Ready For Love?

Chapter 42

Well, it was certainly an interesting night. I was still jittery and thought a lot about it all, but did get some sleep.

Reid had some work thing, so had to head out and didn't crawl back into bed until just before sunrise... so not quite the night of hot s*x I thought it was going to be. And the fact that I had a massive freak out, didn't quite help.

And now here we are... at the airport. My holiday fling, or 'friend', and I... and four others that are hanging around in the background pretending to blend in. None of them had their cuts on as well, which confused me, but Reid just said it was better that way because of the attack on Satans Tribe.

I haven't asked many questions, just if Ridge was alright... he wasn't. Not even close. He was currently on life support in hospital with three others, while another ten were at the morgue and many others were nursing wounds. After I was told he shouldn't be alive due to his wounds, I had heard enough and changed the topic.

I couldn't think of that. I'm supposed to be here on holiday! Not wrapped up in some bikey gang war!

Standing at the gate, dancing from one foot to another almost as I wait, not very patiently, for my kids as Reid rubs my back and tries not to laugh at me out loud.

So we are here. I'm here... Reid is here. We are here. As friends. just friends as we wait for the kids.

No pressure. Holiday fling meeting my kids. Not overthinking, just excited to see the kids. Concentrate on the kids.

I have given him rules about what he's allowed to say and not say, including no swear words and he must deny us being in a relationship. We are just friends. He dutifully agreed. Smirking at me even as he did.

People start walking out. Most in suits and already on their phones before I see my little man barreling towards me at full speed. I bend down and prepare for impact.

It feels so good to have him in my arms again as he collides with me and I instantly stand up holding him tight... and to get my balance again.

"Oh my little man! Look at you! I swear you have grown and gotten so much older. How old are you now? Are you married?"

"Stop mum!" He whines with a smile.

There is nothing better than a 'stop mum'. It means you have either embarrassed them or delivered the best mum joke they dont' want to admit was funny.

Addie finally saunters over pretending to be all cool and unbothered. I can see on her face she's happy to see me, though, and even lets me hug her, and for more than two seconds, after I had transferred Ethan to my hip. The boy was getting to big for his but I knew my beautiful boy wasn't letting go anytime soon.

Fi navigated around the kids to give me a kiss on the cheek as she laughed. "I'm still trying to steel them." She winked before her attention zeroed in on Reid.

"So is this your boyfriend mum?" Addie... yep, saw that coming.

"No. This is my friend as I told you last night. His name is Reid. Reid, this is my daughter Adelaide, my son Ethan, my sister Fiona and her fiancée Andrew." I motioned to each person as I went.

Reid gave big smiles and nods to the kids before shaking Fi and Andrew's hands. "It's a pleasure to meet you all." He said very politely, but surprisingly with a bit of stiffness I hadn't seen from him.

Is he nervous?

We headed to the baggage claim area with Ethan and Addie telling me stories as Reid spoke with Fi and Andrew. I had convinced Ethan to walk while holding my hand tightly because he really was becoming too heavy. It nearly broke my own heart, that I couldn't carry him all the way.

My baby is growing up!

Addie had to get her own bag but Ethan was more than happy to point his bag out and Reid to get it for him. As I had suspected, Addie was watching Reid with skepticism more than intrigue. I knew she wouldn't be all rainbows and 'welcome to the family', if there was even a sniff of a relationship.

I'll have a big chat to her later and nut out all her concerns about me dating... in the future.

"Oh I like him!" Fi whispered to me as Ethan pointed out his bag to Reid a few meters away.

"Of course you do. Even if he was a ninety years old, you'd be happy as long as he had citizenship, so I could get a green card after a marriage license and move in a few houses down."

She snorted and tried to cover it with a cough, making Andrew shake his head before he went to grab their bags that were finally coming down the conveyor belt. "How could you say such a thing... the limit would have been seventy and I would need to see designer clothes, a chauffeur and a some sort of proof of a good bank account."

"And you don't now?" I raised an eyebrow at her before we turned back to see Reid now helping Andrew. Oops sorry, Reid and Ehtan, helping Andrew.

Reid would grab the bag, pretend to need help when it was half off and Ethan would eagerly jump in with his scrawny little arms.

"Nope, 'cos that is adorable." She nearly squeal-whispered... and I kind of had to agree.

"Shush you!"

We then headed back to Fi's house in the seven-seater van. Reid said the club owned it to help drop off drunk members that needed to go home and couldn't stay at the compound for one reason or the other.

We had already taken all my things back and made sure there was no evidence that I hadn't been there for the last few days. I may have quickly even thrown my pj's on the bed as well. Probably overkill... but not as much as me messing up the bed and putting it back together hap-hazardly.

Reid stood there in the doorway, smirking. But he was a good boy and didn't say anything. I probably would have ripped his head off if he did... I was trying to calm my nerves so was definitely best not to poke the mumma bear.

Addie still hadn't said a single word to Reid by the time we got to Fi's. Reid and Ethan though, they had spoken most of the way as Fi, Andrew and I caught up.

Fi's wedding planner still had everything sorted, and we just had a big family luncheon this weekend, then the final family dinner the night before the wedding. Fi had her hens night a month ago and practically ordered Andrew to have his bucks the same night.

It's Australian tradition to have it at least a month to two months before the wedding. I think it's a good idea... just in case there are any incidents, so the bruising can go down or cast can come off.

Yes, I'm talking from experience. I may have been extremely drunk, tripped over a gutter and given myself a LOT of brushing and scraps down the side of my leg and arm. As you can tell, I had a very tame night... not! I wasn't the only one though, I'm happy to report, and then we were all hungover for like three days after. Cam wasn't any better, except he didn't hurt himself.

I was a little bummed that I missed Fi's hen's, but at the same time these things can't be helped and I'm just enjoying spending time with her now that we are here.

My nerves picked up again as we parked at Fi's. Reid got out and helped Andrew with all the bags as I helped the kids out not thinking about how domestic it was for Reid and Andrew to grab the bags together for the family. Not overthinking it.

And not overthinking it as Reid had ordered a late lunch from some prospects and it was delivered as we started to walk inside.

"Can he get any more green flags?" My sister bumped my shoulder, which I tried to ignore. "Breathe. He's amazing and you deserve nothing less. I can see the panic in your eyes. Stop it." She whispered before we were dragged inside.