“That tastes like shit. You like this stuff?” he asked.
“Best shit ever,” I said. “So if sharin’ a Red Bull with a biker wasn’t your reason for comin’, what brings you to this part of town, Cop?”
He shook his head and grinned. “Dave. My name is Dave.”
I raised my can. “What brings you to this part of town, Dave the cop?”
He shook his head.
“Sorry, sometimes I just can’t help myself,” I said with a laugh.
“My daughter tells me you kicked the everloving shit out of that scumbag who slapped her around in her apartment?” he said.
I stood from my seat and pointed toward the gate. “Investigation’s over, Cop. I’ll lock the gate behind you.”
He stood and shook his head as he laughed a shallow laugh.
“I’m here to thank you. And to tell you I appreciate you coming to my daughter’s aid. She said your friends helped her out and doctored her up afterward. I want to express my gratitude for their assistance in the matter. She also told me you and the gentlemen you ride with have been looking for the scumbag on a daily basis. I appreciate that as well,” he said.
I relaxed, pulled out my chair, and sat down.
“Have a seat,” I said as I pointed toward his chair.
He sat, leaned over the table, and raised the can of Red Bull. After reading the label, he took another drink and shook his head.
I leaned forward, rested my forearms on the table and sighed. I shifted my gaze up to his face and held it. As he realized my focus was on him, he locked eyes with me and lowered his chin.
I widened my eyes. “I don’t ride with gentlemen. They’re my brothers. We have a brotherhood and a bond someone like you will never understand. Each and every one of those fellas would and will do whatever they must to protect her - because they’re my brothers.”
“I know a little about that. When I call for backup, I put my life in the hands of my brothers. Each and every one of them would and will do whatever they must to protect me, and to protect you, Dalton, from harm.”
He took a sip of red Bull.
I shook my head. “It’s not the same.”
“You’d be surprised.”
“Change the subject,” I said.
He leaned back in his chair, inhaled a deep breath, and cleared his throat. “So, she tells me you’d like to adopt the baby?”
I nodded my head. Talking to him about it seemed much different than talking to Kat. Somewhat uncomfortable, and not necessarily wanting to get into an argument with him about anything, I decided to minimize my speaking and keep things simple.
“That’s right,” I responded.
“Do you love her?’ he asked.
I leaned back in the chair and stared beyond him with unfocused eyes. Love was something I wasn’t even sure existed. I’d never been in love, and I had my doubts, other than Kat, if anyone had truly ever loved me, short of the love my brothers in the club had for me. After a long minute of thinking, I focused my eyes on him and began to explain my thoughts.
“Don’t know that I even know what love is for sure. A feelin’, I suppose. Not knowin’, it’s hard to say. I can tell ya this for sure. When your daughter’s with me, I feel like my life is kinda perfect for the first time. When she’s gone, like when she went back to Kyle, life ain’t much worth livin’. Never felt that way about anything before. You know, she came back, and everything that was broke immediately was fixed. I ain’t gonna shit ya, Dave. I’ve been with my share of women, and I ain’t never had one make me feel like Kat. So, maybe it’s love. But whatever it is, I’d like to make a commitment to her, and I suppose to you…” I lowered the can and leaned forward.
“I want that baby to see me as it’s father, and know nothing different. We can raise that kid up never knowing any different. Kid deserves that.”
He shifted his eyes from the can in front of him toward me and nodded his head.
“What is it you do for a living?” he asked.
“Off the record?” I asked.
He nodded his head.
“Murder for hire,” I said flatly.
He nodded his head again. “Comedian?”
“According to some,” I grinned.
I shook my head and leaned forward, resting my arms on the edge of the table.
“I build high performance Harley motors. Between you and me, I make a hundred grand a year. House is paid for, bike too. I claim about forty to help on taxes, it’s an all cash business. I do pretty well. Save most of it,” I said.
He studied the can for a moment and eventually shifted his eyes to meet mine.
“They found that kid. Kyle. Found him this morning,” he said as he stood.
“Got him in custody?” I asked as I stood from my seat.
He shook his head. “Suicide. Been dead four or five days.”
“Damned shame,” I said flatly.
He gazed down at his feet and continued.
“Sure is. You know, the county investigated it. Ruled it a clear case of suicide. Kid used his personal pistol, shot himself in the face. He used a pillow for some reason, I personally found that strange, but anyway,” he said as he shook his head slightly.
“You know another thing I found strange?” he asked.
I shook my head and shrugged. “No idea.”
“I’ve known that kid for three years. He was left handed. The residue from the weapon discharging was on his right hand, and the pistol was still in his right hand. So I thought, why would this kid use his right hand to kill himself - if he was a natural leftie?” he asked.
I shrugged my shoulders.
“I didn’t bother telling the officer in charge what I knew. I just couldn’t see any sense in it. God has his way of weeding out the bad on this earth, you know. Sometimes it’s at the hand of a cop,” he said as he locked eyes with me. “And sometimes it’s not.”
“Investigation’s over?” I asked.
He nodded his head. “Closed case.”
“And you’re alright with Kat and me? Me adopting the baby?” I asked.
