by Bijou Hunter
“Your entire family is weird.”
Cavalry lifts an eyebrow. “Don’t make me throw down the MJ card.”
“She’s not as weird as she used to be.”
“Last summer, she winged a donut a Savannah for the sin of trying to read her man’s mind.”
“Well, tell your sister to stop using her mind reading abilities on my brother-in-law.”
Cavalry grins. “Fair enough, but Savannah can’t control her witchiness.”
“No, and my sisters can’t control their bitchiness.”
“Ba-dum-bump,” Cavalry says, and I admit I could use someone following me around making the rimshot noise whenever I spit out my snark.
“Are you finished with college?” I ask as I lock up to leave.
“I have a few credits left to go before I graduate. Those classes only take a few hours a day. I can work around them, right?”
“Sure, especially if you have help from your brother and sister.”
Cavalry stops me before we leave the house’s porch. “Why are you giving this to me and not one of the club guys?”
“Won’t you be one of the club guys eventually?”
“I don’t know.”
“Why?”
“It’s complicated.”
I think to push him for an answer, but the Rogers are secretive people. Their hippie code demands they stay on the down-low.
“I worked hard to make the business hum,” I say as we walk to where our Harleys are parked. “The moonshine side was complete shit after Cy Mullen ran it. The pot end was better, but I got everything running like a well-oiled machine. I just need someone who can do what I do like I do it and not fuck up anything.”
“And you think the club guys will fuck it up?”
Of course, the answer is yes, but I don’t say that because Johanssons know how to keep their secrets too. The younger guys in the club are spoiled bitches, coddled by their daddies. So, no, I don’t trust them not to fuck up what I’ve built.
But Cavalry isn’t part of the club, and our troubles aren’t for him to know. If he wants the inside dirt, he can hit up his pop. Meanwhile, I’ll do whatever I can to protect mine while he figures out how to trim the dead weight from a club that’s grown lazy from the easy life stronger men created for them.
THE UNWANTED
People including Colt claim MJ’s weird, and she probably is, but I don’t find anything odd about her. Then again, she took me under her wing right off the bat, and I tend to idolize those who treat me well.
Yesterday, she kept me informed on who everyone was at the large barbecue party at her parents’. The Rogers have a lot of kids, only half of them joined us, but I still couldn’t keep them straight. Well, I sure remembered Nevaeh and Sylvie.
I also met Farah’s sister, Tawny, and her husband, Judd. They showed me pictures of their grandkids who I’ll meet in Pema.
This time, Tucker stuck around longer at the family function. Maybe because he brought his wife, kids, and grandkids along.
Next, I met Cooper’s best friend, Aaron, who did all Colt’s tattoos. There was his wife, Lark, plus their son, Oliver.
Then there was Winnie and Dylan Campbell who are the parents of Shane and Shelby who do not drive down from Shasta which is the town without good pulled pork.
Without help from MJ and Colt, I don’t think I’d be able to keep anyone straight. Even confused a lot, I had so much fun. Kori made friends with Tucker’s granddaughters and the children of Lily’s friend, Sissy. Rae mainly stayed with Jodi who is thrilled to have someone new to tell her stories to.
Today, I’m stuffed and a little sunburned from the long day of fun, but I still agree to walk with MJ to Jodi’s house. Colt is at work, preparing things for when he’s out of town. I don’t want to be alone in the house, and Farah won’t be home for a few hours. So even if it’s another hot day, I pack up water and extra sunscreen for my outing with MJ and Thisbe.
“It’ll take around twenty minutes to walk to Gram’s,” she says when we start the walk.
Thisbe sits in a backpack carrier, able to see over her mother’s head. She eats from a sandwich baggie full of goldfish and frequently drops them on MJ’s hat.
“Are you making a mess on me?” MJ asks five minutes into the walk.
“No,” Thisbe says and wipes crumbs off her mom’s hat. Catching me looking at her, the child puts her finger in front of her lips to tell me to keep her secret. I wink and nod, getting giggles out of her.
