Page 7 of Vetting the Biker

“He had to go to his dad’s, so he’s in a sullen mood right now.” I hate thinking about him just curled up in his bed. “Why does he have to be such a jerk? I think Robert does it to punish me, but it’s really hurting his relationship with Wesley.”

Mary places her hand on my shoulder. “He has the best mom in the world, and that love cancels out all the negativity he may face.” I swear she knows exactly what to say to ease my fears.

“Thank you, Mary. Any new clients today?”

“There’s a pit bull coming in for a check-up in an hour, but everyone else is regulars. Simple day.”

“Oh good. It’s Monday and I need it easy.” I laugh, walking back to my office. I usually spend Mondays doing payroll and sending invoices to those on a payment plan. I remember starting out and not having money for things, so I didn’t want to break the bank but still be competitive. I check on some of the new patients from the weekend before the new pit bull comes in for a check. Mary informs me the pit bull is here, and I walk in to see our former police chief standing there.

“Good afternoon, Chief. Another dog? You’re going to need to get a farm soon.” We chuckle.

“It’s Thomas. I haven’t been the chief in years,” he playfully scolds me.

“You’ll always be the chief to me.” I smirk at him and wags his finger at me, making me laugh. Thomas is bigger than life to me and he has seen me at my worst time in my life with Robert. He’s helped me with a lot of things with Wesley when I got scared before he retired. I always felt like he was a bonus father figure.

“One of my buddies is adopting him, and I wanted to make sure he’s healthy. I trust my friend who rescued this beauty, but like Ronald Reagan once said in a speech, ‘trust but verify.’”

“My dad taught my sisters and me the same motto. Let’s get a look at this handsome fellow. You know with all new patients I do bloodwork and x-rays. Does the owner want him chipped?”

“Yes, he does. Here’s the name, address, and phone number of the new owner. Also, I’m supposed to give you this credit card number to pay for the visit. It’s all here in the text message, so you know I’m not bullshitting you.”

“I trust you, Chief. Now, do you have paperwork from your friend who rescued him? I need to know if he’s up to date on shots.” Thomas pulls out a piece of paper and hands it to me. “Okay. He’s going to get a lot of shots, treats, and a bath. Do you want to stay, or come back in a couple of hours?”

“I’ll stay if you don’t mind. This little fella has been through a lot. He has a sister I’m trying to find a home for, which is difficult because they trained her as a fighter—so she has some war wounds.”

This breaks my heart.

“You should use that club of yours to dismantle dog fighting rings. They’re disgusting.” I knew the Wild Jesters for standing up in court with abuse victims and running weed for those who need it for health problems. I have watched my share of biker shows, and reading my mommy porn I am well aware not all motorcycle clubs are legal. I know they have strip clubs and rumors circulate there may be some prostitution going on there, but knowing Thomas, I doubt those are true.

“Do you want the sister?” Thomas asks, grinning while showing me the picture of the beautiful pit bull. She has some battle scars, but with the right owner, she’ll heal. I sigh because Thomas can’t stop the twitch of the corner of his lips. He knows he has me, and I nod.

“You know I’m a sucker for the lost causes,” I reply. He sends a text message. “I’ll pay for the first visit since I baited you,” he states. I can’t help but laugh. He’s this tough biker to a lot of new people in the area, but if you ever get to know him, he’s a big old teddy bear.

“I’m charging you double.” His booming laugh follows me down the hall to the examination room with the first pit bull he brought in. Thomas is waiting for the sister to come in. I let Mary know I’m going to need blood work on both dogs, but the one will go home with me. She snickers. I tell her to hush it.

After the appointment, I hug Thomas goodbye and thank him for the dog. The staff helped name her Matilda, which means strength in battle. This little one has been through a lot in her sixteen months, so we thought it was fitting. Matilda lost an ear and almost an eye. She’s covered in scars, but those tell a story of surviving. She’s skittish, and I can’t blame her. I know my dogs will treat her well.

As I’m driving home with Matilda in the front seat, with her head hanging out the window without a care in the world, my phone rings. It’s Wesley.

“Hello, my love.”

“Mom, I want to come home,” Wesley whispers.

“What’s the matter?”

“Dad is on the rampage about someone whoring herself out to the first man on a bike. I don’t know if he is talking about Mindy or not.” Mindy is Robert’s current fiancée. I roll my eyes. “We haven’t even left for the beach yet.”

“I can call my attorney and find out if I can bring you home.”

“No, it’s okay. Nana is on the phone with him now. She’s telling him to get his ass here, or she’s cutting him off. Once I’m with her, I’ll be fine. If I need you…” Wesley doesn’t even finish the sentence.

“I’ll be there or book you a plane ticket. Stick with Nana and Pawpaw.”

“I love you, Mom.”

I smile when I hear him say it. “I love you, too.” He hangs up with me. After I get home and get the dogs introduced to each other, I send Wesley a picture of Matilda and he loves her. I sigh, wondering what Robert’s problem is. I also sent a quick email to Ed about the call with Wesley. I like to keep him on the know of things because I hate being blindsided and want my lawyer to know everything.

Sighing into my beer, I think about the call with Wesley. I hope Robert pulls his head out of his ass long enough to enjoy his time with his son. I may not like Mindy, but one thing I do like is how she is with Wesley. She becomes a mama bear, even against Robert.

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