“I never thought Wheels would be a good husband or father. I told Barbie to find someone else,” Bronco says and chuckles. “I told her that, just like she said the same to me with Lana. Neither of us really understood life. But when you find that one person you need, you’ll chase them even if they’re not good for you. And Wheels wasn’t good for Barbie. But she loved him, and he loved her. Neither of them was the best parent, but you turned out good, Conor.”
Trying not to sound defensive, I ask, “Why are you telling me this?”
“I don’t know,” he says, and I believe him. “Seeing Lowell get so frustrated about protecting Monroe made me realize I wasn’t worried at all. She has you. That’s why I’m not stressed about those two fucks in the apartment or Monroe’s uncle. I figure you have a plan. I probably spent too long thinking of you as a kid or another Wheels. I don’t feel that way anymore. I’m letting you lead this shit with the North Dakota assholes.”
I glance out the door to find the lobby still empty. Looking back at Bronco, I know showing weakness is a mistake. But I feel as if he’s opening the door to a new relationship between us, and I have to be strong enough to look soft.
“When my parents struggled, your home was my sanctuary. I will always do right by you and your family.”
“I know.”
“I know you know, but I still had to say it.”
Bronco offers a loving smile that disappears when Lowell storms into the room.
“I want them dead. Then, we kill their fucking dad.”
“I get that,” I say as he paces around the ping-pong table. “More than anyone, I get that, but killing them is a mistake.”
“Bullshit. Don’t do that calm crap where you work out all the angles until nothing seems like a big deal. What happened today was a big fucking deal.”
Bronco watches Lowell seethe, choosing to remain silent. I’m calling the shots here, and I need to make my future VP stand down and listen.
“Killing them is easy. Going to war with their dad is more difficult. I believe it’s better to have new allies than far-off enemies. If we piss off people up north, we don’t have eyes on them. We won’t know who he might send here.”
“We’ve fought plenty of assholes.”
“Yes, because you had to. Because they wanted Elko, and the club and the Woodlands can’t survive unless we hold this town. But Clive McNamee doesn’t want our territory. He doesn’t even want Monroe and Needy. Clive’s a big man in a little town, and he demands respect. Monroe running off bruised his ego. Then, we took Needy, and he looked like a chump.”
“I don’t fucking care,” Lowell growls.
“Monroe doesn’t want us to go to war with her uncle and cousins.”
“Well, I don’t fucking care about that, either. She doesn’t see them as threats, but they attacked her today. One of them punched her in the head. How are you okay with them living?”
Despite Lowell baiting me, I remain calm. “The Executioners shouldn’t be dragged into a possible war to make us feel better. Isn’t that why the club didn’t help me grab Needy? Because personal business isn’t club business.”
“I want them dead.”
“Because you’re thinking like Monroe’s dad.”
Lowell’s expression shifts and he looks like he needs a hug. He might be thinking back to when Summer was shot by a rival club, and Bronco was forced to choose a retaliation that didn’t lead the Executioners into an ambush. Now, Lowell needs to put his personal feelings aside for the community’s benefit.
“The window will be fixed by late tomorrow,” I tell Bronco while Lowell adjusts to how he can’t walk down the hallway and put bullets in Clive McNamee’s meathead sons. “They might end up being here two nights. I’d suggest we get on a call with their father tomorrow before they leave. Monroe mentioned to him how my uncle was the big shit, and her dad was the second-place winner.”
“Shut up,” Lowell growls at my wording while Bronco smirks.
“Point is he knows she’s my woman, but also that I’m not the one calling the shots for the club. It’ll cement our position if he hears from you two.”
“We’ll hash things out,” Bronco says and nudges Lowell. “We’ll turn this into a positive, so Monroe and her mom won’t need to worry anymore. They can focus on life in Elko.”
Sounding tired, Lowell mumbles, “I still want to punch them in the head.”
“I mean, this is Monroe we’re talking about here,” I say, patting his shoulder. “You know she nailed them in the balls, right?”
