by Bijou Hunter
With my work done and Stella busy with Kori, I decide to focus on my real job these days—finding the trio of girls a better place to live.
I find Gram Jodi sitting on her back porch, overlooking both the pool and the wooded yard where my pop played as a kid. This house has a lot of stories to tell, and I’ve heard most of them over the years. Gram loves to gossip about the good old days when Kirk was alive, and her kids were pains in her ass.
“Hello, lovely lady,” I say, walking up the steps to the deck.
“Save your charm offensive. I’m not baking you cookies.”
Smiling at her cranky response, I slow my approach. “MJ made me a sandwich before I came over, so can I go back to charming you?”
“Have at it?” she says, reaching for her sweaty glass of ice tea.
“Is that spiked?”
“It’s noon.”
“So yes then?” Though Gram gives me a frown, I bet she’s sauced already. “How are you feeling?”
“What do you want?”
“Only to bask in your wisdom and kindness.”
“Did you piss off your pop and now I need to save your life?” she asks, snickering behind her glass of tea.
“Of course not,” I balk and sit in the chair on the other side of the small table. “I’m a damn angel with that man. If he says otherwise, it’s because he’s jelly.”
“Then what, kid?”
“I’m in love.”
“With that girl who trashed your club brother’s bike?”
“Yeah,” I say, sighing happily. “Talk about a meet cute. She was a vision of beauty wailing on the pervert’s ride.”
“Sounds theatrical, but what do you want from me?”
I think to explain Stella’s living situation, but figure Gram already knows the details. No one is more plugged into the Ellsberg gossip mill than my grandmother.
“I want you to let Stella and her friend rent out the garage apartment.”
“It’s only one bedroom.”
“So is the motel they’re at, and the apartment has a couch, so they don’t all have to sleep in one bed.”
Gram’s eyes remain hidden behind her glasses so I can’t read her mood. I know she doesn’t like people around the property. As Lily pointed out, though, Gram’s got to be lonely out here.
“What happens if this girl dumps you?”
“Why would she? I’m fucking brilliant, and I treat her real nice just like I was raised by my mom and that sweet lady right there.”
“Stop kissing my ass.”
“Never.”
Gram smiles because the woman can’t deny my charms. “I don’t want drama here, and I feel like agreeing to this shit is asking for drama.”
“Rae isn’t the friendly sort. She’ll keep to herself. Her kid isn’t the loud, fun type. She’ll keep to herself. I think they mostly just read. Plus, Stella will be naked with me a lot so you won’t see her. Drama averted.”
Gram smirks again. “You’re the one I’m worried about when it comes to drama.”
“I’m a rock.”
“What if she’s using you?”
Waving off the suggestion, I immediately reply, “She isn’t. I’ve got her pegged. The girl is solid. Next question.”
“What if she bores of you?”
“I don’t accept that as a real question.”
“What if you bore of her?” she pushes, really trying to rile me up. Unfortunately for her, I’m a rock—as previously mentioned—and it’s too hot to get mad about much.
“I get where you’re going, but I’ve got plenty of ex-girlfriends, and I don’t sabotage things for them.”
“Did you think you might be in love with any of them?”
“All of them,” I lie because I hope to win this conversation. “I’m always on the verge of love, Gram. It’s the romantic fool in me.”
My grandmother drinks her ice tea—for five fucking minutes!!!—without speaking because she’s a tough chick and knows how to remind people she owns steel balls.
“I want to meet them first. If it feels wrong to me, it’s not happening, and I don’t want you throwing any tantrums.”
“I’m going to go ahead and let that last part of your comment slide since I’m getting my way with the first part,” I say, leaning over to kiss her cheek. “You’re such a gentle spirit.”
“Shut up, Colton.”
Laughing at her tone, I sit back in my chair and sigh. “Did you hear that Pop and Angus Hayes got drunk on their last meet-up in Tennessee?”
“No.”
“Oh, yeah, so Pop and Hayes were drunk and decided to arm wrestle. Wanna guess who won?”
