“So, I don’t need a great conversation when I’m—”
He stopped, and Snake reached out to take Jessica’s hand. He tried to offer her support as she faced her family.
“Be careful, Sean,” William said.
“Please, William, don’t start arguing. I know what you’re all talking about. I’m not so delicate that I don’t know what’s going on. Our children are growing up.”
“It still doesn’t need to be a topic of conversation at the dinner table,” William said, reaching for a napkin.
“You both are bringing it up.” She turned back to him. “You’re the first man Jessica has brought home in a long time.”
“Mom, I’m twenty-nine, not twelve.”
“You’re my daughter, and you’ll always be a little young to me.” Bethany smiled at her. “You’re a biker.”
“Yes.”
“What kind of club?” she asked.
He glanced at Jessica. “The MC kind.”
“I have no idea what that means.”
“It means they’re bad men, Mom. They probably kill people and shit.”
“Sean, stop it,” Jessica said.
“What it means is that your sister, your daughter is protected. She will not go anywhere without me, and I’ll make sure she’s safe.” He lifted Jessica’s hand for them to see. “I love your daughter, and I intend to make sure she is well loved.”
Bethany folded first. “Well, I can see you care about my daughter very much.”
“I do.”
“Dad, please, accept this.”
“Do you love him?” William asked.
“Dad—”
“Sean, I’m talking to your sister. I don’t need you to interfere and tell me how to speak to my daughter.”
Snake liked William, but he wasn’t too sure about the brother.
“Yes, I love him and I’m happy.” She looked at the whole table. “I’m in love, and I’m happy. Can’t you all accept that?”
William took a sip of his drink, taking his time before responding. “I’m not going to lie. It’s hard to let you go, honey. You living in this town, working as a nurse, it’s hard, but I will stop annoying you. If anything your club does puts my daughter in danger, I will find some way to end you.”
“Dad!”
“It’s fair, Jessica. I promise you, Jessica will never be harmed because of me.” He smiled at his woman, his old lady. “I’ll do whatever it takes to keep her safe.”
He squeezed her hand to show his support.
“Right, that awful business is out of the way,” Bethany said. “Let’s eat.”
“I’m not finished. I don’t like him being near my sister.”
“Sean, it’s not your place, so back off,” Jessica said.
“We can take this outside,” Snake said. “I’m used to hitting with my fists. What about you? Do you need your hands? I can break them for you.”
Jessica pressed her face into her hands. “Why couldn’t I have a normal family?”
Silence fell around the table. “I’ll leave it for now. I care about my sister. She’s the youngest one, and we all care about her.”
“I get that. You’ve got to realize there are other people who are caring about her now. I care about and love her. You’re not going to change that.”
“Fine.”
They all nodded, accepting their places. Snake lifted his glass of water, toasting the Jessica’s family. Reunion s and dinners were going to be a blast. He would just bet the family had a lot of high flying members to entertain.
Taking a sip, he gave himself a pat on the back. He was going to make it through dinner.
****
“I can’t believe you managed to get through dinner without killing any of my family,” Jessica said. She closed the door behind Snake, smiling at him.
“I have to say your brother came close.”
“He has always been like that. He’s over protective and doesn’t know when to stop being so.” She hung her keys up by the door. Stepping close to him, she ran her hands up his chest.
“You’re never trying to change me.”
“What do you mean?” She frowned at him but didn’t stop circling her arms around his neck.
“Some women would have made me wear a suit to meet the folks, but you didn’t.”
“So?”
“So, why not? Why aren’t you trying to change me?”
She sighed. “If I got you to wear a suit now then you’d have to make up some story about who you are. When we saw my parents again, another story, and so on. I don’t want to change you. I’m not with you to try to change you, Snake. I actually like you for you. I like you in jeans, and I like you out of them.” She smiled, playing with the hair at the back of his neck. “I’m not one of those women who needs to be impressed or to impress their parents.”