The Winter of Regrets

by Needa Warrant

  It was going to be a great holiday. The first of many, she hoped.

  After picking up Aunt Anya, Kima and V along with Josie headed to her parent’s house. Once there, Veiko helped Aunt Anya up the stairs into the house while Kima carried Josie and tried to balance a pie.

  Her sister Shelly came out to grab the pumpkin pie. “Mom is in a mood,” she warned Kima. “She’s been bitching since Doug and I got here last night.”

  “I’m used to her moods,” Kima said. “I’m usually the cause of them.” The women laughed. “I plan to eat and run. I was hoping you’d take Aunt Anya home for me. Think Doug would mind?”

  “I think he’ll be glad to escape for a little while. After we drop her off, maybe we’ll go out for a few drinks. Jack was smart not to come,” she added, sounding miserable. “We should have stayed home.”

  “I don’t know how daddy puts up with her,” said Kima. “She goes to Jo’s almost every day and she doesn’t come over to see Josie. It hurts. I feel like I don’t even have a mother anymore.”

  Shelly shook her head with pity. “I know it hurts, but mom loves Josie. She’s worried about Jo. I know it’s no excuse to treat you badly, but we all know mom is determined to help Jo.”

  They walked inside and found their father with Josie in his lap. Doug and Veiko were talking, so they headed into the kitchen to see if their mother needed any help.

  Aunt Anya stood with her cane, yelling loudly. “Jean, you’re being a fool! I see what you’re doing to this family and I don’t like it one bit. You treat Kima badly. We all see it, and you didn’t even look at Josie. What kind of a grandmother are you?”

  Kima’s face turned red, and she went right back into the living room. “Veiko, we’re leaving. Daddy,” she said, extending her hands, “give Josie to me. I refuse to be thankful for a mother who doesn’t even look at her granddaughter. I’ve had enough of this bullshit.” She began to bundle Josie up while Veiko, with a tired sigh, got their coats. Kima walked over to her father and kissed his cheek. “Enjoy the pie. Shelly will bring Anya home after dinner. I can’t stay here. Tell mom whatever you want.” She turned to Doug and gave him a kiss. “It was nice to see you. Bring Shelly over before you head home.” Doug nodded and stood up to shake V’s hand.

  John looked at his youngest daughter and wondered what there was left to say; she was right, and he watched her leave with pain in his eyes. Jean hadn’t even glanced at Josie. He was ready to tell her to move into Jo’s house. Shelly had tears in her eyes as she looked at her father. The yelling in the kitchen got louder until John got up to put an end to it.

  V looked at Kima, glad to find that she wasn’t crying. “We’re going to Elena’s early?”

  “I couldn’t stay there. Elena won’t mind. I’m glad my aunt said that; I didn’t really want to eat there anyway.”

  Kima was staring out the window, avoiding showing Veiko her face. He could tell. “Your mother doesn’t mean to hurt you,” he told her. “All of this is over Jo’s problems. She’s worried, and I don’t think she realizes what she’s doing to you. Do you want to go out to eat and we can avoid the questions Jack will ask?”

  “I think that might be a better idea,” she admitted. “I lost my appetite for turkey. Maybe prime rib would taste better. We’re not doing Christmas there, that’s for damn sure. Anyone who wants to come to our house is welcome, except for my mom. I don’t want to talk about her. Veiko, there’s nothing to say anymore. It is what it is. Please don’t make excuses for her.”

  V put his hand on her leg and squeezed it. “We’ll start our own traditions, babe. I’ll call Elena and explain what happened if you don’t want to go over later.”

  Kima didn’t answer. She reached over and covered his hand with hers.

  Penny poked Thrash. He hogged the bed again. They’d developed a relationship of sorts. She had gotten up early and put a small turkey in the oven, and his dad was coming by to eat with them. Fucking Thrash was just a fling while she was in disgrace—a delicious form of punishment. He was good in bed and she was learning so much about tattooing from him.

