5 Bikers for Valentines

My mother’s eyes hardened as I sighed.

“I’m not willing to do this with you anymore. This is my last week at the bar before I get on with my life, and I want to say a few things.”

“All right,” my mother said. “Then say them.”

“First off, I owe you an apology.”

“What?” she asked.

“You heard me. When I first saw the vandalism done to the site of my future business, I thought it was you. In fact, I knew it was you. I was dead set on the fact that you had finally stooped to that level. And I didn’t think twice about it.”

“But it was that crew,” she said. “The Hog somethings.”

“The Devil Hogs,” I said.

“I could kill ‘em.”

“Me, too,” I said.

“What?” she asked.

“I said ‘me, too.’”

I watched a grin come across my mother’s face as I began to giggle. The two of us tried to stifle our laughter as we sat there, staring at one another. Lindy was eyeing me strangely, and all the brothers were poised to intervene, and I shook my head as my mother’s giggle died down.

“That’s the first time we’ve ever agreed on anything,” she said.

“The enemy of my enemy,” I said.

“I’d like to not be your enemy,” my mother said.

“Then you have to stop competing with me, Mom. You have to stop trying to one-up me. You have to stop all these antics. You have a drinking problem. You’re trying to hit on men that are clearly interested in me to piss me off. It’s exhausting.”

“I’m sorry,” she said.

“The Grove brothers are off limits,” I said. “They’re spoken for. All of them.”

My mother’s eyes connected with mine before a smirk ticked her cheek.

“Deal,” she said.

“There’s no deal. Just a statement of fact. They are no longer on the market,” I said.

“I’m staying away from them. Got it,” she said.

“Good,” I said. “You thirsty?”

“You accuse me of having a drinking problem, then you offer me a drink?” she asked.

“I’m not perfect. You want the drink or not?” I asked.

“Sure,” she said. “Gimme a shot.”

My mother slid a ten-dollar bill across the table as I poured her a double.

“What’s the occasion?” my mother asked.

“To new adventures,” I said.