Chapter 10
Eagle
After hopping on my Harley, I drove the short distance to my dad’s house. It wasn’t our original home. Mom still ended up with that one. When they split, Dad had to get a smaller place but insisted on having a house. Once I was a little older, I understood that sometimes he did side jobs for the MC and privacy was a necessity.
Dad was a mechanic and worked at the shop the club owned. That’s how he originally got in with them. I’d heard Raven tell him to prospect a bunch of times, but Dad always joked it off. While he was willing to run a few drugs and guns around, I don’t think he liked the idea of offing anyone. He was tough as nails, but a softy at heart.
I pulled into the small ranch-style home’s driveway and smiled. He’d just done yard work. The acre was perfectly landscaped and the grass was lush and green. He didn’t have many flowers but there were some bushes he kept trimmed neatly that had little pink and red flowers. There was also a row of bushes in front of the house that never bloomed but seemed to stay green all year long. As a teen boy you didn’t care about flowers and bushes and ever since patching in, I’d stayed at the clubhouse, so I didn’t know much about yard stuff. But Dad was proud of his.
Before I made it off the bike, Dad had stepped outside onto the small, covered porch. “Everything okay, Eddie?” His brown hair was cropped short, and I had gotten most of my features from him–brown eyes, my height, wide shoulders, soft smile. He only had small traces of grey around his temples and didn’t look his forty-nine years at all.
“Hey, Dad,” I said as I walked toward the porch. “Just been a while. Thought I’d stop by and check in.”
He pulled me in for a hug but we kept it short. “I love you son, but fuck, it’s hot out here. Let’s go inside.”
I stepped into the small living room where I used to swipe his smokes from the side table after he’d gone to bed. The same basic old lamp with a white shade sat on that table next to his plush brown recliner. I took a seat on the buffalo plaid loveseat on the other wall and glanced over at the TV.
“Braves are looking good. You been following?” he asked as he plopped down in his chair.
I stretched my long legs out as I leaned in the corner of the loveseat. “Not much time for ball. If they make the playoffs we should get tickets.” Dad and I used to enjoy baseball together when he wasn’t working, though it was usually on TV. We’d gone to a few games in person, but he worked so much it was hard to make time. But he’d get home in time to watch a few innings. Over the years, the trips to see them had become fewer and farther between.
“So what’s on your mind, Eddie?” he asked, those rich brown eyes peering into my soul.
Exhaling hard, I ran my hand through my hair then plopped it on the arm of the loveseat. “Simple answer: lady problems. But I have a plan.”
“Lady problems? Nothin’s ever simple about that, son. But I’m surprised. Never known you to care enough for there to be a problem with one. Well, except that one girl in middle school. What was her name? Stacy? Sally?”
Rolling my eyes I corrected him, “Sandy and it was high school. And there was no problem. We got along just fine.”
“Yeah ‘til you got caught with her friend.”
“It wasn’t her friend and we weren’t even together. She had no reason to be mad.”
Dad chuckled. “Semantics, son. Is that the kind of trouble you having now?”
Groaning at being asked for the second time that day, I answered, “No. After that ordeal, I made sure to always be crystal clear about any intentions and expectations. I was just a run of the mill asshole.”
His brows went up. “Mighty big of you to admit that. She must be special.”
Dad had been at Raven’s memorial, and so was Lacy. But I didn’t introduce them. “She’s more special than I wanted to admit. Can I ask you something?” He nodded so I asked, “Why did you never get remarried?”
Dad sighed but grinned. “No real reason. After your mom and I split, I worked a lot and you know that work wasn’t on the up and up sometimes. Between that and the shop, just didn’t have time.” He leaned up and put his elbows on his knees and smirked. “But don’t think your old man hasn’t gotten some ass in all that time.”
We both laughed. I really didn’t think about his sex life, but at least I knew he was still getting some. “So, it wasn’t some, I dunno–”
“Heartbroken vow to never be with another woman?” He laughed again and held his stomach. “Your mom messed me up a little, I won’t lie. But honestly, I wouldn’t mind settling back down with the right woman. And I ain’t mad at her anymore. We were so young when I knocked her up.” His head whipped in my direction. “Don’t get me wrong. Learning about you was the happiest moment of my life, son. And I was happy with her. But we were young and struggled. Thought I was doing the right thing by marrying her and trying to take care of y’all. But while she shouldn’t have cheated, we weren’t meant to be together. Just took me a long time to admit it to myself.”
Now I leaned up and braced my elbows on my knees. All this time I was holding onto something that wasn’t even real. Harboring hate for what she did to Dad, but he’d forgiven, or at least forgotten. I could be angry that Mom was selfish and not there for me the way a mom should have been, but I was okay. And lots of friends were latchkey kids because their parents worked a lot. She didn’t start going out until I was in middle school and old enough to feed myself and understand right from wrong. Not that I didn’t do shit I wasn’t supposed to.
“Looks like you can use a beer, son.”
Leaning back up, I smacked my hands on my knees. “Let’s go to the bar.”
Dad and I spent a couple of hours at Destiny’s Spirits, the bar owned by the club. It wasn’t far between the clubhouse and his house and we didn’t have too many beers. We caught up while we nursed a couple of longnecks, ate peanuts, and watched the game.
“So, you gonna fix this shit with your woman?” Dad asked as he dropped shells on the bar.
“Your woman? Did you finally claim Lacy?” Red walked behind the bar and smacked Scar on the shoulder. “Take off man. Appreciate ya.”
Red was the Treasurer for the club. He was tall and strong but not as bulky as Falcon and Hawk. He had ginger hair and a short beard to match, with light green eyes. He was a cool guy and could always be counted on to have your back. He worked the bar a lot of nights so he missed out on a lot of the deals and shakedowns, but if he was off he’d be there.
“I need to tell her, but yes. I think I am.”
“About damn time,” Scar said as we walked behind Red. “See you Monday.”
Dad stood up as Scar was walking out. “I need to take off, too, son. I was up early today.”
I kept shelling the peanut I was working on. “Can’t hang, old timer?”
Dad gripped my shoulder then put me in a loose chokehold with the other arm. “I can still take you out, you little shit.” He laughed heartily then smacked my back. I stood up and gave a half hug to my old man. He pulled back a little and said, “When you get your lady squared away, bring her by the house. I need to meet the one that tamed you.”
“You bet, Dad. Be safe getting home.” I watched him walk from the clubhouse and I was planning to head out soon. After I downed the last swig of my beer, I put some cash down on the bar. “I’m out. Probably see ya around tomorrow.”
Red gave a tilt of his chin as I turned to head outside. I was feeling lighter. More sure of things. It started as a shit-ass day, but hopefully once I found Lacy and talked to her, everything would be alright. But as I buckled my helmet, the cell inside my cut vibrated against me. Pulling it out, I looked down and wiped my hand over my face. Another new lead to chase down. Chances of me being back before she was fast asleep were slim. But the club came before my personal shit.
After replying I’d meet them, I fired up my Harley and tried to convince myself that maybe this interruption was best. She could have another day to cool off and our talk would go smoother. By tomorrow night, she’d be back in my bed and I could get some much needed rest.