2. Chapter Two
Chapter Two
N oah “Locks” Franks stood in the Bluff Creek Brotherhood MC’s snowplow barn and recited the pledge each of them repeated each year they participated in the Santa’s Slay MC.
“Do you promise to bring hope and joy to all the children and adults you meet? If so, answer, ‘We will.’”
We will echoed around the room.
“Do you promise you will treat each person you meet with grace and dignity, no matter your views? We are all only one or two disasters away from needing help or being homeless. If so, answer, ‘We will.’”
Locks whispered softly, “We will.”
“And last, but not least, do you vow you will embody love to those you meet, and if there is something you see needed while there, promise to help in whatever situation is required? If so, answer, ‘I so vow.’”
The echoes of I so vow around the room sent a chill through Locks. He’d intentionally been late tonight because the Saint’s Outlaws MC were joining them with a couple new people, meaning Regina or War would recount how she and Kathryn had started the MC. He just couldn’t hear it again and get through tonight.
It had been a little over ten years since he lost the love of his life. Although some of the pain had faded, each new experience their five daughters had brought a fresh wave of emotions thinking of all the things Kathryn had missed.
His four oldest girls, Remi, Winnie, Sarah, and Jesse were married, each to men that Locks was positive his wife would adore. Beth was fantastic at her job, and Locks was positive she’d be with someone in the next year. They both were just too stubborn to admit it to themselves, but Locks was positive it would be a fantastic courtship full of fireworks.
Now, Locks hadn’t been a monk since Kathryn had died. He’d avoided any female companionship the first couple of years after she passed. Most days back then, it was all he could do to crawl out of bed and do his job. Even though many times he’d been in the room with his daughters, he hadn’t been present. He’d been thinking of Kathryn or remembering the times they’d had. Sometimes, when he closed his eyes, he could almost smell the perfume she wore and see that smile on her face when she greeted him.
He wasn’t proud of years three through five. He’d been mad at the world and mad that Kathryn was gone. He’d been the hit-it-and-quit-it king of Wichita. He’d go out of town for the bail bonds company. While he was gone, he’d pick a different bar and see if anyone piqued his interest for one night. But none of that had helped.
Years six through nine were spent making sure Remi knew everything he did about the bail bonds and was ready to take over. It had been a relief to have her become the head of their company. He still worked, but his girls were the next generation.
“Locks, did you hear? You’re with me,” Rose said.
Locks shook his head. “Sorry. Let’s do this.”
Rose was a sweetheart with a core of strength. He’d gotten to know her a little better as Stella, her mom, and he spent time together this last eight months. He and Stella had finally spoken aloud what they’d both known. They weren’t the love of each other’s lives, and it was time to stop their sneaking around and just be friends. Stella and he had even let their kids know, just in case the kids were thinking there was marriage in their future.
He had decided to ride his 2018 CVO Road Glide Harley Davidson. It had a passenger seat and back, along with the place to add the racks for the bags. It’s what he’d used two years ago when he last rode the route for Santa’s Slay MC. Rose got on behind him.
Even though tonight was bittersweet without Kathryn, he loved what they’d turned it into—a time to help other people. He and Rose had on their Santa’s Slay MC cuts, and their Santa hats were in his saddlebags. He glanced at the address for their first stop.
He didn’t know right offhand who was living there. It was a rental house that usually didn’t have people staying there too long because of the less-than-gracious landlord who owned it.
He normally loved riding his bike. In fact, after losing Kathryn, he’d spent a lot of time riding. If he hadn’t had the girls to help through their grief and the company, he might have considered going nomad to get away, just like Compass had done recently.
He made the last turn onto the street and pulled up to the curb and parked. He helped Rose off, then swung his leg over the bike. There were days he felt every single one of his sixty-plus years. He made himself jog outside or on the treadmill at least three times a week and lifted weights at least twice. It wasn’t that he needed to have the best body he could; it was so he could tell his asinine doctor, who looked all of sixteen, that yes, he had done his thirty minutes of walking a day. Didn’t the fool realize that just doing his job usually netted him ten thousand steps on the watch the girls got him? When he exercised, he always had even more. Rose handed him his Santa hat, and they put them on. Now, he needed to put a smile on his face and spread some hope.
He and Rose walked up to the house and knocked. This was Rose’s first year participating with Santa’s Slay MC, but as a former Dallas police officer, she’d delivered plenty of Christmas packages to those needing a little extra help. The door opened, and Locks kicked into character.
“Ho, ho, ho! We’re Santa’s helpers with a delivery for you,” Locks said.
A large man had answered the door and didn’t look pleased to see them. Locks immediately assessed him—five foot five, maybe six, two hundred pounds easy with most of it in his gut and a mean gleam in his eyes. Thirty to forty years old, most likely. Locks wasn’t sure who had asked for the delivery.
“We didn’t ask for anything,” the man growled.
“Oh, I’m sure you didn’t. We get a couple names each year by drawing an address. Then our group finds out the ages living at the address and gets items for that age group. I mean, if you don’t want the extra cash that comes with the delivery, we understand. We can leave,” Rose said.
Locks had to hand it to Rose. She thought fast on her feet and also dangled cash in front of the guy who did not want them coming in for some reason.
