Buck claimed me, smiling down at me with a smile that shared he thought I was a dork.
We moved to the table, all of us sat, and Tatie started babbling about…well, about everything.
I’d never seen her so animated.
Then again, Locke could not have a lot of interest in half the things she said, but he looked like all of it was pearls of wisdom he could scoop up and be the wisest man in the world.
Gear got his turn.
And finally, Buck shared, mostly news about the brothers, the Club and the business.
Locke did not share.
They didn’t press.
I figured he didn’t have much to say about the life he led, and furthermore, if he told them, they wouldn’t want to know.
So they didn’t ask.
But his eyes did eventually move between Buck and me before he asked, “So, when you two gonna get hitched?”
“Soon’s possible,” Buck said.
At the same time, I said, “After Christmas.”
Buck looked down at me. “After Christmas?”
I looked up at him. “Is that too soon?”
“Did you not hear me say ‘soon’s possible?’” he asked.
“I did. But you haven’t even asked me officially yet. Therefore, ‘soon’s possible’ is indefinite.”
“But you know I’m gonna ask.”
“I do, and Christmas is a good time to ask.”
“Christmas is over a month away.”
Oh my God.
My voice was pitched higher when I queried, “Were you going to ask earlier?”
“Tatie helped me pick out the ring. You want it, I’ll give it to you tonight.”
“Oh my God,” I whispered.
“I think she wants it, Dad,” Gear put in.
“I want a baby sister,” Tatie added.
“No way, a baby brother,” Gear contradicted.
“Okay, no. Dad’s got all his brothers in Aces. We’re outnumbered. We need a girl,” Tatie returned.
“I gotta have a chance to show a baby bro the ropes,” Gear shot back.
“Think we don’t got a problem sharin’ with the kids we got plans to expand the family,” Buck drawled.
“Awesome,” Tatie breathed excitedly.
“Clary, baby bro, get on that,” Gear ordered.
I tore my gaze from Buck’s amused, happy one and looked to his son.
“I can’t pick the gender, Locke,” I replied.
“We’ll do some voodoo or somethin’,” he said, grinning.
“Yes, voodoo to get a baby sister,” Tatie demanded.
“I’m down to attempt voodoo, but I’ll warn you, if it worked, voodoo practices to guarantee the gender of a child would be far more widespread,” I informed them.
“Doesn’t hurt tryin’,” Gear said.
“Just as long as we don’t have kill a chicken or something,” Tatie laid out her boundaries.
“You always have to kill a chicken,” Gear, the new voice of voodoo authority, educated her.
“We won’t be killing any chickens,” Buck laid down the law. “And you’ll get what you get, however it pops out.”
Tatiana looked to me and said, “Pops out. As if. Men,” before she giggled.
I rolled my eyes, shook my head, and smiled at her.
“Son,” Locke called.
We all looked to him.
But I felt what he had to say but did not verbalize as he stared at his boy.
I felt it from the kids.
I felt it from Locke.
Mostly, I felt it in the way Buck was suddenly holding his body very still.
And it felt beautiful.
I suspected they could spend the rest of the visit staring at each other that way.
But we only had two hours.
So I sallied forth.
“What do you want, Locke? A boy or a girl.”
His brown eyes came to me.
And I was again awash.
Joy.
“Whatever grandbaby you give me, girl. Just keep yourself safe and healthy givin’ it to me.”
“That I’ll do,” I promised.
He reached a hand across the table, turning it, palm up.
I took it.
We squeezed.
He let go fast, probably because physical contact wasn’t prohibited entirely during the visit.
But we had to be careful.
And I hurt for all of them because they were a touchy family and I knew they needed it.
I also now hurt for me.
Tatie forged in to cover that loss. “Dad topped up your commissary for you, Granddad. And we brought some things. We left them at reception.”
“You always do, baby, and I always love whatever you bring,” Locke replied.
The rest of the visit went well, considering.
But at the end of it, Locke asked to talk to Buck for a second alone.
The kids and I walked out to the SUV.
Fifteen minutes later, Buck walked out.
I wasn’t going to ask.
It was theirs.
I didn’t have to ask.
Before Buck started the car, he reached out, wrapped his fingers around my knee and held on.
I looked into his eyes.
I read him.
And then I smiled.
35
Problems
Buck
The atmosphere in the Aces High meet room was intense.
Some of the brothers did not like certain company they were keeping.
Some of the brothers didn’t like any company in the meet room of the Aces High MC that wasn’t Aces.
Not surprisingly, it was Sylvie Creed who had the balls to break into it.
Sylvie, five-foot-two, blonde, mother of Buck didn’t know how many since that number kept growing, and a badass.
“Right, way I see it, you boys got three problems,” she declared.