“Considering Cooper didn’t immediately tell me about his triumph over the giant, I’d guess the butternut won.”
“Pop also sang to Mom while they were drunk. Wanna see the video?”
Gram stops playing stoic matriarch and lowers her glasses to reveal curious blue eyes. “And what do I have to do to see it?”
“A sandwich would do the trick.”
“You boys always want food.”
“These muscles can’t survive without constant calorie intake,” I say while flexing my guns.
“Well, I’m not making a sandwich, but I have leftover pork and slaw inside.”
“I love you.”
Gram breaks into a great smile before standing unsteadily from her chair. I help steady her, frowning with concern.
“Fine, the drink is spiked, narc,” she mutters.
Laughing, I offer my arm so she can hold on while we make our way into the large house she once shared with my pop-pop.
“Kirk had that garage apartment built for when his guys got kicked out by their wives. Then your father moved into it when he started college and wanted somewhere to party with his sluts. Oh, boy, were there a lot of sluts until your mom showed up.”
Despite hearing this story more than once, I murmur approvingly so she’ll continue.
“Then Cooper moved out, and Bailey moved in because she wanted to be more independent. Your poor grandfather ground his teeth to dust worrying over her leaving. I mean she was right fucking there, but he didn’t like his baby wandering too far off. He was fine with your pop and Tucker running around town, but not his baby girls.”
“In the immortal words of MJ, misogyny.”
“That’s how it was,” she says, setting leftover dishes on the counter. “Your pop, though, is worse. He can’t even stand you being out from under his thumb. I sometimes wonder if he expected the four of you to live in his house forever. He knows you gotta grow up and move on, but he comes over here whining about how Audrey doesn’t visit enough and Lily is always too busy.”
“MJ’s good, though.”
“Yeah, now. He really likes that yurt of hers,” she says, giving me a smile. “He likes Quaid too. They talk about man shit, and Pop feels like he understands Quaid. Not so much with Dash and Cap. Oh, man, he constantly bitches about those two, but more than anything, he bitches about you.”
“Why me? I’m the golden child.”
I don’t know if it’s the booze or my comment, but Gram nearly laughs herself to death. While she giggles at my expense, I enjoy her leftovers and wonder if she’ll ever stop cooking so much food when she’s the only one here. If I lived a lifetime with Stella and then lost her, I don’t know if I’d ever stop acting as if she was returning at any moment. Pop-Pop’s been gone for most of my life, but she still keeps his boots at the back door.
“You’re spoiled,” she says after laughing herself exhausted and sitting down.
“So was Pop.”
“True, but he had a lot more to prove when he was younger than you ever did. Kirk loomed large in Ellsberg, and a lot of people didn’t think your father could live up to him. That put pressure on him and made him a bit mean. Coop really could be a selfish dickhead. Your mom was a good influence. Settled him down and gave him a safe place to be gentle rather than having him think he needed to be an asshole twe
nty-four seven. He wanted to be tough like his dad, but Kirk grew up poor and unloved. That makes a man hard in a way that can’t be duplicated by a spoiled brat like Coop.”
“You’re the one who spoiled him,” I point out.
“I won’t apologize for wanting my babies to have a better life than I did,” she says, waving off my accusation. “Why should they struggle if I could help them?”
“They turned out good,” I say with my mouth full. “Even Tucker.”
Gram exhales hard. “He was always such a stupid child. I never understood why either. Kirk wasn’t dumb. I wondered if Tucker got it from me or at least my side of the family. At least, your sister has an excuse for being off. Her poor little head had a huge lump on it for a while. Your mother blocks that out and claims MJ was fine after the fall. Cooper lies about it too because he loves Tucker and doesn’t want to have to kill him.”
“Killing family is a big no-no. It’s why I don’t kill him either.”
“Tucker’s still an idiot, living here away from his family.”
Patting her hand, I give her my most sympathetic smile. “I’m sorry you had a stupid child.”