Allowing a grudging smile, Lowell sighs. “Yeah, but she shouldn’t have needed to.”
“True, but I do have good news for your rage boner. I asked Brian Clive how he knew to grab Monroe and Needy from Bambi’s. I assumed they didn’t just get lucky. Turns out we have a local boy willing to sell info to outsiders.”
Lowell and Bronco share a look that reminds me of when I was a kid and trouble was brewing for the club. My dad and the club guys wore that specific expression. I didn’t know what it meant specifically, but I understood how the community was getting locked down for safety. Now, I know they were gearing up for violence.
“We’ll give the guy a visit later,” I say, and Bronco gets on his phone to send the other men a coded message about the rat.
Lowell sighs and asks me, “Is she really okay?”
“A few scrapes and bruises. Nothing worse than when she wrestles with Dunning.”
“She’s going to destroy that boy’s ball sack.”
“Monroe’s okay, Lowell,” I say, noticing how he’s grinding his teeth. “I understand how you don’t know her well yet, but I do. The violence didn’t scare her half as much as thinking she might lose Elko.”
“That’s the thing. I don’t know her. Now, assholes are trying to steal her away before I even know what her favorite color is.”
“Brown.”
His dark eyes flash with irritation, thinking I’m lying. “You’re fucking kidding, right?”
“Nope,” I say, patting his shoulder a little too hard. “How about once things settle down, you and Monroe can take an overnight trip. You’ll learn a lot in a short time. By Christmas, you two will be as tight as Bronco is with Desi.”
Lowell recalls how his friend bonded with Lana’s then-nine-year-old daughter. These days, they act as if they’ve always known each other. One day, Lowell will feel the same way with Monroe.
Soon, Bronco decides to take off. He’ll meet us after dark to grab the rat and make an example of him. Lowell lingers at the Overlook, though. When I suggest he stay over in one of the spare apartments if he’s worried, he immediately agrees. Lowell Sinema won’t relax until the McNamee boys are out of the state.
MONROE
After Uncle Clive gets his boys back in one piece, he sends an appreciative message to Conor. No doubt, by then, Brian Clive had explained how a war with the Executioners was a dead end. Now, Uncle Clive wants to be friends.
“Scary men can be very big-hearted when they meet someone scarier,” Conor says to me. “The smart ones, anyway. The dumb ones just go charging into battle and end up dead. That’s natural selection at work.”
Clive’s first attempt at making nice is organizing a quickie divorce between Needy and Francis. She even gets a sweet settlement for her troubles.
“I’m still staying at the Overlook with Amity,” Needy insists when she thinks the club might push her out. “I don’t need my own place. I’ll move in with Monroe once the house is finished.”
Having a second den mother at the Overlook proves tricky. Jena and Needy aren’t fast friends, and some of the club guys are leery about partying at the apartments when my mom is around. It’s not as if she’s checking on any of them, but they still hesitate. Finally, Needy comes to Rooster’s one night, shares a few drinks, and mentions all their dicks. That’s when they settle down and stop acting as if their mom is living at the Overlook.
Months later, Uncle Clive puts on his charm
offensive again when he travels to Elko for my wedding. I’m surprisingly stressed about his family walking around my safe place.
“You wanted them here,” Conor points out when I pace before their arrival.
“Yeah, because I was thinking about cementing the alliance shit, but what if they start trouble? Or Needy beats up Immee? Or my cousins punch me, and Lowell breaks them in half with his super-daddy-powers?”
Standing nearby, Dad smirks at my comment. Though he’s on edge about their visit, too, he does love when I claim he can kick everyone’s ass.
Lowell and I have been closer since our trip to Cedar Point, where we rode roller coasters, ate overpriced food, and made up for lost time. He even held my hair when I barfed that night in the hotel. I ended up in bed, smiling at my daddy taking care of me. We finished the evening by watching one of those “Planet of the Apes” movies on cable. Even since we returned to Elko, our relationship no longer feels awkward.
