by K. J. Dahlen
“Junie wanted me to give it to you if you ever came to help her daughter,” Ethan explained. “I also wanted to talk about what’s going to happen now.”
“Okay,” Deke took a deep breath.
“I want you to go home, have a good supper, get to bed early and no food or drink after midnight. I don’t want you to drink any alcohol tonight and I want you back here at seven in the morning. The best place to gather bone marrow is the hip, so we’ll make an incision there, then we’ll drill a small hole and draw out some of the marrow from your bone. Then we’ll make a serum and after we administer it, we have to wait twenty four hours to see if it worked. If it did, we’ll be able to give her the drugs and her body should accept them.”
“Can we meet Quinn?” Cassie asked.
Dr. Bright shook his head. “I think it would be better to wait until she’s begun her treatments. I don’t want anything to stand in the way of her accepting this course of action. She’s in a fragile state of mind right now and she needs to concentrate on getting better.”
“Can I at least see her?” Deke asked. “I won’t speak to her or let her know I’m watching but I would like to see her.”
Dr. Bright was about to shake his head when Charlie spoke up, “Sure Deke, I can show you where she is.”
Deke turned to him and nodded. Looking over at Cassie he said, “I’ll be back in a minute.”
Cassie gave him a slight smile.
Charlie and Deke then left the room.
~* * * *~
The silence that followed was awkward for a moment. Cassie broke it when she asked, “You were in love with their mother weren’t you?”
Ethan Bright smiled. “I think everyone loved Junie. She was just that type of person.”
“I can understand that but for some reason, you resent Deke and you loathe Sam.” Cassie cocked her head to one side.
Ethan finally nodded. “You’re right, I did love her. I watched her struggle with this illness while she carried another man’s child. I watched as she fought to accept the drugs after her body had been damaged. As she struggled from day to day, year to year working to put food on the table for herself and her two kids. But Junie never complained, she never whined about being alone. She said as long as she had her kids, she was happy. And yes Mrs. Tory, I resent your husband simply because he carries the same blood type as Quinn.”
When Charlie and Deke returned, she got up and hooked her arm in Deke’s. Then she grabbed Charlie and said, “Come home with us. I want to know more about your sister.”
Ethan met her eyes as an understanding passed between them and he watched them as they left his office.
~* * * *~
Melora sat alone in the main room of the clubhouse. She was drinking a cup of tea and realized she hated tea. She wanted her coffee but knew she couldn’t drink it. Her hand drifted to her belly and she covered her barely there baby bump.
Her stomach was still flat for the most part but she knew the baby was there. No one else did and for now that was okay. She had a feeling Sam was going to be mad but that was on him. Melora was just a little bit afraid too. What the hell did she know about babies?
The back door opened and her friend Izzy came in. When she saw Melora sitting there she grabbed a cup of coffee and came over to sit down beside her. “Morning beautiful.” Izzy smiled and as she sipped her morning coffee. She closed her eyes and groaned as the coffee slid down her throat. Opening her eyes, she stared at her friend. “What’s wrong sweetie?”
Melora shook her head. “Nothing is wrong per say but then nothing is right either,” she muttered.
“Oh, dear…” Izzy whispered as she stared at Melora. “That doesn’t sound good.”
Melora gazed at the wall rather than her friend. She was staring at the white tiger, Cassie had painted there. Could he help her now?
Izzy lifted her hand and cupped Melora’s chin, so she would look at her. “Is there something you need to talk about?”
Melora nodded. “I think so. I just don’t know how to say it.”
“The best way is just to come out and say it. I’m here for you no matter what, you know that right?”
“I do and I thank you for that.” Melora smiled slightly. Taking a deep breath she just blurted out, “I’m pregnant and I don’t know what Sam is going to do about it.”
Izzy fell silent for a moment then she shrugged. “That’s not important right now, what is important is what are you going to do about it?”
“What do you mean?” Melora frowned.
