Page 8 of Silk & Bones Reunion

Chapter Four

When Sam got to his old house, he let himself in and he noted the chill in the air. He checked the heat and cranked it up a bit. Walking through the house, he went into the master bedroom. Flicking the light on, he noted the starkness of the room.

He had moved out after they got married to move in with Melora and now, this house just seemed so stark and almost empty. He hadn’t stayed here in a number of years and it showed. He now felt lucky though as he’d kept this place. He had been thinking about renting it out but just never got around to it. At least, he would have a roof over his head for a while.

Unpacking his suitcase, he put his things away then stripped his clothes off and laid down in his bed. He stared at the ceiling and thought about what was happening. He was very close to losing his wife and family because he didn’t trust Melora. Was she cheating on him? She claimed she wasn’t but something was going on.

Was this something his other women had gone through when he bailed out on them, leaving them pregnant with no man to claim his children? He was a lot of things back then but a deadbeat he wasn’t. He paid his women money every month to take care of his babies but he hadn’t been there with them to raise the kids he left behind. He watched over his kids from the shadows but he hadn’t been there in their lives.

Except for TBone and Shaw. He’d watched Melora’s belly grow bigger with each passing day and then he’d been there for their births and every day since then. He loved all his kids but these were the only two he’d ever watched grow up with him. He missed them last night and he was going to miss them again tonight. He actually felt a hole in his heart and it would get bigger the more time he spent away from them.

He laid there remembering when they were born and what a miracle it had been. Their baby giggles, their first words. He remembered the day TBone took his first steps and now, he was running around like a whirlwind, talking like a magpie and going to school. And it had all passed in a blink of an eye. Sam had learned late in life how kids could become your whole world. Made you laugh, worry and even cry if they were hurt.

Hours passed and he was still staring at the ceiling. His eyes felt gritty and he hadn’t slept at all. When he turned to look at the bedside clock, it was four a.m. “Fuck.” Sam growled as he tossed the covers aside and got out of bed. Grabbing his clothes, he kept grumbling as he got dressed. Donning his heavy jacket, he grabbed a blanket and headed out of the bleak, empty house he had once lived in.

He snatched his truck keys up and drove back to Melora’s house. Getting out of the truck, he went around the back and settled down on the patio. Covering up with the blanket, he finally closed his eyes and fell asleep.

Hours later, Sam awoke as he heard movement in the house and he looked over at the door. He was surprised to see TBone standing there frowning at him.

TBone opened the door and came out to see him. Staring at his dad, he crossed his arms over his chest. “What are you doing here, Daddy?” TBone finally asked.

Sam shook his head and said, “This is my home, boy.”

“You made Mama cry the last two nights,” he declared. “And that is mean.”

Sam nodded. “I know.”

“You gotta fix it, Daddy. Like you fix bikes, you gotta!” TBone told him.

“I wish it were that easy, kiddo,” Sam told his son.

“If you gonna be like Jackie and not fix it, I don’t wanna talk to you no more,” TBone stated, then he turned and walked back inside, and the door slammed shut behind him.

Sam sat back feeling stunned. The kid didn’t even want him here. Shaking his head, he got to his feet and walked around the house to get into his truck. He had to get to work today.

On the way to the garage, he just kept shaking his head, but he did smile a bit. His boy was something to be proud of. He wished he could say the same for himself. But it had come down to principles and the boy wouldn’t understand that. Sam could not tell him the truth. The poor kid wasn’t old enough to hear why his parents were so miserable.

When he arrived at the shop, everyone there paused with what they were doing to glare at him. Sam ignored them as he grabbed his tools and strode over to work on the cycle he’d been working on two days ago.

The other men in the shop kept watching him, much to Sam’s displeasure. He hated being the subject of everyone’s anger or curiosity. It wasn’t any of their damn business, was it? Fuckers needed to get a damned life. He didn’t owe anyone an explanation, so he refused to talk to the assholes either. He just did his work and kept his eyes down, so they wouldn’t bother him with their fool questions.

Around eleven that morning, Mountain stopped by and his flinty gaze honed in on Sam. “Is Melora back yet?” he growled.

Sam snorted. “You didn’t stop over and check yourself?”

“No one answered the door when I stopped over.” He growled.

“Can’t help that.” Sam shrugged. “Now, quit bothering me and leave me alone.”

Mountain glared at Sam for a moment then growled, “If I find out you hurt that woman, I will do more than bother you, Bones. I’ll beat the hell out of you.”

“Go to hell and stay the fuck out of my marriage,” Sam growled back. “What goes on between me and her is our business and nothing to do with you or anyone else. You hear what I’m saying?”

Mountain nodded. “Yeah, I hear you, Bones. You are being an ass like always. Why in the hell can’t you fix your own messes?” He scowled at him with his huge python-like arms crossed over his massive chest. “Melora will always be my business, fucker. She’s my daughter and she needs to know there’s more than you in her world. She isn’t alone anymore and I’ll stand with her every single time.” He then turned around and stomped out of the shop, slamming the door behind him.

Sam just stared at the door and shook his head. The man had always had his nose into their personal businesses, on that Mountain was right. He grunted then went back to work, pointedly ignoring the rest of the guys in the shop that who just got an earful of his business.

He got a ping on his phone around lunchtime and when he looked at it, he read that Deke was asking to meet with him. Sam snorted as he shook his head, fuckers buttin’ in again, man. He ignored the text and then worked through his lunch hour.

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