by Bijou Hunter
“It’s bullshit how JJ gets the welcome mat while Bonn is treated like a frigging ghost.”
“JJ takes after Jude while Bonn’s never had a taste for the lifestyle.”
I think about my cousin working hard to do right by his kid. He’d be more of an asset to the club than an out-of-town thug like JJ. Of course, Bonn doesn’t want to join the Brotherhood.
“Do you think JJ could work his way into the club?” I ask my mother rather than my father and brother who’d know the answer.
“Are you worried about your birthright?” she asks, squeezing lemons into a pitcher. “Think the newcomer will steal your crown?”
I narrow my eyes and glare at Clara, but she only smiles. “Where's that coming from?”
“Aunt Alice said something like that after meeting JJ.”
“What do you think?”
“You ought to worry about Dayton. He’s been odd lately. Mojo called Dayton at four in the morning to pick him up condoms so he could nail biker groupies. Your brother ran out and did it. I don’t like how his lips are too firmly attached to Mojo’s butt lately.”
“He’s been weird about Daisy and me too.”
Clara grins and stops messing with her lemonade. “How are things going with Miss Crest?”
“Daisy is mine, and I’m keeping her. If anyone fucks that up, I’ll rip their fucking heads off.”
“Well, that clears that up.”
Crossing my arm tightly, I’m aching for a fight. I miss Daisy and talking about her throws salt in the wound.
“Mojo and Dayton act as if my relationship with Daisy makes me weak. They think they can shame me into dumping her. At this point, I’m ready to hurt anyone who so much as hints they’ll stand in our way.”
“Your dad doesn’t want to give up the club, but he knows he can’t run it much longer. When a man gets too old, enemies want to fight him. Mojo can still do what needs to be done, but fighting can be messy. If he leaves the club to you soon, he ensures it remains strong. His ego is holding him back. That and Jude’s new heir makes your path less certain.”
“He better not hang on for too long. I’d hate to organize a fucking coup against my own dad, but the club is more than one man and his ego.”
Clara studies me with brightly curious eyes. “Would you do that?”
“He and Howler waste time on bullshit and ignore real opportunities. They’re old school with old school thinking, but the world has moved on and our enemies already adjusted. We need to do the same.”
“It’s true they still obsess over Common Bend. I don’t know why they’d want such a dump.”
“Even after all these damn years, they’re nursing a grudge. It’s like the bitches from high school starting rumors about their old enemies. They ought to let the shit go and move on, but they won’t. Howler wants Common Bend, and Dad is convinced their moment will arrive. They ought to be looking to grab territory south from here, not fighting over a shithole I doubt the Reapers even want anymore.”
“You’re going to make a great leader.”
“Having Daisy hasn’t made me soft. It’s gotten me focused,” I say, sounding angrier than I intend.
“You don’t have to convince me.”
“You still need convincing about her and me. I see it on your face.”
Clara pours a glass of lemonade and then sets the pitcher in the fridge. She’s taking her time to prolong saying what she knows needs saying.
“She isn’t the type of woman to do well in your lifestyle.”
“What type of woman is that?”
“Tough. I couldn’t handle it. I thought I was strong, but the life wore me down.”
“Daisy isn’t you.”
“No, she isn’t. She grew up in the trailer park and maybe that makes her stronger than she seems. Still you asked my opinion, and I gave it to you.”
“I’m not giving her up.”
“I’m not asking you to.”
“You never would. You’d just disapprove until I give in.”
Clara smirks. “Oh, that I would, but you’re not a love struck teenager conned by a harlot. You’re a grown man and what I know about Daisy makes me think you call the shots. I trust your judgment.”
I’m happy with my mother’s words at first. We talk about her upcoming summer travel plans, and I feel confident that she understands my feelings for Daisy. Except around ten minutes into her Bahamas plans, I realize she hasn’t asked to meet my woman. Mojo invited Daisy to the chili cook-off so he could size her up. Clara doesn’t make any such offers, and I lose interest in listening to her bikini worries.
