“That’s a good picture of Liam.” Gordo was sitting at the kitchen table eating biscuits and gravy that Tank had made for him and looking at the morning paper. Cody looked over the fat man’s shoulder and saw the picture he was looking at, and beneath it, the article about the arrest of the leader of the Irish Mayhem and six of his crew.

“For a mug shot, I guess it’s okay. Mine looked a hell of a lot better,” Cody said.

Gordo laughed and his belly shook. “I’ll just bet it did, kid. You’re so pretty I’ll bet those boys in prison loved you.”

Cody started sweeping the floor. With a grin, he said, “A few of them tried, but I’m saving myself.”

Gordo laughed again. “Who you saving yourself for, kid?”

“Your mother, Gordo. We’re going to run away together. I’ll be your stepfather and you’ll have to call me daddy.”

Gordo picked up a biscuit off his plate and tossed it at Cody, striking him in the side of the face. Cody just laughed and swept it up when it hit the floor. “So I just have one question,” Tank said from his spot over at the stove.

“What’s that, Tank?”

“Do you feel better? Even though you weren’t the one that killed Johnny, do you feel better knowing he’s dead?”

“Yeah, I do. He was evil and he hurt a lot of people. Where he’s at, he can’t hurt anyone again. And his crew won’t be able to either, since the government froze all his assets and is shutting down his clubs.”

“So, I heard a rumor that his business manager was found in pieces, in a 50-gallon tub on the side of the road in Jersey City.”

“You don’t say?” Cody suppressed his smile. Dax had told him a few days prior that Chapo and his men found one of the camps that Johnny’s people sent the girls they took off the streets to be “trained.” Chapo’s niece, Amber, was found in the camp. She was drugged and confused, but after a few days in the hospital with rest and hydration, it looked like she was going to be okay, at least physically. It might take her years to get over the trauma of being taken and used, or she might never get over it. But she was alive and home where she belonged, and that was a huge step. How Chapo and his crew found out where to find her and the other girls and how Jeff Stout ended up dead in a 50-gallon bucket on the side of the road was none of Cody’s business. He didn’t want to know.

“Hey, prospect!” He looked up as Harley came through the back door. He was surprised to see her. She was taking one of her finals that morning, a big one.

“Hey, beautiful, what are you doing out here? I thought you had a big test today.”

“I took it already.”

Cody looked at the clock. It was only nine-thirty a.m. “Damn, you’re quick.”

“I prefer when you call me brilliant,” she said. “It was on the computer and it shuts off when you get enough right to pass or enough wrong to fail.”

“Does it tell you if you passed or failed right away?”

“Yep, but I didn’t wait around to see. I wanted to see you…”

“You’re kidding, right?”

She laughed. “Yes, I’m kidding. I passed. Angel passed hers too. We get to intern together this fall.”

“That’s awesome, baby! I’m so proud of you.” Cody took her into his arms and kissed her. The kiss went from a soft, sweet one to hot and passionate in seconds. He hadn’t had her in over a week and there were times when he felt like he’d die from horniness.

“Hey! This is a family place,” Tank said, “Get a room.”

“I’ll get the hose,” Gordo said.

Cody finally pulled out of the kiss, reluctantly. “You two old fat guys are just jealous.”

“Yes,” Tank said. “Yes, we are. But this is a sanitary kitchen environment so you’re going to have to take that shit out of here. Take this with you.” Tank handed him a basket. It was a lot like the basket he’d packed almost nine years earlier for the picnic Cody took Macy on.

“What’s this?”

“Snacks. Take the girl for a ride and celebrate her brilliance.”

“What about my morning chores?”

“Gordo will get them today.”

“I will?”

“Yeah, fat man,” Tank said, “You need to get off your ass sometimes. You two,” Tank said, motioning at Cody and Harley, “take off for a while…not all day.”

Cody grinned. “Thanks, Tank! Thanks, Gordo!” Tank smiled, Gordo flipped him off as he went out the door. “Want to take a ride up the hill?”

