Shadow and Skulls (Rebel Skull MC Series Book 6)

22. Chapter Twenty-Two

My mom wipes at her eyes as she stands in the middle of my little church. Jesse’s already had the roof repaired, and Petey is here, looking at the windows.

“You know, we could leave the stained glass to the south. This side is in the best shape, too. Then, we can take out these broken ones and replace them with regular windows so you can see out. It will give you a great view,” he says.

I clap my hands excitedly. “Yes! That would be perfect.”

He walks around the room, his finger tapping over his mouth. Charlotte dances around him, happily hugging her new kitten to her chest.

“What do you think, Mom?” I ask her.

She fans her face. “I think it’s going to be amazing.”

JD steps inside, clapping his hands. “All righty, partner. I’ve got the truck. Let’s get some of this stuff out of here.”

My mom walks around. “Now I don’t want any of this going to the trash. I’ll find a use for it.”

He salutes her. “Yes, ma’am.”

Days turn into weeks as club members come and go. Everyone in the club is using their skill set to make my dream become a reality.

“I think I’m going to stay here tonight,” I tell my dad as he lies under my new sink, making sure there are no leaks.

My mom makes a little squeak.

“You don’t even have a bed,” Jesse chimes in.

She and my mom exchange a look.

“That’s okay. I’ll sleep on the floor or the bench.” I point to the pew my mom refurbished with bright multi-colored pillows.

“My daughter is not sleeping on the floor!” my dad hollers, still under the sink.

Jesse rolls her eyes. “Is Jackson finished with her bed?” she asks my mom.

My mother nods, unable to speak. Jesse pulls her phone to her ear. “Hey, I need you to go pick up that bed over at the farm.” She snaps her gum between her teeth. “Oh really?” She looks at her nails lazily. “Well, I guess I could call Jeremy and see if he has the time to help me out.”

My mom barks out a laugh as she takes my dad’s hand and helps him to his feet.

Jesse’s smile widens. “See you in a bit.” She makes a kissy sound into the phone before hanging up.

Dad waves for me to follow him and begins to go through a list of things he doesn’t want me to forget.

“Oh my god. I’ll be fine,” I say on a groan after thirty minutes of following him around.

He ignores me, continuing his lecture. “Now don’t be doing the dishes and then walk off with the water running. No one is going to be here to go behind you.” He wags his finger at me. “The new fuse box is right here. I’ve labeled everything.”

I’m trying to listen, but Jackson and Dirk are bringing in my new bed. Oh my god. It’s beautiful.

My dad ruffles my hair. “Go on. You’re not listening to me anyway.”

“I’m sorry,” I say, focusing on him. “I’m just so excited.”

“I know, baby. I know.”

Jackson walks around the four-poster bed, pointing out all of the details he put into it.

“It’s beautiful.”

“Give it a try.”

I climb up on the mattress, staring at the ceiling. “It’s perfect,” I breathe out, unable to hold the tears back. My family is the best. I’m so grateful for them.

At the end of the day, mom drags her feet after everyone else has left. “Oh, I have one more thing.” She holds up her finger before rushing out the front door.

Dad shakes his head. “Give her a little grace. Her baby girl is moving out.”

“I know.” I’d be lying if I wasn’t a little sad, too.

She comes back in with a painting that has hung in our living room for as long as I’ve lived with them. My dad presses his finger and thumb into the corner of his eyes.

“I’ll get the drill,” he grumbles, choking back tears of his own.

“What do you think?” She holds up the old window painted with sunflowers against the wall. “Or maybe over there would be better.” She points across the room.

I smile, knowing this painting must be special to her. “I think it looks perfect right there.”

“It was the first thing I hung on my wall when I moved here. Well, it’s not the original one. Jackson broke that one. But this was the one I painted to replace it.”

I laugh. “I can’t imagine Jackson breaking anything.”

“He was such a stinker when he was little.”

“Was?”

She smiles at me. “You’re right. He’s still a little stinker.”

I curl my feet under me, watching my parents work together to hang it. My heart is happy for them, but it hurts for me. I miss Tank. I want to share this with him. It’s a big moment for me.

“Okay,” my dad says when they’re finished, dragging my mother out the front door. “We’re only a phone call away. We can be back here in two minutes if you need us.”

I place my hands on their backs, gently shoving them toward the pickup as I walk them out. “I’ll be fine. I promise. I’m going to get started on my first assignment,” I tell them.

This seems to make them happy. I’m not sure if it’s what I want, but they convinced me to give online college classes a try. I agreed to take one class. Who knows, maybe I will enjoy it.

When the dust settles after they drive away, I let my gaze roam over the trees. Maybe I’m crazy, but I feel him today. I walk to the tree line, pausing my steps to listen. Nothing. But I have faith he’s here.

“I thought they’d never leave,” I say out loud.

I know he’s not going to reveal himself. My father hasn’t given us his blessing … yet. Baby steps.

“You should see inside. It’s changed so much in just a few weeks. It’s turning out better than I could have imagined,” I say, wrapping my arms around my favorite cottonwood tree. “I guess I have you to thank for that.” My cheek rests against the bark. “I’ve finally started to speak up for the things I want.”

“I wish I was hugging you,” I say quietly, dropping to the ground.

My fingers wrap around a branch. “Do you remember how the cotton would blow from the cottonwood trees back home? God, there were so many along the river. Somedays when the wind would blow it would look like it was snowing.”

I snap the branch at its joint, smiling at the little star that’s revealed there. I haven’t thought about this in such a long time. I guess that’s the nice thing about letting my mind wander through the past. I’m finding some good memories there; I just have to look for them.

“One time when I was around, oh, I don’t know, maybe five or six, I walked down by the river alone. My mom was having one of her episodes, and she could barely get herself out of bed. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but I guess I didn’t know the area as well as I thought I did because I got lost. I was so scared. I don’t know how far away I ended up going, but luckily I ran into a man. He sat down beside me and wiped my tears. I told him my name and where I lived.”

I rub my finger over the star in the branch. “He smiled at me and told me everything would be okay, but he didn’t take me home. He just sat with me as the sun disappeared behind the trees.” I laugh lightly. “He picked up a cottonwood branch and broke it.” I reach for another branch, holding it in the air. “He broke it right here,” I say, hoping more than anything that Tank is watching me and he can see what I’m talking about.

“Anyway, he told me a story about how the stars used to live in the ground, but the sound of the river drew them into the cottonwood roots. He said they moved high into the branches, where they waited for the wind to blow them into the sky.”

I rest my head against the bark, staring up through the tree limbs. “Shortly after, I heard my mother calling my name. I rushed down the path and into her arms. I told her about the man, but when we went back to thank him, he was gone. Only the broken stick remained.”

The sound of a branch snapping a few feet away brings a smile to my face.

“I don’t know if he was real. I’ve often wondered if the universe sent him to comfort me, to keep me calm until my mother found me.” I laugh again. “I’m starting to wonder if you are real too, or just some apparition sent to me when I needed him most.”