Page 6 of Hanging Horseshoes

It was me who wasn't, and I couldn't risk her happiness. I didn't want her to give up her whole life for a confused fuck up like myself. I shake my head, forcing back my depressing thoughts, finish washing up, then hop out of the shower. Just as I’m sliding on my cut, there's a banging on the door. I swing it open, annoyed.

“Dude, come one. There's a woman at the gate… this one has a baby too! Wonder who’s going to be the pappy this time?” Grease smiles evilly my way. This fucker gets too much joy out of our misery. Sometimes it's just too easy to rattle him, though.

“Ever think it could be yours, fucker?” I smirk when his smile drops.

“Nah, no glove, no love for me, my brother.”

“Condoms fail, dude,” I whisper. Then chuckle when his face pales, and he holds up his fingers like he’s counting. The color returns, and he smiles triumphantly.

“Nope, not mine. Piper said it was a baby. I’ve been losing so many bets with Grim lately my dick has been out of commission for a while.” He brags. He and our club brother/doctor, Grim, have been betting for years on what the old ladies could get into. I knew they were all crazy when I met them. Halle, more than the rest; however, stick them all together, and you never know what they will get into. Hence why I took none of those bets.

My sacred dick would not be pierced with a needle just because Halle wanted to see if she could hijack a police car and get away with it, which she did. Or because Izzy wanted to test her eyesight by breaking into party city and blowing up every color balloon she could find, trying on costumes, and a bunch of other things. Alcohol may have been involved, and we may have had to pay off the owners.

“Well, let's go see.” I sigh and push him out of my doorway. The compound is empty as we walk through, and I realize they must all be nosey asses up at the gate. We head that way. Grease is too excited, and I must be walking too slow for him ‘cause he takes off at a jog when he sees everyone already there. As I get closer, I hear their chatter.

“What the fuck is up with this gate? It has to have some kind of magic to it. It's always bringing us strangers. Well, only one of them is a stranger.” Halle says, looking up and down the gate, bending over, then leaning to the side like she could see the magic coming off it.

“We need to get a voodoo priest to come bless this shit or something.” She continues.

“I’m pretty sure that's not how it's done. I thought it was the catholics that bless shit right?” Grease pipes up.

I roll my eyes, hearing their conversation as I draw closer to the gate, wondering who’s here.

“Who is it you say you are looking for, darlin?” Prez asks. I walk up behind Grease, about to go around and see who it is, but then they speak, and that voice…. I know that voice.

“Oh, u-um. Maybe I'm in the wrong place.” She tells them, and I rush to the front just as she turns around to return to an old pickup truck.

“Ophelia?” I breathe out, and she stops, but that's not what has my attention. My attention is on the tiny little girl curled in her mama's thin arms. She has my blonde hair but corkscrew curls, my deep blue eyes, and even my cheek dimples. A small smile plays across her face when she sees me.

“Dada,” she barely whispers, but I still hear it.

“Ohhh… looks like Rodeo’s the baby's pappy this time.” Halle stage whispers.

“Halle.” Comp warns, but I’m not paying attention. I’m too busy staring into the eyes of my baby girl. A baby girl I left and never even thought to consider.

“Open the gate,” I say softly, trying to get the breath to return to my lungs.

“What?” Hitter asks.

“Open the fucking gate!” I say louder this time, pushing my way to the front of the gate. The minute they open, I’m rushing through.

“Phia? What's going on?” I ask, but she still won't turn around. The baby in her arms, my baby, reaches out for me. I don't give it a second of hesitation. I take her into my arms, closing my eyes and trying to hold the tears at bay as my little girl wraps her small arms around my neck and squeezes. When I open my eyes, I see Ophelia facing me. Her head is bowed, and she won't meet my eyes.

“Phia, I’m so sorry I left you, Honeybee, but why didn't you tell me?” I ask her. I’m not angry. Hell, I was the stupid fucking kid that left her the day after I took her virginity. I basically told her she wasn't enough, that she didn't matter anymore. Though I didn't mean it that way, wouldn't I have thought the same if the tables were reversed?

This is my fault. It's all my fault. I left her without a word; I abandoned her and my baby. Left them with a community who…. Oh shit, the pieces click into place. I look at the bruising up and down her body. She is smaller than when I left… by a lot. She should have womanly curves now. She was definitely developing those when I left. My anger takes on a new form.

“What the fuck did they do to you?” She winces and recoils at my anger and that breaks my heart, even more so when my baby girl flinches and starts whimpering. What did they do to my fucking daughter?

“Maybe we should get them inside Rodeo? Get them something to eat and maybe a nap. They look like they are about to fall over.” Piper chimes in.

“I can start cooking something warm for you guys. Halle, you can help me.” Jade speaks up. Halle opens her mouth, probably to comment she ain't a kitchen kind of woman, but she snaps her mouth shut when Jade gives her a look. Damn, she is the only person I know on this planet brave enough to do that.

Loki is crazy enough, but he likes the reaction. Jade is brave enough, though.

“I’ll get you some clothes. I think she's about my size? Right, babe?” Izzy asks Hitter, squinting. Her eyes still aren't good enough to see, but I appreciate all the help.

“I’ll help you with that, Izzy. I might have some of Paisley's old clothes that will fit…” Sunny cuts off when she realizes she doesn't know the little girl's name.

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