“What’s the matter?” she asks when I get up and begin pacing.
“Normally, I’d spend the evening with Daisy.”
Clara studies me, and I imagine her thinking ugly shit about my woman. “You’re restless the way a man gets. Why not train with Hudson and Erik? They’re working with night goggles in the field.”
“I wouldn’t mind shooting some shit,” I admit. “Thanks.”
My mother knows I’m pissed. She’s a smart chick and reads people well. I read people pretty well too, and I know she thinks I’m enjoying a fling. I suspect her view of Daisy is tainted by her past with Sally Slater. Mustang Sally is known for her love of booze, dancing, and cards. Her attempts at commitment, on the other hand, have proven less successful. Same with Ruby and Harmony, so my mother wants to lump Daisy into the "unlucky in love" category.
I plan to prove her view wrong.
Twenty Five - Daisy
Pizza is an old lover I know is no good for me yet never leaves me unsatisfied. I inhale the scent of the delivery boxes, making Ruby laugh. Harmony sets out the paper plates and searches the pizzas for her veggie one. My sister isn’t a vegetarian, but she doesn’t like meat on her pizza. I don’t know if she was dropped on the head as a baby, but that would explain a lot of her quirkier qualities like her belief in the Mothman.
“I’ve missed you so much,” I whisper to the first slice.
The pizza rewards me with hot, zesty goodness and a hint of heat from the sausage. I eat the first piece in a euphoria state. I’m even a little aroused. Ugh, I wish I hadn’t asked for the entire night off from Camden.
“Someone misses her man,” Ruby says, patting my head before flopping on the couch next to Harmony.
I study my sisters and notice once again how they share a bond I can’t experience. Call it the “Lush Gardens Trailer Park Mommy Club” or just the bond between two women who’ve pushed a human being from their crotches. I wonder if I’ll get to join their crew once I have a kid. The moment I imagine having a baby, I miss Camden. I don’t know if he considers me baby mama material, but I’m definitely interested in creating a smaller version of my Viking. Even my tender vagina, still throbbing from our goodbye fuck, agrees with the idea of making a Camden Junior.
“Things are good with the lesser Rutgers boy?” Harmony asks me.
“Dayton is a poor man’s version of Camden.”
“Okay, sure, whatever you need to tell yourself, Bourbon Butt.”
Rolling my eyes, I wish I hadn’t shared Camden’s nickname for me. Harmony giggles at my expression.
“I adore Camden,” I announce. “I dig him inside and out. He’s perfect. So, yeah, things are exquisite.”
“I’m surprised he allowed you to spend the night without him.”
“I have my skills.”
“You begged, didn’t you?” Ruby deadpans.
They laugh at my expression.
“I need to get the upper hand with these arguments with him. He nags and flirts and nags and won’t give up until I give in.”
“Flash a boob,” Harmony suggests. “Dayton once told me his brother was a boob man while he was an ass man.”
“Why would he tell you that?”
“It was back when I was waitressing, and he was trying to annoy me.”
“Someone has a crush.”
Harmony waves her hand dismissively. �
�While I’ve considered banging one out with Dayton and getting the urge out of our systems, I worry it might be too good, and I’d become addicted to Little Dayton. I can’t deal with that in my life.”
“Little Dayton,” I snort.
“I also worry the sex would be awful, and my fantasy will be ruined.”
Ruby smiles at our sister. “You’ve never gotten properly laid, so I can imagine how disappointed a bad lay with Dayton would be.”
Harmony nods. “I always screw men based on their personalities. Who’d think that leads to bad sex? Shouldn’t I be rewarded with awesome sex for giving a nerd a break?”
“If there were any fairness in the world, you would,” I mumble with a mouthful of pizza.
“Since Keanu, my vagina cringes at the thought of sex. No way do I want to get anywhere near Dayton’s likely not little Little Dayton.”
“Based on my knowledge of Little Camden, you’ve made a sane decision.”
