Chapter Thirty-Five
DOC STARTED UP Tiny’s old truck and turned on the heat, so it would be warm when he and Lucas went driving. As he climbed out of the truck, a gust of wind sent a flurry of leaves sweeping across the ground and spiraling into the air. He and Lucas had finished building the second swing, and they’d hung it on his porch two days ago. It swayed on its chains as he climbed the front steps. He could hardly believe it was Thanksgiving already. Doc always enjoyed holidays with his family, but this year he had more to be grateful for than ever before.
As he walked through his front door, one of the people he was most thankful for was coming out of the kitchen, her hair piled on her head in a messy bun, a few sexy tendrils framing her beautiful face. Her burgundy sweater hung off one shoulder, showing a hint of the black tank top she wore beneath it, and her black leggings left nothing to his imagination.
“Aren’t you a vision of gorgeousness?” He drew her into his arms and kissed her. The heels on her ankle boots brought her lips that much closer to his. “You got a hot date while Lucas and I are out driving?”
She wound her arms around him. “No. I’m going to Sasha’s to bake pies with the girls.”
“Won’t you get your pretty sweater dirty?”
“I’ll take it off while we’re baking. I wanted to be ready in case we’re running late. You’re meeting us there, right?” They were having dinner with everyone in the main house in a few hours.
“Yeah.”
The last few weeks had been a roller coaster of highs and lows. A few days after Lucas’s first treatment, he’d been hit with the fatigue they’d been warned about. It had lasted a few days, but even when it lifted, he wasn’t his old self. He’d had his second treatment a week and a half ago, and within days he was tired, moody, and uninterested in eating. He complained of a metallic taste in his mouth. He’d begged out of school at the end of last week and had asked if they could stay at Doc’s house from now on since he was off school all week for the holiday break. They’d moved the horses and had settled in.
Juliette ran her fingers down the front of Doc’s cut. “Why are you wearing this?”
“I’m teaching Lucas about representing the club.”
“He has years before he prospects.”
“It’s never too early to learn.” He kissed her again.
“I’m excited for his surprise,” she said. “I hope it perks him up.”
Lucas’s hair had started falling out, and he’d been withdrawing again. Without the swing or riding to distract him, they’d decided to surprise him with Doc’s old truck. Doc had planned on giving it to him on his sixteenth birthday, but given that he needed a new project and wanted to learn to work on old cars, now seemed the perfect time.
But Doc had another surprise in store for him. One he hadn’t shared with Juliette and that he hoped would help Lucas more than anything material ever could.
“I hope so, too.” He kissed her again, then called upstairs, “Almost ready, Rodeo?”
Lucas came out of his bedroom wearing a baseball cap. “I changed my mind. I don’t want to go driving today.”
Doc and Juliette exchanged a knowing glance. They’d known he might say that. “Come on, bud. It’ll be good to get out of the house.”
“I’m getting out later for Thanksgiving dinner,” he complained.
Earlier he’d tried to get out of going to dinner tonight. Nothing tasted good to him anymore, and he’d lost weight. Doc had a feeling he was self-conscious about that, too.
“A’right. If you don’t want to pick out a color for Rebel to paint your truck, I guess I’ll let him know.” Doc walked away.
“Wait! What?” Lucas ran downstairs. “What truck?”
“It’s just my old truck. It’s not a big deal.”
“Are you kidding?” Lucas asked. “Mom, is he kidding?”
“No, he’s not. You’re getting your license in the spring, and we know you want to learn to work on cars and trucks. We thought you might enjoy working on your own.”
“We’re going to set it up in Dare’s garage over the winter,” Doc explained. “He and I will teach you how to work on it.”
“But it was Tiny’s,” Lucas said incredulously. “You said you’d never get rid of it.”
“I’m not getting rid of it. I’m giving it to my son.”
His eyes brightened. “Seriously? Like, for real ?”
“For real,” Doc said with a laugh.
“I can’t believe this!” He hugged each of them. “Thank you!”
“Before you get too carried away, there’re some things you need to know,” Doc said. “That truck is not to be driven like a hot rod. It’s part of Tiny’s legacy, and I hope you’ll treat it as such.”
“I will . I promise. It was yours. That means as much to me as it does that it was Tiny’s.”
Juliette put her hand over her heart. “That makes me so happy.”
“That makes two of us,” Doc said, overwhelmed by Lucas’s sentiment.
“Can we still go see Rebel?” Lucas asked.
“The truck’s already warming up.”
LUCAS SPENT AN hour looking through colors with Rebel in the office of his auto shop before finally announcing, “I know what I want.”
“Great. What color?” Doc asked.
The rumble and roar of motorcycles sounded outside, drawing Lucas’s attention.
“That sounds like a hundred bikes,” Lucas said with awe. “Is it always like this around here?”
