“Just wait. One day, it’ll be you and I’ll be the one giving you shit.” I nod.
“Years down the road,” Echo says with a toothy grin.
“When’s the potential prospect getting into town?” Stone asks.
“Tyson? Give or take a week,” I answer. “You know how it is when you’re moving. The time frame is fragile, depending on a lot of factors.”
“Once you feel him out, bring him around to some of the parties. I was serious about taking on some fresh blood,” Stone says.
“I will. Be nice to have some piss ants to take care of things again,” I say with a chuckle. It was a rite of passage, being the club’s bitch before you got your full patch. It made dealing with new prospects that much more enjoyable having experienced it yourself.
The sliding door opens.
“Hey babe, can you fire up the grill? We’re about to head out with the appetizers,” Ruthie says.
“On it, Mama,” I reply as I stand from my seat, and move to the propane powered silver dream. It was a house warming present from Rochelle and Tim. Once she got her head out of her mother’s ass, she’s tolerable. Tim is good people. He mellows out her high strung tendencies. Her mother is always going to be a bitch, but after Gunnar died, she loosened up. She still wants to tell us how to live our lives, but she stopped bringing the M.C. into it. I can tolerate in her small doses for special occasions. She declined Ruthie’s invitation and countered with an invite of her own to Sunday dinner. I think I’ll let Ruthie go to that one solo.
Burgers, booze, hot dogs, and sides flow as everyone grabs a plate and settles down around picnic tables or in chairs to eat. It’s good to have so many of us together for something good. I live for these moments between the chaos and drama. It drives home why I joined the club in the first place.
Ruthie runs her hand up and down my arm.
“You okay?” I ask.
She nods. “Yeah, I was thinking we should bring out the cake and get that started. I know some of the littles will be fading soon.”
“Good point, let’s go get it.” I hold my hand out and help her stand.
Cheers go up around the yard. I can’t help but catch onto the excitement. Finally, I’ll know if I’m having a little dude or a little lady. We carefully move the two tier cake done in a layer of blue and a layer of pink with the words “Leather or Lace” and two motorcycles on each tier out to the small table we’d set up.
Blue comes over and hands us a cake cutter with pink and blue ribbons tied to it. The woman went all out, and Ruthie is eating up.
I love seeing my woman this happy. Doc R would say I’m allowing myself to be a part of it. The block when it came to this kid has been lifted. I’m still sorting through some shit, but I’m better than I’ve been in a long time. “You ready for this?” I ask.
“Yeah.”
We slice into the cake and my heart skips a beat. We do the other side and scoop the cake. Pink. Shit! I’m so fucked in about sixteen years. “It’s a girl!” I yell out. I lean down and kiss my woman. “Thank you, Mama.”
“I have one more surprise,” she says in a small voice.
I watch as Ruthie and Tim drag over a tall cardboard box.
“Remember how you missed the last appointment?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, there was something I’ve been keeping to myself.” She opens the lid of the box, and a balloon with a pea pod floats out. “Surprise, we’re having twins.”
My knees weaken and I swallow as the world spins on its axis. “Say what?”
She laughs. “There’s two babies in my belly right now, Mr. Skull. You are quite the stud.”
The roar of the crowd is deafening.
“We-we’re going to need a bigger crib,” I croak.
“Already took care of it. We have another one waiting in the garage. Tim brought it over.”
“Holy shit, Mama!”