It was one of those nights again—the nights that the bikers took over and kept the pub open hours after closing. It was once again Lily and Francisco holding down the fort.

    "I'll get there as soon as possible," Lily spoke quickly into the phone. Her voice was soft, barely above a whisper.

    "Hun, there is no rush to get here. I promise you I don't mind. We were both on our best behavior," the voice of her neighbor and life saver, Esmerelda tried to reassure while staying her sarcastic self.

    "Are you sure, Esme? I know nights are hard on all three of us-"

    "Don't you dare apologize again. Just focus on doing what you have to do, everything is taken care of here."

    Frowning a bit, Lily nodded to herself before relenting on the phone. She thanked the older woman one more time before hanging up. She jumped a bit when she heard Francisco's voice behind her from the window.

    "Ya know you can leave if you have an emergency, I can handle things here."

Immediately, Liliana was shaking her head at the suggestion. "No, I couldn't do that to you. I want to stay at least until the end of my shift. I'll make sure everything is set for brunch shift. You already stay late with the bikers."

Francisco shrugged, turning away and ending the conversation. Once again, Lily jumped as the bell chimed behind her. Placing a hand over her chest to calm her jitters, she watched bikers file in one at a time.

Her heart filled with nervous anticipation of seeing a certain green-eyed biker with blonde hair. She wondered if she should even be excited. Really, she should be avoiding the bikers as a whole. They were definitely not the crowd she needed to be associating with, all things considered.

And yet, all the other faces were growing familiar as well in the meantime. Taz gave her a polite smile, throwing his thumb over his shoulder as more bikes rumbled loudly.

"Lover boy just got here," he informed her.

Lily snickered quietly, rubbing her hands down her apron before she brushed her hair behind her ear. The door chimed once again as her back was turned, grabbing napkins and cups.

Trying to hide her smile, she glanced over her shoulder just as Gunner and another man walked through the door. The one next to him was a latino man with a handsome face, his black hair was cropped short and his dark eyes scanned the layout.

But Gunner's eyes found her immediately. He shot her a smirk as he strode towards the counter. She turned towards him with the pitcher in hand as both of them opened their mouths to say something, anything, to one another.

"So, this is the infamous Liliana," the latino man cut in. Both Lily and Gunner's eyes cut to him. Gunner towered over the man with a glare on his face, huffing quietly as Lily just looked on, surprised. 

But the man didn't falter, holding a hand out for the smaller woman.

"I'm Jude. Nice to meet you gorgeous. You certainly exceed my expectations, if I do say so myself."

"Um... Thank you. Nice to meet you, Jude... I'm glad to hear that..." Lily trailed off while glancing at Gunner with a confused look. But he was busy glaring at Jude.

"Go fuck yourself. Sit down over there and get them started," Gunner ordered, pushing Jude towards the rest of the guys. He would attend to their club matters later, right now he had something more important to focus his attention on.

With Jude gone now, Lily and Gunner both glanced at each other. He cleared his throat a bit as he leaned against the counter. She leaned against her end of the counter so they faced each other and looked up at him from under her lashes.

"Hi, Gunner," she said, tilting her head with a little grin at the man.

***

"Hi, Lily," his lips quirked up a bit as he softened his voice so his words were just for her ears. "Any lousy customers I have to take care of for ya today?"

Grabbing a stein, she began filling it for him. She shook her head as she swayed to the soft music in the background.

"Nobody I can think of from today. You don't have to spill coffee on anyone tonight." Her gaze flickered towards him knowingly.

Gunner scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

"Shit happens ya know? I can't let him mess with my favorite waitress, now can I?"

Silently, he was glad it sounded like she didn't hear about his threatening with a deadly weapon and all.

"Oh, your favorite, hm? Am I their favorite too?" Lily nodded her head towards the bikers all not so discreetly watching them chat.

The blonde's gaze narrowed at them all, Taz made eye contact with him and very obviously mouthed for him to 'get it over with'. Snapping his head back to her, Gunner swallowed hard. He clenched his fists to keep them from shaking as the question he wanted to ask sat on the tip of his tongue. But he was cut off as she held up a finger.

