Page 244 of Smooth Sailing

Tack kept going.

“You were loved, because you were loving,” Tack told Big Petey direct. “Best father there was. Best brother there could be. Best man I’ve ever met. There were times when it felt like the angels deserted us, but they never did. There was an angel among us. And that angel was you.”

More sobs, these now coming from all around, including me.

“Tell that girl of yours we miss her,” Tack ordered. “And ride steady, my brother. We’ll catch you on the flipside.”

He took a moment, lifted his head and stepped back.

The second he rejoined the arc, Rush shouted, “On three!” and lifted his hand, three fingers extended.

One went down, the next, and the next.

And then the entire biker contingent shouted, “Wind! Ride! Fire! Free!”

Oh God.

I was sobbing openly now.

Rush stepped forward and yelled, “Four wheels move the body, two wheels move the soul.”

All the bikers raised a shout.

Okay, dammit, I was close to bawling.

Fortunately, there was quiet for a moment so I could get it together before Rosie and Tabby got up and went to Renae. Rosie took her mother’s hand and helped her out of her seat. She tried to take her daughter from her mom, but Emmeline held close to her grandma as she rose, and Rosalie gave up as they all walked to the casket.

Tabby, known to all as Pete’s surrogate daughter who stepped in when his girl was lost, bent and kissed the casket first. Rosalie rubbed her mother’s back as Renae did it last.

As they stood there, taking their own moment, Emmeline studied the casket and whispered, “’Bye-bye, Pawpaw.”

Renae released a silent, but visible hiccoughing sob.

And me?

Yep.

I was bawling. It wasn’t loud, but it was totally bawling and all around me I could hear sniffles, coughs, and quiet weeping.

Renae, Rosalie and Tabby returned to their seats, and the second their asses had found them, the bikers all began to move to their bikes.

I twisted to look for Dad, but Georgie caught my hand.

“Sit still, babe, not over yet,” she whispered.

Honestly, I couldn’t take much more.

But I would. I had to.

For Big Petey.

And for Hugger.

I sat and watched the wave of bikers make their way to their bikes.

Millie turned to our row and murmured, “Ringing out the dead.”

I didn’t know what that meant, but by the sound of it, I wasn’t sure I was going to like it.

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