“I take it you slept well?” Ghost managed to get out amidst his laughter.
“Fuck! I guess I did. You have something for me? If not, I need to get up and join the land of the living. I’m supposed to be here making shit easier on Poppy, not sleeping while she carries on as usual.”
“You need down time too, brother. You’ve been going hard. Actually, that’s what I wanted to tell you. We’re running down a few leads the electronic way, and I want you to take time off from club shit for a couple days. We need you fresh when we get the information and everything’s a go.”
“Do not sit on anything thinking I need to recharge!” It was a demand, and I didn’t care in that moment whom I was speaking with either. I meant it. There would be hell to pay if they kept a lead from me, thinking I needed to recharge, and the bastards were able to go to ground. I’d be equally pissed if they took off and went after them without me.
“Don’t worry, Smoke. Nothing is happening without you there, and we sure as fuck aren’t going to be sitting on anything. Soon as we know, you’ll get the call.”
“Fine.” I huffed the word out and then scratched a hand down the beard that had been threatening to grow in fully. “That it?”
“That’s it. Go enjoy family time while you have it, brother.”
“Yeah,” I told him and then hung up.
By the time I managed to get myself cleaned up and out to the living room, I found Brantley sitting there trying to explain to Bubba why he couldn’t build with his blocks. Poppy was in the kitchen making what looked like lunch. I moved right up behind her and put my hands around her waist, resting them gently on her belly before I dipped down and placed a kiss on her neck. She had her hair swept up into some sort of messy bun-ponytail hybrid. It probably would have looked horrible on anyone else, but not Poppy. Her green eyes flared at me as she turned to offer up one of her brilliant smiles.
“Did you sleep well?” She asked, as if that was necessary. Obviously, I had.
“Too well, apparently. I didn’t mean to miss breakfast with you guys. You should have woken me.”
She turned in my arms and shook her head at me before running a finger under my eye and smoothing it out across my cheek until she reached the short beard I’d just trimmed up. “No. You needed some good sleep for once. I was happy to let you sleep and get rested. Now that you’re up though, you could get Brant ready so we can go have a picnic. That’s what he wanted for lunch.”
My heart slammed against my chest. Poppy couldn’t have known, but Brant had been on his way to a picnic with his parents when the crash happened. That was their thing. They’d go off to find another new place where there were easy hiking trails, or something to see in nature like a waterfall or a river, and they’d take a family day to go picnic and enjoy being in the world without being surrounded by the day-to-day bullshit.
“I’m not sure that’s a wise thing to do,” I told her.
“Why not? It’s just a picnic.” I took a minute to explain things to her and watched as her face morphed into one of sadness when she glanced back into the living room where Brant was still playing while Bubba kept watch over him.
“I didn’t know,” she finally said.
“You couldn’t have known that’s what he was asking for.”
Her shoulders immediately straightened, and she tipped her chin up to me. “We’re giving him this. From now until he’s a grown man, we’re going to give him that part of his family so he can always have a piece of them. His memories will fade, but the tradition they started doesn’t have to.”
I didn’t think it was possible to love her any more than I already did, but damn, she was amazing. “Okay, Poppy. We’ll do this, but until these assholes are caught and brought to justice, we’re going to have to make a modified picnic.” I leaned in and kissed her nose before I took off for the hall closet where Poppy kept spare blankets and sheets.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m preparing a special magical place to have a picnic. You make the rest of that food, and I’ll get everything else ready.”
There was an old area rug tucked away in the tiny little shed off to the side of the house that was perfect for what I’d need, and once I was finished, I had managed to string up a nice little blanket fort that Poppy would be able to stand up straight in, even if I had to duck down a bit. Little man would think it was huge. When I was finished, I went back inside and gathered up my family while helping Poppy bring the last of our picnic supplies out.
“Whoa!” Brant’s eyes lit up when he saw the outside of the fort. Granted, it was nothing more than a bunch of mismatched sheets, but still in a kid’s eyes it was something new and shiny. “What this?”
“It’s a magic fort, little man.”
“Whoa!” His response had us both grinning as he entered. I had built in a little entryway to the big tented room, but once we got in there I dropped to my knees and put down the plate of sub sandwiches Poppy had made. I had laid the area rug out on the ground and then piled blankets and pillows all around the periphery, so it looked like we were in the middle of genie’s lamp or something. Brant moved in circles, taking everything in and then he ran to me and threw his arms around my neck. “Unc Moke, you builded dis fo me?”
“Yeah, buddy.”
“Wub you,” he told me before letting go and calling out to Bubba who had been hesitant about entering our little blanket fort. “Bubsba!” He demanded and finally Bubba low-crawled his way into the tent as we laughed at the beast of a dog who looked like he was afraid of his own shadow when confronted with the monstrosity of sheets in the yard where he usually did his business and played catch.
“I think Bubba’s wondering what we did to his yard,” I told Brant. He laughed.
“Bubsba, come. Wets pway.”
“How about we eat first and then play?” Poppy asked.
“Bubsba has a sub too?”