“I’ve accepted it. She says you’re good for her. She loves you, you need to know that, Dalton,” he responded.
I tilted my head toward the back door.
“Come in for a bit, Dave?” I asked.
He glanced toward the door, turned to face me, and smiled.
“I’d love to,” he responded.
“Follow me,” I said as I turned toward the door. “We need to have us a little talk.”
As I walked toward the door I realized he and I were similar in at least a few respects. No differently than he had a preconceived notion about me being a dirty biker, I had the same about him being a chicken-shit cop. In the end, all he was trying to do was the same thing I had tried to do.
Keep Kat from being harmed.
Together, if we could see eye to eye, there was no doubt in my mind that Kat could live a life not only safe from harm, but as a very, very happy woman.
And I’d be a very happy man.
BISCUIT
After painting our bedroom Fair Fieldstone Taupe, I painted the spare bedroom a combination of light blue and pink. Two opposing walls were pink, and the opposite two walls were light blue. For now, the color combination satisfied me, and would be satisfactory regardless of the sex of the baby.
I stood in the doorway, admired the new colors, and studied the trim for imperfections. As always, I found nothing that needed touched up. My anal retentive nature prevented me from walking away from a job that wasn’t perfect.
I sighed, inhaled the odor of the drying paint, and looked into the living room at the boxes of new furniture I’d purchased - a crib, changing table, and dresser, all in need of assembly. I glanced at my watch. It would take some hard work, but having it assembled and in place by the time Kat got back from shopping should be doable. A quick shower on my part afterward, and we should make Cash’s patch in party without any problems.
It was nice to see Kat and Avery becoming close friends. Sydney was attached to Avery’s hip, so there was no doubt they’d all become close. There wasn’t much better women on this earth than those two, and as tough as Avery was, I wasn’t so sure Sydney wasn’t a little tougher. Making it out of her childhood with the peaceful, upbeat, and always eager attitude was a feat in itself, and left me impressed with who she was and what she stood for.
Having a little of her rub off on Kat would suit me just fine.
I closed the door to the bedroom and allowed the room to vent out into the yard through the open windows. After cleaning up the paint supplies, I knelt down on the floor and began to assemble the furniture.
Three and a half hours later, I cleaned up the mess, carried the furniture into the room, and moved it into place. I glanced around the room at the changes. A year prior, if someone would have brought up a baby being in my life, I would have laughed until I pissed myself. Now, looking around the room at the furniture and bright colors, I was excited, eager, and more than willing for the change.
The reward, at least in my mind, was my knowing there wasn’t another man on this earth who was going to be as devoted to raising the child properly as me. A man has one chance to do what’s right in his being a father, and there’s no room for mistakes. As inexperienced as I was at being a father, I had years of exposure and a complete understanding of what not to do.
I’m sure a man accepting another man’s child or children as his own is a far more difficult task than accepting his own children. In my current state of being, I was incapable of producing children, and as far as I was concerned, the baby wasn’t another man’s child.
The child was mine.
I had come to accept that what I shared with Kat could be nothing short of love, and if she and I loved one another - and I wasn’t able to produce children - God had done what he felt was necessary.
His provision of a child wasn’t something I perceived as being a mistake, burden, or complication.
To me, it was nothing short of what it truly was.
An opportunity to right a lifetime of wrongs.
A gift.
And a blessing.
As I heard Kat’s jeep rolling into the drive, I glanced around the room, making sure all of the evidence was cleaned up. I wanted the room to be a surprise, and I hoped to show it to her in a few days.
As she rushed into the house and dropped her bags, she wrinkled her nose and stared.
“Smells like paint,” she said.
“Painted the room one last time,” I responded.
“Last time?” she chuckled.
“I’m thinkin’ so,” I grinned as I walked into the kitchen.
“Look,” she said as she reached into one of the bags.
Dangling from the end of her fingers was a Harley-Davidson shirt. White, orange, and black, it was suitable for a boy or a girl.
I grinned and nodded my head. “It’s cute.”
“Cute? Seems funny hearing you say that,” she responded.
“I’ve got bags of stuff,” she said as she pointed to the bags sitting on the floor.
I was time for both of us to get ready for the patch in party, but I couldn’t resist. After a good solid thirty minutes of going through each and every item one by one, we decided to shower together to save time, water, and satisfy our sexual needs.
“Better hurry the hell up and decide, it’s going to be six thirty before you know it,” I said as I glanced in the room.
“Do I look fat?” she asked as she twisted her hips in front of the mirror.
She looked beautiful. Her hair flipped around in a circle behind her as she twisted back and forth. Although she really hadn’t begun to indicate she was pregnant from her appearance regarding weight or size, something about her had changed. She had a certain glow about her that was unmistakable and incapable of accurate description. It had to be seen to be believed.
Whatever it was worked well for her, and reassured me that not only was I fortunate, but I was with the most beautiful woman in the world.
“Tough for you to look fat, you’re skinny,” I shrugged.
“These jeans look good?” she asked as she turned her ass toward the mirror and gazed over her shoulder.
“Better’n any I’ve ever seen,” I responded.
“Any?” she asked.
“Any,” I responded.