“I’ve been dying to take a ride up the hill with you on this thing.” Cody’s bike was out front. He pulled the helmet off the handlebars and handed it to Harley, and slipped on his skullcap. He got on the bike and then he felt Harley throw her leg over and snuggle up behind him. He started the bike and the vibration made Harley’s body slide into his back even tighter. He loved it, especially when she leaned into his ear and whispered:

“Damn, that feels good without panties.”

“Shit, Harley, you’re going to kill me.” She giggled as Cody shifted into gear. “Hold on, baby.”

She wrapped her arms around his waist and linked her hands in front. “Let’s do this, prospect!”

Cody took the ranch road slowly but as soon as they hit the pavement, he accelerated. He felt her squeeze and push herself into him. Every curve he took seemed to meld her into him even tighter. It was almost like a seductive dance they were doing on the leather seat. The idea of her being behind him with no panties on…and in a skirt…was almost too much, especially when he realized almost every trucker they’d passed had honked and waved. Those fuckers were looking up his girl’s skirt. Never mind that she was the one that forgot her panties, they shouldn’t be looking. When the next one honked, Cody flipped him off. He heard Harley giggle and then in his ear she said, “I’m sorry. I can’t pull the skirt down without letting go. I’m afraid I’ll fall.”

He believed that was part of it, but he also believed an even bigger part of it was her love of exhibitionism. He really didn’t care too much, as long as he was the one that got to fuck her once she was all excited from showing off her pussy to every guy on the highway. He was a little happier though when they reached their turn-off, and he guided the bike up the dirt road until they got to the turnout where he liked to leave it. There wasn’t much traffic up this way, foot or otherwise, so he didn’t worry about leaving the bike for a while when they hiked up to the top of the crest. There was a big, flat rock on top and Cody loved the view from up there. You could see the valley below and the entire ranch stretched out beyond that.

Cody let Harley climb off first and then he stepped off and took the helmet she held out to him. He reached into the saddlebags and pulled out the basket Tank had packed for them and the small blanket that he’d taken to rolling up and carrying there, and he took her hand. They walked through a small grassy area and then the rocks started and the incline began. He looked down at Harley’s feet. She had on a pair of black boots with flat heels. Somehow, she was always prepared. They climbed up the rocks, getting further from the road and civilization with each step. It was another thing Cody liked about this place. His usual spot was quiet, but you could still hear the traffic down on the road. Something about the rocks made this spot so quiet that even the smallest sound echoed out across the canyon.

When they reached, the top Harley looked around. “Wow, this is even more beautiful than the other spot. Why have you never brought me here?”

“I’m bringing you now.”

She smiled. “I mean seriously, why have I never seen this place before?”

He shrugged. “I guess it was the one place I was saving just for me.”

“So why bring me here today?”

Cody sat the blanket and the basket down and took both of her hands. Facing her he said, “Because it’s not really just me anymore. I want to share things with you, Harley…everything. I love you.”

She smiled, but Cody noticed that it didn’t reach her eyes. What is wrong with her? She’s the one that told me she loves me first. Why is she hesitant all of a sudden every time I say it? “That’s so nice, Cody.” He knew he should ask her. It would only cause him more angst if he sat around wondering and worrying about it. But he just couldn’t bring himself to do it at that point. He didn’t want to have a deep, dark conversation. He wanted to make love and have fun with Harley…his girl. He shook off the discomfort he was feeling and spread out the blanket on top of the smooth rock. Then he sat down and patted the spot next to him. Harley smiled and sat down, crossing her legs Indian style so that he could see right up her skirt. “What do we have to eat?” she asked.

Cody looked straight between her legs and licked his lips. She laughed. “I didn’t mean that.” She stretched her legs out and crossed them. “That’s dessert. I’m hungry.”

Shaking his head at her, Cody opened the basket. Tank had packed two tiny bottles of champagne and orange juice; there was bread and cheese and cut-up watermelon and grapes. He’d even packed some of his homemade biscuits and jelly. “Wow. Tank outdid himself.”

She grabbed a piece of cheese and said, “I think he’s a romantic at heart.”