“Colt said your hair is blonde,” I say to MJ as we take our time along the dirt path.
“It looks weird with my eyebrows, but, yeah, I’m blonde like Pop and Colt. Is he going to grow his hair back?”
“Yes.”
“Good. His bald head makes me sick. I don’t want to see my reflection when I stand behind him.”
Grinning, I glance up at Thisbe who points at a bird and then at one of the family’s dogs running to catch up to us.
“Colt wants to have a baby soon. I hope it’s a boy,” I say, already craving a child in my arms.
“How come?”
“I want the baby to be like him and not me.”
“But none of your babies are going to be like you.”
Frowning, I ask, “Why?”
“You had stupid parents and your babies won’t.”
“I hadn’t thought about it like that.”
“Sissy Mullen is a dummy,” MJ says after drinking from her water bottle and handing it up to Thisbe. “Some people think I’m a dummy too. One of us grew up happy. One of us didn’t. My happiness has nothing to do with whether I’m smart or not. It’s all about having a good family. Your babies are going to have you to take care of them.”
“But what if I don’t know how to be a good parent since I never had any. Even the one family that I loved sent me away when they got a forever kid.”
“My mom had bad parents, and she’s the best mom in the world. If you have a good heart, you’ll be a good parent. If you have a bad heart, it won’t matter if you had a great childhood. Look at Rod or Gary Lee. They were raised by parents who loved them, and they turned out like shit. Then there’s Dash and Sissy who have good hearts and an evil daddy. No, there are some things you can’t control. If you have a bad kid, it’ll be bad, but how many people have really bad kids? Even Rod and Gary Lee could have rectified at some point, but people forget to raise their kids once they get to a certain age. My parents are still raising me, so I’ll never turn bad.”
“Your parents are amazing.”
MJ smiles. “And they’ll be your parents now. That’s how our family works. You’re my sister, so I have to be nice to you. I probably would anyway, but I don’t have a choice since you’re family.”
“You’re going to make me cry.”
“That’s okay. If you get dehydrated and pass out from crying, I’ll drag you to Gram’s, and she’ll fix you.”
“I’ll drink extra water, just in case.”
“Good thinking,” she says and takes the water Thisbe hands her. “I like having someone at the house all day with me. I wish you didn’t have to move to Pema.”
“Don’t tell Colt, but I wish we were staying in Ellsberg too,” I admit. Then when she doesn’t react negatively, I blurt out, “I don’t understand why he wants to leave his family and friends.”
“It’s a man thing. Quaid said Colt doesn’t want to be a follower when his cousins are all running clubs. My brother was raised to be in charge, and now he has no one to boss around. He can’t boss you around because of the love thing, so he’s lost. That's why he’ll go to Pema even if he really doesn’t want to leave. The male ego is very complicated apparently.”
“I guess.”
“You can ask him to stay. He won’t be mad.”
“But he might not be happy here.”
“Colt’s always happy. He smiled all the time when we were kids. Even at school when he was bored, if I walked into the room to get him for something, he’d
smile. He’s excited just to be alive. He even smiled at Pop-Pop’s funeral because people were saying nice things about our grandpa. No, Colt will be happy anywhere.”
“I still feel like it’s a mistake to ask him to stay.”
“I don’t know because I just tell Colt whatever I want. I never worry if he’ll be mad, but you’re not me, so I guess it’s complicated. Why don’t you wait until you get back from Pema to decide? You might like it there. Vidalia is nice, and she’s kinda shy like you. She likes having babies and staying home. I bet you could be good friends with her. She had shitty parents too. Man, a lot of people do. What’s the deal with so many bad parents in the world?”
“People are selfish, I think.”
“Probably. I see a lot of people from school who are divorced now. I can’t imagine losing Quaid. He’s perfect for me. No one else is as good. If he wanted to leave Ellsberg, I’d go even if it hurt my heart. I just couldn’t be away from him. I think that’s how it’ll be for you and Colt in Pema. It’ll sometimes hurt to be away from Thisbe and me because we’re the best, but you’ll also be with your man, and that makes the pain easier.”