“He claims he got hit in the head too much as a kid, but that didn’t start until he and Coop were teenagers. They fought a lot. I didn’t get in the way because they were soft and I knew they’d never really hurt each other. It was friendly fighting like how Jack always tackles Scarlet. My boys just like roughhousing, but Tucker’s decided he’s the black sheep and we were always mean to him.”
“Midlife crisis made Pop unbearable. Now it’s Tucker’s turn,” I say, getting a refill of un-spiked ice tea. “Too bad he can’t take Maddy to the Caribbean and get his freak on.”
“He’ll do it eventually. Tucker always copies his brother, but he’ll bitch and moan first before he gets there.”
“I’m glad we’re talking about Tucker’s failings and not mine.”
Narrowing her gaze, Gram points at me. “You piss off your father, but it’s his fault. He raised you to take over for him. Then one day, he realized he was still young and didn’t want to retire. Now he’s mad that you’re restless. The man went to fucking law school,” she says, raising her voice. “I know he can count. Yet how come he didn’t realize he wouldn’t want to retire when you were in your twenties? Kirk was already forty when we came to Ellsberg, for fuck’s sake. I swear your father just doesn’t think sometimes. In his head, you’re all little kids, and he’s still living in his father’s shadow.”
“He’s right about that last part. Some of the older guys don’t fear him like they should. They knew Pop-Pop and think Pop’s soft in comparison.”
“He ought to make an example of them,” Gram says with a hard tone to her voice.
“That he should.”
“There’s a reason he’s the president and not them, but Cooper thinks like a businessman.”
“Exactly. I just told him that last night.”
“He won’t want to hear it from you.”
Sighing, I get her a refill before spilling out my inner whine.
“I disappoint him. I get that, but I’m not changing. Like with Stella, he wants me to ditch her to make the club happy. Bullshit. Do you think any of those fuckers would ditch their women if I asked them to? Of course not, but I need to behave. I’m not a damn kid. I’m older than Pop was when he took over the club. If I can’t be in charge, fine, but Stella is the girl for me. I can feel it, but he acts like I’m a teenager with my first crush. This shit is real.”
“I know it is, baby,” she says, patting my hand. “Settle your britches.”
Even grinning at her expression, I mutter, “I want to kill Rod.”
“I know.”
“What would Pop-Pop do?”
Without missing a beat, she says, “Kill him. Your grandfather wasn’t particularly attached to most people. He’d been around for too long and knew no one would shed a tear when he died. Those people who cared, though, he was loyal to. He liked Judd and then took in Vaughn. They were good guys to him. He trusted them. A few of the older guys too, but they’re all dead now. His time is over, and it’s your pop’s turn, but those younger guys who came up with Coop aren’t loyal. They want the money and power, but they wouldn’t eat shit for the club. Judd would eat it and ask for more if it meant protecting his brothers. He’s a hard man. Someone like Rod isn’t. So kill him if you want, but you better expect his father to come after you.”
“I can handle Eagle Eye.”
Gram laughs. “MJ does that ‘E’ noise whenever she sees him. She’s done it for years, and it still pisses him off. I swear these men today are such fucking babies. He had to know Eagle Eye was a dumb name, but he wanted it. Now he loses his shit because a girl mocks him. Kirk would have beat him silly if he were still around.”
I don’t know if Gram needs a hug, but hearing her talk about Pop-Pop makes me want one. He died when I was too young to realize what I was missing. Sure, I cried and wished he were still around, but only years later while talking to Gram, did it hit me of how large of a presence he was in our family.
I don’t think I’ll ever be so important. It’s a different time, and the family’s changed. Gram and Pop-Pop were rougher, starting fresh after a lifetime of crumbs. Ellsberg was their paradise. They raised their four kids, who went on to raise nearly a dozen more kids, many of whom have left town. The time of men like Kirk Johansson is over, which is probably why Pop runs the club differently. Like it or not, I’ll need to learn to see the world the way he does or else I’m no better than a whiny fuck like Eagle Eye and his rapist son.