  She felt his hand between her legs and opened wider to let him find what he was seeking. His fingers rubbed her clit and she groaned. The covers were flung to the floor as he moved his body between her legs. His hair brushed her thighs as he nipped at her clit. He sucked hard on it while pumping two fingers in and out of her. Penny grabbed the sheets as he sucked her clit mercilessly. She was going to come soon, and he knew she liked it rough. His teeth bit at her as she began to moan. Three fingers were now thrusting rapidly inside of her and she got off loudly just as the doorbell rang. Thrash groaned and Penny gave him an evil laugh as she looked at his hard cock. She watched him dress and laid there admiring his firm ass and rock hard body. She was in no hurry to leave New Jersey as long as she had his cock to look forward to.

  Joy was very nervous as she got ready to go to Jersey’s parents’ house. She didn’t want to meet his parents and asked him what she should call him. Jersey laughed at that. “You can call me Craig or Jersey. Joy, my parents will love you, trust me.”

  “I can’t call you Craig,” she complained. “You don’t look like a Craig to me. How do you know they’ll even like me?” she asked, frowning at him.

  “Because the last girl I brought home was when I was in my senior year of high school. They want to see me settled down and I’ve been telling them all about you. I’ve asked you many times to meet them. You’ve put it off long enough, blondie, so get your ass in the car.”

  Joy groaned and hoped the pumpkin pie she’d made didn’t kill everyone. Jersey kept laughing at her and she clutched that pie like it was gold as they drove to his parents’ house.

  Elena went over early Sunday morning to the lodge and loaded up Moon Glow into the trailer with Whiskey.

  “You make that look so easy, Elena. You have no fear of horses, do you?” He watched her singled-handedly load up the huge racehorse.

  “I’ve never been afraid of horses,” she said with a smile. “Living on the reservation, we used to catch wild ones. I loved to break them and I was damn good at it. I stopped when I started to dance. I couldn’t afford back then to get bruised or broken bones.” She closed the trailer doors and secured them.

  “Do you ever talk to your family?” Whiskey asked, knowing very little about them.

  She shook her head no. “I left there with no remorse and no regrets. Maybe someday I’ll go back, but things weren’t very good living there. One day, maybe I’ll tell you about that part of my life.” She climbed into the truck and was still shocked Whiskey hadn’t wanted to drive. “I bet Joy will be happy to see Moon Glow. I’m still not talking to her. If she keeps giving me money, maybe by Christmas I’ll be ready to talk to her.”

  Whiskey wisely said nothing.

  Jersey woke Joy up, shaking her. “Blondie, Moon Glow is home! Get up and look! He’s right in his pasture.”

  Faster than lightning, Joy jumped up and looked out the window. There was her Moon, safe and sound.

  “Damn that Elena! She must have hidden him from me. You can keep on taking the money to her because I’m not talking to her.” Joy got back into the bed with a huff, but she was smiling despite herself.

  Jersey sighed. “You two better get things fixed between you. Christmas is coming. You gonna let shit be like this over the holiday?”

  She hesitated with her answer. “I don’t know,” she admitted. “I don’t know what to say to Elena and I miss Rhiannon.”

  “Telling her you’re sorry would be a start,” he suggested. “Oh, and that you’ll mind your own business from now on. That’s another idea.”

  “Let’s not ruin the day, Jerz. I still think Thrash and Elena should be together.”

  Jersey shook his head, still watching the horse through the window. “Joy, Thrash is hooked up with a chick named Penny. He seems to be fine with her. Let it go,” Jersey advised. “Please.”

  That was news to her. Joy conside
red it, wondering if maybe it was time to make up with Elena. She missed her friend so much.

  It was finally mid-December and it had snowed, a rare thing for the amount that was on the ground at the shore area. Bound for Hell MC was donating toys to the fire department in Ocean View for needy families. Veiko didn’t want to ask Kima to plan anything big because things were still touchy with Jo. Although Nailz said Jo seemed to be better, V didn’t want her hurt again. Kima still wasn’t talking to her mother, although her father and brother came over often to see them.

  Veiko and Kima were fast asleep when the phone rang. V grabbed it and grumbled, “What?” into the receiver.

  “Who the fuck dumped turkeys all over my house, Veiko?” cried Nailz over the phone. “I’ve got turkeys every-fucking-where! And my ol’ lady is outside feeding them bread! Tell Kima this shit isn’t funny.”

