TESSA FOLLOWED the CPD lady through the quiet house. As almost always, Happy was in the clubhouse or out and Maria was still in town with Gemma, waiting to hear from Tessa if she wanted to come along so they could do something nice with Sawyer later.

The Lowman woman definitely wanted to spend enough time with Tessa and Sawyer before she would return to Bakersfield. Her sister would ultimately move back in with Maria to support her now that Tessa would stay in Charmingᅳ which made Maria happy and sad at the same time.

Even though she would miss the young woman, Maria knew that Tessa was in good hands here with Sawyer. What's more, she wasn't blind. Sick, yes, maybe a little older, alsoᅳ but she could still see well enough to observe the looks Tessa was giving her son. And, she had also caught Happy a few times when he had dared to take a look.

"So." With her nose wrinkled, the woman in her early forties pushed her glasses a little higher up her nose, her slightly stern look landing on Tessa. "The size of the house is good, at least there's enough space to create a separate room for Sawyerᅳ that's what you're planning on doing, right?"

"Yes, yes of course", Tessa shot back quickly and full of enthusiasm. "Sawyer will get the guest room until we find our own apartment, that's already been agreed upon with the owner of the house."

"The owner you say, huh.." the woman cleared her throat, her eyes narrowed slightly as she wrote something down on her notepad. "Mr. Lowman, correct?"

Tessa nodded again, always a polite smile on her lips. After all, she had to make an impression. Before the woman showed up, she had also changed her outfitᅳ just to be on the safe side. Normally the raven-haired woman didn't care about what others thought of her, but in this case she had to care if she wanted to keep Sawyer.

Instead of her black, sometimes provocative clothes such as short skirts, tight tops and fishnet tights, she wore simple jeans, sneakers and an inconspicuous dark red long-sleeved shirt that didn't have a neckline that showed too much of her cleavage. Her hair was tied up in a high ponytail and her make-up only consisted of eyeliner and mascara.

"Yes, exactly, Happy Lowman. Why?", she asked, curiosity lingering in her tone when she noticed the woman's suddenly snide tone. "Is there a problem?"

"As far as we know he belongs to a gang...the Sons of Anarchy, is that correct?" Mrs. Lynn's gaze shifted from the notepad in her hands to Tessa. “Do you think this is the right person to have around a four-year-old?”

"Oh, rightᅳ the usual prejudices", Tessa uttered with a soft snort, the prejudices towards Happy leaving a bitter taste on her tongue. Something about it just bothered her that the woman allowed herself to be so discriminatory. "First of all; it's a motorcycle club, not a gang, and Mr. Lowman isn't home most of the time. Besides, without his help, my son would still be stuck with my father, who has fooled you and your colleagues for years", Tessa paused , raising her hand as the woman began to speak.

"You looked the other way, let a little boy live with a woman who was absolutely not good for him. How many times have I asked for help, told you that my father is lying? I'm sure that's nowhere written on your funny board, huh?", Tessa huffed mockingly as she pointed at the board in Mrs. Lynn's arm before she then crossed her arms. "The house here is clean, my son is in good hands and, most importantly, he's happy. You've seen for yourself how comfortable he feels here. So what's the problem?"

Rubbing the tip of her nose, the older woman cleared her throat, careful not to let her facade fallᅳ but the young woman in front of her had a point and she knew it. If Tessa wanted, she could even file a lawsuit because no one in the department had ever followed her suspicions. No one ever checked on Mikael or Susan Laney because they simply didn't care much.

"Miss Laney, we just want to make sure that Sawyer is okay and that this doesn't happen again", she finally said reassuringly, a tight smile on her thin, orange-colored lips.

The color of the lipstick was definitely one you had to get used to, yet Tessa was the last one to say anything about itᅳ after all, she was the one who always wore dark red or even black lipstick.

"Sawyer is fine", Tessa emphasized, this time with more willpower and conviction in her tone. "My son has everything he needs, as you can see."

"Well", the woman weighed her head slightly, sighing. "He doesn't have his own kid bed, nor does he have a proper play area. Listen, Miss Laney, I don't want to take Sawyer away from you again, that's not my intentionᅳ and I can see that your son is really important to you. But there are still some requirements that need to be met."