Cody started to open one of the bottles of champagne. “This is nice too. We can toast your completing your class and your internship.” She smiled sadly again. That was it—Cody couldn’t take it. He sat the champagne down and said, “Okay, tell me what’s going on, Harley. Just tell me the truth about whatever it is. I can handle it. What I can’t handle is all this guessing. I don’t want to guess how you’re feeling or what you need. Just tell me, okay?”

“Oh, Cody, I’m sorry. It’s not you. There’s just something that I’ve been trying to figure out how to talk to you about…”

“Hey, it’s just me. You can talk to me about anything.”

“I know…most of the time. This is just—well, it’s not going to make you happy. I don’t want to ruin your good mood. I don’t want to ruin our day together. Every time I see you, though, I find some excuse not to tell you…”

“Hey, you’re kind of scaring me, Harley. What is it?”

She sucked in a breath and said, “I’m pregnant.”

Cody froze for a second. Pregnant? Of course, she was pregnant. They fucked like rabbits and they didn’t use protection. Shit, why didn’t he use a condom? He’d figured she was on the pill. He looked at her troubled face and then at her belly. He got a vision of her with a big, rounded belly and he had to smile. She was going to be beautiful pregnant. He wasn’t sure about her parenting skills, however. She might have to improve on her adulting skills first…but then, so would he. Shit…a baby! A kid! Why wasn’t he more upset about this? Why wasn’t he pissed?

“Cody…” He realized he was taking too long to say anything.

“I’m sorry. It was just a surprise. That’s great, baby! I’m happy, really I am. We can do this, right? We can figure it out…”

“The baby’s not yours, Cody. It’s Kyle’s.”

* * *

When Cody hadn’t said a word in ten minutes, Harley helped herself to a biscuit and some orange juice. Once she started eating, he decided he would too. He had no idea what to say to her and he didn’t want to say the wrong thing. Harley was pregnant with Kyle’s baby. That was why she’d been acting a little off lately. Another ten minutes passed and they both ate in silence. Harley finally put down her fruit and juice and said, “Please talk to me. Even if you’re mad, yell at me. Just don’t shut me out, Cody.”

“I’m not mad at you. How am I going to be mad at you? I knew about Kyle. I knew you were sleeping with him. It’s just…I was just…shit, I just realized I was in love with you, Harley, and now you’re pregnant with someone else’s kid. It’s just hard. I’m sure Kyle is ecstatic.”

“I haven’t told him. I honestly don’t think I’m going to.”

“Why not?”

“Kyle likes to be in control. He’ll start telling me what to do and what to eat and how much exercise I need and who to stay away from. It’ll drive me crazy and we’ll fight and the stress won’t be good for the baby…Cody?”

“What?”

“I want to have this baby, but I want to tell people that it’s your baby.”

Cody froze. He couldn’t believe what she’d just said. She seriously didn’t want to tell Kyle about his baby. How could she do that? Could Cody do that? No…maybe? She was right about Kyle being a controlling dickhead. Well, she didn’t say dickhead but he was sure she had to have thought it at one time or another. But to just keep his baby and not tell him? That was low. Cody didn’t believe he could do it. “Harley, think about what you’re saying. Angel’s your friend and I live here, and someday I hope you’ll live on the ranch with me. But Kyle is going to see you pregnant. Don’t you think he’ll ask questions about gestation and all of that? Then as soon as the baby is born, what about a DNA test? This isn’t just a matter of us saying what we want to say. This wouldn’t just be a small lie. It would be an ongoing, at least for 18 years, kind of lie. I can’t do it, baby. I’m so sorry. But, I can’t.”

She looked like she was going to cry, but she nodded. “I know, you’re right. I’m sorry.” She reached up and wiped a little tear off her cheek.

“Don’t cry, Harley. We’ll figure this all out, I promise.”

“I wish the baby was yours.”

“You know what? Me too. But look at it this way, Brady might be a dickhead, but he’s a dickhead that’s had a lot of experience with family. They have a really strong family. I think he’ll be a good dad, or at least he’ll try. Then on the flip side the kid will have me. I’ll be the super-cool, biker dude, stepdad type. He’ll have it all.”

