“They’re outside with Dex in their playhouse. Did you know about that?”
Renda grinned. “Yeah, babe, I knew about it. Hell, the girls and I picked it out and you better be glad because even as big as your backyard is, I don’t think you would have been thrilled to have the one the guys were gunning for!”
Angelina laughed. The Brothers all had a “go big or go home” philosophy in just about everything they did-from runs to rallys to family outings- and she had been on the receiving end of their generosity countless times since Laser had died. “Thank you all for tempering their enthusiasm. I love them all, but they can get over the top sometimes, y’know?”
At that, Eva began laughing and said, “Ah, seems that our guys are the same way. They don’t meet a stranger and I cannot tell you how many pies they have their fingers in around town to ensure that those less fortunate know God’s love.”
“I’m looking forward to getting involved with things Eva, once I get a handle on what Zeke wants me to do,” Angelina said.
“Oh honey, you’ll be involved, that’s for sure! Did Zeke mention we do a potluck on Sundays after church? Just a family day with all the kids, no talk of work or anything like that. Sometimes, we’ll have dance off parties with everyone.”
“I think I’m going to like it here. Heaven’s Sinners saved me long ago and I’ll be happy to pay it forward any way I can.”
Eva looked at the petite redhead and could tell there was a story there. She walked over to the young woman and put her arms around her shoulders and softly said, “I’m happy to listen whenever you want to talk.”
Angelina looked at her in astonishment before replying, “Okay. I’d like that very much.”
More noise at the back door had the three women looking to see Dex coming in with the two girls, Zeke and the rest of the Brothers and old ladies trailing behind. Walking up to Renda, Dex gave her a quick kiss before he asked Zeke to bless the food so they could eat. With every head bowed, Zeke gave thanks for the hands that had helped today and for the food they were about to eat.
As talking and laughter filled the air, she went and made plates for the girls who were working on charming their way through the group of people. Several of the old ladies came up to her and told her that they had kids in the same age range and she was excited about the fact that they would get some socialization.
***
With the meal cleaned up and almost everyone gone save Dex and Renda, who were staying overnight, and Zeke, they settled at the kitchen table. The girls, still a bit tired from their moving adventure, went down without a fight, leaving the adults to talk.
“Angelina, here’s the address for the church and also for the clubhouse,” Zeke said.
Taking the paper and noticing the strong, bold pen strokes, she said, “Thank you. For everything. I am blown away, quite honestly.”
He looked at her and again felt something inside. Deciding that he would pray about it once he was home and alone, he said, “Well, there’s more.”
“Uh, what do you mean ‘there’s more’?” she questioned.
“Since we didn’t know what kind of living room furniture you wanted, we set up an account at the furniture store in town. You go shopping on Monday and get what you want and need.”
“But…but I thought I was starting work on Monday?” she asked.
“Tuesday’s soon enough,” he replied. “They’ve been a hot mess for months now and one more day isn’t going to make a difference.”
“Okay, if you’re sure?” she asked.
“Positive.”
Renda looked at Dex and he rolled his eyes before bursting into laughter. “Guess we aren’t going home tomorrow afternoon after all, huh?” he asked, teasing his wife.
“Uh, no. I’m going shopping with Angelina while you and Zeke do whatever you Presidents do when you get together.”
Angelina sat there stunned. Her mind went back to when Laser and Dex first found her and she thought about how different her life could have been if they had walked on by instead of stepping in and stopping her. “Dex? Seems to me that Heaven’s Sinners has been saving me for years now,” she softly said. “And if I’ve never said it before I’m saying it now, thank you. I don’t know where I would have ended up if y’all hadn’t stepped in that day.”
“Darlin’, there was no way I could have or would have stopped him. Even then, you had the look of someone who was going to have a great purpose and that wouldn’t have been served in an orange jumpsuit.”
Zeke looked between the two of them knowing he didn’t have the full story but realizing that he had gotten enough to know that somehow, Dex and Laser had interceded on her behalf. While he was curious as to what had happened, he knew that if she wanted to share she would in her own time. Standing up, he looked at the three of them and said, “I’m heading out. Look forward to seeing y’all in the morning.”
Angelina stood and walked with him to the door. As he turned, she lightly touched his arm to catch his attention and when he looked at her, she looked up and said, “Thank you again for all you and the North Georgia chapter have done to make this move so easy for the girls and I. You’ll never know how much it means to me.”
Looking down at her and seeing the sincerity shining from her eyes, he took a quick breath in before replying, “You’re more than welcome. See you tomorrow.”
Chapter Four
Angelina woke up with a start before she realized that she was in her new room in her new house. She still couldn’t believe the changes in her life, not just in the past week but over the past six years. From homeless to having a home with two healthy, beautiful girls and a family that was unlike any other. She took a few minutes to thank God knowing that at any minute she would need to get up and start getting herself ready to go before she got the girls up. She was grateful for the pastor from her old church, the foster home she had been in was all about keeping up appearances and it had left her confused about the hypocritical nature of people and somewhat bitter against the church. When he explained that there were those out there who had missed what it meant with respect to the redemptive nature of the work on the Cross, she understood that they had not ever truly accepted that gift. It was then and only then that she was finally able to shed the shame and guilt over things outside of her control and begin building a new belief tree about herself-she was beloved, she had worth and was worthy of love. Through it all, Laser had been at her side.