Ruby stares at me for a long time. “Tell me one negative thing about Camden. If it’s lust, you won’t see anything bad in him. If it’s real, you can name at least one thing.”
“He has horrible taste in music. Oh, in fact, he actually said the Beastie Boys music sounded like noise. Uh, yeah, right.”
My sisters shake their heads, and Ruby says, “I knew there had to be a downside to all his hotness. Now I know it.”
“He doesn’t even like Sabotage, for goodness sake. I didn’t know how to respond to that. I just ended up having sex with him so he’d stop talking.”
Laughing, my sisters give me a thumbs-up. I realize Harmony’s suggestion about flashing a boob might work on Camden. Laser-focused, he always gets quiet whenever sex is on the table.
“We should put Sabotage on the playlist tonight,” Harmony suggests.
“What else are we doing?”
“Vacation in honor of Chevelle starting spring break plus Devil Inside from INXS. I heard that one on the radio the other day and realized we’ve never sung it.”
“How about Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?” Harmony suggests.
Ruby rolls her eyes, even while nodding. Our little sister has an obsession with the Culture Club song ever since seeing The Wedding Singer. While I feel no Adam Sandler movie should change the way a person sees the world, few people are like Harmony.
Despite missing Camden, I enjoy the time alone with my sisters. No kids to worry over. No work to bitch about. We are young and free during our karaoke nights. Ruby lets go of her anger at the only man she’s loved and belts out the songs they once enjoyed together. That usually means at least one tune by Bad English or John Waite.
In fact, after we nearly injure ourselves singing and jumping around to Sabotage, Ruby insists on Change from Waite. Harmony and I hum in the background while my older sister sings her heart out.
What might seem silly to Camden, or anyone watching us dance, is how we release a week’s worth of pent-up negativity. Life’s disappointments wash away by the time we reach the final song of ever karaoke night. The Outfield’s Your Love is usually sung while we rest on the floor, exhausted from too much laughing and bad dance moves.
Tonight is no different. If Camden ever witnessed the sheer level of utter lameness I exude on karaoke nights, I doubt he’d get so laser-focused on sex. However, I intend never to test this theory.
Twenty Six - Camden
Hudson’s dad is a retired Delta Force operator who thinks the world will end tomorrow or the next day or at some point in the very near future. Erik isn’t a fringe guy in most ways, but he trains as if the apocalypse is nigh.
The upside to his oddness is Hudson knows his way around weapons. At sixteen, he’s better with rifles than I’ll ever be. Stealth like one of Daisy’s cats before it trips me, my little brother sneaks around without even trying.
While Clara gossips on the phone with her sisters, I get dressed in fatigues. I even apply face paint so I won’t feel left out with Hudson and Erik. They’re waiting for me outside where next to the fenced yard is an obstacle course.
Hudson looks like a soldier when he moves through the darkness. I try to keep up, but he’s smaller and disappears quickly. I hear Erik a few times when his footsteps land on dry leaves. Otherwise, I’m on my own in the night.
I move around the various obstacles, climbing rope nets, crawling through a pipe tunnel, and balancing on a plank across a muddy hole. I take shots at targets scattered through the course. At first, I feel silly for needing this distraction just because Daisy can’t entertain me for one fucking night.
When I think of JJ and his crew in Hickory Creek, my efforts take more intensity. I imagine I’m hunting them in the darkness. They’re threats, and I’m the only one willing to put them down. My shots sharpen. My movements speed up. My instincts strengthen. Soon, I have a rhythm I keep until an hour later when I catch up to father and son taking a water break.
“You do this every Friday?” I ask Erik after sitting on a stump next to them.
“I’m keeping Hudson busy, so he doesn’t think with his dick.”
My brother shows no reaction. The kid is a fucking cipher most days. I can’t even remember the last time he and I had a conversation where I didn’t wonder what he was hiding.
“Daisy has this thing she does on Fridays with her sisters. If it okay with you, I’d like to train with you those nights.”
“The more, the merrier,” Erik says, and I think he just told me he loves me in Erik-speak.