“No,” Rebel said. “Something must be going on.”
“Like what?” Lucas’s eyes widened. “Turf war?”
Rebel laughed. “You’ve been watching too much TV, Rodeo.”
“We’d’ve gotten a heads-up if things were going south like that,” Doc explained. “We’ll check it out in a minute. Let’s finish up with Rebel first. What colors did you choose?”
“The same colors it is now,” Lucas said proudly.
Doc cocked a brow. “You sure you don’t want something different?”
“I thought I might, but black and silver are cool, and I like that it’ll be the same as it was for you and Tiny.”
“Black and silver it is.” Doc heard more motorcycles rolling in.
“Good choice. Keep it classic,” Rebel said. “I hear your old man and Dare are going to show you how to fix ’er up.”
“They are,” Lucas said excitedly.
“Dare knows what he’s doing.” He hiked a thumb at Doc. “He’s better with horses than cars, but he won’t steer you wrong.”
Doc scoffed, and Lucas smiled.
“I suggest we wait to paint it until you’re done with your overhaul,” Rebel said. “You don’t want to accidentally nick your new paint job.”
“Good idea,” Lucas said.
“Let me know when you’re ready, and I’ll get the paint ordered,” Rebel suggested.
“Sounds good.” Doc put a hand on Lucas’s shoulder. “Let’s see what’s going on next door.”
They headed outside and over to the entrance to the clubhouse. As Rebel reached for the door, Lucas said, “I guess I’ll wait out here.”
“Nah. You’re coming in with us,” Doc said.
Lucas looked confused. “But you said you don’t let kids in the clubhouse, and Kenny said only hangarounds or prospects are allowed inside.”
“He’s right.” Doc put his arm around Lucas’s shoulder. “But you’re the reason we’re here.”
“What do you mean?” Lucas asked.
“You’ll see,” Doc said, and they followed Rebel inside.
Nearly every seat was taken by Dark Knights wearing black leather cuts, and they all turned to look as Doc and Lucas walked in. Tiny, Cowboy, and Dare stood at the front of the room, arms crossed, Tiny’s fingers drumming.
As Rebel went to take a seat, Lucas whispered, “Am I in trouble?”
“No. Just be respectful.”
Lucas stood a little taller, drawing his shoulders back.
Tiny looked at Doc, giving him a single curt nod.
“Let’s go,” Doc said quietly, keeping his arm around Lucas’s shoulder as they made their way to the front of the room. He could tell by how rigid Lucas was that he was nervous, but that was okay. Learning respect for the club started now.
When they reached the front of the room, he slipped his arm off Lucas, and they both faced Tiny.
“Doc, Rodeo,” Tiny said with a nod to each.
Doc nodded. “Tiny.”
Lucas mimicked the motion and said, “Sir.”
Tiny’s beard twitched, and Doc knew he was suppressing a smile, as Doc was. His father set a serious stare on Lucas and said, “Doc tells me you’re starting to lose your hair, and you don’t like it.”
“Yes, sir. I hate it.”
“I can’t say I’d be happy about it, either. You’ve got great hair, son. Just like your old man.”
“Yes, sir. My girlfriend likes it,” he said, earning chuckles from the guys.
“My old lady likes my hair, too,” Tiny said. “What bothers you most about losing your hair?”
Lucas shrugged and looked down at his feet. “I don’t want to be bald, and look different from everyone else.”
Tiny gave a nearly imperceptible nod to Doc.
“Want to know what pisses me off about it?” Doc asked.
Lucas met Doc’s gaze. “I didn’t know you were pissed off about it.”
“Everything about this disease pisses me off,” Doc admitted. “You’re my son. I would burn down the world for you. I’d give my own life for you, and I can’t get my hands on this fucking disease to tear it to shreds. And now it’s taking one more thing from you that I can’t stop, and it’s making you want to hide away, uncomfortable in your own skin. So yeah, I’m pissed.”
Lucas’s chin trembled, but he set his jaw, once again showing how unbelievably strong he was.
“We would all burn down the world for you, Rodeo,” Tiny added. “Your uncles.” He glanced at Cowboy and Dare, who nodded in confirmation. “And every brother in this room.”
Collective “That’s right s ” and “Hell yeah s ” rang out from the other men.
Lucas swallowed hard.
“You see, Rodeo,” Tiny said. “In this family, we have a saying. Nobody rides alone.”
Tiny pulled off his bandanna and tossed it on the table as Dare and Cowboy grabbed two chairs from behind the table and placed them in front of Doc and Tiny. Tiny pulled a pair of scissors and an electric clipper from his back pocket and handed them to Lucas.
“What are these for?” Lucas asked.
“If you’re losing your hair, we’re losing ours,” Tiny said, and he and Doc sat down.
