Page 16 of Tinsel & Chrome

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Feed Me

Logan

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The smell of bacon, biscuits, and something sugary as hell drifts through the air as I step onto the neighborhood clubhouse porch. Inside, the kitchen is a war zone of food and women, all laughing, gossiping, and slapping away the hands of hungry bikers trying to steal bites before the feast is ready.

The ol’ ladies and sweet butts have been cooking since before sunrise, and it shows. The tables are already piled high with food:

Piles of biscuits dripping with butter

Pecan and cinnamon rolls stacked on platters

Massive trays of bacon, sausage, and eggs

Big pots of grits, heavy with cheese

Mountains of pancakes covered in syrup

And because this is Jingle Blaze, there are some not-so-normal holiday additions:

Gator sausage patties

Boudin-stuffed biscuits

Shrimp and cheese grits

A damn breakfast gumbo

I grab a plate, dodging Big John, who’s already sneaking an extra biscuit onto Emma’s plate while she giggles.

“Titan, your boy’s up,” Boone calls from the other side of the kitchen. My dad barely acknowledges it, just lifts his coffee like it’s the only thing keeping him alive.

Bayou is already at the kids’ table, covered in powdered sugar, fighting Jesse over the last cinnamon roll. Daisy watches them with a knowing smirk before she steals it right out from under them.

Jingle Blaze is chaos, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

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Bayou

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I stuff a big bite of biscuit in my mouth and swing my legs under the table, watching all the big guys try to pretend they ain’t waiting for presents.

Uncle Mad Dog keeps sneaking bacon off people’s plates like nobody sees him. Bishop watches everyone like he’s got a secret. Logan looks too cool to be excited, but I know he is.

“Bay,” Daddy says from behind me. His voice is all deep and serious, but I can tell he’s smiling. “That’s your third biscuit.”

I grin up at him, cheeks full. “Maybe.”

He shakes his head, ruffles my hair, and sets a cup of hot chocolate with extra marshmallows in front of me. My favorite.

The clubhouse smells like Christmas, cinnamon, and bike grease, and I feel warm all over.

Emma

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