"One sec, let me get this to them before I head out."

"You sure ya can't stay for a beer tonight?" he called after her with hooded eyes.

Liliana turned to walk backwards expertly, her brow rising a bit.

"No, I've gotta make it home on time."

He deflated a bit at the swift rejection. Probably home to her mysterious boyfriend she talked to on the phone. The one she 'loves' so much. Bullshit.

She grabbed two large trays: the food they always ate and the pitchers of water and beer for their drinks after she left. He watched her move around. She was much shorter than him. It was entertaining watching her buzz from table to table, her curly hair piled all on top of her hair with curls falling down to frame her pretty face.

He couldn't help but admire the way she basically floated around. She practically beamed like the sun wherever she went. It had Gunner practically drooling, not to mention he could now fully appreciate her curvy figure from where he sat.

As she helped the other bikers out, they all made it a point to snicker at their president who was waiting patiently to once again have all of her attention. When she came back, Gunner threw his thumb towards the loud crowd he brought in.

"I definitely like you more than they do, sweetheart," he swore. 

"Oh yeah?" She raised her brow at him as she cleaned up around her. Gunner felt nerves clam him up, he was running out of time.

"None of those guys wanna take ya out on a proper date as much as I do."

And then there was a pause, "But don't ask them... just in case."

Lily snorted as she nodded, not taking him seriously at all.

"Unless you've got a boyfriend stoppin' ya?" Gunner hummed, trying to sound casual. The blonde biker just needed a name to get the guy out of the way.

He watched as her brows furrowed, her head cocked cutely. "I don't have a boyfriend... Not that that means I'm looking for one."

Now, he was the one to look confused... then who was she talking to on the phone? But he didn't get to ask because when she met his gaze, her own softened a bit.

"You don't wanna date me, Gun. You like me cause I'm new and you know don't me well yet. I'm always working. I've got, ya know, baggage and shit. I don't think it's what you're looking for. Our lives are real different. But I'm flattered, I really do like you," Lily spoke quietly as she leaned closer to him. She didn't want the other bikers to hear.

She watched in real time as Gunner's gaze intensified, he suddenly became serious as he watched her like a hawk. Her hands fidgeted and she struggled to hold his gaze.

"Ya don't know what I'm lookin' for, sweetheart," Gunner rasped in a volume only for her ears.

Lily couldn't help the shiver shooting to her spine, he was all encompassing that's for sure. It's like she could only see, hear, and smell Gunner. Her attention revolved around him.

"And what's that?"

"Been lookin' for you, Liliana," Gunner nodded his chin towards her as his chest rumbled.

Her eyes widened, her entire face flushing, and he was so close he could see the blush on her brown pigment. He smirked wolfishly.

Flustered, she grabbed her purse when she realized the time. "You're smooth... I'll give you that."

"You'll see, sweetheart. I promise you that."

With wide eyes, she nodded up at him even if she didn't entirely believe him. She managed to hold it together, waving goodbye to everyone left in the pub as Gunner watched her with an intense parting look.

***

"I appreciate you so much Esmerelda," Lily whispered as she approached her baby sleeping soundly on her neighbor's couch.

"You know I'd do anything for you two. You're family. Don't worry about anything, she's always a good girl. Best baby I've ever seen."

"Oh well she's a big girl now, Esme. She likes to walk all by herself and hold her fork by herself," Lily cooed as she picked up Rowan who still slept soundly.

"Oh, she's still a little baby. She's just barely 14 months now, right?"

Lily nodded with a hum as she cradled her baby girl. On the way out, the two bid each other goodnight before the young mother started her short walk home in the cul-de-sac.

She peered down at Rowan who was wrapped in her baby blanket, it was a crocheted gift from her mother and Rowan took it everywhere. Lily admired her baby. She had a lighter pigment than her own but not by much.