And now he gets to walk me down the aisle at my Woodlands clubhouse wedding. Topanga, Needy, and I designed the décor, going with an autumn theme. I didn’t want anything over the top. Conor isn’t a showy person, and anything too glam would turn him off.
Even lowkey, our wedding is beautiful. Lowell tells me that he loves me before walking down the aisle. Needy and Amity are my bridesmaids. Conor asks Dunning to be his best man, already thinking of a future when my brother will watch his back. Carina acts as our flower girl, and Future is the ring bearer. Bambi wanted her grandson to have that role, so I promised he could do it at my next wedding. Bambi flipped me off in response. We’ve found a good groove in our relationship.
While Rooster officiates the wedding, Bambi sits with Bronco and Barbie. The groom’s side is filled with the Executioners and their families. My side is bunnies and out-of-towners, including one from Missouri.
For weeks during preparations, Conor insisted Aja attend. Barbie said no. He claimed she would pretend to be my cousin. Barbie said no. I said Aja might move to Elko. Barbie got upset and stormed off. Then, we just pretend Aja is my cousin when she shows up for the wedding. By then, Barbie is cool with the lie, and the wedding goes off flawlessly.
“You picked a good one,” Uncle Clive tells me during our dance. “That puss in Bismarck would have given you flat-faced kids.”
That’s the closest he gets to admitting he fucked up. Much like the Barbie and Aja situation, I take what I can get.
Despite the betrayal, Needy and Immee don’t fight. I suspect they’re done with each other now. Uncle Clive will keep in touch, just in case he ever needs an ally in this part of the country. My aunt, though, doesn’t want to see me married with kids. I realize why when I’m dancing badly with Conor toward the end of the night. Her emotionless mask slips, and I notice the resentment and grief she feels. There’ll be no wedding for Immee’s baby girl. Every time she sees me, Zella’s absence hurts more. The distance between Ohio and North Dakota proves to be a godsend.
Before leaving for Missouri, Aja orders me to keep doing right by her brother. “I don’t want to high kick your head.”
“No one wants that,” I tell her, and she winks.
After the wedding craziness dies down, Conor and I focus on our future house. He’s got design ideas and even sketches while I lack any strong views on décor. I only want comfort and warm colors. Oh, and bedroom suites for my mom and Amity. Plus, a decked-out basement with a ping-pong table.
“A pinball machine, too,” I announce while Conor and I go over ideas. “And a basketball arcade game.”
He grins, not only because I remember our first date, but because I’m solely focused on the superficial crap. Room sizes, outlet locations, and plumbing is all stuff I don’t understand or care about. He can be the big brain in charge of those details.
“I want bedrooms enough for two kids,” I insist one day during dinner with Needy, Barbie, Lowell, and Topanga. “You didn’t like being an only child, and I occasionally wished for a sibling. We’ll have two, at least.”
“I never wanted more,” Barbie announces. “I was sick of dirty diapers, and that thing where babies vomit without warning. Once I had a perfect kid, that was enough.”
“I felt the same way,” Needy says and pats my knee.
The women share a knowing grin. Recently, they started a “Mom Squad” with Fairuza and Lana’s mother, Lineke, who regularly visits Elko. The four single women hang out one night a week—playing games, drinking wine, and talking shit about people. Well, that last part is just my assumption.
“What happens in Mom Squad,” Needy tells me when I ask for gossip, “stays in Mom Squad.”
I’m thrilled my mom is building a life in Elko, rather than only remaining here for me. She’s back to journaling, hates gardening with Barbie and Fairuza, but loves to go dancing both at Rooster’s and a few places in Cincinnati. She’s even learning to ride a motorcycle, and I’m planning to buy her one for her next birthday.
Conor’s relieved his mom has a new group of friends. He also encourages her relationship with a local podiatrist.
“He rides a Harley like a schmuck,” Barbie says when Topanga asks for details at Bronco’s backyard get-together. “He’s a wannabe tough guy.”
Smirking, Conor hugs his mom. “And now he has a tough hottie riding bitch on his hog.”
“It’s nothing serious.”