“I have something special for Bubba,” Poppy insisted, and she pulled a large rawhide bone out of the little backpack she had brought out. Once Bubba had it, he took off to a far corner and lay there while gnawing at the thing. Seeing Bubba content made Brantley more willing to eat first and play later.
It didn’t take long for little man to finish his food and go about exploring the tent space I’d created. It wasn’t even long after that when both Bubba and Brantley were out like a light for naptime. There was something to be said for having the pillows splashed all around the place.
“Look at that, didn’t even have to fight him into a bed. Maybe we should leave this up all the time,” Poppy mused.
I snickered. Considering not a single bit of this is waterproof I don’t think that will work out too well.”
She shrugged. “Worth the shot.”
“Has he been hard to get down for naps?” I felt bad again because she’d been dealing with that while I’d been mostly absent.
“It’s not that bad, but he doesn’t like to go to sleep because he has bad dreams.”
“Shit, Poppy” I started to say but she leaned over and put a finger to my lips.
“Shh, it’s okay. Everything is going to be okay. It was bound to happen with him. He lived through a horrific car accident that killed both of his parents. He’s adjusting to them no longer being here. I’d say he’s doing remarkably well, considering.”
I could have apologized a thousand times over for leaving it all to her, but I knew she didn’t want to hear that. Instead I leaned in, moved her finger away from my mouth and replaced it with her lips instead. “Thank you,” I whispered against them. “Thank you for being there for both of us.”
“You never have to thank me for that, Smoke. I know why you haven’t been around. I understand. If I’d been able to blame someone for my family’s death, I’d be doing the same thing.”
“No, you wouldn’t. Your brother would,” I corrected. She simply laughed.
“If that’s what you need to keep telling yourself. If someone had been respo
nsible, I would have just joined up with all the girls of S.H.E. and rode off into the sunset with them to get my vengeance.”
“You know how to ride a bike?” I asked while grinning down at her.
“Well, no. It can’t be that hard though. I’m sure one of them would have been able to teach me.”
“I’ll teach you. Never know when those crazy bitches will want to expand and start a new chapter.” I winked at her then and she just laughed at me.
“Keep grinning like you know I won’t do it. I’ll be the most badass motorcycle momma you’ve ever seen!” Her instance was cute as hell.
“Speaking of,” I told her as I managed to get Poppy spread out beneath me on her back. “I think you’re going to have to hold off on your plans of female biker world domination until this little bundle arrives.” I nudged her belly, through her shirt, with my nose before leaning back up and kissing her again. “If I didn’t tell you before, I need for you to know, I’m so fucking happy to be starting a family with you.”
“Me too,” she breathed out before our lips locked in a lingering kiss once more.
Chapter 13
The giant grin on my face as I walked into the firehouse two days after seeing my baby on that monitor couldn’t be missed. “What the hell is that all about?” Shep asked skeptically. Surfer just smiled as he watched me approach them. He already knew about the little bomb Poppy had dropped in the clubhouse.
Instead of telling either of them my news I held up the small black and white photo of the blob the doc told me was my kid. “This,” I explained as I watched Shep’s eyes round out in surprise while Surfer simply continued to smile at me.
“Congrats, brother!” Surfer finally offered up with a quick hug and slap on the bag once I was close enough.
“Are you serious?” Shep asked while eyeing the ultrasound photo. “Poppy?”
“Who the fuck else?” I asked, brows knitting together in confusion with a slight twinge of anger.
“Sorry man. I saw Julie at the funeral. She was awful clingy, didn’t know if there was something you weren’t telling me.”
“Fuck no!” I roared before Shep threw his hands up in the air and backed up a few steps.
“Bring it back down, dude,” Surfer told me. “Honest mistake,” he added. Not that it helped much. I knew I was overreacting, but the idea of someone close to me not knowing that I wouldn’t step out on Poppy pissed me the fuck off.
That was when Shep damn near tackle-hugged me. “‘Bout time we had some good news around here. I’m so fuckin’ happy for you, man.”
“Thanks,” I mumbled into his shoulder before pushing him off of me. “You know it’s not your baby, right?” I teased him. “We’re not having a love child. That shit was over the top.”
He came at me with arms out again. “But babycakes! You said you loved me! What the fuck do you mean it’s not my baby?” I took off in the opposite direction with the asshole chasing me. “Come on honeybunch, bring that baby belly to me so I can love on it!”
“What in the absolute hell is going on out here?” We all pulled up short when our Captain’s voice rang out through the engine bay.
“It’s nothing. Smoke’s having Shep’s baby, but won’t admit it.” I watched as our Captain rolled his eyes and then reached down to pick something up off the floor. Shit, how had I not noticed we dropped the ultrasound photo? I made my way to him with my grabby hands already reaching out.
“This yours?” He asked.
“Yes, sir!”
He smiled widely at me then. “Tell Julie congrats for me.”
“Here we go again!” I heard Surfer huff out as he moved in close. Obviously, I needed to bring Poppy around the station so everyone knew I had a new woman.
“Broke it off with that bitch almost eight months ago,” I told the man. “Poppy is my woman. She’s the one who’s pregnant.” I heard a gasp behind us and finally looked to see why my Captain had assumed things. In an unfuckingbelievable turn of events, Julie was standing there by Engine One watching us.