“Do you want this baby? Are you happy with this news?”
Melora’s hand covered her belly and she nodded. “Yes, I want this baby.”
Izzy’s smile grew huge. “Then it doesn’t matter what Sam is going to do or not. This may be his baby but it’s also your child and as you aren’t married, there’s nothing he can do about it.” Izzy sat back in her chair and grinned. “I’m gonna be an auntie. I can’t believe it. Congratulations girl!”
Melora smiled as a tear or two trickled down her face. “It is good news, isn’t it?”
“News of the best kind,” Izzy agreed. She drank another sip of coffee and asked, “What do you think Sam is gonna say?”
“I don’t know, maybe the fact he’s too old to be a new dad again?”
“Well, he is old, but apparently not too old.” Izzy grinned.
“Yeah…” Melora’s grin faded and she wore a worried look. “Then there’s Deke. What do you think he’s going to have to say about having a brother or sister so much younger than him?”
“I think Deke’s going to be too busy with his own new child to worry about your child.”
“His new child?” Melora frowned.
“Yup, if I’m not mistaken, Deke and Cassie are going to add another one to their brood.”
Melora smiled. “That’s wonderful!”
“Yeah, ya gotta love fertile women.” Izzy sat back and finished her coffee. “And these very active biker men.” She laughed at Melora’s stricken expression. Getting up, she peered down at Melora’s cup and shuddered. “Tea? God girl, how can you drink that crap?”
“Well, I can’t enjoy my coffee anymore, at least for a little while.” She pushed the cup away. “But this is killing me.”
Reva laughed as she came out of the kitchen with a fresh pot of coffee and some clean cups. “Then I guess you’ll like this a bit better.” She poured a cup and passed it to Melora. “It’s decaf and maybe not as strong as you like, but at least you can drink it.”
Melora grabbed it up and lifted it to her lips. As the liquid passed down her throat, she groaned. “It’s so good.”
“Yeah, I laid some supplies in last week.” Reva nodded. “As soon as I figured Cassie was going to need the decaf. And now you too? That’s great.”
“She’s worried about what Sam has to say about it,” Izzy explained.
Reva chuckled. “Oh, I can guarantee he’s gonna blow up but it will be okay. Bones is all bluster.” She drank her coffee and added, “It’s not like he did anything to prevent this from happening. He knows how to prevent it if that’s what he wanted.”
“But I didn’t do anything either,” Melora countered.
Reva spread her hands out. “Well, there you are then, this was meant to be.” She sat up, looking excited. “We need to go shopping. We have a baby to get ready for!”
“Don’t you think I should tell Sam first?” Melora wanted to know.
Reva wrinkled her nose. “Ahh damn, do you have to?”
Melora chuckled. “Yeah, I have to. He has a right to know.”
“Well okay,” Reva whined. “If you must. But I want to buy the baby’s first onsie.”
“And I think I need to find somewhere to live,” Melora announced. “Just in case things don’t work out with Sam.”
“Hey, maybe you and I can live together,” Izzy offered. “That way, you don’t have to find a babysitter. Y
ou’ll have one already there.”
Melora took a deep breath and exhaled. “Sounds good to me. It will be like old times.”
Just then, the main door opened. Cassie, Deke and a new guy came in. They joined the women at the table.
Cassie poured a cup of coffee. When she took a drink, she spit it back into her cup. “Decafe? Really?”
Reva nodded, then glanced at Melora, then back to Cassie. “Yup, it’s the new drink of the day for both of you.”
Cassie grinned. “Really?” Turning her head to Melora, she gushed. “Congrats girl, at least you won’t be alone in this.” Turning to her husband who hadn’t been following the conversation she announced, “Well, not only did we find Sam’s daughter, Melora and I have something to tell you.”
Deke looked from Melora to his wife and back. “And what might that be?”
“The MC is gonna have new members very soon.”
