“You can see Jackson anytime you want, Laura. I mean that. You’re his grandmother.”
She nods her head and she turns away from me watching everyone doing their jobs. Henry looks at me and I should get home. I need to get away from this. Jackson seems to be getting fussy with being around all these people. The noise is getting to him.
“Henry, I’m going to get going. I need to get back to the house. Tammy and Mia are probably wondering what’s taking me so long,” I say regretfully and Henry shakes my free hand.
“I understand, Dalton. Go be with your family. We’ll contact you soon,” he mentions turning around holding his wife.
I walk away numb to the core. Once I get Jackson in the back seat and secured in. I seat in the front seat staring at Destiny’s handwriting. My name jumps up at me with urgency. I close my eyes and take a deep breath before opening the envelope. I tear the seal and remove the letter.
I look out the window and it feels like she’s right there sitting beside me. My head turns to the empty seat in the car. My eyes mist as the words leak from my mouth. “I promise,” I clear my throat. “Destiny, I promise,” my voice cracks some, choking on the emotion, that is threatening to spill from my throat as I stare outside.
My eyes misting and blurry. “I promise,” I whisper again.
Epilogue
18 years later…
Time flies by quickly having two little ones to run after. I remember the two of them being so small and then boom, they start school and then high school. It’s crazy, they grew up so fast that I feel like I just turned around for a second and then their young adults.
The shock I was in when Viper came home that day that Destiny was found in her apartment, when he told me she’s dead, I was in utter shock. I felt for her family and when Viper gave me the letter that she wrote, I broke down. I didn’t think of her as anything but a bitch but now I know she had problems. The court date for full-custody was canceled and was given to Dalton because Destiny was no longer with us. I remember the day that I got to adopt Jackson. I was so happy that day. I love that little boy just as if he was my own. Of course, now he’s a man, a young man. He looks so much like Viper. The girls chase after him like crazy. But I’m a mama bear. I don’t want some slut throwing themselves at my son. I want a respectful girl for him. Not someone who has slept with half the school and what not. So, when he brings girls around, they’ll be put through a test.
But, it’s hard to control a seventeen-year-old boy. He wants to do what he wants to do. If I tell him any different, it’s like I’m going against him.
Mia is a looker, that’s for sure. She took after me more than Dalton. She’s going to cause Dalton to have a full head of gray hair, if she keeps it up. She took a boy here last week to introduce us to him and let’s just say. Mia was not talking to her father for a day or two. The poor guy took off out of here faster than a Nascar taking off at the starting line. I felt bad for Mia I did. She’ll have it harder than Jackson, when it comes to bringing someone home. I just hope that she finds the right one and she’s happy.
This weekend coming up is Jackson’s birthday, he’ll be eighteen. We’re throwing him a little party with everyone. I just hope he likes it.
Mia’s upstairs right now with her friend Sarah. Jack seems a little out of it on the couch. I don’t know what’s going on with him lately but if I didn’t know any better, I would say that he has a little thing for Mia’s friend. Geri-Ann and Brandon should be here soon. This gang is thick as thieves. It’s nice to see that Alison’s and my kids get together, so well.
Geri-Ann and Brandon come walking in and Geri-Ann looks like a splitting image of her mother, my darling little sister. Ace has been having troubles trying to kept Geri-Ann at bay when it comes to guys. Geri-Ann comes walking up to me and gives me a hug. “Hi Aunt Tammy. Where’s Mia?” she asks. Geri-Ann and Mia are inseparable, they do everything together. The things that come up with sometimes has me questioning what they talk about all the time. Geri-Ann already being eighteen has an effect on Mia. Mia wants to do what Geri-Ann does. So, when it comes to parties and what not that Geri-Ann goes to. Mia wants to follow, it’s hard on me to let her but I need to let her live and makes mistakes to learn from them. I can’t keep her home locked up, even though Dalton would disagree with me on that one.
“Mia’s upstairs in her room with Sarah,” I mention and she nods her head and takes off.
Just before she runs up the stairs I hear her. “Hey, Jackson,” she shouts running up the stairs I hear Jackson grunt out something but I can’t catch what was said.
“Hey, Aunt Tammy,” Brandon says then goes and takes a seat in the living room with Jackson.
Now, Brandon takes after Ace one hundred percent. It’s crazy how they resemble each other. It’s eerie. It’s a mini younger, Ace.
Well, my house is always full, the kids are always either here or at Alison’s. I make my way to the kitchen to make a coffee and I notice the time. Crap, I better start making supper. My poor husband will probably be starving by the time he gets home.
Half an hour later the front door opens and closes. Viper comes walking in the kitchen and he looks the same as the day I met him. Of course, he’s matured a lot since then but he’s looks and his body. Damn that body is still like it was eighteen years before. He has grease on him and he gives me a grin and comes over to me. I raise a brow at him then I raise the spatula. “Dalton, don’t even think about it, your all greasy,” I tell him.
“Aww, come on baby. Don’t you want me to touch you with this hands,” he says and Jackson groans.
“Dad, please don’t try and molest mom when I’m right across the hall,” Viper chuckles and shakes his head.
“Damn, how many of them are here?” he asks.