Tessa bit her tongue to keep a stupid, possibly cheeky statement from falling from her lips that could get her in trouble. Instead she forced a smile on her lips as she offered the woman a seat in the kitchen as they entered.

There, too, Mrs. Lynn's gaze observed every shelf. At one point she even ran her fingertip over one of the shelves to check for dust, which she ended up wiping off her finger with her nose wrinkled. Tessa just simply ignored it with a roll of her brown eyes.

"What other requirements are there?" Tessa asked with a sigh, exhausted by all this nonsense that was completely blown out of proportion. "Whatever it is, I'll take care of it as long as Sawyer can stay with me."

"Well", the woman began, placing her board on the table. Straightening her black pencil skirt, she sank into one of the chairs. "We believe that Sawyer needs your full attention now, which means you need to find an apartment with himᅳ quickly. He also needs to have children his age around him, which is why he should be enrolled in daycare within a month at the latestᅳ and he has to visit daycare at least four times a week. Andᅳ"

Tessa stared at the woman in horror, her eyes wide and her lips parted, causing Mrs. Lynn to interrupt herself and lift an eyebrow.

"Is there a problem, Miss Laney?", she asked.

"No, generally not. Butᅳ", her slightly shaking hand from feeling all overwhelmed, closed around the ponytail that she let slip out of her grip a moment later again with a sigh. "Do you know how difficult it is to get a daycare place in such a short time? And how long do I have to find an apartment? I'm already on it, as I told you earlier, but it's not that easy."

A hint of condemnation reflected in Mrs. Lynn's dull, loveless eyes. "That's not our problem, Miss Laney. You understand that, right?"

"Of course I understand", Tessa replied, careful not to sound too snarky. "But first I have to find a job that pays well enough so that I can afford daycare and my own place to live."

Mrs. Lynn shrugged nonchalantly, waving her hand around. "You have to manage that somehow, otherwise we'll have to find another solution for Sawyer."

"This isn't fair! What theᅳ", once again Tessa quickly bit her tongue before she could say anything worse. She had always had a fiery temper and was always brutally honestᅳ but right now she had to smile away her anger. "That won't be necessary, I can manage it. Again, how long do I have to find an apartment?"

"You better do", remarked the woman with the stern look and her perfect blonde bun at the nape of her neck, her ice blue eyes trained on Tessa. "Exactly three months. Of course, I, or a colleague, will continue to pay you unannounced visits to make sure that Sawyer is okay. The visits will stop when we can be absolutely sure about that."

This time Tessa couldn't help but let out a huff, feeling offended by the woman's words. "You never did that to my aunt, even though I asked. Is it my looks? Or my young age? What exactly makes you people think I can't be a good mother?"

"Miss Laney, we are only human. Mistakes can happen", the woman justified herself with an arrogant look, insecurity containing in itᅳ but she wasn't feeling a hint of guilt at all. "All factors come into play. And if you're smart, you'll just let us do our job."

Mrs. Lynn's suddenly sharper tone awakened Tessa's uncomfortable side, which the twenty-one year old had to suppress with all her willpower. Why did this Mrs. Lynn thought she had a right to treat her so unfairly and condescendingly?

So, Tessa just shrugged her shoulders. "You know what, that's exactly what I'm going to do. Do your job, you'll see that I'm a good mother."

"Okay, we will", the woman replied with a somewhat challenging smile. "There's one more thing.."

"And that would be?" Tessa wanted to know with a sigh. Great, probably even more requirements that were almost impossible to fulfill.

"We need the name of Sawyer's father. He has a right to see his son as well", the woman paused, making a note on her notepad. "And if there's no interest in that, he still has to pay child support, which Susan Laney never received while Sawyer was in her care."

"Because Susan doesn't deserve to see a freakin' dime", Tessa seethed before her blood ran cold at the thought of Sawyer's father. "I don't know Sawyer's biological father. It was a one-night stand after a long night at the bar."

That was a blatant lie. Of course Tessa knew her son's father, she had never been the 'slutty' type to sleep around with different men every weekend and not using protection. There was a long history she and her ex shared and every time one of those memories came up, Tessa could cringe at her own nativity at the time. How she could ever fall for a man like Cal was still a mystery to her to this day.

