Chapter 30 - Karter
“So, which ones are single?” Nana asks, looking around at all the brothers. “Oh! Well, hello there.”
I look behind me at what caught her eye and almost spit out my beer.
“He’s taken.” I should have known this was a bad idea to bring her here.
“What’s his name?” She isn’t deterred in the slightest.
“Mike Stalone. Gator’s dad. Married to the VP’s mom, Margret.”
Nana doesn’t take her eyes off the older gentleman, and I know he’s noticed her. Or at least the stare-down she’s giving him from the way his ears are turning pink.
“Foolish woman to leave a fine specimen like him all alone.”
“Ah, Nana?” Babygirl pulls both of our attention as she nods in another direction, where Margret is glaring daggers at Nana.
They stare at each other without blinking. No one is breaking anything, which is good, but if this gets heated, I don’t know who’ll win.
“I can take her.”
Now it’s Mad Max who spits out his beer, just a little.
It’s been almost two weeks since I claimed my old lady at the hospital. This is the first time we thought bringing Nana here was a good idea. It’s another club family barbecue, which we figured would be a good way to ease her in.
Boy, were we wrong. Mad Max and Fairy are sitting with us, and we’ve gotten a few of the other old ladies around us. Even Peaches, who’s more wrapped up in her man’s arms than the conversation. Can’t say I blame them. I want to be anywhere but in this conversation myself.
“I’d pay to see that,” Troublemaker says. Her mother-in-law is a hard woman to love. Or get to know at all, to be fair.
We were all surprised when she set her eyes on Gator’s dad, who was only up for a visit. But not one of us blinked twice when she declared them married after stealing the judge at her son’s wedding and demanding he marry them then and there.
“Easy, Nana.” Babygirl shakes her head with a smile. “Let’s leave the bar fighting to the boys. Plenty of other fish in the sea.”
The old woman hums. I think she’s debating whether Mike is worth it. Catfights? Hot. Old-lady catfights? Not something that is ever going to be on my wish list.
“Fine. I could take her, but I’m not a home-wrecker. Besides, I think I want a younger model.”
I fold my lips in my mouth to keep the laughter from rolling out. The rest of the group around us ain’t any better.
“The prospects are the youngest ones here, and none of them attached as far as I know,” Fairy says without a clue what or who she’s offering to Nana.
“Well, let’s start there. Which direction, deary?”
Mad Max points to the front of the club where most of them are standing, waiting to be called on for work.
Well, those not manning the bar or on gate duty.
They usually mingle after a while, but Atom was being extra cheeky this morning and put up a “Prospect Location” sign in the club since he couldn’t find a single damn one of them when he needed one.
So, if they aren’t on a job, they’re to remain in this spot till one is given to them.
Ain’t a bad rule, actually. I kind of like knowing where they are.
Helps when I need someone to do something for me, like open my beer or some shit.
“Wish me luck. I’m going to show these youngsters the benefits of dentures. Or more accurately, what I can do when I take them out.”
Nana walks away with a pep in her step, and every guy around us openly gags.
“Don’t worry, boys,” Babygirl says. “I had the dentist cement her dentures when we went last week. Those things ain’t coming out anytime soon.”
“Does she know?” I ask, watching my girl’s eyes sparkle as she tracks her nana.
“She’s about to find out. I told her last time I wasn’t going to go fishing in any more trash cans when she pulled them out for tricks and fun and forgot about them.
Something she only does because she knows it annoys me.
She never actually forgets where her teeth are, but she finds it funny as hell.
Well, who’s laughing now,” Babygirl says with a chuckle as she picks up her beer, Bulldog’s brand, and takes a steady pull from it.
“You’re evil,” I say into her ear as I swing my arm around her shoulders and pull her in tight.
“Remember that if you ever mess up.”
“Noted, Babygirl, noted.” I kiss her lips, just a quick peck. I’m saving the true fire for when we get back home.
Nana sat us down about a week ago and said the house is Diana’s.
The garage fix-up? That was for her. Diana was more than shocked to know her nana had already transferred everything into her name, but I wasn’t.
She might be old, but she’s sharp as nails.
She knew what Diana wanted before anyone did and made damn sure she got it.
Cleaning out my place wasn’t hard. I had no memories there, not really. The ones I woke up with were of this place. The club and my room here. I had a vague memory of the house, but I wasn’t tied to it beyond it being a place I put stuff that was mine.
The entire club came out to help me move. Took a day. One fucking day. Moving was the simple part, actually. Telling Ruby? That was something I didn’t know I’d be able to do, but I went with Babygirl, and we did it together.
Ruby’s place is nice. I still have the urge to punch Kooper every now and again, but I hold it in. Especially when I remind myself that he’s the father of my grandkid. That’s saved him more than one black eye with just the thought.
When we went to Ruby’s, I really didn’t know if she’d let us in. It was a five-minute stare-down before she opened the door wide enough to invite us in. When we sat down, she was quick to ask her questions.
“Already know she’s pregnant. I don’t do babysitting.”
Diana looked at me with wide eyes, and I forgot that I had missed mentioning that part to her. “Nana said something in front of everyone.”
“Oh” was all she said. Then she looked at Ruby with a shake of her head. “I’m not pregnant. It was a false positive.”
She said it easily, but the sadness lingered at the end. And that was all Ruby needed to hear to end the bitchiness from a second before.
“I’m sorry.”
They held each other’s eyes for a moment before my old lady smiled with a nod.
“I’m moving in with Diana. I want to sell the house. Figured before I do, I would offer it to you. I know you’ve got this place, but it’s yours if you want it. It’s paid off already, so no need to move in or anything. It can just sit there till you’re ready.”
I remember the look on Ruby’s face as she processed everything. It wasn’t anger that stuck out, but the acceptance and her smile when she shook her head.