  Veiko sat up. “Turkeys? What the fuck are you talking about, Nailz?”

  “There’s some in your yard, too! Those motherfuckers are even on my truck! And the cars! Get your ass outta bed and look.” He slammed down the phone.

  Veiko poked Kima. “Babe, did you have somebody drop turkeys off at Nailz?”

  Kima opened her eyes and looked at him quizzically. “No, of course not. I don’t like turkeys. Who called here this early?”

  Veiko was up and peering out of the bedroom window. “Holy shit! Kima, there are turkeys all over Nailz porch! Get up. Jo is out there trying to feed them. Oh shit, Nailz has the shotgun.”

  A loud boom filled the air as Kima looked out the window to see turkeys scattering everywhere. Kima opened the window and they heard Jo yelling at Nailz to leave her turkeys alone. Both looked at each other and laughed. Jo was screeching that if Kima could have peacocks, she would damn well have turkeys.

  Nailz was over within the hour to ask if he could borrow fencing, since Jo wanted her turkeys in a coop. He didn’t look very happy and swore he’d kill the fuckers that dumped turkeys on him. He had prospects fixing up the old coop behind his house, and they were going to try to catch as many turkeys as they could to keep Jo happy.

  “She says they’re her pets now. We can’t even eat any of them. Veiko, your sister is no help either. She thinks they’re cute. Fucking gobbling motherfuckers. Ugly as hell, too. Shit all over my truck. Jo’s car. The porch. Jo is out of her mind if she thinks we’re keeping all of them!”

  V took him to the shed to get whatever fence they had and found him rolls of coop wire. “Nailz, Jo seems happy. Let her keep the damn things. Look, she has them taking bread out of her hand.” V chuckled.

  “Not funny,” Nailz barked. “How come your peacocks don’t shit everywhere?” He watched the peacocks that strolled the yard, screeching when the turkeys got near them.

  “The dogs, Pee and Wee, keep those bastards under control. I kinda like them now. Kima or Tears feeds them. As long as they don’t damage my truck or come too close to me, I don’t care about them.”

  Elena and Kima were in the kitchen baking Christmas cookies when there was a loud rapping on the door. Amy, who was in the living room with the babies, ran into the kitchen.

  “State police are at the door,” she said, looking at Kima and Elena with fear. “I didn’t know if I should answer it.”

  Kima was amazingly calm. “Amy, my parents’ number is tacked up by the phone. Please call them and ask my dad to come right over. Tell my mother to find him if he isn’t there.”

  Elena sat down on the couch and everything looked perfectly normal: just two mothers baking cookies together with their babies napping.

  Kima opened the door and smiled at the officer standing there. “May I help you?” She sounded as if the police coming to the door was normal. Her voice was steady with just a bit of curiosity to it.

  The officer looked her up and down, then tried to peer into the house, but Kima blocked his view.

  “Are you Kima Regan Finn?” he asked sternly.

  “Yes, I am. Again, may I help you?” Kima remained calm.

  “Mrs. Finn, I am Officer Collins of the state police, may I come in?” Another officer stood next to him. “This is Officer Patterson and we need to ask you some questions concerning the disappearance of Sean Brennan, also known as Rabid. It would be easier to ask the questions inside, Mrs. Finn.” Both of the men had grave expressions on their faces.

  Kima opened the door and let them come inside. The timer in the kitchen was going off and the smell of cookies filled the air. Amy rushed to get them out of the oven.

  Katri saw the cops go into Kima’s house and ran to Jo. “Oh my God! The cops just went into V’s house! I hope nothing happened to either of my brothers.”

  Jo walked to the window and looked out at the state police car, her stomach turning sour. This was bad, very bad. She had a gut feeling they were there for Kima, and she’d be damned if they took her sister. “Call my mother and tell her to get my dad over here. Katri, make sure you tell her to call Richie. Don’t forget that. I’m going over there.”

  Katri looked at her, dumbfounded. “Jo, don’t go over there. You’re not going to talk to the cops, are you?”

  Jo had her coat on. “Of course I am. Make the calls. Stay inside with the babies, no matter what. I mean it, Katri.”