But daughters usually chose guys who were like their father, right? Or how did the saying go again?

She'd rather Mrs. Lynn think she was a slut before the woman would actually contact Cal. That wouldn't be good for her or Sawyerᅳ and she would protect her son at all costs, especially from the heartbreak that man would inflict on her son, who never wanted Sawyer in the first place.

"Are you serious?" Mrs. Lynn asked, her glasses now sitting further down on her nose as she studied Tessa, not surprised but still condemning, before a sigh fell from her lips. "Well, I hope you don't expect to get any support from the state."

"Don't worry, I don't need money from others. I can take care of my son and myself", Tessa replied, bitterness dripping with every word she spoke. "Are we done? I wanna go to town with Sawyer to get him some nice things."

"Mhm, do that", the older woman hummed as she stood up, her thin heels clicking on the older wooden floorboards as she found her way out of the kitchen, Tessa close behind her.

When they reached the door, the blonde woman turned around again and bore her icy blue eyes into Tessa's soul. "If you want to keep Sawyer, I advise you to stay away from Mr. Lowman. Bikers aren't good company for children, don't you agree?"

"Oh please, save your breath. I may not be the smartest, but I know my rights. That's no reason to take my son away. And now", with a very friendly fake smile, Tessa opened the door and made a swinging hand gesture forward. "..please leave his house if you don't have anything nice to say about the owner."

Indignant at the younger woman's knowledge and fierceness, the woman with the glasses let out a high-pitched snort before strutting toward her car, her heels clicking loudly against the grey concrete while Tessa could only shake her head in amusement.

She wasn't going to let anyone use her as a puppet, that much was certain. Even though Tessa was often insecure, she still had enough dignity leftᅳ and she knew what the woman could and could not use against her. And Mrs. Lynn's prejudice against Happy was anything but professional and had nothing to do with Sawyer's caseᅳ so Tessa wasn't going to take her shit.

ᚔ

WITH A WARM SMILE, Tessa looked down at her son as he hugged his new stuffed animal tightly as she entered the clubhouse with him and told the four-year-old to sit next to Abel. The two boys hit it off right from the start. Happy had taken Tessa and Sawyer to the clubhouse shortly after their arrival to introduce them to the others.

And Tessa found every single one of the scary-looking bikers, who were actually a bunch of nice, polite guys, pretty impressive. Everyone had a sense of humor, Tig and Happy's a little darker than the others. Plus, everyone was caring and immediately offered their help if she ever needed it.

And the small group's president, Jax, also told her that Sawyer was always welcome and could play with his son any time. Apparently Abel was a bit reserved and didn't have anyone his age around him except when he was in day care at the hospital during the day with his younger brother Thomas while his mother worked there.

Tessa couldn't say much about Tara Knowles yet. In the few days that she was here, she was mostly at Happy's house or just found the guys here in the clubhouse or a few women just hanging around. They were called Croweaters, that's what she knew so far, and they didn't think much of wearing a lot of clothingᅳ but Tessa wasn't one to judge and so she had no problem with the scantily dressed women as long as they were nice to her or simply ignored her.

She was able to get to know Gemma, the queen of the bikers, with whom she got along pretty well so far and realized relatively quickly that they were both on the same wavelength. Seeing how well Maria got along with the matriarch was another reason to trust that Gemma, despite her sometimes harsh nature, was a good soul.

Looking around, she spotted Happy coming from the dorms. He sent the woman, who was still clinging to his arm and giggling stupidly, away with only a stern look when he spotted Tessa, whose smile threatened to fall when she saw Happy and the blonde woman being so close.

But he needed this, to let off the steam and just fuck someone's brains out, to clear his mind of the very woman who was now standing in the middle of the room, kneading her hands somewhat awkwardly while trying to keep her smile.

Happy sighed to himself before he crossed the room and walked towards her, his dark eyes immediately searching for hers. "I didn't know you were coming."

"Yeah, it was a pretty spontaneous idea, sorry if I disturbed you", she finally answered, trying not to show how a little bit of jealousy was bubbling up inside her. Why the hell was she even jealous?

"You're not", Happy assured with a shrug, a part of him even pleased that she was hereᅳ which, as usual, he didn't show. "How was the appointment with the CPS lady?"