“Oh, well, as long as no one thought we needed a handout,” he blustered.
Once he stepped back, Locks walked in, checking out the room before moving enough for Rose to come in.
“Merry Christmas!” Rose said and walked toward the child sitting on the couch. Locks thought the boy looked maybe eight to ten. If he was older, he was small for his age. The woman in the chair was stunning. The small lines on her face and her gray hair had him guessing she was in her late fifties or in her sixties, closer to his age. Her hair was cut short and neat. Her dark brown eyes were watchful, and Locks had to wonder what had been going on before he walked in. Her clean clothes and neat hairstyle were the opposite of the younger man who opened the door.
Rose walked over to the boy and crouched down. “I bet you’d like a present. I’m pretty sure we have something for you.”
The boy nodded but waited for Locks to bring the bag over and pull out a present with a tag with B for boy and an age 8-10 on it. Locks pulled that off and handed the present to the kid. He held it in his hands and looked toward the woman.
“Mimi, can I open it?” he asked.
“Yes, but thank Santa’s helpers for delivering it,” she said.
Locks fought showing any effect to her husky voice. Friggin’ heck, her voice had him imagining all sorts of things that he hadn’t even entertained about any woman in the last ten years—taking her home with him and seeing what happened.
He swallowed and looked toward the woman who was watching every move they made. He looked in his bag and saw an envelope of cash. He was concerned with the vibes he was getting that if he handed it all to the woman, the man would take it all. His senses were tingling that something was off tonight. He reached in and split the money in half, leaving half in his bag.
He pulled out the envelope with cash and handed it to the woman.
“Hey, nope, that’s mine,” the man said, walking over to her and pulling it out of her hands. She allowed it to happen and didn’t say anything to dissuade him.
Locks grabbed the wrapped present for the man and handed it to him. While he was tearing into his present, Locks grabbed her present and palmed the cash.
“Merry Christmas,” he said, handing her the present with the cash underneath. When she took the present, he slid the cash into her palm while their hands were hidden from anyone in the room by the present.
“Thank you,” she said and slid the money into her front jeans pocket while the present was on her lap, covering what she was doing.
“You’re welcome. I’m Locks,” Locks said, wondering how he could prolong their time at this house even though they were under a time limit with their schedule. He didn’t even know her name, and she intrigued him.
“Hope Boyd, and this is my grandson, Benji. The man at the door is my son. He doesn’t normally live with us but dropped in for the holiday,” Hope said, keeping eye contact with him while she spoke.
Her words said one thing, but her eyes were telling him something was off. She glanced down toward her arm and then pulled her sweater sleeve back, revealing bruises in the shape of fingers.
“Hey, Locks, I know you hurt your back, so maybe he could help me grab the larger present from the bike,” Rose said.
His watch vibrated with a text.
Rose: Code Chandler, male FTA
“Sounds good, Rose. I appreciate you thinking of my back. My girls will have me lying down all Christmas if I hurt it again,” Locks said, confirming Rose’s cover story. Code Chandler was the bail bonds code for friendlies incoming. FTA was a failure to appear notice. Rose had begun working for the bail bonds and must have recognized the male. Things were about to get a little more lively.
As Rose and the man walked outside, Locks walked toward the door, closing and locking it. If he ran, Locks didn’t want him to be able to come inside and use the kid as a shield. He quickly walked toward the back of the house and made sure that door was locked too.
“Any other outside doors besides front and back?” he asked.
Hope shook her head no and stood up. “What’s going on?”
“Your son is wanted for a failure to appear and is being taken into custody. Sorry, buddy, but your dad won’t be here for Christmas. He didn’t follow the rules,” Locks said.
“I’m glad he won’t be. He hurt Mimi, and he’s not supposed to be around us,” the boy said.
Locks nodded, then stared out the window. A couple of the bail bonds team had appeared and taken the man into custody. Rose waited until the SUV drove away before coming back to the door. Locks let her in.
“Sorry about that. Let’s get your presents out,” Rose said.
Hope looked at the presents. “Locks, we’re good. I’m not sure who put us on the list for Christmas Eve. I have plenty of money and have bought Benji’s Christmas.”
“Let me check,” Locks said.
He pulled up the list and then chuckled. He would have known what he was walking into if he’d checked the list. Remi had added Hope’s house to the list because she was concerned their FTA would push his way into their home.
“Looks like Remi just wanted to make sure you all were okay and that your son hadn’t pushed his way in,” Locks said.
Hope smiled, and Locks couldn’t stop staring at her and wondering why he was feeling like this after all these years.
“Thank you, Locks, and tell Remi thank you, too,” Hope said. “I didn’t get your name,” she asked.
“Rose, ma’am. I work for the bail bonds.”
“Oh, you’re one of Stella’s daughters. Thank you for your help,” Hope said, reaching to shake Rose’s hand, then his.
“Merry Christmas, and we’ll be on our way. We have more presents to deliver,” Locks said. The boy said goodbye, and Locks walked out of the house.
He wasn’t sure how he felt about Hope. Maybe his best course of action was staying away from her because Kathryn had been his great love. He wasn’t sure he could even consider anyone else to spend time with, no matter how lovely Hope was.