  Kima sat on the couch and explained again that the last time she’d seen Rabid was with Elena at the lodge. The cops had spoken to Elena, too. Each of them had told the exact same story. Rabid had left when Kima had broken up with him. Hunter was the last person to have seen him.

  Both of the officers were young and they felt the two women were withholding information from them. They decided it would be best to bring them into the barracks and let a superior officer question them. They allowed Amy to stay with the babies. As they escorted the women to the back of their car, a pregnant woman began to curse at them. Kima and Elena looked at each other in shock, watching as Jo approached the police car. She was trying to move as fast as her big belly would let her and she caught the two policeman off-guard. One of the officers practically pushed them into the back seat.

  Elena watched and groaned. “I hope Jo isn’t going to fuck this up.”

  Kima hoped the same, but a tiny smile appeared on her face. “Listen to her. She’s buying us time for my dad or brother to get here. Look, she is leaning on the hood of the cop car. Do you hear what Jo’s saying?”

  Both of them watched as Jo planted her body on the car.

  “That is my sister and you can’t take her,” she said with an indignant huff. “Do you know who our first cousin is? Until Sargent Richard Regan comes here—I think he’s a lieutenant now—I’m not moving. You do know him?” Jo sounded just like Jean Regan in one of her moods.

  Both officers looked at each other. They had their Lieutenant’s first cousin in their car? Richard Regan didn’t like either of them much and had just gotten back from vacation. If he knew they had grabbed his cousin without giving him fair warning, their asses were going to get chewed out.

  Officer Patterson approached Elena and Kima who were sitting in the back of his car. Leaning into the car, he spoke to Kima, “We had no idea our Lieutenant was related to you, but we still have to bring you both in. Can you ask your sister to move?”

  Kima frowned. “I don’t talk to her. She’s crazy. Good luck trying to get her to move. You touch her and she’ll sue your asses. Why don’t you get Ritchie here? Maybe he can talk her into getting off of the car? She likes him.”

  Jo had somehow planted her ass smack down on the hood and neither of the officers wanted to put their hands on the screaming pregnant woman.

  “You are not touching me and you can’t take my sister anywhere!” she was crying out, putting on her best performance. “I know the law. My brother-in-law is a lawyer and you have no warrants! Get away from me! You touch me and I’ll scream louder,” she went on, shaking her finger at the officers as she yelled.

  They huddled together trying to decide what to do just as John Regan appeared. Right behi
nd him came their Lieutenant, who got out of his car looking like he was ready to knock their heads together.

  “Richie, I’m going to see if Kima is all right. Jo, quiet down, everything is fine.” John gave her a wink as he made his way to Kima and Elena. “You two okay? If it comes down to going into the barracks, don’t say a word until a lawyer comes. I think Richie will handle this. Sit tight and let me get Jo inside.”

  “We’re fine, daddy,” Kima assured him. “I don’t know why they think we know anything about Rabid disappearing.”

  He gave her a nod, then stopped to speak to Jo who still refused to get off the cop car. Giving up, he walked up to Ritchie and the two officers.

  “Uncle John, my officers had no idea Kima is my cousin. There is a missing person’s report issued on a Sean Brennan, who also goes by the name of Rabid. His mother believes Kima knows where he is. This guy is a real scumbag and he could be anywhere. Since they both told the same story, I see no need for them to be questioned any further. My apologies.”

  Richie walked over to the cop car and extended his hand to Jo. “Get down off the car, cousin Jo. You need to get inside.”

  He carefully helped her down and kissed her cheek. She beamed up at him before walking to her house. Finally, someone acknowledged that she was part of the family; it was the one thing she had been longing to hear.

  He opened the door to let Kima and Elena out. Both of the women climbed out gratefully. Elena moved toward John to give Kima a moment with her cousin.

  Richie looked at Kima and asked her bluntly, “Do you have any idea where Rabid is Kima? Would your husband know?”

  With complete honesty, Kima replied, “Hunter was the last person I know that saw Rabid.”

  “My officers won’t be bothering you again. Try and stay out of trouble, Kima. I’m sorry you got hassled.” He kissed her cheek and Kima walked into her house followed by Elena.