28. Chapter 27
Scottie
“I cannot believe you and Thunder got married yesterday, and no one even knew that he had met someone,” Rose chuckles, a woman who is absolutely beautiful inside and out.
She took to Sammie instantly, and her little girl Lilly is literally hanging off my nephew, who has the biggest smile on his face.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen him this relaxed before.
“What can I say, he’s very convincing,” I say as I look his way to see him watching Sammie with a smile lacing his lips, his sister and brother-in-law standing by him, along with several brothers whose names I can’t really remember just yet.
“He threatened to sedate you, didn’t he?” Rose deadpans, and I grin her way, making her laugh and say, “That man, I swear.”
“He makes me feel whole,” I admit, causing her to soften. “Even when I’m pissed at him, I still know he’s my person, so it wasn’t even a hard decision. Uprooting my life, marrying him, giving him my heart- he’s worth it.”
“I’m looking forward to working with you,” Rose says softly, “And I’m really looking forward to the friendship with Sammie and Lilly, who is already obsessed with the boy,” and I smile bashfully.
“Thank you for accepting us,” I whisper, and she squeezes my hand before she looks at where her three-year-old little girl is literally still hanging off my nephew, and she smiles as Stone laughs at them.
“Thank you for making Thunder happy,” she replies, and I grin as I lock eyes with my husband, who grins back. “Or maybe I should be thanking Thunder for making you happy,” she mutters, and I look back at her, a smile wide.
“Tank, you are not having her on your team, she’s going to be on mine!” I hear growled, and I look towards the bar to see Tank and Doc squaring up against each other while Rose sighs, confusing me, and I frown as I look her way.
“I’ve seen your credentials, and I saw this battle coming,” Rose says, and everything becomes clear, and I bite my bottom lip as Tank snaps, “You can’t just demand to have her without anyone else seeing her portfolio. She’ll be the best resident in the hospital!”
“And that is why she’s on my team!” Doc grits and I notice Bradley’s shoulders shaking with silent laughter.
“Why don’t we ask Scottie who she wants to be with?!” Tank snaps and my eyes widen in shock because seriously?
“Scottie, do you think you have a minute for us to speak?” I hear to my right, and I look and lock eyes with Kathleen.
She looks hopeful, and I say, “If it means getting me out of choosing who I work with, then sure.”
Kathleen's lips tilt, and she chuckles, “We can go to the yard,” and I quickly move that way, causing Rose to giggle, just as Doc snaps, “Scottie, get over here, we need to discuss something!”
“Uh oh,” Kathleen mutters, and I turn while continuing to walk backwards and say, “Sorry, I uh, I’ve got to go speak to my mother-in-law…”
The brothers laugh at my blatant need to escape while Bradley frowns, his eyes going between his mama and me.
I blow him a kiss, so he knows we’re good before I rush outside, just hearing Tank growl, “See, now look what you did, all because you were greedy!” and booming laughter follows while I sigh in relief.
“You know, I can’t thank you enough for bringing Bradley home,” Kathleen begins as we both take a seat on the patio steps and look out to the evening sky, feeling pretty relaxed. Honestly, it isn’t just Sammie that is happy, heck, even Felix is more relaxed here.
Sammie snuck him out of the car with Brittany’s help, and the cat was currently curled up on the pool table when I last looked.
“He would have still come home,” I try to reassure her, and she sighs.
“A part of me thought he wouldn’t, because of me, because of how disconnected I was with him,” she whispers, “I-I knew he was born in club life, I knew his birth mama who passed wanted his father’s patch.
I knew my having an affair with his father caused my deceased husband’s murder,” she looks my way, “I loved Bradley like he was my own, I still do, but I was petrified that I was going to lose him, that he’d be killed like my husband. ”
“You distanced yourself from him to protect yourself,” I confirm, and she sniffles as a few tears fall and shame etches her hurt features.
The woman is full of hurt, heartbreak and guilt, and her kids have suffered because of it. I’ve learnt something from my own parents, second chances aren’t that bad.
“And I lost him in the process to the point I wasn’t invited to his wedding, not even on facetime,” she rasps, “My daughter doesn’t trust me anymore, she’s distanced herself because I wouldn’t allow her to live her life, too scared I’d lose her as well.
So, while I pushed one child away, I pulled the other one so tight to the point of suffocation. ”
“Sometimes, parents project their fears onto their children,” I say with experience, “My own parents, well, they basically disowned me until recently all because I didn’t follow their footsteps.
They were scared I’d fail in life if I didn’t do what they wanted.
Despite my choice in career being a hard one and rewarding one, they refused to see it until they couldn’t hide from the truth of what they did, with how they treated me,” I look at Kathleen just as she wipes away her tears that keep falling.