She smiled in remembrance of him. He was so vibrant and larger than life and despite his own screwed up past, he had loved her to the best of his ability. She never understood why they hadn’t gotten married, something that had saddened her in the beginning because at least then, she would have had something of “his” attached to her. Then she found out she was pregnant and realized that she had a piece of him that would live on through their child. When she found out she was carrying twins, her joy knew no bounds despite realizing that it would be challenging to be a single mom with not one child but two. However, her family had come up alongside her and walked her through it every step of the way. Her church from before would have shunned her for being an “unwed mother” but the church she attended with the rest of the folks at Heaven’s Sinner MC had showered her with love and gifts. Looking at her phone, she realized she needed to get up and get a move on. Eva had told her the day before to dress for comfort; the church didn’t thrive on ceremony and there were people who would be there in suits and dresses while others would be in jeans. The Brothers would, of course, have their cuts on but they’d have a dress shirt underneath.
***
Heading into the kitchen with the girls, she saw that Renda was pulling a pan out of the oven. “What’s that?” she asked.
“Well, I didn’t think about it last night, so I had Dex run out and get the stuff for you to make your brownies. This is the second pan and I already put the mint topping on the first pan. That way, we have something to take to the clubhouse for the potluck.”<
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“Oh, shit, I never thought about that at all!”
“No worries, I’ve got you covered and honestly, they probably wouldn’t have thought about it being that you just moved in yesterday. Now, let’s get those girls fed so we’ll be ready to head out, okay?”
Feeding the girls was sometimes an exercise in futility, but thankfully today, they were cooperative. As they ate, the adults talked some more about the changes and Angelina expressed her thanks once again to her friends.
“Angel, no thanks are necessary,” Dex told her firmly.
“Actually, they are Dex,” she replied. “If I grow complacent thanking people when they do something for me, I’ll be no better than those who feel entitled to every little thing. I don’t take what was done for the girls and I for granted or lightly.”
“And we all know that, sweetie, hell, even the old ladies from this chapter remarked on how gracious they thought you were,” Renda said.
“They seem like a great group of women and I can’t wait to get to know them better. Several have kids the same age as the girls, or close enough to it, that I know they’ll have some socialization.”
“Don’t forget that they have a daycare too, darlin’, and that will help on the days when you have to make your rounds.”
“Yeah, just like I did back home. I figure that Zeke and I will go over some of that today and hopefully, on Tuesday, he will take me around to the businesses so I can meet everyone and get the paperwork I need to get started.”
“You’re in good hands with him. He’s good people, Angel, or I wouldn’t have suggested you to him or even considered letting you relocate.”
She thought cautiously about what she was going to say next. “Um, he seems nice enough…” she started.
“Sweetie, he’s a handsome, godly biker for heaven’s sake!” cried Renda.
“But Renda, that’s just…I don’t know, I mean, I’ve had an old man, remember? There’s no way…”
Dex, realizing that he was likely impeding the talk, said, “C’mon girls, let’s go get cleaned up and let your momma and aunt Renda talk, okay?”
Once they had left the room, Angelina looked at Renda and voiced her concerns. “I mean, wouldn’t it be weird if I got involved with him? Hell, we literally just met yesterday and while I admit that I felt an attraction, you know me well enough to know that I am not a pursuer by nature.”
“Sweetie, haven’t you ever heard the story of Ruth?”
“Well yeah, she followed her mother-in-law Naomi to Naomi’s homeland.”
“And…?”
“And what?”
“There was more to the story. Boaz was a distant relation and Naomi had Ruth follow him in the fields and he allowed some of the best stuff to be left for her to gather and he eventually took her as his wife as the kinsman-redeemer.”
“Hmm. I don’t recall that part. I guess I better reread that book, huh? Anyhow, we’re getting ahead of ourselves totally. How about I work on getting settled in here and whatever happens, happens?”
“Look, you’re young and have your whole life ahead of you, sweetie. All I’m going to say is don’t shut the door on something if it presents itself.”
“Okay, okay. I won’t, I promise!”
Chapter Five
He found himself standing outside of church and told himself he was waiting for Dex, even though he kind of suspected he was lying to himself. There was something captivating about the woman he had met yesterday and even though he had prayed last night, he was no closer to receiving any kind of revelation or confirmation. He saw the SUV pull into the parking lot and made his way over to where Dex was pulling in, going to the side where Angelina was sitting and opening the door once the car was shut off.
“Good morning, Angelina. I trust you and the girls had a good first night?” he asked her.
“Good morning, Zeke. Yes, as a matter of fact, we were very comfortable. And whoever decided to expand the girls’ bathroom like they did is an absolute saint!”
