Page 83 of Deserter

I squeezed his hand and leaned into his shoulder. “Daddy, I’m not going to lie and say that what you did wasn’t wrong. It was, and I hope that you’ve stayed clean because Mama—”

“I swear to all the saints; I haven’t used since they took you.” His voice cracked and he looked down at the hardwood again.

“Ever since you were a little girl, you’ve been this whirlwind and I just imagined you conquering the world. I never saw you staying here.”

I nodded and arched my back, trying to alleviate the dull ache that had returned. I hadn’t imagined staying either. The plan had always been to travel the world after Chicago; to live like a local and experience new cultures.

If my father had made different choices… if I’d never met Jamie… if I hadn’t chosen to keep Kate.

If… if… if.

The world could’ve been my oyster, but I would’ve felt something missing with every fiber of my being. Jamie and Kate were my home.

“I love him,” I said quietly.

He nodded. “I know. And he loves you; it’s obvious. He waited out your mama threatening to call the cops just so he could ask me to be here to walk you down the aisle. Bikers do have aisles, don’t they?”

I nodded, hung up on his declaration that Jamie loved me. His actions said one thing, but he’d carefully avoided saying the words and had gotten skilled in distracting me when I did.

“There’s a lot more to being married than people realize and then, adding a baby to the mix? You’re so young, Celia.” His eyes misted over, and I blinked back my own tears.

“I was there the day you came into this world and I swore to keep you safe. As parents, you want to keep your kids sheltered from everything—”

“Daddy,” I began.

My father tightened his hold on my hand before asking, “He’s good to you? I mean, you’re happy? I never wanted you to settle for anything—”

“I’m not. Jamie’s a good man.”

He stood and reached for my hand. “Then, I think it’s time I get you to your husband.”

Chapter Eighteen

Celia: 1990

Istudied the table and card in front of the serious biker across from me before looking back down at my own.

Ace and a seven.

I slid a separate stack of chips next to my original. “Double down.”

Hawk slapped a three down and flipped over his second card.

A four and a two.

“That means I won, right?”

“Yeah, princess. That means you won,” Jamie responded with a soft laugh before squeezing my shoulder.

The wedding receptions I’d attended had been stuffy affairs, requiring the finest china and hosiery that dug into my hips. The food was never enough to fill me up and it was frowned upon to ask for seconds on cake.

Jamie had ensured that we had enough food for an entire army, or at least a crowd of bikers. Rock music blasted from the speakers in the corner, but the kids seemed to be the only ones interested in dancing.

Apparently, my new husband didn’t know how. Not that anyone cared; most were content to drink and gamble away their evening.

Hawk slid the chips across the table with a scowl. “Consider this another wedding gift.”

I scooped them into my handbag. “Thank you, Hawk.”

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