Deke grinned. “I knew it.” He took his wife in his arms and kissed her soundly. “I knew you were last night and I thought Melora was too, but its good news all around.” Deke turned to Melora. “Have you told Sam yet?”
Melora shook her head, as she looked stunned by Deke’s reaction. “I’m not sure how to.”
“Yeah, I get that but now he’s gonna get hit with a double whammie.”
“You can’t tell him about Quinn,” Charlie protested.
Just then, the back door opened and Gator joined the group.
Deke turned to Charlie. “I know you think that and I can even relate but Sam has the right to know about his kid, whether you think so or not.”
Charlie backed away. “No, he walked out of our Mom’s life a long time ago. Junie raised us on her own and that’s the way its gong to remain!”
“Junie?” Gator started and dropped his cup. “Are you talking about Junie Blackman?”
Deke turned to stare at his friend.
Charlie turned to glare at Gator. “How the hell do you know my mother’s name?”
“You’re Junie’s kid?” Gator looked stunned. “I thought she had a girl?”
“She does.” Charlie growled. “She also had me. How do you know my mother?”
Gator sat down hard next to Reva. Running his hands through his hair, he stared at Charlie. “I haven’t heard that name for thirty years.”
“Yeah, well you wouldn’t have heard it again, if Quinn didn’t need Deke’s blood,” Charlie grumbled.
Deke sat down and stared at Gator. “So you knew Junie Blackman back in the day?”
Gator nodded. “I told you I’ve known Bones a long time. He met Junie shortly after he got out of the service. You have to know Sam was a totally different man back then. He was brash and a hell of a lot more stupid. He and I made it back from Nam when a lot of our friends didn’t.”
“You knew him in the service?” Melora asked.
Gator nodded. “I’ve known him for a long time. We met in boot camp, then served together and when we both came back alive, we just sort of stuck together. We both joined the same MC and have been together until I left to join Jr. here. Now, it seems like we’re together again. Anyway, we were riding through New York when we met Junie and her friend Paula. Bones went for Junie and I hung around Paula. We were there all that summer and when the days got shorter, Sam decided to go back home to Maine.”
“Yeah, well when he left, he left Mom and the baby behind,” Charlie groused.
“Yes, he did.” Gator shook his head. “I never could figure out how he could leave them behind but he did. I told you he was stupid back then.”
“He knew about the baby before he left?” Deke asked.
Gator nodded. “Yeah he knew, but he left anyway.”
“He’s made a habit of that.” Deke growled. “Did he know about me before the day he found me again?”
“Hell kid, I don’t know.” Gator shook his head. “With Sam you never know.”
“Well, I guess I know what’s coming then don’t I?” Melora stated solemnly.
Gator frowned. “What are you talking about?”
“If Bones runs true to form, he’s going to walk away from her,” Reva told him.
“Why would he do that?” Gator asked. “He’s been so happy the last few months.”
“Because she pregnant,” Deke informed him. “Sam likes to walk away from the women he gets pregnant.” He turned to Melora. “You don’t have to leave you know. You can stay right here and raise your child with the protection of this MC.”
Melora shook her head. “As much as I appreciate that I couldn’t stay where I’m not wanted. Izzy and I are making plans to live together.”
“Izzy is welcome here as well,” Deke assured her. He pointed at her belly. “You’re carrying my sister or brother and I want to know he or she is safe. It doesn’t matter what the hell Sam does or doesn’t do. Hopefully, he’ll man up but if he doesn’t, you and the baby are welcome to stay right here.”
“Not sure I can do that but I appreciate the offer.”
“Hey, I for one will be glad for the help.” Cassie patted her own belly. “Little Sam and Jemmia are such a handful I don’t know what I’m going to do with another one.”
Deke wrapped his arms around her. “We’ll love this one just like the others.”
“Damn right we will.” Cassie grinned.
“So what’s wrong with Quinn?” Gator asked.