Lucas stared at the clipper. “You want me to shave your heads? You don’t have to do this,” he said urgently. “Do Wynnie and my mom know you’re doing this?”
“We don’t need their permission,” Tiny said.
“They’ll be pissed ,” Lucas said.
“I guess we’ll find out if your mom loves me for more than my hair,” Doc teased, and more chuckles rang out.
“Wynnie can still run her fingers through my beard,” Tiny said, inciting more laughter. “Now get to it, Rodeo.”
“ Doc ,” Lucas pleaded.
“You’re not going to change our minds, bud. This is called solidarity.”
Lucas groaned. “What if I mess up?”
“You won’t,” Dare said as he and Cowboy stepped beside Lucas. “I set the clipper to leave stubble. Just start at the front, and run the clipper over the top of their heads and down the back.”
As Lucas stepped behind Doc, Cowboy said, “When you’re in the clubhouse, you start with the president of the club out of respect.”
“Sorry.” Lucas moved behind Tiny.
Ezra got up and started videoing, as Doc had asked him to earlier that morning.
“I don’t know about this, Tiny. When’s the last time you cut your hair?” Lucas asked.
“I don’t remember,” Tiny said. “It’s been long ever since I was a kid. I just trim the ends.”
“Are you one hundred percent sure you want me to do this?” Lucas asked.
“I’ve never been more certain of anything in my life, son,” Tiny said. “I’m donating my hair to a company that makes wigs for kids with cancer.”
“You are ?” Lucas asked, his voice cracking.
“That’s right. You should feel good doing this,” Tiny said.
“You need to cut off his ponytail first,” Dare said. “And since he’s donating it, we want to get as much as possible, so give me a minute.” He took the elastic band that held Tiny’s hair in a ponytail off and resituated the ponytail at the center of his head. “Now hold it up with one hand, and cut with the other as close to his skull as you can.”
“I hope Wynnie forgives me,” Lucas said, and everyone laughed. With nervous hands and his uncles by his side, he cut off Tiny’s ponytail and handed it to him.
Tiny’s fist shot up in the air, waving his mane.
The room exploded with cheers.
As Lucas shaved Tiny’s head, Ezra, Hyde, and Taz started chanting, “ Let’s go, Rodeo. Let’s go, Rodeo ,” and all the guys joined in, cheering him on as he shaved Doc’s head, too.
When he was done, Tiny and Doc pushed to their feet, running their hands over their newly naked heads, and more cheers rang out. Doc pulled Lucas into a hug. “You did good, buddy.”
“Holy shit. Tiny has a neck,” Dare said.
“Did you guys know his ears were that big?” Cowboy joked, and laughter rang out.
Tiny laughed and said, “You wanna see how big my fist is?”
Cowboy and Dare tossed their cowboy hats on the table and sat in the chairs, and more chants rang out as Lucas shaved their heads. When he was done, Dare brought out a box of clippers and said, “Who’s next?”
Every man in the room rose to his feet, offering to go next. Doc had never felt prouder to be a member of the club than right at that moment. As they formed two lines, Lucas’s jaw dropped, and he said, “Are you guys making them do this?”
“No. I told them I was doing it, and they all jumped on board,” Doc explained. “Dwight wanted to be here to support you, even though he’s got nothing to shave off, but he had to cook Thanksgiving dinner.”
“So they’re all just doing it for me ?” Lucas asked.
“That’s called brotherhood,” Tiny added. “Nobody outside of these four walls knows what’s going on in here. Not Billie or Sully or Sasha or any of the other guys’ families. It’s not anyone else’s business. They’re showing solidarity for a future member.”
Lucas beamed. He threw his shoulders back and held the clipper out for Doc. “Will you shave my head?”
“It would be my honor.”
ON THE WAY home, Doc said, “I need to check on a new rescue and the rehab horses, but I’ll drop you off so you can shower and get ready for dinner.” Juliette had texted earlier to say they’d had a rescue come in, but not to worry, she was handling it. “I’ll try to be quick so we’re not late meeting the guys.” They’d all agreed to meet in front of the main house so they could walk into dinner together and surprise everyone with what they’d done.
“Can I go with you?” Lucas asked.
He hadn’t joined Doc when he did rounds on rescues or rehab horses since receiving his diagnosis. “Are you sure you want to do that, buddy?”
“Mm-hm. I’m realizing that sick horses need even more love than well horses.”
“They sure do. Are you sure it won’t make you sad?”
“It will make me sad, but it’ll make them happy, and the truth is, it made me sad before I knew I had cancer. I stopped because I didn’t think I could handle it. But that was selfish.”
“No, it wasn’t. It was an act of self-care. Everyone has their limits, and I’m glad you know yours. I don’t want you to do anything that makes you unhappy.”
“I want to see them. I can handle it now.”
And he did. Beautifully.