“Ready?” she asked as she reached for her purse.
“Suppose so,” I said.
“So what exactly is this again?” she asked.
“Patch in party. A kid’s been prospecting for a year, and finally paid his dues. Tonight we eat, drink, and raise hell. It’s a party for him to celebrate his becoming a fully patched member of the club,” I said as we walked toward the garage.
“Sam, Avery, and Sydney said they’re going too, so it’ll be fun for me,” she said.
“Better get that hair tied up, or you’ll be spendin’ the night untanglin’ it,” I said as we stepped into the garage.
“I think I’ll just let it blow,” she said with a nod.
“You sure?” I asked.
She nodded her head and grinned. “I like it that way. I don’t know, it’s hard to explain. But it just kind of makes me feel free. Like a bird or something, I just can’t really explain it, but I love how it makes me feel.”
She turned to face me and shrugged her shoulders. I leaned forward and kissed her, something I was still getting used to, but enjoyed more than almost anything.
“No need for explanation,” I said as our lips parted.
I knew exactly what she meant.
KAT
I had always looked up to Avery. She was a year older than me in school, and one of the best volleyball players I had ever seen. Not admiring her for what she’d done for the team and what she’d done with her career would be difficult. It seemed she was a fierce as a legal assistant as she was on the volleyball court. Having her act now as my equal seemed strange, but I welcomed it; accepting the fact my life was slowly changing. As we stood in a circle talking, I turned almost giddy in excitement thinking about my future with the three women as my lifelong friends.
“You can’t tell anyone, not yet. Dalton hasn’t told everyone, and I don’t know when he will. I think maybe Axton knows, but that’s it.” I glanced over my shoulder as I finished speaking, seeing where Dalton was.
He stood with Otis, Axton, and a few others in a circle talking. As always, it seemed he was telling a story, and the others were listening to him.
“Okay what is it?” Sam asked.
She was as beautiful of a woman as I had ever seen. I gazed at her hoping when I was her age I could be half as beautiful as her. Her hair was long and blonde, and her body was phenomenal. I gazed down at her Chuck’s, and quickly noticed Sydney and Avery wore the same shoe. Aggravated I’d chosen to wear boots, I shifted my eyes to meet Sam’s and smiled.
“I’m pregnant,” I whispered.
“Oh dear God,” Sam gasped. “That’s so exciting.”
Avery already knew, but I acted like she didn’t. Sydney stood back, grinned, and raised her finger to her lips. As she did, Avery turned toward her, placed her hands on her hips, and inhaled a deep breath. Sydney stood with her finger pressed to her lips and began to giggle.
“You little bitch,” Avery blurted. “You little fucking bitch. You aren’t, are you?” Avery seethed.
Sydney nodded her head as she lowered her hand, “Shhh. We haven’t told anyone. I mean no one. Not even his parents. We want to make sure everything goes good. I mean it, you can’t tell a soul.”
Sam turned toward Sydney and started to softly cry. As she wiped her eyes, Sydney opened her arms.
“What is it, Sam?” Sydney said.
Sam shook her head. “I’m just happy for you two. It’s just…I don’t know. Otis and I split up over my wanting kids when we were twenty-one years old. I don’t want them anymore, I’ll settle for him. It’s just…when two peop
le can have it to share, and they both want it…it’s special.”
I nodded my head. “We’re both really happy.”
“Cambio wants twins. He’s freaking crazy,” Sydney chuckled.
“Twins,” I coughed. “Oh my God. That would be insane.”
Sydney nodded her head. “I know. But he wants two at the same time so bad it’s like an obsession.”
I shook my head. “I think I’d die.”
“You fucking hooker, I can’t believe you didn’t tell me,” Avery fumed.
Sydney shrugged as a she twisted her mouth to the side. The thought of one of the other girls having a baby at roughly the same time as me was very exciting to me. As I stood and considered how much life was going to change, I was truly grateful it wasn’t going to change for me and me alone. Having Sydney go through the changes with me was something I welcomed with open arms.
As we all stood and talked about men, kids, and life in general, the sound of Axton’s voice over the stereo reminded me this party wasn’t for us, but for someone else.
“So, without further ado, we’ll get back to it. Todd Parker, known by the club as Cash, has fulfilled his requirement of prospecting for twelve months. All patched in Selected Sinners in favor of his advancement into the club and acceptance as a fully patched member respond in the form of aye,” Axton said.
“Aye,” everyone wearing a Sinners cut screamed.
Axton nodded his head and waved at the crowd.
“Requires a one hundred percent vote to be a Sinner, any opposed respond in the form of nay,” he said into the microphone.
I glanced out into the crowd at the one they called Cash. He was hugging his wife and preparing to walk toward Axton.
“Well, it appears…” Axton started to say
“Nay!” someone shouted from the crowd.
“Oh dear God,” Sam gasped.
“What?” Avery asked.
“Otis. He’s opposed. Oh dear God,” Sam shrieked.
“Do I have one opposed?” Axton shouted.
Otis nodded his head and waved at Axton.
I shifted my eyes toward Cash. He released his wife and began to run toward Otis.
“Yes you do. My vote is nay,” Otis screamed.