Money Can't Buy Happiness

Chapter 42

Two days went by with no word from Alec, Jax or Lowen so Katie's anxiety slowly began to decrease and her mind focused on other things. She worked a shift and, after changing out of her work dress, headed out to meet Happy at their favorite Mexican restaurant a few miles from Diosa.

"Hey," she beamed as she joined him at the table. "Sorry I'm late."

"All good," he said casually. "I ordered your drink."

"You did?" She giggled. "Jeez, Hap, that's kind of sweet. What's the occasion?"

"I wanted a beer," he shrugged, "So I just got you a drink too."

"Not that sweet," she laughed. "You have a good day?"

"A day," he said dismissively. "You?"

"It was fine," she said. "You okay?"

"Nah, I'm not," he admitted. "You gonna promise not to freak?"

"No," she glared at him.

"I saw Lowen with Jax," he grumbled. "I was an idiot. I called him out for being shady and we got into it."

Katie grit her teeth and hung her head with her eyes shut tight to control her anger as he sat staring at her shamefully.

"Guess you won?" She looked up at him. "You don't have any marks."

Standing, he raised his shirt to reveal a long, dark bruise along his the side of his ribs. "I got his nose, he slammed me into the bar before Tig broke it up."

"Jesus, Hap," she seethed. "This is not good. You are not helping!"

"I know," he snapped.

"What the fuck was she even going there?"

"Finalizing shit to send to Alec," he sighed. "It's just whatever you guys do now but with a fuckin' judge's signature."

Katie felt her face flush and tears fill her eyes. She was not only relieved but incredibly furious. "Are you sure?"

"That's what he said," Hap admitted. "I trust him and there's no reason to lie."

"Then why didn't he just fucking come to me?"

Happy shrugged. "I don't know, Katie. This parenting shit is messy."

"Yeah," she hissed. "I guess."

"You're not hungry are you?" Knowing how she reacted to such situations, Happy figured their dinner was destroyed and she'd be brooding all night at work.

"Not anymore," she pouted. "She's my baby, Hap. She's mine. He can't take her from me."

"He's not gonna do that," Happy mumbled. He was growing more and more uncomfortable in his role as emotional support.

"I wish you were her father," she admitted quietly.

Silently he took her hand across the table. "Me too."

"You said that before," she eyed him suspiciously. "Why?"

"Then Jax wouldn't be in the middle of us, him and Tara wouldn't be upsetting you and shit. It would just be us like it used to be."

"Oh, Hap," she whimpered as a few tiny tears streaked down her face. "You're sweet."

"That's me," he scoffed.

"I should have lied, I should have just said you were the father but we were so screwed up, Hap."

"I know," he pulled cash from his pocket and paid for their drinks. "Let's just get the fuck outta here."