She smiled. This time it did reach her eyes. “You would really want to help me raise Kyle Brady’s kid?”

“It will be your kid, and as scared of that as I should be,” he laughed. “I wouldn’t ever let you do it alone.”

Harley laughed and put her arms around him. “I love you so much.” There it was, finally. He kissed the side of her face all the way down to her lips. When he got to them, before he kissed her, he let his lips brush against hers as he said:

“I love you too. We’ll make this work.”

He covered her mouth then and they kissed, long and hard. While they kissed, he pulled her up into this lap and for a long time they just enjoyed each other’s lips and necks and Cody’s hands roamed over her body. After a bit, he realized that she was pressing her bare pussy into him and squirming around the way she did when she was horny. Obviously, she was horny. She wasn’t wearing any panties. He let the palm of his hand run up her smooth thigh underneath that little skirt until he reached the wet lips of her pussy. She sucked in a hard breath when he touched her sensitive clit. Cody liked that. It was like his fingers were a live wire, sending jolts of electricity through her body. He pulled her off his lap and laid her down on the blanket. He looked down at her half-exposed flat stomach as he did. She didn’t look pregnant at all.

“Harley, how far along are you?”

“Three months.”

“Will it hurt the baby if we…I mean, I’ve never had sex with a pregnant woman. I don’t want to hurt him.”

“You won’t. Honestly, I’ve read up on this. Women get really horny when they’re pregnant, and all the studies say that sex doesn’t hurt a thing.”

“Okay, good. I was trying to imagine going six months without touching you. I couldn’t do it.” He let his fingers ride higher up between her legs, and she moaned and spread them a little wider. He pinched down on her swollen clit and she cried out and then gasped while he manipulated it. He could feel her getting wetter already. It was dripping down the insides of her thighs. He dipped his finger in her thick juices and brought it to his mouth. He rubbed it across his lips and then licked them with his tongue. “You’re so sweet, Harley.” She reached for his hand and when he gave it to her, she brought the same fingers up to her lips. She licked his fingers and then sucked on them before saying:

“I am pretty sweet,” with a wink. “You want to go down there and get a better taste?” She leaned back on her hands and spread her legs wide. The skirt was flipped up and she was wide open to him. He licked his lips and lay down on his belly in front of her. He inhaled and then let his tongue come out and take a little taste.

“Mm, so sweet. Harley?”

He felt her body shake slightly in a silent laugh. He was frustrating her, but he needed to ask her these things before he lost his nerve.

“Yes?”

“Will you want more kids someday?”

“I’ve never really thought about it. I was always so much of a kid myself that it never dawned on me that I might want kids, or have them someday. My birth control didn’t do its job and this kid was a complete accident, but I couldn’t imagine having an abortion. So I thought about adoption, and that was when I started imagining what the baby might look like and…I don’t know, silly stuff. Things that moms do like feeding and changing and rocking and pushing them in strollers…I started telling myself I could do it, I could be a mom, and that little seed turned into I want to do it. I want to be a mom. My only fear was that you wouldn’t still want me.”

He was still lying between her legs, looking up at her. He smiled now. “I still want you. I want you more than ever. I was just wondering if someday you might want to have a baby with me. I mean, think about what a gorgeous kid we would make.” He grinned.

“Gorgeous, yes…but you and me, Cody? Dax might just be right about the two of us not procreating.” Cody laughed. He’d told her Dax said that and they’d laughed about it. Cody didn’t know the subject would come up again so soon.

He said, “Wouldn’t it be fun to see the look on his face when we tell him?”

Harley laughed. “Yeah, that would be fun. Okay, prospect. As soon as I pop this kid out, we’ll make another. Now fuck me.”

Cody pulled himself up and covered her mouth in a hot kiss. He loved her, and dealing with Kyle was going to suck, but Cody finally had the confidence in himself to know that he’d be able to handle it. Things were finally going to be okay.