Liliana smiled as Rowan ran around in circles around in the grass at the park. Her little girl chased a butterfly very eagerly, her clumsy steps giving the butterfly a leg up in the game of tag.

Esmerelda was coming to meet them at the local park soon, she was big into walking this month and insisted on walking her ass all the way over from their neighborhood.

"Mom," Lily sighed into the phone. "I don't know what you want from me." Her mother had been on the phone with her for an obscenely long time.

Usually, she loved talking to her mom, but this conversation was a waste of time. Rowan stumbled towards her, grabbing at her legs with a wide smile. Her dark curls were in two pigtails today—they swayed as the toddler nuzzled into her knees.

"I just want you and Rowan to be happy, Liliana. A nice, decent man would do you both some good. No more deadbeats messing up your entire future."

Lily scowled at the ground, rubbing Rowan's head gently.

"We don't need anyone else to make us happy. We're doing perfectly fine now, mom. With or without a man. but that's really great you think the last one ruined my entire life. That's amazing," she grunted with a scoff. Lily heard her mother floundering for a response before she hung up.

Slumping back against the bench she sat at, she lifted Rowan into her lap just as she tried to eat dirt.

"Hungry?" the young mother murmured. "I have some juice, what do we say?" Rowan stared up at her mother deep into her eyes. Saying nothing.

"Puh..." Lily started as she lifted her own chin up to enunciate. "Puh... Puh-lease- Okay maybe next time," she huffed and lifted the juice up to her mouth.

Rowan's mouth spread in a wide smile, cackling while holding her mother's cheek. Lily couldn't help but laugh with her.

"What's so funny, baby? Tell mommy... Or don't no pressure. I just miss your cute, little voice. But I can wait, I know you'll do it soon." If anything Rowan would do it to prove the doctor wrong who said she was behind. Rowan was doing perfectly fine at her own pace, the both of them doing all the extra practice that was suggested.

Both of their stomachs rumbled quietly, Lily sighed as she knew she now had to walk over to the cafe on the corner. Just as she got ready to lift Rowan up, Esmerelda power walked her way over.

"Are those my favorite girls?" Esmerelda cheered in her matching sweatsuit, her hands waving at Rowan enthusiastically. The little girl squealed at the sight of the older woman.

"Hey, stranger, I thought you'd never find your way over here." Liliana glanced over with a smile.

"Oh, stop it, I'm old now I need to stay in shape. Besides, it looks like you were about to leave me high and dry, missy."

Liliana shook her head at the dramatics. "I was going to get some lunch from the cafe. I was going to get it for the three of us." Esmerelda hummed in appreciation, watching as Rowan squirmed to get down.

Once her small sneakers were on the ground, she began running laps around them again. Both the women smiled at the sight. Esme pointed at her.

"See she's got the right idea staying active."

Shrugging, Liliana rubbed her brow. "As long as she goes down for a nap, she can run all she wants." Her words were humorous, but her voice was downtrodden. A frown pulled at her lips as she heaved a sigh.

Esmerelda came closer, wrapping a warm arm around her back, "What'sa matter, hun? Oh- Was it your mother?"

With a single nod, Liliana spared Esmerelda a small grin. "You know how she is. She's not going to change anytime soon." Her parents were notorious for their open disappointment at the turn her life had taken.

They were both successful in the medical field, expecting their daughter to be successful herself. A baby in the middle of her journey to success derailed some of their dreams. But Lily was adamant that she wouldn't change anything—everything happened for a reason.

"Well, I'll tell ya what. How about I watch her while she goes crazy in the dirt, and you go get us some of that food? Take a breather?"

The offer was tempting, taking a second after talking to her parents was always a good idea. "Yeah... Thanks, Esme. I'll get you something sweet, yeah? And you, gorgeous, I'll get something yummy!"

Lily bent as her voice pitched up. Rowan blew her lips out at her mother. Liliana stuck her tongue out, smirking when Rowan mimicked her.

"Kiss," Lily tapped her cheek hopefully and nearly squealed when Rowan leaned forward to slobber on her face. Smooching Rowan on her opposite cheek, the two of them giggled. "I'll be back, while I'm gone try and point out certain things and tell her the names of them. The speech therapist said that's a good exercise."

Esmerelda saluted her as she watched over the baby. Liliana made the walk easily, looking over the quaint cafe that smelled good even down the street. It'd been on her list for a while now to check out.

