Page 64 of Patching Over

“Don’t know, but I need to find out from Pops’ nurse who will be the best doctor for you to use.”

“M’kay.”

I’m nearly asleep when he asks, “Rayleigh? Ban’s been on me for a bit now about what you want all of us to call you. Says it’s fucking with his head because he wants to call you Ry or RyRy like he did when we were kids, but you’ve been Rayleigh for as long as you can remember. I told him it was ultimately up to you.”

Unbidden, tears come to my eyes, thinking about the young boy who didn’t get to see his little sister grow up, and now doesn’t know what to call her. “Let me sleep on it tonight, so I can give you an answer in the morning, okay?”

“That’s fine, sweetheart. I love you, never forget that, okay?”

“Love you too.”

My sleep is full of nightmares as my heinous past merges with my beautiful present and much-anticipated future. Finally, to keep from waking Brick up, I ease out of bed then take a quick shower before I get dressed for the day. Since it’s so early and the sun hasn’t risen yet, I decide against going down to the common room, and instead, curl onto the couch by our tree, the soft lights as well as the fireplace lulling me into a sense of peace.

“Babe, you okay? It’s not the baby, is it?” His sleep-roughened voice caresses my senses, further enhancing my overall calm.

“I’m okay, Brick. Just couldn’t find any good, restful sleep so I got up because I didn’t want you to miss out on rest too.”

He comes over to the couch, lifts me up, settles down into the cushions, pulls me to him so that I’m sprawled across the top of his lap, then grabs the throw over the back and covers the two of us up.

“If you’re awake, then I want to be awake with you, sweetheart,” he whispers, softly kissing the top of my head. “What’s got you so troubled?”

“Last night you asked me what I wanted to be called, Rayleigh or Ryleigh. I guess that was in my head when I finally fell asleep because I had some pretty horrible nightmares, but I also had a few terrific dreams,” I start explaining, my hand stroking across his wide, expansive chest. I can feel the rumble against my palm and pat him a few times. “Rayleigh died in the ditch that day, Brick. From everything I’ve learned, Ryleigh was loved, cherished, and treasured by her family, so I think I’d rather be her from here on out since she never really got a chance to live.”

“Then Ryleigh it is, sweetheart. I’ll make sure it’s passed around too so folks get it right.”

“As long as you and our family here know what to call me, I’ll be fine.”

“No, no. Just like it’s a mark of respect for our road names to be used once we’ve been given them, it would be disrespectful for anyone who knows us or you to call you by your dead name and that’s what Rayleigh is from here on out, dead. Instead, the club’s princess,Ryleigh, is home, ready to reign over her kingdom at my side.”

CHAPTER

ELEVEN

Brick

“Son, you better be glad I fucking love you and don’t wanna answer to the brothers for taking you out,” my pops growls out once Ryleigh flounces upstairs to finish her abundance of wrapping.

All the brothers left for their respective chapters, bottles of good whiskey in their trucks in appreciation for their help, along with multiple tins of cookies that Ryleigh and the club girls baked. My ol’ lady even asked Murder what the wedding couple would like for their gift then jotted it down on her ever-present list.

“Not sure what you mean, Pops,” I reply nonchalantly, sipping at my beer while Kracken and Brew make faces at me behind his back. The rest of the brothers are all just sitting around, drinking a few cold ones, and enjoying the festive atmosphere, although I’m pretty sure they’re all dying to know what their stockings are currently holding, since my ol’ lady has been adding things every time she comes down with her hands full of wrapped gifts.

They’re all going to be spoiled, and right now, I can’t find it in me to give that first fuck. She’s having an absolute blast spending money, baking, decorating, and making lists of what she wants to do once the holidays are over. I’m not gonna stop her, that’s for damn sure.

He’s been bitching since they got back, although thankfully, not in front of my ol’ lady, because he fell for it, hook, line, and sinker, when she asked right after everyone took off if he could help her find a new wallet for Banshee since she didn’t know where the Harley store was at. With one prospect driving, and his wheelchair strapped to the back, he didn’t suspect a damn thing.

However, not only did they hit the Harley Davidson store, where according to him she dropped quite a bit of money, she also took him to an outlet mall where she dragged him through several stores on her quest to find a butter hut. Along the way, she found stuff for the kittens, me, the club girls, Pops’ nurse, the brothers, and even her best friend. Hell, I know for a fact she found a few things for Pops as well.

“You knew damn good and well that girl was going to do some shopping, not just hit Harley!” he exclaims.

“Pops, did you have a good time with her?” I question, knowing damn good and well he did based on what the prospect already told me.

His head drops even as he nods. “You know I did. She’s a witty little thing, ain’t she?” he grumbles, tossing back a shot of whiskey. “Very observant about all kinds of shit.”

“She doesn’t remember her real dad, Pops. That means you gotta be there for her,” I gently remind him. “You gotta be able to tell her their stories.”

“I can do that, but I think I’m full up on shopping until about fifty years after I’ve died, son,” he laments, causing the rest of the brothers to burst into peals of laughter.

“Gotta admit, she sure adds life to this fucking place,” Phantom remarks. “We haven’t had a dull moment since the night Voodoo walked in here and said we had to go find your ol’ lady.”

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