What a joy it was to see Lucas showering the healing horses with love again. He talked about the horses as they drove home to get ready for dinner, and it was easy to see that spending time with them had not only helped the horses but also helped Lucas gain a little freedom from his fears. Doc loved seeing Lucas taking control of the aspects of his life he could control.
The dogs bounded downstairs with Lucas after his shower. He looked handsome in a navy sweater and jeans, and he looked tired, but he also looked so damn happy, Doc knew today was a day neither of them would ever forget.
“Wow, you look great.” Doc ran his hand over Lucas’s head. “How does it feel?”
“It’s gonna take some getting used to, but Layla said I look hot.” Lucas had taken dozens of pictures, and selfies with Doc and Tiny and all the guys and had sent a number of them while they were still at the clubhouse.
“Of course. I mean, you look like me and your mom, and there’s nothing better than that.” He laughed. “Seriously though, hotness has nothing to do with hair or bone structure or eye color. Hotness comes from who you are on the inside resonating to the outside. I just want you to know, I understand all these changes are hard, and your mom and I couldn’t be prouder of you for the way you’re handling things.”
“Thanks. I’d be really messed up without you and Mom and everyone else helping me through it.”
“Support helps, but you’re stronger than you think, Rodeo. There’s nothing you can’t handle. We’d better get going. We don’t want to keep the guys waiting.”
As they grabbed their coats, Lucas said, “I still can’t believe Gus showed up and got his head shaved.” Ezra’s father, Pep, had brought Gus to the clubhouse when they’d almost finished with everyone else. Ezra had gotten both of them on video, while Dare and Tiny shaved their heads. “You weren’t kidding when you said your family never leaves anyone out. Pep said he’ll be at dinner tonight, too.”
“That’s right. He and Ezra had a lot of rough years, but things are better now.” As they headed out, Doc handed him the keys.
“We’re not walking?”
They’d had a big day, and Doc knew Lucas might putter out early, but he wasn’t about to say that. “It’ll be cold and dark after dinner. I’m pretty sure your mom would rather we drove.”
When they got to the main house, Gus ran over to them. “Hurry! I can’t wait to see Sugar’s face when she sees my hair!”
Doc picked him up and kissed his cheek. “You and Lucas are going to be stealing hearts and taking names.”
“I don’t want anybody’s heart but my Sugar’s,” Gus exclaimed.
“And I’m good with Layla’s,” Lucas said.
“I wanna see Layla!” Gus said, wriggling out of Doc’s hands as they joined Tiny, Dare, Cowboy, Ezra, Rebel, Taz, and Hyde. “Is she coming to dinner?”
“Not tonight. She’s with her family,” Lucas said. “But maybe I’ll see if she can come over tomorrow.”
“Are we ready to do this?” Tiny asked. He had his bandanna tied around his head again.
“Yeah. I hope the girls don’t get mad at everyone,” Lucas said.
“If they do, we’ll tell them to talk to you,” Dare joked.
“I’ll hide behind Doc,” Lucas said, and they all laughed as they filed through the door.
When they entered the dining area, Tiny threw his hands up and said, “Happy Thanksgiving!”
There was a collective gasp. Birdie squealed and ran over, leading the pack, sparking a flurry of commotion as the women all talked at once with surprise and delight.
“ Mom , look at Dad!” Birdie yanked Tiny down by the front of his shirt and ran her hand over his head. “I love this!” She grabbed Lucas next, tugging him down, too. “You look badass! Layla better watch out. There might be a stampede of girls at your next competition.”
As his mother and the girls fawned over Lucas and Gus and the rest of the guys, Doc’s attention remained locked on Juliette, standing back with tears in her eyes and a hand covering her mouth. He went to her. “You okay, darlin’?”
“ No ,” she said with a laugh, tears streaking her cheeks. “You did this for him, didn’t you?”
“There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for him, but I just announced what I was doing, and the guys made their own decisions. The whole club took part.”
“Seeley, look how happy he is.” Lucas was taking a selfie with Wynnie, Tiny, and Gus. “I can’t even…” She threw her arms around Doc. “I love you so much.”
“That’s good, because I was a little worried you only liked me for my hair.”
She kissed him, and as she stepped back, Lucas didn’t just walk over. He swaggered , which was new, and said, “What do you think, Mom?”
She rubbed the top of his head, and then she caressed his cheek and said, “I’m wondering where my baby boy went. You look so grown-up and handsome and so much like Seeley, it takes my breath away.”
“Wait until you see me when I’m a Dark Knight wearing my cut. Right, Doc?”
“Heck yeah.” He high-fived him.
Juliette covered her face and said, “What have I gotten myself into?”
Doc put his arms around their shoulders as they headed for a table and said, “Don’t overthink it, darlin’. There’s no getting out now.”