He chuckled before saying, “Well, I’m no saint, but I remember a friend once having twins remarking that the best thing they ever did was build out their bathroom like that and I guess it stuck with me so when I heard you had twins, I had the guys do the same.”
“Thank you. It’s much appreciated, that’s for sure!”
As they made their way into the church, he guided her toward the nursery where she filled out paperwork and got a restaurant-style beeper that the workers informed her would vibrate if there was a reason she was needed. “What a neat system this is,” she said.
“It keeps the interruptions to a minimum even though Pastor says he doesn’t notice it too much,” the woman said.
Leaning down, she kissed both girls saying, “Have fun and be sweet my babies.”
Walking into the sanctuary, she was amazed at the number of Heaven’s Sinners cuts she saw. They took up almost a third of the sanctuary and she was greeted by those who had been at the house the day before with a wave or a nod or a smile. Smiling back, she continued to follow Zeke, sliding in next to Renda while he sat next to her on the other side, handing her a bulletin.
***
If she had to use one word to describe how she felt after the service it would be refreshed. The Pastor had started a new series entitled “I am who God says I am” and judging by what he had covered this morning, she was going to get a lot out of it.
As they made their way back to the SUV with Zeke once again helping her with the girls, she looked up at him and said, “I think I’m going to like it here.”
“I’m glad. We’re involved in a lot of community things, both as the MC as well as part of this church, and I’m sure you’ll find something that sparks your interest,” he told her as he buckled Cailyn into her carseat.
Looking over at Dex, he asked, “Do you remember how to get to the clubhouse?”
“Yeah, Brother, we’ll see you there. Going to stop and grab a few things.”
“No need, we have it under control.”
“Ah, I forgot to grab more pull-ups,” Angelina admitted.
“I’m sure we have those as well.”
“I’ll need them for later too.”
“In that case, we will see you there, okay?”
“Thank you.”
***
What a gorgeous day for a potluck she thought, looking around at the families and kids surrounding the back section of the property. The brownies had been well-received and the food was wonderful-all the comfort foods one could want. Now, the older kids were off playing tag while the younger ones were on the playset that was over under some shade trees.
As she headed over to grab a drink, she ran into Eva. “Hey girl, those brownies were a hit! You know you’ll have to bring them every week now, right?”
Angelina laughed and said, “That’s fine. I don’t mind making something else as well. What about a potato salad? I’ve heard mine is pretty good.”
“I suspect anything you make will be well-received. C’mon, I want to introduce you to more of the old ladies. These are the ones who weren’t there yesterday, but they all helped get the house ready in some way.”
“Oh, I’ve been wanting to meet them! I don’t promise to remember all their names yet, but want to thank everyone for what they did to help get the house ready.”
Eva walked with her over to the group of women who were sitting near the play area and said, “Everyone, this is Angelina and those two cuties out on the playground are her little girls.”
With “hellos” and “welcomes” ringing in her ears, she did her best to remember the names but they started to blur together. Laughing, she raised her hands and said, “I can promise I won’t remember your names right now. Faces? Absolutely. But names sometimes take me a bit longer, so bear with me as I commit them all to memory. I wanted to thank all of you for everything you and your old men did to help get the house ready for the girls and I. It’s absolutely gorgeous and I love the colors you
chose and the girls were over the moon when they saw their room. Whoever had the idea to get them new “babies” is also to be commended because they haven’t let them out of their sight since they laid eyes on them.”
One woman, who introduced herself as Marta, said, “We’re glad you’re here Angelina. Anything you need, you let us know and we’ll help you get it, okay?”
“I appreciate that greatly. I do need to know where the local grocery store is because there are a few things the girls like in particular and I need to get them.”
Eva looked over at Renda and said, “If you don’t mind me tagging along tomorrow on your furniture shopping trip, I’ll be glad to show you some of the local area. And we put a list of the local pediatrician and pharmacy, as well as a few other important numbers, on the side of your refrigerator. I forgot to show you yesterday.”
“Oh that’s awesome! I didn’t even look because the girls were wiped out and we were too. Honestly, without all the extra hands yesterday, I would probably be more tired than I am.”
“Many hands makes light the work,” said one of the women. Debra? Deanna? No matter, she’d learn their names in time.
“I fully agree.”
She sat there in the company of mostly strangers, save Renda, and felt more comfortable than she had in years. They talked about the upcoming MC events, as well as things happening at church that they wanted to get involved in and she listened, taking mental notes.
“Eva? Do they have a woman’s Sunday school class?” she finally asked during a lull in the conversation.
“They do. I think they’re getting ready to start a Beth Moore study. I can find out for you if you’re interested?”
“Yes, please. I’ve done several of hers in the past and they were really helpful in a lot of ways.”
Hearing a throat clear behind her, she turned and saw Zeke standing there. “Angelina? Got a few minutes? Thought we could go over a few things before Tuesday,” he asked.
“Uh, sure…um, Renda?”
“Go on, sweetie, I’ve got the girls,” Renda said.
Her Kinsman-Redeemer Page 3