THE UNWANTED
Colt arrives at the motel in an SUV. Earlier, he texted me at work to say he wanted to take the three of us out to dinner. I’m disappointed I won’t have him to myself tonight. Most of the afternoon, I’m a little down. He’s everything, and I don’t know how much longer I’ll have him in my life. I really don’t want to share, but it’s not like I can admit that to anyone.
My sullen mood ends as soon as he arrives. His shirt is something I suspect he’s owned since he was a less buff teenager. The fabric pulls around his shoulders, and I sigh wistfully at the thought of what’s hiding underneath.
Sweeping me into his arms, Colt ends my worries with a needy kiss. The world falls away when I’m against him. No one else exists for however long we shamelessly make out in the motel parking lot.
“You look real sexy,” he murmurs against my cheek before reaching down to adjust his jeans.
“Right back at you.”
Before we can get inappropriately obscene in public, Kori walks outside with Rae close behind. They look like twins with their matching blue shirts, jean shorts, and beige sandals. While I highly doubt Rae ever plans out her clothes, they look adorable.
“Where are we going?” Kori asks, giving Colt a side-eye.
“Gravy Inc.”
“I don’t know that.”
“No, I doubt you do, but it’s got lots of good eating.”
Kori reaches for her mom’s hand in the same way Colt does mine. I try not to laugh at how she mimics him. As heroes go, I can’t imagine anyone better.
“Is this your car?” Kori asks once we’re pulling out of the motel parking lot.
“No, it’s my family’s car. I only have my truck and a few bikes.”
“Why do you need more than one bike?”
“Because I’m a diva with a taste for speed.”
“I don’t know what that means.”
“It means he likes motorcycles,” I explain.
“Does your mom know you took her car?” Kori asks while Rae stares out the window at the town we now call home.
“Yes, she does.”
“Is she nice?”
“Yes, she is. Nicest mom in the world.”
Kori immediately glares at him. “Better than my mom?”
“Umm, no?” Colt asks, chuckling at her expression. “It’s not a contest.”
Unsure about
his response, Kori looks at her mom and then back at him. “Okay.”
“Do you have a dog?” I ask to distract from the current “whose mom rocks most” conversation.
“My family owned a dozen dogs at one point, but we’re down to only five now.”
“That’s a lot of dogs,” Kori whispers in awe.
“They’re big, rough dogs. Not good for little kids, but that’s what my pop grew up with, and that’s the kind of dog he liked.”
“What kind of dog do you like?” I ask.
“If I were getting one for me, I’d want a Boston Terrier. A friend of my family owns a few. Those dogs are useless for protection, but they have funny faces and always crack me up. Plus, I think they fart more than normal dogs.”
Kori might be a high-strung kid, but she laughs at anything related to farts, poop, or burps. I giggle too, remembering how much Colt loves his “butt burps.”
“We are here, ladies,” he says, parking the SUV near the front of a long green building.
The restaurant is about half full when we enter. A waitress hurries over, but Colt tells her that we’re meeting someone.
My entire body seizes up with fear, and I nearly puke. Who is here? Is it his family? Why didn’t I do more to smooth out my hair? I probably look like a mess, and they’ll think I’m a loser. His father already doesn’t like me. Now none of them will.
“Deep breath,” Colt whispers in my ear as we stop at a table near the salad bar. “Stella, this is Jodi, my grandmother.”
A small blonde woman with long curly hair and bright blue eyes gestures for us to sit. Colt does the intros, and Rae mumbles hello. I think I do too. Kori is more interested in sitting near Colt than meeting a new person.
“You should order the pulled pork,” he tells her. “Get the honey sauce, not that hickory crap.”
While Kori listens to his every word, I smile stupidly at Jodi who sizes me up.
“Colt figured instead of making a big to-do that we could meet here.”
I nod obediently, having no idea how to talk to this woman. My mind races with topics that all sound dumb.