After ordering enough to feed a whole family, Lily waited out on the patio for their food. Just as she leant against one of the tables, a familiar rumble of a motorcycle made her heart jump into her throat.

Her wide eyes slid to the road, a smile cracking at her lips as a blonde-haired biker pulled off to the side of the road nearest to her. "You stalkin' me now?" she asked loudly over the engine.

"Not yet." Gunner smirked over at her as he raked a hand through his hair. His hand still trembled nervously at the sight of her. And god, was she a sight. A soft dress fell around her thighs, it was a sage green if he had to guess. It made her brown skin glow on the sunny day. He swung a leg over his bike and made his way over to her.

"Saw ya walkin' outta the place. Couldn't help but stop." His mossy eyes clashed with her dark ones, then his trailed down her figure.

"You look beautiful," he exhaled as he had to remind himself to breathe. When that didn't work as he appreciated how her hair was tied up out of her face and how her pretty tits were cinched up tight in the sundress, he manually began to take breaths.

Lily's eyes widened at the compliment, pursing her lips to hide her bashful smile.

"Thanks," she whispered. "You look handsome." He wore dark work pants and a perfectly fitted t-shirt that was a light gray. His muscular figure bulged against the fabric.

"You said it not me." He raised his brows at her with a smirk. Liliana snorted as she turned to make sure her food wasn't ready yet. Gunner's knees almost bucked as he saw her dress sway around her thighs from the movement. Her ass nearly brought him to the floor.

"What brings you out here, sweetheart?" he managed to croak in order to distract himself from making more of a fool of himself.

Lily hummed at the question. "Uh- Um I met with my neighbor. She's a family friend, Esmerelda. I love her. I was getting us food. We stopped at the park. And I was talking to my mom on the phone." Liliana bit her lip, wondering why she mentioned that part.

Gunner noticed the dip in her tone, how her hands wrung together nervously. "I see," he said with a nod. "Does that have anything to do with that baggage you thought I wouldn't like?"

Lily's eyes slid up to his quickly, she simply eyed him for a moment. "You could say that, yeah."

"Well, for the record, I'm still insanely attracted to you."

Scoffing, she nudged him with her elbow as the two stood within inches of each other. "Insanely? Really... that sounds like a lot."

"It's a little scary honestly," he murmured as he admired her profile. "From the moment I saw ya, you've been running laps in my mind."

"That was a good pickup line." She closed her eyes and leaned her head back as she felt the sun on her skin. "As long as you don't get creepy, I think we'll get along just fine." Her head turned over to face him with a lazy smile.

"For the record that wasn't a line. I'm tellin' ya sweetheart I'm being honest. I won't start creeping on ya, swear it." He held up the boy scout's symbol.

Lily's giggles were like music to his ears, he'd do anything to make her laugh. But he grew more serious for a moment. "You haven't had to deal with any creeps right, Lil? Can't have my favorite waitress dealing with that shit in my town."

Lily saw how his entire demeanor shifted, his eyes sharpened and his shoulders squared at the mere thought of a threat. It made her swallow hard at the reminder that he wasn't always the happy go lucky man that she was getting to know.

"No creeps..." she trailed off as if remembering a certain someone. Her mouth twisted in distaste. Gunner edged closer.

"What?" he urged her on. The idea of someone bothering her made his body buzz with adrenaline; his fists tightened.

"It was that guy the first night we met. I've seen him around town more and more now that I think about it. He hasn't really bothered me other than a few weeks ago. He was that officer... What was his name? Daminger?"

As the name came to her, she finally glanced at him and almost flinched at the look on his face. Gunner glowered at the information.

"You tell me exactly what he said to you," he rasped demandingly. Lily's lips opened and closed as she blinked up at him, her fingers fidgeting under his intense stare. Mostly, she had grown accustomed to those stares, but this was a different one.

"Liliana," he repeated sternly as if to remind her of his question.

Meekly, Liliana recounted that night a few weeks ago when Daminger had pulled over next to her as she walked home from Esmerelda's. How he had asked which house was her own, if she was living alone, and warned against the others in town. Each word out of her mouth tightened Gunner's fists.

"You think he knows where you live? The exact house?"

Liliana slowly shook her head. "I waited for him to drive off before I walked all the way back. Although there's nothing stopping him from finding out at the station I suppose."

Gunner grunted in agreement, scowling at the ground. Lily couldn't help but lean against him, her weight pushed against his muscular arm. He glanced down at her from his towering height.

"Hey... I've dealt with bigger assholes than that guy. I'll be okay," she tried to assure him.