“That’s okay. Not everything has to be love.”
“I had my one great love. Now, I just want someone to take me out to dinner and give me sloppy oral sex.”
This comment broke the weaker men around us, but Conor denied his mother a grossed-out reaction. I wouldn’t be surprised if he knew she was about to say something to rile up her brother and Lowell. Conor is always two steps ahead of people.
That’s why, even before the wedding, he knew I needed to quit working at Bambi’s Bar & Grill. I already missed nearly a month of work when Conor and I traveled to six East Asian countries on an extended pre-honeymoon. Next year, we’ll spend time exploring Western Europe. Conor hopes to get as much traveling done before we create our first mini-him.
Despite barely working, I was reluctant to give up my job.
Conor explained, “Lowell won’t want his daughter serving locals.”
“Elko dorks don’t know who I am,” I assured him.
“Lowell’s ego can’t allow the townies to order around his princess.”
I admittedly blushed when Conor pushed that button. “Okay, then. But what do I do with my days when you’re not around?”
“Hang out with your mom, nap, play with the kids in the neighborhood to give their parents a break.”
“Nap, you say?”
And that’s my life now. Hanging out with my friends, playing with their kids, waiting for Conor, and then clinging to him when he’s done with work. That next summer, I start a soccer team for the Woodlands kids. Plus, Pixie’s teenage sister, Dove, and I often take the kids on walks to wear them out.
Over time, I find my niche in this community, and not in a kiss-ass way like I did in Minton. I’m the real me here, good and bad. And the Woodlands community knows I’ll take good care of Conor. Despite him often feeling alone, he’s loved by these people. Many have known Conor since he was kicking Barbie from the inside. He’s also the spitting image of the man they miss. And, now it’s Conor’s time to shine.
CONOR
Topanga always feared if Dunning’s first time was with a bunny that he’d end up marrying one. She was right, too. But keeping Dunning away from the Overlook wasn’t enough to prevent him falling for a bunny.
I don’t know who came up with the idea first. Monroe mentioned it during our first double date with Lowell and Topanga. The seed was planted in her stepmom’s head. Then, Lowell started feeling regrets over never giving Topanga another child. But I think Needy was the one who talked Topanga into admitting she wanted a baby. The possibility festered for a while, building steam in her heart. Finally, Lowell agreed with trying
to have a baby.
Legal adoption would allow too many eyes on our business and buying a baby felt weird.
“What if the girl is being pressured?” Monroe cried. “We can’t be the bad guys.”
Lowell and I just rolled our eyes together, amused by her denial of who we are in this world. In the end, surrogacy made the most sense, but who would carry the baby?
“I can go nine months without pot,” Amity said, selling herself as an option. “And no one wants to fuck me anymore now that I’m Needy’s adopted baby girl. You people have hang-ups.”
Personally, I thought Amity was a terrible choice. She’s emotionally fragile and easy to bully. Putting her in that position felt like a mistake.
“If I help them, I get to stay part of the Executioners’ family forever,” she said one day to me. “Even if Monroe and Needy stop loving me, I won’t be alone.”
I considered explaining how her new family clings to their loved ones. As long as Amity wants them, they’re hers. But those words come from a rational kind of thinking that she doesn’t trust.
So, I kept my mouth shut. If the universe thought the surrogacy was a mistake, it would have to interfere somehow. I wasn’t playing the bad guy.
Of course, the first procedure was a success. Then, early in the pregnancy, Lowell moved Amity into the family’s basement. With this setup, she would still have privacy, but help was right upstairs if she needed anything.
Meanwhile, Needy moved into Barbie’s house rather than live alone at the Overlook. The two women tend to get along around half the time, which is about how well my mom does with Fairuza.
Amity enjoyed her new living situation—babying from Topanga and Lowell, living across the street from Monroe and Needy, and a teenage slave to run her errands. Dunning was less thrilled.
“I prefer my siblings full grown and rude like that one,” he’d say, gesturing toward Monroe. “I’m thinking of moving out.”
Frost (EEMC) Page 27
