Page 2 of Navy

Leaving it at that, I nodded at Reaper, who called the meeting to a close and we headed into the bar area where the women had their phone call on speaker. I smiled when I heard Hope on the other end co-ordinating everything.

Grinning wide when she called out excitedly, “Alan, I'm so happy to meet your MC family. And so excited we get to see you. You need to plan a trip back here so the kids can see you.”

“Yeah, Uncle Alan, we miss you,” I heard my niece Violet call out. Well, she wasn’t strictly my niece in the traditional sense, more like a third cousin or something twice removed or some shit like that. But she was as close as I was going to get to a niece.

“Please come soon, Uncle Alan, Mum and Dad don't let us do fun stuff like you do.”

Her words caused amused smiles, chuckles, and some outright laughs from the surrounding MC members. They knew me well.

Hope heaved a very put-upon sigh; it sounded like she was shooing the kids out of the room all the while muttering, “I’m thinking of grounding you and your Uncle Alan, if you do anymore crazy stuff.”

Laughing at her words, I started to say my goodbyes but paused at her next words. My heart was full of love for my family when she continued, “We really do miss you, Alan, not just the kids. Please plan a visit once the ball is over. Bring your brothers and their ladies, you know we have room.”

My voice was soft with affection, “I will, Hope. I’ll give your address to Rogue, he’s our Road Captain so he can plan a route for us. It will be good to spend some time with you. Love to you all and I’ll see you soon. Give the kids hugs from me. Oh, also, before I forget they should be receiving a package from me this week.”

“Ugh,” Hope groaned, “stop sending them shit, Alan. George terrified everyone for months with that bloody fake snake that you sent until I burnt the bloody thing and then had to lie about it.”

I howled with laughter, “Hope, you didn’t.”

“I bloody well did,” Hope grumbled. “I thought Aggie was going to have a heart attack when she found it in the kitchen, for fuck’s sake. I can’t have her die on me, Alan. I’d be lost without her.”

Hope’s swearing had me laughing even more. I couldn’t help it, she always sounded so prim and proper when she did.

“It’s not a snake, I promise you,” I assured her.

“No, knowing my luck, it’s probably itching powder or fake dog shit.”

“It’s not that either,” I told her.

“It better bloody not be, Alan Goode, or I swear to god I’ll find you and make you pay,” Hope cried out, her laughter fading out when the phone got taken away from her.

“Hey, Alan. What’s got my wife in a tizzy?” my cousin Sebastian greets me, amusement clear in his voice.

“Hi, Bas, I told her I’m sending the kids a present.”

“Ah, fuck me, man, give me a bit of warning so I can ensure the women of my household don’t leave me with the holy terrors when they run away.”

Laughter rang out in the clubhouse at his words. I felt bad. I should have combined my two families long ago. They’d all get on like a house on fire.

“It’s nothing bad, I promise,” I told him. “I was going to call you anyway because they’ll need your help setting it up. I’m sending them paintball guns and a drawing of how to set up a course for us to use. When I next come visit, we can have a competition.”

There was no hesitation from my cousin, just pure glee in his voice even if from the background I could hear a loud groan from Hope at my words.

“Ah, man, that sounds fucking awesome. Where were you thinking of setting it up?” Bas replied, ignoring his wife, who’d continued to mutter in the background.

“Round the back of the stables, there’s trees and shit there, plus the old tractor and trailer for cover. It’s also close to the small barn that I thought we could convert and lock everything up in.”

“Fuck yeah,” Bas agreed, “Derek and I’ll get that started tomorrow. You know Hope is going to kick your arse when you get here, right?”

I laughed, “I know, tell her to get practicing and we’ll have a little shoot off when I get there.”

Bas cackled, “My man, she still practices every day. You don’t stand a chance.”

“Fuck,” I mutter, “maybe I’ll bring Hawk with and the two of them can see who outshoots the other.”

Just then Hope comes back on the phone telling me, “Don’t be a pussy, Alan, take your licks like a man.”

I snort with laughter, “Woman, just you wait. Bas, control your wife.”

---