“Jackson and Brandon are in the living room. Mia is upstairs with Sarah and Geri-Ann. Sorry papa bear but it’s PG for now,” I reply and he pouts, looking hurt by my comment. I chuckle as I walk up to him and give him a kiss on the lips. “Go get cleaned up, supper will be ready in a few,” I mention and he nods his head and turns to leave but he stops short. He turns back and walks back over to me and grabs my face and devours my lips.
“That PG enough for you?” he asks and I nod my head. Damn, he still gets me so worked up. Even after all these years, this man with a simple touch can have me going off.
I lean up and give him another peak to his lips.
He smiles down at me. “I love you, Tammy,” he whispers against my wet plush lips.
“I love you too, Dalton.”
“I better get my ass in the shower,” he mentions with a raised brow, daring me to join him.
“Dalton, the kids are home. I won’t be scrubbing it up with you,” I give him a stern look and he grumbles under his breath. He stomps off like a little kid out of the kitchen and makes his way upstairs. I chuckle, shaking my head. It’s like I got three kids instead of two sometimes.
I continue making supper and Jackson and Brandon are yelling at the TV because of some game they are playing, the girls are quiet upstairs. God, only knows what they're doing or planning upstairs. I know that Mia has a crush on someone but she hasn’t told me who. She’s keeping it from me and it stings a bit because we talk about everything. She’s always come to me to talk and now she’s hiding something and I have a feeling deep down, that it’s something her father will have a canary about.
I take out some plates from the cupboard and take them to the dining room, setting them on the table. I go get the utensils and napkins for the table. After, I’m done setting the table I make my way back to the kitchen and take out the ham out of the oven. The veggies are done and the potatoes are ready. Everything’s good to go.
I hear footsteps coming down the stairs and it’s more than one, so, I know it’s the girls. I swear they know when the food is ready. It’s a good thing, I made a huge ass ham. Three teen girls and two teen boys and then Dalton and I. Yeah, there won’t be much leftovers, that’s if ther
e’s any left over at all.
The girls walk past the kitchen to the dining room. The boys are still into their game, I shake my head. You would think they would be the first ones to sit down to eat, they are growing boys, but nope. The game is so enticing, that they don’t even register the smell of supper being ready to devour. “Boy’s supper is ready,” I shout loud enough for them to hear me over the game. I hear the TV pause and Jackson comes into the kitchen.
“Mom, do you need any help taking anything to the dining room?” he asks. It warms my heart that he calls me ‘mom’, he knows what happened to his real mother. I didn’t want to hide it from him and neither did, Dalton. So, we told him two years ago, I remember the shock and hurt at first but he understood after we told him everything and showed him the letter from Destiny.
“If you could take the potatoes and veggies,” I reply and he grins nodding his head.
“No sneaking anything till your father comes down,” I say sternly and he grumbles.
He brings the food out of the kitchen and then a clean looking Viper walks in a few seconds later. “Smells delicious, baby,” he says kissing my forehead.
I give him a smile in return. “Can you take the ham in? Your son is ready to eat a horse, I think,” I chuckle. Dalton grabs the ham and leaves the kitchen. I double check to make sure everything’s taken to the dining room.
When I walk in the dining room, I notice Jackson staring openly at Sarah. Oh Boy, I knew it. I fucking knew it. He has the same look on his face that Dalton had when he first saw me. Sarah is a club member’s daughter, Hammer’s daughter in fact. LeeAnn and Hammer ‘Dean’ had their baby girl close to a year after we had Mia. I just hope nothing bad comes from this. But it seems by looking at Jackson and Sarah. Sarah seems to be oblivious to Jackson’s feelings. I’ll have to get Dalton to have a little talk with him. Because if Jackson doesn’t say anything, she’ll never know.
I wouldn’t have believed if someone told me eighteen years ago, I would have the family I’ve always wanted. Dalton being the best husband ever. My niece and nephew are just like my kids, they’re always here. We’re all one big happy family and I wouldn’t change it for anything in the world. What would I do without them? I seriously don’t know. If I didn’t smarten the hell up and decided to take another chance on Dalton. I would have lost some much. I would have lost a good husband, because I wouldn’t have known he had it in him. I would’ve lost Jackson because he was Destiny’s and Dalton’s, not mine.
I’m just thankful that I opened my eyes and followed my heart. It would of turn out miserable, if I didn’t. I thank God, every day for my miracle. My little Mia, my angel. I think of my first pregnancy and when I close my eyes, I see another little girl. I have a feeling that the first time around, it was a baby girl. She smiles softly at me every time I think of her. It’s like she’s watching out for me.
The End
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
J.J. Marstead lives in a quiet little town in Quebec, Canada. She is originally from a small Island in Canada called ‘Prince Edward Island’. J.J. Marstead is the pen name; she wanted to have a pen name because it seemed pretty awesome. Her real name is Jessica Martell, and no she is not ashamed of writing. She loves to read and now she has taken up writing as a new adventure. She’s a stay at home mom, so she has plenty of time to think of naughty things to write. Married to the love of her life of nine years, they have a lovely daughter who is seven years old, and they have two dogs, full house.
Viper: The Brimstone Kings MC Page 19