"Is she your girlfriend or something?", Tessa asked, her gaze falling onto the blonde, who sat bored on one of the couches while putting a piece of chewing gum in her mouth, before she let Happy gently push her towards the bar after he quickly greeted Sawyer with a wink. "The appointment was..strenuousᅳ and that's putting it nicely."

"Who? Mandy?" Happy asked, his brow furrowing before he grunted, shaking his head as he leaned against the counter, his forearm resting comfortably on the surface. "She's just a distraction, nothing more", he said with a shrug, looking Tessa over.

He hadn't forgotten the brief but intimate moment between them that had happened this morning. The scent of Tessa's perfume still lingered in his nose as if he had just inhaled it. Even though he had just let off some steam, Happy felt the fabric of his jeans tightening againᅳ whereupon he quickly redirected his thoughts.

Tessa's doe brown eyes looked up at him in confusion, her plump lips formed into a thinner line. "Distraction from what?"

"Club shit, it's a bit stressful at the moment", he grunted as he couldn't think of a better excuse. "Now tell me about the appointment. Can you keep Sawyer? What did she say?"

"Oh, don't even get me started on that." With a snort, Tessa waved her hand around, lifting her body weight to sit down on one of the stools a moment later. Her fingernails ghosted over the counter, here and there feeling the sticky remains of spilled beer. "I have to fulfill some requirements and of course she didn't miss the opportunity to say a stupid shit about you and your club."

Happy just let out a huff before he told the prospect to bring him a beer and Tessa a coke, making the young man behind the bar jump. "Nothing newᅳ we're used to it. What requirements do you have to fulfill?"

"Still, they don’t know shit about you", the young woman, still slightly  annoyed about that, grumbled, her fingers immediately curling around the glass as it was placed in front of her. With a smile she thanked the man with the dark hair and the mustache before telling Happy what the requirements were.

Meanwhile, the door to the clubhouse opened, Chibs and Lyla coming in. So far Tessa had only spoken to the blonde once, but in detail and a certain connection was there immediately.

As Tessa found out, Lyla's ex, the father of her son Piper, was just as much of an asshole as her own ex. However, Tessa didn't say anything about Cal but just gave Lyla a sympathetic ear. Apparently the blonde didn't have many friends her age either.

Tessa was also ten years younger than Lyla, but the Laney woman had always been a bit more mature than others her ageᅳ she had to be.

"Hey brother", Chibs' Scottish accent boomed across the room before he slapped Happy's back after setting down two large bags that appeared to belong to Lyla. "Tessa", he gave her a friendly wink. "Did t' appointment with t' CPS lady go well?"

"I told him", Happy rubbed the back of his neck as he gave Tessa an apologetic look. "I hope that's okay."

"Aye, now this is awkward", Chibs murmured, clearing his throat, before slapping Happy on the shoulder again. "Sorry brother."

"Don't worry, it's okay",  Tessa assured both men with the slightest of smiles. Why should she have a problem with it? "It's tiring, but I'll make it somehow."

"Bitch thinks we're bad company for Sawyer. Now she has to move out and put the kid in daycare, doesn't matter if she wants to or not", Happy said with a shake of his head, even he found the requirements stupid as hell.

With his hands on his hips, Chibs shook his head with a sigh. "They really don't have any other problems, huh? I can't believe this stupid shit."

"Yeah, and now I have to find a job that pays good enough so I can afford the rent for an apartment and daycare", Tessa added with a humorless laugh as she put down her glass, realizing  she needed something stronger than her coke. The next moment she reached for Happy's beer and took a sip, earning two slightly worried looks from the men. "I have no idea how this is supposed to work out. I mean, have you guys seen the prices of apartments here in California? So if any of you hear that someone is looking, I'll take anything."

"We are looking." With her sweet smile, Lyla approached the group after she put some of the things from the large paper bags away, listening to their conversation every now and then. "If you want, I could introduce you to our current boss."

"Hell no", Happy almost barked at the blonde, his gaze determining. "She won't start doing pornᅳ no offense."

The Killer liked Lyla and had no problem with her job. Hell, how many times had he watched pornᅳ that's exactly why he didn't want Tessa to take the job. The thought of other men drooling at the sight of her naked body, jerking off while watching Tessa being fucked by another guy or even more, awakened a relatively new feeling in him, one that he himself had never experienced before.

