Page 8 of Pigeon

Arriving home, I find Horse sitting in front of the TV watching a reality show in the dark. Grabbing two beers, I hand one off to him and flop down in my recliner. We watch TV for over an hour before he breaks the silence.

“I haven’t crossed any lines with Tessie.”

“I know you haven’t. I know it hasn’t been easy either. If she ever finds out for sure how you feel about her, she’ll be unstoppable,” I reply.

“Will Vex and Taja ever be okay with me asking Tessie out?”

“When Tessie’s older, yes, they will be. You’re a good man, Horse. They know that, too. Taja’s spent her life taking care of Tessie, raising her, loving her, and she’s just not adjusting to the fact that Tessie’s almost grown up now. It’s hard for her to see Tessie that way, and it’ll be hard for Taja to take a step back and let Tessie go. I think losing the baby has made Taja hold on to Tessie a little tighter. You’ve waited this long. Stay the course and continue being patient. When the time’s right, you’ll need to argue your case to both Taja and Vex. Probably Trigger too, so he’d be a good one to keep on your side. Taja will rebel against it, but she’s reasonable and will come around,” I advise again.

This isn’t the first time we’ve had this conversation, but I give Horse credit because he’s not pushed this matter. He understands about Tessie’s age, and he respects Taja and Vex’s decisions. He wants to do this the right way, and I encourage him whenever he gets frustrated. Tessie doesn’t make it easy for him, and Vex’s last decision will only make it harder for Horse to keep his distance. That is if he survives the driving lessons. If not, I’ll mourn his loss, pull the plug, and raise a beer to my dead friend.

Axel: You coming to Vex’s for the driving lesson?

Me: Yeah

Axel: Horse going to back out?

Me: How much have you bet that he will?

Axel: $100 against Pops.

Me: Pay your dad. Horse left a few minutes ago.

Axel: He might change his mind on the way here. Birds singing/sun shining. All those reasons to live.

Me: Possible. $100 says he doesn’t back out?

Axel: I’ll take that bet. Bring snacks.

Me: Gunner lock you out from breakfast this morning?

Axel: Fuck you! But yeah, he did.

Me: On my way

I stop at Ava’s bakery and load up on treats, small containers of orange juice and chocolate milk, and hit the highway. Arriving at Vex’s huge-ass house, I park my bike next to the rest gathered there. Behind the garage, behind a large tree, I leave it in the safest place I can find. I gather up the food and drinks and make my way to the large clearing and bikers standing around.

Before I come to a stop at the picnic table, Pooh grabs a bag out of one hand while Trigger grabs one from the other. When I start to protest, Trigger tosses a chocolate milk my direction. I should say, at my head. Looking around at the crowd gathered, I realize the club has a lot of businesses being neglected today. I spot the Aunts sitting at the picnic table and walk over to drop a kiss on each of their cheeks. One of them gives my ass a pat, and I flash both a wide smile. Cash just shakes his head and drops his chin at their antics, but if my ass hadn’t gotten a pat, I’d have been worried.

“You lovely ladies are up and about early today,” I say.

“We have nothing else to do but wait for death. Might as well be here enjoying the show,” Lola answers with a wicked grin.

“We’re here to support Tessie. We tried helping her with her driving, you know, but Cash and Lars put a stop to it,” complains Lottie.

“No, you old bat, my garage door put a stop to it when you three crashed through it,” mutters Lars, Cash’s dad.

“That too,” Lottie responds with a shrug.

Looking out over the large field, I watch as Horse walks around placing orange pylons designating a road course. Tessie is standing next to Horse’s battered truck with a blinding smile gracing her face while listening to whatever Taja is telling her. Vex is pacing and glancing toward his house, barn, and pool constantly. I’m guessing he’s already regretting his decision to have her lesson so close to his home.

“How’d your trip home go?” Petey asks in a quiet voice from next to me.

Glancing his direction, I see the concern in his eyes. Petey’s known me for a long time and knows that trips home are always difficult for me. I don’t talk about my family much, but after a particularly bad visit and way too much alcohol, I unloaded my past life on Petey and Trigger. They listened quietly, but even a drunken me could feel the anger rolling off both men. Petey always checks in whenever I return from my parents’ farm, and his support is always appreciated.

“As expected, Petey. Nothing ever really changes regardless of why I’m there.”

“Sorry to hear that, Pigeon. You make the trip there to help out while your dad’s laid up, and their heads are so far up their own asses, they don’t even appreciate it. You got dealt a shit hand in the family department, brother. Let’s hit the road after Tessie crashes, and Horse pisses himself. Go for a ride, grab a burger and beer somewhere. Yeah?”

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