Nasty Bastard (Grim Bastards MC Book 4) by Emily Minton, Shelley Springfield Page B

No matter if they were your family or not, that doesn’t mean shit to me. You can’t pick your family any more than I can, but you can pick your friends. We don’t really know each other yet, but I’ve always been a good judge of character. I feel like you would be a great friend, and I hope you feel the same way about me.”
    As soon as the words come out of her mouth, I feel the tears come to my eyes. Relief pours through me as any lingering guilt leaves my soul. At the same time, hope squeezes its way into my heart. Being friends with Trix, Addy too, would be amazing.
    “I never had many friends growing up. There were the other club kids, and we all played together. Shelia and Cherry were the only other girls though. They were both younger than me, so we were friends but not the best of friends,” I tell her with a shake of my head and a smile on my face. “You may have to teach me how this friendship thing works.”
    “I can do that.” She cocks her head to the side and asks, “What about the kids at school? Weren’t you friends with any of them?”
    With Dad coming in and out of the house, always pissed about something, I knew better than to bring anyone home. The few friends I made at school always shied away from me when their parents discovered who my dad was. It just seemed easier to keep to myself than deal with the constant let down.
    “With a dad like Stone, it wasn’t easy making friends,” I reply, knowing she will understand my meaning. “When I started college and was finally away from him, I was too focused on getting my education to worry about friends.”
    “So you’ve never had anybody?” she asks, her voice full of concern.
    “I had Layton.” The words pop out of my mouth before I can even consider the meaning behind them.
    She smiles. “Yeah, but Smoke’s definitely not a chick, so it’s not the same. Every girl needs a best girlfriend to share her secrets with. I don’t know what I would’ve done without Addy by my side.”
    My thoughts go to the ladies who’ve called themselves my friends over the last few years. Each and every one of them were wives of Richard’s buddies. We all hung out together, went shopping, and had playdates for our kids, stupid shit like that. That all ended when my husband found someone new.
    “I thought I had a few friends when I was married. I was wrong though. When the divorce happened, they all turned their backs on me,” I say, hoping like hell she doesn’t hear the pain of their betrayal in my voice.
    Just as she opens her mouth to say something, a phone starts ringing. Jerking my head to the other side of the bed, I notice my phone is laying on the nightstand. “I wonder who the hell brought it to me?”
    Trix shrugs as I pick the phone up, see Lettie’s name on the screen, and bring it to my ear. “Hello.”
    No hello, no how are you, nothing. Lettie just starts to scream. “Why didn’t you call me? What the hell were you thinking, Gidget? You know I would’ve come home to take care of you and Parker.”
    “I’m sorry,” I start, but she doesn’t even stop to listen.
    She continues to rant as I look over to Trix and mouth, Lettie is pissed.
    Trix smiles and stands up, heading toward the door. “Good luck with that.”

Chapter Thirteen
    Smoke
    The entire way to Stone’s house, my mind is occupied with thoughts of Parker. It’s hard, damn near kills me, to know that Gidget had a kid with someone else. Then, I remember the feel of his little arms wrapped around my legs, and I start to forget that he has a father out there somewhere and start making plans for our future as a family.
    The biggest question is, where is the fucker? If my woman, even an ex, and my kid moved to another damn state, I’d be checking up on them. As far as I know, he hasn’t even tried to call her. What kind of father is that? I fucked up huge when I pushed Gidget away, but there is no damn way I’d let my child go.
    I shake off the thoughts of