Page 63 of Brother to Brother

“He threw a full on fit at the grocery store, no reason why. Just threw himself on the floor, screaming, crying; the whole nine yards. I had to take him out, leave the cart and finally leave the store all together. It was so embarrassing! I felt horrible for the people in the store that had to listen to him, let alone the employees who had to put all the stuff in our cart back on the shelves.”

“Woah, hey, thatisbad, even for him. You get anything out of him on what the meltdown was for?”

“No. We came home, he went into his crib, screamed for like an hour while I told him ‘no’ that his behavior was awful and I was having none of it, but you know, putting a one and a half year old in time out… they don’t really get it and I’m not about to hit my kid.”

“No, I know, I hear you, Babe. I’m sorry you had a hard day.”

“Actually, the day wasn’t so bad except for that.”

“Hmm,” I sighed, and I asked her, “You miss me?”

She was quiet for a time, and I heard her draw breath through the line, “Yes, yes I do,” she said quietly. I replayed her words from our last argument in my head,the last time the man I loved got on his bike and drove away...I don’t think she’d realized she’d slipped, but I had.

“Okay, Baby. I’m sorry I woke you up, I love you and I’ll let you get back to sleep.”

A long silence on the other end of the phone before a tremulous, “I love you, too. Hurry home and ride safe, please?”

“You got it.”

I hung up and stared into the star scattered sky up above. I was stretched out flat on a picnic table in a rest stop. The rest of the guys were laying across the spines of their bikes, but I wanted a little distance and, at the very least, the illusion of privacy for making my call. I closed my eyes, the hard and flat surface of the table giving my muscles a good stretch, even as I felt like my bones still held a hum from the long day spent riding.

“We crashing here or we finding a hotel?” I called.

“Fuck it, why spend the money?” Data called.

“Out here suits me just fine,” Dragon muttered, the coal on the end of his cigarette flaring bright.

“Might as well make it unanimous,” Trigger’s deep baritone filtered out through the dark.

“Right, night then,” I said and settled in for a nap. We had until dawn or some state patrol pigs rolled up on us. Either way, we weren’t doing nothing illegal.

Chapter 27

Melody

“I can’t wait to actually find a place and move,” I was saying. We were all gathered in what we affectionately called the club’s backyard, which was really just the mammoth swath of grass set inside the circular track of asphalt out back. It wasallof the club’s ol’ ladies. Mandy and I were keeping a solid eye on Noah and Eden who were playing on a blanket nearby, while we all lounged in a semi-circle in the sun on chairs constructed by Rush.

The guys had, for the most part, gone on a leisure ride and we were all content to have some girl time, and to stay behind with the kids and Shelly, who was due quite literally,any daynow.

“I am so ready for this baby to come out!” she complained for like the thousandth time and Mandy and I laughed, but it was more in solidarity. We knewexactlywhat she meant. Hayden stuck out her bottom lip and pouted.

“Doesn’t look like it’s going to happen for me and Reaver, but you know what? That’s okay because it’s still a hell of a lot of fun trying.”

Every woman, from Ashton to Dani, mother and non-mother alike had to laugh at that. Ashton wrung out a washcloth and helped lay it on the back of Shelly’s neck to try and keep her cool. The boys had staked a large table umbrella in the ground to give her shade, but it was still hot out, being the middle of August.

Archer had returned from his run to Arizona something like two weeks before and we hadn’t spoken on it since. What wehadbeen talking a great deal about was finding ahouse, both of us agreeing that we were totally over the apartment. One, it was too small, two, it was falling apart, three it was in areallyshitty part of town, and four, the level of dealing, gang violence and domestic disputes surrounding us were off the charts. We didn’t want Noah around it, hellIdidn’t want to be around it. It was becoming a harrowing experience just going from the front door to my car and vice versa.

“Trust me, Honey… a few more months and I’ll be right there with you,” Mandy said patting her distended tummy. She was moving right along in her pregnancy, too.

“I don’t know what’s worse,” Shelly complained, “The heat, the swollen ankles, the weight gain, or the having to pee because this kid wants to use my bladder as a trampoline.”

“All of the above?” I suggested, adding, “I can’t imagine being as pregnant as you are in this heat, I mean, it’s somuggycompared to the dry heat of Arizona. I may be a sun worshiping fool, but this is seriously taking some getting used to.” I fanned myself with the catalog that Hayden had brought me full of housewares and the like. She and Reaver had gotten me a gift certificate to it for mine and Archer’s wedding and I was daydreaming about filling our future house with things from it, even though we had yet to find something suitable.

“I’ll be right back,” Shelly said and Everett had to help her up out of her lounge chair. I winced in sympathy.

“You look so uncomfortable,” Dani said with a similar look on her face that was on mine.

“This is the pits,” Shelly agreed, took two steps andsploosh!She looked down between her legs and back up, fear and panic on her face.

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