“No, you will not be carrying him,” Reaper growled.

“Reaper, you’re being ridiculous.”

“I’m not.”

“You are,” Sarah grumbled as she attempted to take Josh from Reaper again but he turned, storming towards the stairs.

“Are you going to be this way the whole time?” she demanded, watching him storm away while looking unhappy. Burner didn’t know what was going on but it was odd and was starting to make him worry that something was wrong with Sarah. His stomach twisted into a knot, his eyes still bouncing from Reaper, who was headed up the stairs, to Sarah and back again.

“I’ll get him dressed. Burner, grab the burgers and baked beans from the kitchen, would you? Sarah, you go
sit
down.”

“You know that you’re acting unreasonable about this, don’t you?” she called after Reaper, her head shaking back and forth as she stood with her back to Burner.

“Don’t care,” Reaper called back, having reached the top of the stairs and moved out of sight.

“Unbelievable,” Sarah muttered, turning to head into the kitchen.

“What’s that about?” Burner asked her as he followed her through the door walking toward the wraparound counter. Sarah turned to glance at him with a secretive smile on her face.

“I can’t tell you till dinner. I promised Reaper.” Sarah then reached for the bowl of baked beans. Burner frowned at her before snatching the beans from her, making her turn to glare at him. “Not you too. You don’t even know why he’s acting so foolish and you’re going to act like him?”

“Ah, yeah, cause I like not getting beat up if I can help it. Your old man’s mean when he gets mad. He also has a fierce left hook that feels like a sledge hammer,” Burner told her, waving his pinkie at her to head into the other room. She ignored it and went to grab the plate of burgers off the counter. “Are you trying to give me a black eye, Sarah?”

“Fine, I’ll get the buns but when I tell you the reason he’s acting like an idiot, you’re going to feel stupid,” she huffed, grabbing them from near the plate of burgers with a heavy sigh before she grabbed ketchup and mustard from the fridge, carrying them into the dining room. Burner followed, setting the beans down before going back for the burgers and then the coleslaw he’d seen when Sarah opened the fridge. He carried them into the dining room setting them down. By the time he’d brought both to the table, Reaper had Josh in his seat and he was again arguing with Sarah.

Burner was really beginning to worry by the time they all sat down to eat. After a few minutes of them getting their plates ready and Sarah cutting a burger up for Josh and giving him a little bowl of applesauce, Burner’s worry had faded some.

“Go on, tell him,” Reaper said grinning. Burner stared at him and wondered what the hell was going on with them because they had been acting fucking weird since they left the shop at noon today.

“Can’t we let him eat first?” Sarah asked, eyeing him as he set the burger he’d lifted back down on his plate to watch her.

“Nope,” Reaper said grinning widely.

“Ugg, fine. I’m pregnant,” she muttered, then lifted her burger for a bite as if that wasn’t big news.

“Wait, I didn’t even know the two of you were trying to get that way,” Burner said, feeling stunned by the news. Not that it surprised him that Reaper wanted more kids; he’d taken to fatherhood almost immediately, surprising the hell out of the whole damned club.

“We weren’t,” Sarah grumbled before glancing at Reaper with a little frown.

“How’s that happen then? Thought you were on the shots,” he said, looking at Reaper who frowned at him with a darkness brewing in his gaze. Shit, maybe that wasn’t what he should have said. He glanced back at Sarah seeing that pink was staining her cheeks and he wondered if she’d forgotten to get one or something because she seemed guilty.

“She was. Damned clinic in Titus is passing out bogus shots that are watered down and not working as well as they should. Lance has already had four women come up pregnant after getting them,” Reaper told him, his eyes watching Sarah closely, and Burner could almost feel the protectiveness Reaper was feeling taking up all the air in the room.

“I didn’t know,” Sarah said softly, still with that slightly guilty look on her face.

“I told you, it’s a good thing, baby. I’m very happy you’re going to make me a father again.”

Burner watched Reaper lean over, his arm going around Sarah. He pulled her from her chair to his, kissing her cheeks and her forehead before whispering something into her ear that made her smile.

“Well, congrats. I can’t wait to spoil the new little one rotten.” Burner laughed and caught the cup Josh had knocked off the table before it hit the ground. Josh gave him a big grin that was covered in applesauce and banged on the table babbling about something. Sarah kissed Reaper on the chin and climbed from his lap with a little smile on her lips.

