Page 1 of Christmas Eve at Bluff Creek

Chapter One

War was nervous about tomorrow and then Baron, who he’d like to mention wasn’t the MC president anymore, called a special secret meeting. The location was confusing. They were meeting at the snowplow barn on the back side of the property, and he was supposed to ride his motorcycle there. The only thing he knew the barn was used for was housing the snowplow and containing the entrance to the tunnel that connected to the MCs room for questioning people.

Maybe his dad’s late-night meeting would take his mind off asking Remington to marry him tomorrow. He knew she’d say yes but asking her and making it perfect in front of their family was a need he had. He’d never thought he’d fall in love with the princess who drove him crazy in high school, but then his woman wasn’t a princess. She was his warrior woman. Looking back, he realized he’d needed to go away to see the beautiful, smart woman Remington was and always had been.

If he’d stayed here, he worried he wouldn’t have ever found his one. The woman who made each day better. The woman who knew him better than he knew himself. She completed him in a way no one else had even come close to. He was waxing poetic and if his brothers knew his thoughts, he’d never hear the end of it. Between his brothers and Remi’s sisters, things were never dull.

The things she and her sisters had accomplished amazed him. It had been a rough start when he and the guys first came back, but he’d go through everything again to have the life he and Remington were starting. His woman was a tough badass protecting those who couldn’t protect themselves, but she had a soft center. Her love for her family was deeper than the ocean.

He pulled up and backed his motorcycle in beside Scoop’s. Cannon’s was beside Scoop’s. His dad and Rascal had their trikes, which they rarely rode. Baron had gotten it so he and Mom could take more than one of the grandkids at a time for a ride.

He laid his helmet on the seat and headed in. He wasn’t sure he was ready for whatever his dad had cooked up. Pushing open the door, the sound was deafening. Everyone was talking at once and the snowplow barn had been transformed.

Large red bags, which resembled the ones he saw in all the pictures of Santa the media used, were filled with wrapped packages, and each had a gift tag on them. He counted at least thirty before Remington ran up to him, and he worked to not get hard looking at her.

She was in tight black jeans, a figure-hugging black turtleneck that made him want to throw her over his shoulder and take her away from all the people. Her signature black motorcycle boots were on her feet. She had her hair braided and the cutest Santa hat perched on her head.

“Are you ready?” She grinned as she waited for his response, bouncing on her feet as if she couldn’t contain her excitement. This was a side of Remington he didn’t usually see unless they were heading to the gun range or out on a job. His woman loved action. Maybe tonight wouldn’t be as boring as he thought.

He grasped her at the back of her neck, pulling her closer and kissing her, not caring who was around. Her taste and scent always made the world disappear. He was glad he’d finally come to his senses and recognized his amazing woman. Now if he could get through tonight and then not throw up with nervousness tomorrow.

“That’s enough of that. We’re on a schedule.” A smack on his back and the gruff voice of Rascal had him pulling away.

“Well, since I don’t know what the heck we’re doing, I don’t have the schedule. It’s interesting that the MC President doesn’t have a clue what the something is that the MC is doing tonight, don’t you think?”

Rascal rolled his eyes and shook his head at War’s sarcasm but pointed to where most of the people had gathered in a big circle.

War joined the group and waited.

Baron nodded his head and started. “First, I’m going to say I apologize for not chatting with you about this, but although this involves members of the Bluff Creek Brotherhood MC, it’s actually a separate entity. You don’t have to be a member of Bluff Creek Brotherhood MC to be a member of tonight’s group.”

War wasn’t quite as ticked at his dad since it seemed it wasn’t an official MC function, but he was intrigued. Exactly what was he participating in tonight? Two large tables sat to the right of Baron and contained Santa suits and a pile of cuts.

“Over the years, Regina and I, along with Locks and Kathryn and Rascal, have worked with Whiskey’s dad and uncles and a couple of families to help those who can’t help themselves. About twelve years ago, right before we lost Kathryn, we realized that there were kids who didn’t believe in the goodness of Santa because all they’d known was a lack of generosity and good will, so we decided to change that. Kathryn and Regina sat down and made a plan for what they wanted to accomplish. Big dreams of making sure no child was hungry and not getting presents at Christmas. The first year we were under a time crunch and Kathryn was very sick, but we helped five families that Christmas.

When we showed up where Regina and Kathryn had everything organized, they had Santa suits for all of us and cuts with our MC name. They also had guidelines. To be a part of the MC, you had to show a character trait of helping the hopeless.You had to have made the choice to serve others in some way. The MC cuts would only be worn on Christmas Eve and then disappear for a year because since we’re working for Santa, we have to follow his employee rules. Regina, would you show our newbies the cuts?”

THE CUT HAD A LOGOwith Santa on a motorcycle with Santa’s Slay MC and the wordsWe Ride at Donnerunderneath.

“Slay means kill. What the heck are we killing tonight?” Scoop’s voice rang out.

“Good question, Scoop. Another definition is to destroy or extinguish, which is the one Kathryn and I went with. Our goal was to destroy or extinguish hunger and sadness. For one night a year, we wanted kids and adults to feel hope. Hope is a powerful thing. It changes attitudes. It brightens a situation. It gives you the strength to get through one more day. When we formed the MC, Kathryn knew she wasn’t going to slay the disease she was fighting. The doctor had given her months. She actually got to participate in two of them before we lost her. TheWe Ride at Donnercame when one of the prospects from Texas jokingly yelled, ‘We ride at dawn.’ There was silence until Kathryn commented we don’t ride at dawn—we’re going at night. He was embarrassed. Of course, Kathryn didn’t want him to not feel a part of the process, so she changed the wording as a joke to we ride at Donner.”

Regina stepped back, swiping a tear off her cheek, and Rascal brought forward the cuts. “We’re asking you not only to help us tonight but also to choose to help carry this on. We’re gettingolder and will do this as long as we’re able, but if you agree to wear this cut, it’s for life.”

War nodded along with his brothers standing around the circle—Bear, Cannon, and Scoop. Flick was working tonight, but he didn’t see Roam.

“Why isn’t Roam here?”

“Since the first, we’ve alternated with two of the group staying back each year. Roam and Compass are staying with the kids,” Locks stated. War knew Compass as one of the originals, but he’d been missing a lot lately. Regina and Baron had been covering his job as Secretary. It wasn’t a long-term solution, but War would worry about that later.

“Let’s get this on the road. We’ve got a schedule. Twenty minutes until we need to pull out.” Rascal’s voice had Baron rolling his eyes and shaking his head.

“Could you let me finish this? I think I can tell time just as well as you,” Baron growled.

“Just get on with it, old man. Presents to deliver and kids to make happy. No one wants to listen to you drone on.”

War hid a smile at their antics.

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