I whisper, “Parents make mistakes, ones they can’t take back, but time heals.
Bradley loves you like you’re his mama, and while I don’t know if he intentionally meant to hurt you for the hurt you caused, he does love you, Kathleen.
Just give him time to learn to forgive.”
“But I ruined his childhood,” she chokes, and I wince knowing I can’t refute her words, and honestly I don’t really know what to say to her. She made him feel unwanted and unloved so yeah that is ruining his childhood but…
“Bradley Hill is an amazing, funny, caring man who loves with his whole heart, meaning you didn’t define him by the way you treated him,” I murmur. “He is the best man I know who still calls you mama to not only your face but to everyone, including me.”
She nods as she wipes away her tears and looks out into the yard, and I look along with her, enjoying the sense of peace just as a click of a door echoes. I smile slightly, knowing it is my husband. I can feel him, but I know Kathleen is too in her head to realize he’s here.
“I used to watch him sleep,” she whispers.
“Every night, after spending the evening like he didn’t exist, I used to watch him sleep and cry because I knew he didn’t deserve to be treated the way I treated him.
I didn’t know how to get over the fear of losing him.
I knew if I wanted to be with Bobby then I had to accept his role within the club.
I had to accept him as a brother and trust that he’d keep club life from our home life.
When he told me that he wouldn’t discourage Bradley from following his footsteps, that I wasn’t his biological mother, so I didn’t have a say, I kind of just shut down. I had to watch from the sidelines.”
She lets out a pained sob that breaks my heart as she chokes, “How can I change things after years of neglect? How can I earn his forgiveness and get my son back so I don’t miss out on anymore of his milestones in life?
” she looks my way, “Every football game, I was there, he didn’t know it but I was, hiding in the stands, him patching into the club, I was there hiding in the back.
I have always been there distantly but never emotionally, so how do I win my son back? ”
My eyes tear at her pain, but my tears fall when we hear, “By being there for me now,” and Kathleen lets out a sob just as my husband walks around us, then crouches before the woman that he calls mama.
“I-I, I’m so sorry, Bradley, so sorry,” she cries, and Bradley quickly hugs his mama just as the door opens again. I lock eyes with a solemn-looking Shadow, and Brittany sniffles seeing the scene.
“You haven’t lost me, Mama, I’m still here,” Bradley whispers, and Kathleen continues to sob on her son’s shoulder.
“The pain won’t heal overnight,” I say, “But as long as you’re both willing to try, you can fix things, Kathleen.”
Kathleen nods as she pulls back and cups her son’s cheeks and chokes, “I am so proud of the man you have become, and I love you so much.”
“I love you too, Mama,” he replies, “We’ll be okay, we’ll make it, and I’m sorry I didn’t get Brit to include you on FaceTime.”
“I didn’t deserve to see it,” she chokes, and I shake my head as Bradley quickly says, “Yes, you did, you’re my mama, you are the only mama I have ever known.
Whether you realize it or not, you have had a major say in my childhood, in my teenage years.
You deserved to watch your son get married, and as an apology, both Scottie and I would like it if you’d plan a reception for us, but make sure the Untamed are invited. ”
“Really?” she asks, her face brightening up, and Bradley grins and nods, causing her to throw herself at him, holding him tightly as she sobs, “Thank you,” and he holds her tighter while looking my way.
I swipe away the tears, and he smiles softly at me before laughing when Brit chokes, “Tank and Asher have drawn straws to see whose team you’re on. Asher won, and Tank is adamant he cheated,” and I groan, dropping my head.
“Is it too late to swap my profession?” I ask, and all four of the Hills say, “Yes,” in unison, and I huff as they laugh before a small smile laces my lips and I lock eyes with Kathleen as she pulls back, smiling at me despite her tears.
“Thank you,” she says, and I reply, “I didn’t do anything.”
She shakes her head and confirms, “You did,” then explains, “You not only brought you here, a daughter-in-law I know who will fit in, but you also brought me a grandson, and you brought my son home, so thank you.”
My bottom lip wobbles and I choke, “Anytime,” just as Bradley sits on the step below me and cups my ankle and his sister and father follow suit.
“Okay,” Kathleen breathes, “how about some childhood stories for my wonderful daughter-in-law?” and I grin wide as Bradley groans just as Felix jumps on his lap and he glares at the cat, making us laugh.
Kathleen begins to explain Bradley’s dancing era, making him scowl, though I don’t miss his lips tilting and everything settles.
The sense of home hits me right in the chest as I laugh along to Kathleen's stories. Instead of scowling, Bradley looks at his mama in awe at everything she witnessed, and he didn’t know.
Yeah, moving was definitely the right thing to do for Sammie and me.