Page 90 of Playing for Keeps

After those Charleston boys ride off, we see less of them checking out our territory. Eventually, they stop showing up altogether. The Charleston crew realizes that taking this territory from two united clubs will cost too high a price.

By that point, Duke treats me as his co-president. We’ve divvied up our duties, making sure we both have enough free time for our families. For the first time, the burden of leadership no longer falls on his shoulders alone.

On our fifth wedding anniversary, I remarry Lola at the homestead just like I promised I would. That’s the day when Duke announces he’s making me president and will take on the VP role.

“I’m nowhere ready to retire,” Duke explains when he suggests the change. “But I’ve been in charge for a long damn time. It’ll be nice to let someone else call the shots.”

Though Duke says the words, I never feel like the burden is mine alone. If I have concerns, he’s always there to listen. If I have questions, I also have my dad and uncles.

The meatheads mature faster under my leadership than Duke’s. I’m not their dad figure. Though they always wanted Duke’s approval, the guys also had an insatiable urge to push back against him.

The meatheads know I like to get rowdy, but I can also turn off that goofball shit. The guys mimic me more and more, learning boundaries and taking on additional responsibilities. A few get married and have kids. The single ones I rotate down to Florida for a few months at a time each year.

“You’re a smart president,” Pa-Emmett says when I share my plan to keep an eye on Dallas.

My relationship with my pa changes after I have kids. I start to see the world through his eyes more. I want my kids to grow up feeling like I did, but fatherhood proves tricky.

I always assumed I’d have good-looking kids, and I wasn’t wrong. I imagined my daughter would be a sassy princess, and my son would be a good-natured rascal.Um, not quite as right about that.

Lina is plenty sassy, but she’s no princess. The one time we attempt to pin a tiara to her hair, she screams like we’ve dropped a tarantula on her head instead. Once I remove the tiara and stick it on Lola’s head, my blonde angel turns off her shrieking and smiles at me.

“Thanks, Daddy. That was a close one,” she says and throws up her arms so I’ll pick her up.

“What did you think was going to happen?” I ask as she relaxes on my hip and enjoys the higher view.

“Not sure,” she says and shrugs her little shoulders. “What didyouthink was going to happen?”

“I thought you were going to look like a little princess.”

Lina smiles like I’m fricking adorable, but she refuses to back down even when I pretend to cry. She really doesn’t want sparkly crap in her hair.

Worth is much more chill about wearing a tiara. He also lets his mom put a flower behind his ear once, and he’ll wear a lei during our Hawaiian-themed homestead parties. My son prefers gentle play. If things get too rowdy, he’ll look around for his sister’s protection.

“Swooping in to kick hiney!” Lina will holler.

I take a while to get the hang of having a shy kid. I can’t really figure out how Worth sees the world. Our home is safe. The homestead is fun. The people he encounters all view him asthe son of the best person they know. There’s no reason to get startled or hide.

Yet, Worth becomes rattled easily. Rather than cry or even whine, he’ll silently run toward someone safe. When he’s little, Lola carries him around during family get-togethers. When he’s too old to fit on her hip, he’ll shadow her during parties. Worth is most definitely a mama’s boy.

Since Lola loves motorcycles, my son eventually comes to enjoy the loud beasts. Not as much as he loves animals, though.

“Can men be veterinarians and bikers?” Worth asks me one day while we sit out by Stache Lake and watch our Cocker Spaniel-terrier mix Goober chase butterflies.

“I don’t know if all men can, but I’m sure you can.”

“Why me but not them?”

“You’re smart enough to become a vet. Not everyone is.”

“Am I tough enough to be a biker?” he asks, watching me from under his dark, shaggy bangs.

“Of course. There are all kinds of men in our family’s clubs. Charming guys like me, mustached guys like Peepaw Jared, quiet guys like your cousin Ike. Lots of guys can find a home in the club.”

Worth offers me a great smile that day. He’s a kid wired completely different than I ever was. I sometimes worry about him missing out. Fortunately, a few of his cousins are wired in the same way. Gem loves animals and wants to become a veterinarian like Meemaw Christine. She and Worth are always checking on the homestead’s many pets.

My son also loves to play with Ike’s son, Van, who is a lurker like his dad. Whenever I worry that a quiet kid can’t survive on the homestead or in the club, I remember how Ike built a great life for himself.

Over time, I learn Worth might be quiet and reluctant to start drama, but he’ll leap into action when the time is right.

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