Hudson stands up like a dog catching a scent. His gaze searches the night. Erik doesn’t seem worried, so I finish my water.
“I’m gonna take a piss before we start up again,” I announce when they remain silent.
Still watchful, Hudson possesses his dad’s odd nature. Dayton is another Mojo, leaving me the only son to take after Clara.
No wonder she loves me the best.
Twenty Seven - Daisy
My dad isn’t a hot shot lawyer. His tiny office is located between a tanning salon and a Subway in a shopping strip near Hickory Creek’s border with Common Bend. His clients are slip and falls, nasty divorces and custody fights, and the occasional malpractice suit. His dream is to organize a class action lawsuit against a big company. This is seriously his only dream.
Until the magical class action appears, Dad lives comfortably in a ranch-style house in a subdivision in a better part of Common Bend. He calls Hickory Creek Township a shithole, but I prefer it any day to the chaotic town he claims is on the rise.
While Ollie Crest isn’t a bad father, he isn’t someone I look up to, and I can’t imagine this info would come as a surprise to him or anyone else. He simply exists most days while my mom acts if every day is a frigging party. I’ve seen her wake up with a smile on her face. I’ve also seen my father go all day without smiling. So, no, he isn’t my role model.
I still drop by his office once a month so we can have lunch and talk like friends even though we share nothing in common besides a last name and DNA.
We sit down at Subway with our sandwiches and struggle to keep up the conversation. I know a lot of people think my father never remarried because he’s still hung up on Sally. In reality, he lacks the self-care to draw any woman he’d find worthy of his time.
Rather than embrace his balding head and shave it like a lot of men do these days, Ollie pretends no one can tell he has a comb over. His teeth are brownish from too little care and too many cigarettes. He buys suits off the rack that never fit him correcting. He has a white boy’s flat ass and a middle-aged white man’s gut. If he put half of the effort into his appearance as he does into his yard, I suspect he’d have a wife and better clientele. Even poor people don’t want a lawyer who dresses like a hobo.
“I heard about a translation job in Nashville,” Ollie says after we’ve bored each other with weather talk for long enough. “It’s at the firm of a buddy of mine from law school.”
Ollie hands me his buddy’s card, and I look at the information. I
like the idea of working as a translator but don’t like owning my father anything. My mom says he’s petty. I’ve rarely seen this quality in him, but he is a lawyer.
“Thanks.”
“If you’re working in downtown Nashville, you won’t have time to date.”
“How do you figure?”
“The drive will take a good hour.”
Frowning, I know Ollie is talking around the Camden conversation. “My man is patient,” I lie. “He can come over after I get home.”
“So you’re dating the Rutgers kid?”
“Yes, but you already knew that. Everyone knows everything in Hickory Creek.”
Ollie gives me an arrogant frown. “I live in Common Bend.”
“And work in Hickory Creek.”
“You should move to Common Bend. I could help you put down the money for a little place somewhere safe.”
“I like Lush Gardens.”
“What does your mother think of your new boyfriend?”
“She thinks he’s hot.”
Ollie gives me an eye roll, and I notice for the first time how he and I share the same eye color. I don’t know why I never noticed that before. Likely because he’s rarely in my life and I’m easily distracted.
“Mom wants me to be happy.”
“That man won’t marry you.”
“My parents were married and ended up divorced. Marriage is overrated.”
Ollie shakes his head. “He’ll leave you living in a trailer park with a kid like your sisters."
"Camden comes from solid stock. I could do worse than to have his genetically superior kid.”
“If you have a baby, you won’t be able to work in downtown Nashville.”
Now I'm the one frowning. “I’m fairly sure lots of people with kids work in downtown Nashville,” I say and then wipe my mouth. “Wait, are you saying if I date Camden and have his bastard that I can’t work at your buddy’s firm?”
“No, I’m not saying that. You’re my only child, and I want you to succeed.”
“You mean, as compared to Sally, who has three kids, so she doesn’t care if I succeed.”