“I’m good. Just tell me when you’re moving. Kooper and I will come and help.” And that was it.
On the day of the move, I expected their help only and ended up with the entire club.
Even had an offer from Casper to buy it.
He said he wanted a place for him and Billy that was close to the club but also their own since they’ve just been living at the clubhouse since they got together.
It was an easy yes, and even easier on the paperwork since it was all done in-house.
Apparently, Fairy got a realtor’s license during a random bored moment and could do it for us.
She was even going to do it pro bono, but Mad Max wasn’t about to let his girl do work for free.
Not that Casper or I would have allowed it either.
She got a nice payout, and the former president passed on his keys to the new president.
“Babygirl, huh? I was wondering what he’d end up calling you,” Ruby says with a smirk.
“Fitting,” Troublemaker says, and Kitten, Flint’s girl, nods in agreement.
“Call me?” Babygirl asks.
I forget sometimes that she still doesn’t get all the ins and outs of the club. She fits in so well that I feel as if we’ve done this for years and not just weeks.
“Club name. All the brothers get one once they patch in. When they claim a woman, she gets one too,” Ruby explains.
“It’s a name that we all get to use. Something to call you that’s tied to how you got into the club. Who you’re with. Only your old man can give you that name. No one else can give it to you, and no one can take it away,” Kitten supplies with a wide smile.
“So….” Babygirl looks at me. “Should I call you Law?”
“No.” Ruby’s response is quick and firm, and half the damn club turns in her direction at the volume.
She points to those around us. “They call him Law. You call him Karter. And I call him… Dad.”
Fuck, I needed to hear that.
I swallow the emotions in my throat. She hasn’t said that to me in a while. Not since before she was taken. It was always Law. I didn’t know I needed to hear it till she said it.
“And when you have a kid”—her eyes move off my old lady to meet mine—“you treat them the same. Boy or girl. No more bullshit about not being part of the club because they don’t have a dick.”
Yeah, the entire club also knows it was a false moment for us. We had to tell everyone because Nana said it for all to hear. Everyone has been supportive, to Babygirl especially, through it all. Which I’m grateful for. I’m grateful for everyone in this club. Including my kid.
“Noted,” I say with a nod.
Her eyes mist over, and she rubs the tears out of them. “Goddammit. I swear I cry at every damn thing now. You better enjoy this, Kooper, because I’m not about to let you knock me up again.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He grins and pulls her in tight to kiss her forehead.
“What!” Kitten shouts, and Troublemaker’s jaw drops. “You’re pregnant?”
“Oops,” Ruby mutters, realizing the mistake she made a second too late.
“Flint!” Kitten screams across the bar, and everyone quiets.
The last time she screamed like this, she was going hunting to kill a man who went after her best friend.
Thankfully, Gator got to Troublemaker first and just made her fall in love with him instead of us having to dig a six-foot hole in the ground.
“Peaches is pregnant! With Kooper’s kid! ”
Flint, like half the damn club, is taken aback by the news, and a quietness falls over the crowd.
“No shit?” he asks.
Kooper grins wide. “No shit.”
The entire place erupts into congrats and applause as they all wish them both happy moments yet to come. Most come over and wrap them in hugs.
“Pregnant. Can you believe it?” Kitten asks her man after he finishes shaking Kooper’s hand and kissing Peaches’ forehead. This entire club treats her like the little sister they never wanted but are always happy to have around.
Flint laughs at his girl’s antics. “Happens when you have sex, babe.”
She looks at him as he grins at her silliness. “We have sex.” The crowd quiets again. “We have sex every day.” The silence is overwhelming. “We don’t have a kid.”
And just like that, all eyes are on Flint, who’s staring ahead with a look that means he’s either about to pass out or run for the hills.
“I’ve got to check comms,” he mutters and walks away. Kitten’s hot on his heels, and the boys all laugh and whistle as they go by.
“We have sex too,” Fairy says from Mad Max’s lap, and the quietness returns as we now look at them.
“You want one?” he asks simply as he stares adoringly at his love.
“Never did the math before.”
I can’t help the small smile that comes at her response. It’s all about the numbers for Fairy.
“Do it and let me know what the results are,” Mad Max says encouragingly. He’ll be good with whatever she wants. He’s that kind of guy. Like most Hounds, if it makes his woman happy, he’s all in.
Just like I am with my girl.
Gator wanders over and pulls his woman out of her chair before sitting down and bringing her with him. He grins wide as she wiggles on his lap till he sees everyone looking at him in silence.
“What?”
“Peaches is pregnant,” I say with a nod in her direction. He was in the back, and unless Flint told him when they switched positions, I suspect he doesn’t know.
“Congrats, man,” he says to Kooper, who bows his head in thanks. Still, the silence continues. “What else am I missing?” He looks at Troublemaker, who rolls her eyes but answers.
“Apparently, the baby vibe is hitting some harder than others. The nosy group you call brothers are probably wondering what our status is.”
He grins wickedly and looks at his brothers and me. “Been begging for a while now. One of these days, I’ll get her to agree.” He pulls her back, dips his mouth to her neck, and sucks on it.
She swats at him, and the bar erupts with laughter and shouts of glee as the club joins in the happiness that’s spreading through the tables.
“Happy, Babygirl?” I whisper into her ear as I pull her closer, bringing her into my lap to match Mad Max and Gator. They have the right idea. Why let our women sit in their own chairs when we’ve got a perfectly good lap they can use?
“Completely.”
“Good. Let me know if that ever changes,” I say as I nibble at her ear.
She turns her head and looks me dead in the eye. “As long as I have you, I have everything I could ever need to be happy.”
She pulls me in for a kiss, and it’s one I give her easily. And I promise myself that I will do everything in my power to keep her happy.
Forever.