The rest of dinner went smoothly but when it was time to clear the table, Reaper made Sarah sit while the two of them cleaned up. She responded to this by taking Josh upstairs to wash him up and get him ready for bed. Reaper ordered Burner to wait when they returned to the dining room after loading the dishwasher and found her and Josh gone. He followed her upstairs to bitch at her over lifting Josh, Burner would bet.

He was sitting on the porch waiting for him to come back down with the door open so Reaper wouldn’t think he’d left. He sat back, his head resting on the wall behind the bench he sat on, thinking about the day’s events, his mind playing over the news he’d just been given.

He was happy for them even if it wasn’t planned. Reaper seemed happy about it despite how it had come about and Sarah did too. It made Burner feel uncomfortable because it made him suddenly wonder what it would be like to be a dad. He shook that thought away, ignoring that when he pictured his little girl, she was a redhead with hazel eyes and had her mother’s slightly lopsided smile. Shit, he definitely did not need to go there. Reaper chose that moment to walk out on the porch, allowing Burner to focus on him instead of the insane thoughts which had just popped into his head.

“That woman is going to make me insane. She can’t keep stressing herself out now that she’s carrying our baby. She needs to slow down,” Reaper grumbled, pulling at his hair.

“You do know that women carrying children aren’t fragile, right?” Burner asked chuckling. Reaper glared at him before he leaned on the railing facing the bench Burner was sitting on, his arms and legs crossed as his brow furrowed.

“I didn’t say she was. She just needs to not lift heavy stuff and to work less hours. She’s been putting in double time since she took over doing the restaurant supply orders as well as the strip club and the tattoo parlor. I told her tonight that I was having Trouble take over the restaurant’s books again and she freaked out on me.” Reaper threw his hands up before he began to pace back and forth in front of Burner, making him grin.

“Yeah, that might have been because you just found out today and she seems fine.” Burner watched Reaper stop to scowl at him, feeling laughter bubble up inside him.

“She works too hard. I just don’t want anything to happen to the baby. It would break her heart,” Reaper said, and Burner realized the real reason he was pacing like he’d lost his damned mind.

“You’re worried.”

“I am not. It will be fine. She’ll be fine.” But the words weren’t firm and he pulled at his hair again. His eyes looked wild and he was breathing heavy.

“Admit it, you’re worried something will happen to her or the baby.”

“Fine, I am, are you happy now?”

“Actually, yes, yes I am,” Burner said, laughing a little at Reaper’s expense.

“I know I’m acting irrational, you don’t have to rub it in, damn it. It’s just that she’s become my whole world, her and Josh, and I can’t imagine having to live without her anymore. What if she dies? You know that happens sometimes still even with all that fancy tech we have now. Women still die.” Reaper was now leaning against the railing again, having stopped pacing. His hand rubbed the back of his neck and he frowned.

Sensing that Reaper was in full panic mode despite his casual pose against the railing, Burner asked, “How many women do you know who have died having children, Reaper?”

“I don’t know, two maybe?”

“And how many women do you know who’ve had children?”

“Dozens,” Reaper uttered, his hands gripping the railing tightly as he stared at Burner.

“So the odds she’ll be fine are pretty good. Just relax, man. She and the baby are going to be okay but I can’t say the same for you if you keep annoying her. She’s a pretty damned good shot.” Burner chuckled at his own joke, seeing some of the tension ease out of Reaper as his words sank in.

“Hardy-har-har, dickhead. You know I’m a good shot too. Pissing me off isn’t a good idea either,” Reaper grunted, his gaze hard.

“I am glad for the two of you although it was unexpected. Why did she look so damned guilty though?” Burner asked.

“She thought I would be upset for two of the most ridiculous reasons I have ever heard.” Reaper rolled his eyes. “One, that she went to the clinic three months ago instead of Lance. I wasn’t happy she went somewhere else because Roz told her Lance was swamped that week when we had that bad run, but I understood why she would. And thinking I would be mad when she had nothing to do with what they did to the birth control shots was just ludicrous.”

Burner had to agree with that assessment. Reaper would never blame her for trying to make sure that the club was taken care of properly.

“The other reason is just as silly. She was scared to tell me when she found out today from Lance because she thought I wouldn’t want the baby. She was convinced that because we had planned to wait till Josh was at least four and the shit with the Headhunters had been sorted that I would ask her to get rid of our baby. I sometimes wonder if she really understands how much I love her and our kid,” Reaper muttered, shocking Burner.