Maybe it was jealousy, or maybe it was simply the urge to protect the young woman, to protect her dignity.

"Happy.." Tessa's tone was gentle as she looked at Happy. "Don't you think that would be my decision?"

Even if this was one of Tessa's last options, it would certainly be a more than well-paid job that would make her feel shabby, yet it would still give her the money she needed to put food on the table for her son and herself.

"I think so too", Lyla chimed in, her features becoming even softer than they already were. "Besides, she wouldn't do porn."

"I don't care, you don't do porn. Conversation's over", Happy admonished again, kind of sounding like a possessive boyfriend, but he didn't care. He joined the staring duel with Tessa, who looked at him just as stubbornly. However, he then narrowed his eyes at Lyla. "Then what kind of job would it be?"

"She would only be our model." The blonde suppressed a mischievous grin. Happy Lowman was jealous, that was definitely something new.

Her eyes darted to Tessa reassuringly. "You would present our production company. Of course not alone, we all do itᅳ but we are looking for a new main face for the new commercials. It pays really well and you wouldn't have to do movies."

"That sounds pretty good", Tessa exclaimed enthusiastically, definitely more convinced of the idea of being the headmodel of a porn agency than Happy. However, her euphoria faded somewhat. "They're probably nudes, right?"

"What the hell do you think they are, huh?", Happy muttered from the side, whereupon Chibs lightly elbowed him in the side.

"Let t' girl make her own decisions, brother", he told Happy with an encouraging smile, but the SAA was anything but enthusiastic that Chibs wasn't on his side either.

Lyla cast an uncertain look back and forth between Happy and Tessa as they stared at each other stubbornly again and were about to slide into the next discussion.

"Okay, you know what, just stop by CaraCara tomorrow morning", Lyla placed a supportive hand on Tessa's arm that was resting on the counter. "There I'll explain everything again and show you examples. Then you can decide whether you want the job or not."

"Thanks Lyla, I'll do that", Tessa said, grateful to even have a job offer. Sighing, she turned her gaze at Happy as he grabbed his beer with a huff and stood up. "Where are you going?"

Happy took a few steps, stopping again to look down at her. The gentle look in her eyes almost made him feel guilty for being an assᅳ almost. "Why do you care? You don't care what I think either."

He watched as Tessa's eyes widened, wallowing in guilt as she could hear the anger and disappointment in his tone. The thought of her getting naked for other men, even if it was just for a photo, didn't exactly bring out the best side of him. Knowing that he couldn't get any more attached to her, he would just mostly avoid her until she had her own apartment. That's why he left her at the bar, nodding the blonde Croweater from earlier over, who followed him like a puppy.

"Give him time, lass", Chibs reassured her with a sigh and a faint smile, squeezing her arm. "He's just worried, even if he's acting like a prick right now."

"I didn't mean to upset him", Tessa mumbled sheepishly, genuine remorse in her tone as she folded her arms loosely, hating the fact that the blonde was giving Happy company again. "But I need the job, even if he's not a fan of it."

"Just talk t' him again later", Chibs advised with a wink. "I have t' go, Jax needs me. See you around, ladies."

"Bye Chibs", Lyla waved after the Scotsman before looking sympathetically at Tessa. "I'm sorry if I got you in trouble. I didn't think Happy actually likes you that way."

"No, you just wanted to help me, and I can decide for myself", she said firmly, although a blush took over her cheeks. "We're just friends, nothing more."

"Yeah, sure", Lyla snorted a soft laugh, bending over the surface of the bar with a meaningful grin. "Happy doesn't have female friends. Either he just fucks the women, which I thought was the only option, or he starts to care about them, which I guess means a lot and happens rarely. He's definitely into you, girl."

"Yeah, I think you're putting too much into this", Tessa said with a nervous laugh but a glimmer of hope in her eyes, receiving a 'mhm sure' look from the blonde before she continued clearing out the bags.

Could it be that not only did she feel jealous seeing Happy with other women, but that he was jealous too? No, he probably just didn't want her to sell her body because she was family after all.

That had to be the reasonᅳ nothing more, nothing less.

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