Maybe that would bring back the lighthearted Gunner she knew well. But she would never admit that the look in his eyes and the way he spoke so roughly to her made her body heat up.

Underneath her dress, her thighs pressed together to relieve that ache he'd caused.

Gunner sighed quietly, her warmth around him bringing him back to reality slowly but surely. But his mind still worked a mile a minute, already planning how to deal with Daminger for Lily if it got out of hand. And if the bikers knew Daminger at all, he was bound to get out of hand.

"Ya don't gotta worry about any assholes around here? Besides myself, of course." Lily tilted her head up at him, glad to hear the humor back in his voice.

But what she didn't know was he was already planning on how to handle Daminger himself.

"I was meaning to ask you the next time I saw ya," Gunner began slowly. He felt his ears grow hot as he looked down at their feet that shifted next to each other.

He inhaled deeply before forcing the question out, "The club has these barbecues every few weeks. Was wondering if you might want to stop by. No strings attached. No expectations, or anything. I just- I would be real happy to see ya there. I could pick you up?"

Liliana's brows shot up at the invitation. "Will it be alright for me to come? Ya know... safe and everything?" She held her breath as the question fell out.

Gunner's eyes widened a bit, nodding down at her. "I wouldn't let anything' happen to ya, Lily. Whether I liked ya or not. The bikers ain't bad around here you know that."

Liliana nodded as if to reassure him that she really, truly did know that. "I-I know... People just talk around town, ya know? Sometimes my nerves get the best of me."

Gunner nodded in understanding, his calloused fingers coming to graze her hair out of her face for a second.

"It's just a cookout with the club. Nothing crazy," he rasped.

Liliana couldn't help the excitement bubbling inside of her. But to keep herself in reality, she had to inhale deeply.

"That... that sounds really fun. Can I think on it? I'll give you my number. I'll let you know by tonight?" The request came out as a rush. She couldn't remember the last time she asked for a guy's number, but she didn't remember ever being so hopeful to receive it.

Gunner couldn't stop the giddy grin, nodding down at her. "Yeah, that sounds good, darlin'. Here, it's next week on Friday. You got work?"

Lily shook her head at the question as he handed over his phone. She texted her number as she wondered if Esmerelda would babysit for her. Gunner saw her food was ready and he thanked every lucky star up there that the food took so long.

He glanced at his watch. He was on his way to a meeting that was somewhat important. But he couldn't help stopping when he saw Liliana standing there looking so gorgeous.

"I'll hear from you tonight?" He brushed his hand over the small of her back as she too saw her order.

He watched a little shiver shoot up her back and grinned with a knowing look on his face while Lily nodded up at him.

"And you call me if anyone bothers you, Liliana. I mean it." He pointed at her as he headed towards his bike.

"Bye Gunner," she sang as she grabbed the food. Glancing over her shoulder at the perfect moment, she caught him openly checking her out from where he straddled his bike. Liliana never knew someone could look so good simply sitting.

"Don't miss me too much." He revved his bike as he looked her over one more time as if he was trying to memorize what she looked like before taking off. Liliana nibbled on her lip, watching him drive off. And even as he left, the want she felt for him didn't leave and she knew it would linger like it always did.

"Well don't you look smitten," Esmerelda called while making her way over with Rowan. Liliana's eyes shot to the two of them, Rowan sprinting over just for Lily to pick her up happily.

The mother cooed down at her little girl, ignoring the knowing look on her friend's face.

"I saw he gave you his phone while I walked over. He ask you out? Who knew goody two shoes Lily would be interested in the biggest and baddest biker in town," Esme snickered teasingly.

Groaning quietly, Lily begrudgingly passed over the food while sitting down to feed Rowan while they all sat at the table. "He's really sweet... I'm just ya know nervous. I haven't dated anyone since I got pregnant. Now it all seems so serious... like the next guy I go on a date with has to be perfect stepdad material."

"Oh honey, don't put so much pressure on it. You can't date around for a stepdad. You have to date around for the person for you. If it's meant to be then he'll be what you need. Or he'll at least try."

Lily grinned at the older woman gratefully, patting her hand as they all ate.

"So... you never answered my question. Did he ask you out?"

Lily pursed her lips, looking at Esmerelda through her lashes shyly. "Can you watch Row next Friday?"

Esmerelda laughed deep from her belly, nodding enthusiastically. "I would be honored. You hear that, little girl? Your mama's got a hot date!"