“She has aplastic anemia just like Junie. Junie was sick with it when she was pregnant with her and held off treatment until she delivered the baby,” Deke explained. “Apparently, the anemia was passed on to the baby and although dormant all this time, it presented itself now. The only thing is her body is rejecting the drugs because of her rare blood type. She needs a marrow transfusion to build herself up enough for the drugs to work.”
“What does Junie think about all this?” Gator asked.
“My mother is dead,” Charlie informed him. “The anemia finally killed her the last time around. I couldn’t put Quinn through all that, so I went behind her back and contacted Deke. She’s gonna kill me when she finds out.”
“While Sam might not care about family, I do,” Deke stated. “Quinn, whether she wants to admit it or not is family, my blood, my family.”
“You two aren’t alone anymore, is what he’s saying,” Cassie backed up what her husband meant.
“Let’s hope Quinn sees it that way. She can be most stubborn when she believes in something strong enough,” Charlie assured them.
“Now, why does that sound so familiar?” Deke asked as he stared at Gator.
Gator wore the same grin on his face. They both were thinking it sounded just like Bones. Only Sam could be that stubborn.
CHAPTER THREE
Sam rode up to the clubhouse and sat on his bike for a minute. He knew Melora was hiding something from him for a while now, he just wasn’t sure what it might be. Last night, she’d been in bed when he came home and this morning he left before she got up, but he got a feeling he would find out what was wrong tonight.
He swung his leg off the bike and walked inside. The hairs on the back of his neck kept twitching and that always made him nervous. It wasn’t the same feeling he’d had a few months ago when he first met Melora but there was something coming he wasn’t sure about. He thought it had to do with Melora but now he wasn’t so sure.
Opening the door, he went inside. He found everyone sitting at the main table. When he looked over, he found Gator and Deke staring back at him. Neither of them said anything but they both had a look in their eyes that said volumes.
Cassie, Reva, Melora and a younger man were sitting there as well. When Sam got closer, he saw the other man glaring at him. Sam’s eyes narrowed as he stared back. He didn’t know this kid but the kid seemed to know him. He stared at him for a minute then glanced at Deke. “What’s going on here? Who is this?”
The kid got to his feet. His glare was more pronounced now and his hand
s hung at his sides, clenched into fists. “My name is Charlie Blackman. Does that name mean anything to you?”
Sam hesitated for a moment then asked, “Should it?”
“Yeah, it really should, old man.” Charlie sneered.
Sam paused then asked, “Have we ever met before?”
“No, we haven’t but we should have.”
Sam reared back slightly. “And why is that?”
Charlie kicked the chair, turned and walked away.
Sam watched him go and when the back door closed behind him, he stared at Deke. “Who was that? And why is he mad at me?”
“Does the name Junie Blackman mean anything to you?” Deke asked.
Sam sat down on a chair hard. “Junie?” he whispered. Turning his head to the back door he asked, “That’s Junie’s kid?”
“That’s her son. She also had a daughter. Her name is Quinn.”
Sam paled. “Quinn, huh?”
“Yeah, Quinn,” Deke acknowledged. “Do you know anything about her?”
Sam hung his head. “Yeah, I know about her” He finally replied. “I haven’t heard that name in almost thirty years.”
“You are a bastard, you know that?” Deke stated in a low tone.
“Yeah, I know that,” Sam admitted. “But that was a long time ago.”
Now Gator spoke up, “Well, Junie is dead now, Bones.”
“Well, let’s test this theory,” Melora chimed into the conversation, not really paying attention to Gator’s announcement. “So far, you walked away from your responsibility twice now when the women you were screwing told you they were pregnant. Let’s go for the third time.”
Sam turned his head and frowned at her. “What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”
“I’m pregnant Sam. I’m going to have your baby.”
Sam got to his feet. The chair skidded out behind him. “What?”
Melora got to her feet. “Yeah, you’re gonna be a daddy again.”
Sam just stared at her for a moment then he turned and walked out of the clubhouse.