Page 87 of Pigeon

“Ranchers raise crops to feed their livestock. Farmers raise crops to sell either for humans or livestock to eat,” Craig continues.

“Huh. That’s interesting. Thanks, little man,” Axel says

“Google knows these things,” Craig admits with a grin. “I guess there’s exceptions, but that’s the basic difference.”

Prissy comes flying around the corner of the clubhouse to land on Axel’s thigh. Right behind her, in hot pursuit, is Mac. He lands on Axel’s other thigh, and Prissy hisses loudly at him.

“Give back!” Mac hollers.

“Fitt'in to bitch slap a bird!” Prissy threatens, then slowly lifts her foot showing a cashew clasped in it.

“Fitt'in?” Mac asks with an adorable head tilt.

“Fixing to,” Prissy answers before popping the cashew in her mouth and chewing slowly.

“Thief!” Mac shouts.

“Mac! Stop! I gave it to her. She didn’t steal it,” Ava says as she, holding baby Chasin, Gunner, and the twins, join our group. Loki, trailing them, flops down on the ground next to his own son.

“Oh! Can I hold him?” Ivy asks while holding her arms out.

Ava passes the baby to Ivy, and I peer down to see the chubby infant sound asleep. Gunner told me that Chasin has been super easy so far. After having twins the first time, I’m sure part of it is because there’s only one infant to deal with this time around. But I have to admit, I have yet to hear him cry.

Vex and Taja approach, and I quickly hold my hands out for their daughter. With Axel busy keeping the birds from battling, we finally get a chance to hold the babies. Holding Kalea next to Chasin, I grin. He’s larger by far but having half of his dad’s genes in him, that’s not surprising. Kalea is smaller, delicate, and a beautiful baby. While Chasin has Gunner stamped all over him, Kalea is a beautiful mix of both her parents. Meeting Ivy’s eyes, I smile. This is our future. Being together, with our club family, holding our babies.

As more members show, our group grows. When we run out of chairs, it’s decided to move inside to wait for our guest of honor. Cash and his family arrive, and Liam toddles his way to my side. Hefting the husky kid up in my arms, he immediately turns to Ivy and holds his hands out to her. Grinning, she takes him. All the kids gravitate to Ivy, and she loves it.

Everyone is sitting or standing, chatting, or drinking when James walks through the door. When a loud chorus of cheers go up, he stops, bewildered. Gunner hands Mia, or maybe it’s Zoe, to Petey before walking across the floor to meet James in the middle.

“Time for Church,” Gunner states as every patched member stands and walks to the room we hold Church in. “You too, James.”

We take our seats while James, who is still a prospect, isn’t allowed to sit in Church, so he leans against the wall. I can tell by the expression on his face he knows why we’re here. What he doesn’t know, though, is whether he’s being patched in or told the vote went against him which would mean his time is done here. Glancing around at the members faces isn’t going to help him determine which way this is going to go either.

“We’re voting today on Prospect James. Yay to patch him in. Nay, if you don’t think he fits in our club,” Gunner announces.

Yay’s are heard one at a time as the vote goes around the table. When the last vote reaches Gunner, our club President, he says yay and then bangs his gavel down.

“Vote falls in favor of James becoming a patched member of The Devil’s Angels,” he says. “Welcome to the club, Brother James.”

When Gunner holds up our club colors, I watch as James realizes what this means. His head drops for a moment before he lifts it, removes his cut, and lays it on the table. Axel pulls out his knife and cuts the prospect patch from the back of it.

“Get your colors sewn on before you wear that cut again,” Gunner orders, then pulls James in for a hug.

We take turns giving James a hug and congratulating him, welcoming him into the club as a fully patched member.

“I wasn’t sure I’d get voted in,” James says in a quiet voice while looking at his new patches laying in place on his cut.

“Why would you think that?” Petey asks in a concerned voice.

“Because I wanted it so much,” James responds.

“Livi brought a sewing kit with her. Let’s go get those patches taken care of and have a drink,” Cash says.

“She brought one with her? She knew I’d get in?” James asks, surprised.

“No, she didn’t know. She just had faith in you and in us to be smart enough to vote the right way,” Cash answers with a grin.

Filing out of Church, cheers erupt again when James holds up his club patch.

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