I study MJ, unable to find a single thing wrong with her. Her advice soothes my worry over the trip to Pema.
Arriving at Jodi’s house, we walk up to the deck to find Jodi, Rae, and Kori all reading from their separate tablets. I can’t believe how relaxed Rae looks when she notices me. With no worries about paying the rent or feeding Kori, she even smiles easier now. Life here is safe and quiet. She can finally read her books in peace.
Once inside, we enjoy sandwiches and lemonade.
“I got new shoes for school,” Kori says, showing me the sparkle-covered sneakers. “They were on sale.”
“Are you excited?”
“Yeah. Mom is going to take me the first day, and then Farah will drive me after that. I meet my teacher next week.”
“Orientation,” Rae tells me.
“Are you ever going to school, Thisbe?” Jodi asks.
“No.”
“Do you think the sky is blue?”
“No.”
Thisbe smiles at our laughter while MJ nuzzles her head. “Never say yes until you figure out your options.”
“No.”
The little blonde is so adorable, and I swear I see some of Colt in her. With the Johanssons’ strong genetics, I imagine my kids will take after their father. Shivering at the idea of little Colts running around the world, I can barely wait to meet my babies.
“I’m coming with you,” Kori tells me after lunch. “Farah said she can help me practice for first grade.”
MJ gives Jodi a weird look, but I think she just doesn’t understand anyone getting this excited about school.
“She said I could have the afternoon off to relax,” Rae says, and I can already picture her stretched out with her tablet.
“No,” Thisbe says, ready to crawl back into the carrier. “Kori.”
“She said my name!”
“You’re family,” MJ explains.
Kori smiles in the same way I do whenever I realize the blessings Colt’s brought into our lives. There are times when I panic about leaving Rae and Kori behind in Ellsberg. We’ve only lived in this town for a few weeks, and I’m already abandoning them. Who would Rae rely on if I’m not here? Who could she trust?
But the entire Johansson family has embraced us. They include us in their plans, make sure we’re protected, and shower us with the casual love they share with each other. Rae and Kori won’t be alone here. They’re part of something powerful now.
For Rae and me, we’ve finally found our forever families.
THE CHAPTER WHERE THE HEIR FINDS A NEW KINGDOM
THE HEIR
Riding my Harley on the highway for an hour and a half sounds like heaven, but I decide to take the truck to Pema instead. The heat is awful, Stella is still tender from Jera’s bullshit, and I refuse to wear a hat.
“If we have a boy, can we name him Kirk or would that be rude?” Stella asks twenty minutes into the drive.
Knees against her chest, she looks relaxed in a pair of loose shorts and a looser shirt. Her skin’s baked from the sun. We didn’t help matters by running around the last few days outside with Quaid and MJ.
“Why rude?” I ask.
“I don’t want to seem like we’re stealing the name.”
“Thisbe’s already named after my pop-pop.”
“Then we shouldn’t use it?”
“Screw that. I like Kirk. It’s not a weird name. One syllable, solid name. No fuss.”
Stella grins. “Giving up my birth control is exciting. Are you sure you’re ready, though?”
“Shit, girl, I’m more than ready to build an adorable army of little versions of us,” I announce before taking a breath and restraining my ego. “Or we can wait. It’s up to you.”
“No, it’s up to you.”
Assuming she’s feeling insecure, I start to reassure her. Then I catch her grinning and realize my girl’s ego is getting healthier every damn day.
“What about for a girl?” I ask since she’s got babies on the brain.
“Something simple, right?”
“I have trouble with weird names. There, I said it. I still can’t get Lily’s daughter’s name right.”
“Eugenie.”
“Why not Jennifer?”
“Because there are millions of Jennifers.”
“Wait, do you want to give our kids weird names?” I ask, praying Stella won’t want to name our daughter Glitter.
“No, but I don’t want something super common either. I liked being the only Stella growing up. Although there were a lot of Bellas and Ellas. I liked that part less.”
