Loving Laurel Animals MC book 6

Chapter Six

"Laurel, Hey, Laurel."

From far away she could hear Ivan calling her, over the gentle hum of the tires on the road. She opened her eyes squinting against the sun that cast through the windshield.

"Hey, do you need to stretch your legs?" Ivan asked as she sat up straighter.

"Yeah, how long was I out?"

"Two, maybe three hours."

"Sorry, I just dozed off."

"It's fine, not like there's much for you to do."

She rubbed her eyes and glanced around, looking for any highway signs to tell her where they were.

"We're about half a state away," He said, reading her mind.

"We're going to be a day early," She pointed out.

"I know how much your mother likes when we're early."

She smiled, he was right her mother loved when they would show up early and surprise her. As a married couple they often would tell her they'd arrive a day later than they intended to. Although when they were married the trip took longer due to the constant need for a hotel room.

She could vividly remember the times that they simply couldn't wait another second for an available room and Ivan would find a shady spot to pull the car over. The hurried and passionate love making was always worth the risk of getting caught.

"Hey look there's that old steakhouse we used to always stop at," Ivan pointed to the building up ahead.

"Oh yeah, I remember stopping there every time we came through."

"What do you say we stop for old times?"

"That would be nice," She admitted.

He pulled off into the spacious parking lot near the entrance and Laurel climbed from the vehicle. They walked in the door and waited together to be seated.

"This place...looks exactly the same." Ivan said with a small laugh.

"Smells the same too."

A young waitress hurried towards them and led them to a small booth near the corner, the restaurant was mostly empty except for an older couple and a few small families who were obviously locals.

After ordering their food Laurel glanced around the room, her gaze falling on a young mother who was sitting at a table with two small children. A little boy was perched on a chair next to her and a small baby was balanced on her lap as she fed her. Ivan glanced up from his text he was sending to Wolf to see the way her blue eyes softened as she watched the mother and children.

Laurel had always wanted children, before the attack they had been actively trying to get pregnant with their first baby. After the attack he'd spent weeks in pure panic that one of the other men had gotten her pregnant, kicking himself for asking her to go off birth control. When her period came like normal it had been a huge relief but they quit trying and as far as he knew she went back on the pill.

He slid his phone into his pocket as the waitress returned with their drinks, a beer for him and a sweet tea for Laurel. He took a long slow drink watching her, watch the mother and children and something tightened in his chest a feeling he couldn't name.

When Laurel finally pulled her attention away from the mother and kids she took a drink of tea but sadness burned behind her blue eyes.

"It's not too late you know," He said gently.