“What the hell are you doing here? I thought I made myself crystal fucking clear when you fucking stalked me and showed up at Poppy’s house trying to snatch Brantley?”
“She what?” Shep yelled from across the bay where I’d left him.
“I wasn’t trying to snatch him,” she insisted. “I thought it was what you would want.”
“Why the fuck would I want that when I told you I was through with you and not to come around me again?”
“We talked at the cemetery.”
“No, you talked and clung to me. Your bullshit made me miss my own sister’s funeral. I wasn’t able to lay her to rest with my mom’s necklace because you caused a huge fuckin’ scene. Why the hell would I want you to pick up my nephew?”
“Oh God!” Her voice trembled, along with her quivering lip, indicating that she was about to full-blown emotional meltdown. It was something I refused to deal with.
“You need to get the fuck out of here and don’t come back. I’ll be talking to the magistrate later about a fucking restraining order against you for Poppy, Brant, and me.”
“There’s no need,” she offered dejectedly. “I just came to tell you I was sorry. I thought…” She shook her head as tears fell down her face. “I thought we were never over and that you just needed time.”
“I have an old lady who I’m proud to put on the back of my bike and claim,” I insisted knowing it was a low blow since I’d never publicly claimed her as such. “We’re starting a family together. You need to stay gone.”
“How could you replace me like that? We were together for five years, and you never claimed me that way.”
“Maybe because somewhere in the back of my mind I knew you were being a deceitful cunt. You were too busy pining for my brother to care if I fucking claimed you properly, remember?”
“That was only early on,” she argued again.
“I’m not having this conversation with you again. We are done. Been done. Retroactively done. If I could take back four years of memories of being with you, I would. I’d keep the first year though, as a reminder of what a lying bitch you are. Now, get the fuck out of here.”
“Sounds like we can call our boys in blue since she’s been an ongoing problem,” one of the guys mentioned. I wasn’t sure which because I was physically radiating anger at that point.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…” She sniffled loudly. “Oh God, I’m so sorry,” she murmured again before she left, shoulders shaking and hands swiping up to clear away the tears that were streaming down her face. It wasn’t that I didn’t have a heart to care about someone in pain, but I couldn’t bring myself to do so for her. She had caused this. She’d caused a rift between my brother and me that only compounded the problems we were now having after losing Sophie.
“What the fuck is wrong with that woman?” Shep hissed out once she finally made her way out of the engine bay.
I just shook my head. “I don’t know what the hell she’s thinking lately. I went months without seeing or hearing from her at all, then Soph, and…” I couldn’t finish. Just the fact that the bitch would take advantage of my sister’s death to try to reinsert herself into my life made me want to punch something or someone. “I need to find these Russian assholes soon. Need an outlet!” My fists clenched at my sides as I tried to unclench my jaw. “I need this shit to be over with so I can get back to life with Poppy, especially now that we have Brantley and a baby on the way too.”
Surfer clapped me on my shoulder. “We’ll get you there.”
I glanced over at him then. “You have your own shit going on right now too,” I reminded him. When a guilty looked slipped over his face, I cut those thoughts right off for him. “We never know when shit will hit the fan, brother. You couldn’t foresee this shit going down with Gillian and her ex any more than the rest of us could see what happened when we…” Surfer’s new woman had a kid already when they met. The kid’s father happened to b
e a member of a rival club, and while he hadn’t been in their lives since before she gave birth to Kade, the bastard was trying to force his way back into their lives now that he discovered she was hooking up with an Aces High member.
“When they stuck their necks out for my family and it cost them, heavily,” Shep muttered before walking away.
I sighed. Surfer leaned in. “There’s no taking his guilt over that away. He just needs time to come to grips with how everything played out.”
“Eat those words, because the same applies to you. You need help with the situation you’re in, you just let me know.”
“Thanks, dude. Same offer stands,” he insisted. Then the serious vibe melted away replaced with happiness. “Tell me about the appointment you went to?”
“We could hear the heartbeat,” I managed to get out without getting myself all choked up in my girly fucking emotions. “Sounded like a damn racehorse galloping away in there.”
“Yeah? I’ve heard it before, but I bet that sound is something else when you know it’s your kid making it.”
“Fuck, I didn’t even realize I wanted kids of my own until I met her. Figured I’d already practically raised my brother and sister and didn’t need to experience that again.”
“You think you’ll have more after this?”
“I’m gonna give that woman a whole house full of babies to take care of. Just in case she ever thinks of leaving me, she won’t be able to with all those mouths to feed.” I explained with a laugh. I didn’t have any concern that Poppy would leave me. I just wanted to make sure she was always happy enough that the thought never occurred to her and I knew one way to achieve that was to give her the family she’d been dreaming of for so long.
We spent the rest of our shift moving from a small house fire to three separate accidents with injuries in the surrounding area. By the time we got back to the station with an hour left to go I was ready to crash, but my cell rang curtailing plans of a quick catnap before heading home to my woman and my nephew.
Redemption Duet (Aces High MC - Cedar Falls Book 0) Page 38