“Okay, so simple but not common.”
Stella checks her phone while I hum along with Huey Lewis and the News. We get through three songs before she sighs.
“I don’t know.”
“We have plenty of time.”
Stella leans over and kisses my right gun. “It’s going to be so much fun making our baby.”
“Fuck yeah, but now my dick is hard, and I can’t think.”
“I’m not sorry.”
“Neither am I,” I say, taking her hand. “Life is good, and it’s only gonna get better.”
“Are you nervous about Pema?”
“Nothing scary about spending a few days with my cousins.”
“I’m nervous.”
“Don’t be. Just know if you fall, I will catch you.”
“Time after time,” she says, finishing for me. “Oh, wait, what about the name Joy like from ‘My Name is Earl’? It’s short, easy, not too common, and would go nicely with Kirk.”
“Kirk and Jodi. Kirk and Joy. Yeah, that has a nice feel to it.”
Stella claps her hands, and I know she’ll want some vigorous baby-making later at the hotel.
“Heidi invited us to stay at her place, but she’s got her little ones, and I prefer when I can get loud in bed.”
“Better enjoy that now because once we have little ones, you’ll need to quiet down.”
“Or soundproof the master bedroom.”
Laughing, Stella radiates the kind of happiness—joy really—that makes me feel like a million bucks. It’s my job to make this woman love life. I know taking her away from her new family is asking a lot. Hopefully, Pema and my cousins do a solid job selling Stella on the town.
Nearly two hours later, and after inching through road construction, we arrive at the club’s base of operations, Belly Up Bar.
Heidi appears from the front doors before I get around to open Stella’s door. My cousin’s dark hair is tied up on her head, and she’s dressed in a sundress and sandals. Man, can she look any more harmless? To answer my unasked question, she carries her daughter, Onyx, on her hip while her son, Ax, follows behind. Knowing ice runs through her veins, I smile at her domesticated routine.
“Welcome to the best little redneck town in a state full of them,
” Heidi announces as we get out of the sun and under the bar’s green awning.
I hug her before introducing Stella who lights up at the sight of the kids. Neither one screams “Colt 45” when they see me. If I move here, that’ll have to change.
“Here’s the plan,” Heidi says, taking charge and making me wonder if she can handle a power-sharing arrangement. “Your lovely lady will hang with Vidalia while us gents talk business. Then we’ll meet up for dinner.”
Stella’s eyes do absolutely nothing to hide her wariness at this turn of events. Heidi scowls at her reaction.
“She prefers to remain attached to me.”
“Even with all the farting?” she asks Stella who loses her frown.
“I love the whole powerful package.”
Man, I wish I had a fart in the chamber to make a stinky point to my cousin. Unfortunately, I got them all out on the ride.
“Don’t you worry,” Heidi says, wrapping an arm around Stella’s shoulders. “I’m not ditching you with a regular old lady. You’re getting a primo Pema gal. My sister-in-law is as sweet as sugar. My mom might show up too, and she’s way nicer than Colt’s.”
“No,” I grunt. “My mom vastly out-cools your mom.”
“Don’t start.”
“You’re the one who started,” I growl, looming over her.
“Pu-leeze,” she says, pushing me away and laughing. “This ain’t my first rodeo, dork.”
Grinning at her reaction, I try to imagine working with her every day. I have no doubt we’ll drive each other crazy in the best ways. Yeah, I can see myself having a fucking ball with Heidi and Gunnar.
But there’s more to this move than a job. I need to make a home for Stella too. Despite her silence on the topic, she isn’t sold on leaving Ellsberg, Kori, Rae, and my family. I’m asking her to trust in me, and the next days are do-or-die when it comes to Pema.
THE UNWANTED
I do not want Colt to ditch me with strangers. Why can’t I stay with him at the bar? Heidi is there with her two kids, but she’s part of the club, and I’m not. That’s how things work for Farah and MJ. It’s how they’ll work for me.
