Page 29 of RiffRaff's Reward

It doesn’t take much longer before I’m back in the truck and heading to the convenience store so I can gas up the truck and snag two bags of ice for the cooler. Sighing, I stretch as the pump continues to spin, grateful that in a few short days, I’ll be in my woman’s arms once again and surrounded by family and my brothers.

“Mama, it’s so early,” Willow whines as I help Joceline carry the kids to the truck. I made sure it was warmed up before I came over because the temperatures have dropped a lot. “And it’s still dark outside.”

“Shh, Willow, you’ll wake up Wyatt,” Joceline replies. “You can just go back to sleep, sweetie, but we have to go now.”

Yeah, yeah, we do. Her fucking husband is supposed to be back home midday tomorrow and hopefully by then, I’ll be close enough to Roanoke that if worse comes to worse, my brothers can be there to have our backs.

I gently place Wyatt in his carseat, get him buckled in, then place the pillow against the window in case his head slides over, and cover him with a blanket. Once Joceline has Willow settled, I help her into the truck, close her door then move to the driver’s side and get in.

“Thank you for doing this for us,” Joceline quietly says.

“Always have my brothers’ backs,” I reply, inputting ‘home’ into the GPS. I turn the volume down so the automated voice doesn’t wake up the kids then say, “Let’s head home.”

“Sounds like the best idea I’ve ever heard,” she advises while grinning at me.

She’s a beautiful woman but I can see the shadows beneath her eyes and can only hope that once she’s back in the fold of her family, she can heal so she can have her best life moving forward.

Well, once again the fucking weather slows us down. I had hoped we’d reach Roanoke by Christmas Eve but instead, it’s now Christmas Day. Both kids have been steadily crying because they think they’ve missed Santa Claus coming and I’ve got the mother of all headaches pounding through my temples. Jilly and the kids are going to meet us at the clubhouse since the trip went longer than anticipated, which is fine with me. It’s something we discussed last night when she was teasing me that because I wasn’t home, Brick came over and put Kimber’s vanity together, while Banshee and Jingles assembled the bike and superhero clubhouse that was purchased for Callum. She promised to takea lot of pictures and videos so I could watch them later, and I’m gonna hold her to that vow.

“I have it on good authority that Santa Claus knew y’all were coming to Roanoke with me, so he left your presents at your Uncle Butcher’s house,” I state, using my president voice.

“He did?” Willow asks, sniffling.

“Yeah, he did, sweetie,” Joceline replies.

Both kids stop crying and look into the front seat at Joceline and ask, “Can we play on our tablets until we get there?”

Joceline shoots me a grin and nods. “Absolutely.” She took them last night to charge and had them stuffed in her backpack/purse thing. She hands them over and then passes them their headphones.

Thank God, I think when silence once again reigns inside the cab of the truck. Soft Christmas music is playing in the background but at least I can hear myself think.

“Here, RiffRaff,” Joceline says, holding out some Tylenol. “I know if I have a headache, you must have one as well. I’m so sorry for their behavior.”

I take the proffered pills, swallow them down with a gulp of water then reply, “They’re just little kids, Joce. I get that they’d be upset thinking that Santa missed them this year.”

Two hours later, we pull into the clubhouse. I help her get the kids out of the truck and head inside to see everyone in the process of sitting down to dinner.

Joceline makes her way over to her family while I scan the room for mine. Seeing Jilly looking at me, I quickly walk to her side,lean in and kiss her, then look at the little boy who’s staring at me with wide eyes. “Hey, Callum, I’m RiffRaff,” I say, holding out my hand.

“Are you gonna be my daddy?”

Jilly’s eyes get glassy, and I hear her sniff as I crouch down next to him. “Do you want me to be?” I ask.

He nods then says, “My daddy died so I don’t have one.”

“Then yes, I’d be proud to be your daddy, and Kimber’s too if she wants.”

Now Kimber’s silently crying, just like my woman as I pull out the ring box. Deciding now is as good a time as any since I’m already on my knees, I look at Jilly and state, “I never thought I’d get a second chance at love, especially when I got sick. But you renewed my faith in love, sweetheart. Will you marry me and let me adopt Callum and Kimber so we’re all one family, regardless of our origins?”

She wraps her arms around me, now sobbing out loud, but I still hear her whisper, “Yes, yes, I’ll marry you, RiffRaff. I love you so much.”

As cheers reverberate around the room, I stand after sliding the ring on her finger and announce, “I’d like to introduce y’all to my ol’ lady and fiancée, Jilly. She just agreed to be my wife. Now, let’s eat because we’ve got presents to unwrap!”

EPILOGUE

RiffRaff, six months later

“Daddy, look!”Callum exclaims as his line moves.

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