Her father was Italian and had very tanned skin. She didn't resemble him much to be honest; Rowan was all her. Except her curls were much looser, but they were liable to change as she grew older. Her rounded nose scrunched a bit and Lily couldn't help but kiss it softly.

Lily was drawn out of her baby haze by a single siren from what sounded like a police cruiser and the flicker of flashing lights. Covering Rowan's ears, Lily's narrowed eyes turned to the cop car where a somewhat familiar face was.

The familiar face was grinning slyly; she saw Daminger in the driver's side. His eyes were fully focused on her and her child in her arms. Surprise flashed across his face, wincing a bit when Rowan whined at the commotion.

"Shit- sorry. Sorry," he apologized in a low voice as he idled in the car by the curb near her. "I just recognized ya from the pub downtown. Wanted to make sure a pretty girl like you was getting home alright... Didn't realize you had a little one."

"Uh, yeah. I've gotta get her to sleep, thanks." Liliana frowned skittishly at Officer Daminger.

"I must say, I'm surprised. I was mighty impressed with you when I stopped in... You sure do look great, especially considering the kid."

Liliana's eye twitched, staring back at him blankly. Sensing he might be saying the wrong thing, Daminger quickly shifted gears. "The father must be on top of the moon, having a beautiful woman as the mother of his child."

"Uh yeah, yeah he is," Lily muttered just loud enough for him to hear over the sounds of the night in the background. But Daminger raised a brow, as an officer he could see a lie from a mile away. A sly grin tugged at his mouth. The pretty woman was scared of him? He could fix that with time.

"Which ones yours? Ya know I live in the development right over to the right..."

"She's real tired officer, I'm sure you've got some more patrols left. Keepin' us all protected?" Liliana acted as if she didn't hear his last question. The two of them looked at one another for a moment before Daminger nodded with his grin still intact.

"You stay safe, Lily. Gotta be real careful about who you keep close in this town." It felt more like a threat than a warning, but she didn't have time to dwell on it. He peeled off, his tires screeching against the street obnoxiously. Making sure he couldn't see her, Lily finally made her way inside to put Rowan to bed.

When Rowan was finally laid down in her crib, that's when her eyes cracked open. Lily gasped quietly as their eyes met.

"Hi baby," she cooed.

Rowan spluttered some murmured response. She was a little late on her speech skills. The doctor expressed mild concern if she didn't make more progress in the next few months, but Lily was confident Rowan would talk more as she got older.

As long as they kept working together on it. She would give the occasional cry for 'ma' and an even more scarce 'nana' for banana. But Rowan doesn't even like bananas so it was beyond her why Rowan chose that word.

    "Rowboat, I missed you so, so much." Rowan babbled as her eyes slid open and shut slowly, grunting as her fists curled like they always did when she was sleeping.

    "Okay good point... You need sleep. Tomorrow's a mommy and Row day. I love you so much." Lily leaned down to kiss her forehead softly before making her way to her own bedroom with a monitor.

She flopped on her bed, groaning as the day finally caught up to her. Rubbing her oily face, she knew she needed to shower. But in her moment of silence, she couldn't help but think about Gunner and his proposition.

A part of her wished to say yes. She wished she could believe Gunner actually wanted to date her and pursue her. And while Gunner seemed like a great guy, he had a reputation beyond the biker persona. It wasn't in her baby's best interest to get involved with a biker club... Liliana bit her lip at the thought. Guilt hit her as if she was betraying Gunner even thinking that, but she had her priorities.

Although Gunner did have a player reputation she'd heard of, so if she did go out with him she doubted he'd ever meet Rowan. Babies didn't seem up his alley anyway.

He wasn't one to date seriously and she could respect that. But it wasn't for her, not at this point of her life. She was 25 and single with a baby; that wasn't something to take lightly. Being a good mother was her whole world, and she'd be damned if a man ruined that for her.

But that part of her still ached at the idea of being close to Gunner. She couldn't deny that he made her feel special. But his interest would pass soon enough, and the temptation would be gone.

She just had to stay strong for a little bit... How big could his crush be anyway?