Chapter 2 #2
I slide a plate of giant cookies toward Joy and Kit, and raise my brow at her before taking a huge bite, cheeks puffed out and I’m clearly too busy chewing to answer just yet. Thankfully, my little Kitty Kat decides to pick up her story right where she left off.
“Jayden didn’t pee his pants,” she says, picking a red M&M off the top of her cookie. “He pooped them!” She covers her mouth with her little hands and lets out peals of laughter.
“Wait, are you serious?” I ask, like, what are the chances of that happening?
“Yes! Cove said she had a plan then at lunch time he just pooped them!” Kit happily takes a bite of her giant cookie.
I stare at her in shock before looking at Joy. “Well, damn.”
Joy nods but I can see the smile playing on her face. “I know. It doesn’t seem like kids could pull something like that off, right?”
I purse my lips, “Most kids wouldn’t. But I’ve seen those kids in action. I mean, Elio made -” my gaze darts to Kit and I mouth the word “bombs” instead of saying it, “while we were at Switch’s family farm. If they can do that? I’d believe they made a little bully poop his pants.
“And then,” Kit begins, swallowing a mouthful and picking another red M&M from the top of her cookie, “Rodney pointed and let everyone know he pooped. And it’s mean and we should remember our manners but Jayden laughs at all the new kids who have accidents so I didn’t feel sorry for him.”
“Baby girl, you never need to feel sorry for a boy, or a man who doesn't respect you.” I boop her nose. “And that’s my little pearl of wisdom for ya.”
Joy grins at me before pressing a kiss to the top of her daughter's head. “Speaking of respect, I’ll ask again, how's the door going?”
I open my mouth to answer before snapping it shut when there’s frantic knocking at my back door.
“Willaaaaaaaaaaa,” is called from the other side and I can’t help the smile spreading on my face.
“Miraaaaa!” I call back as I make my way to the door swinging it open and then freezing in place.
Instead of just larger than life Mira, I have all the DRMC Ol Ladies on my back stoop.
“Ah, yeah, there’s a few of us here,” Remy says sheepishly.
“I smell cookies.” Chewy doesn’t stop to say hi. Instead she waddles past beelining for the cookies.
“Help yourself,” I call after her as I wave the rest of the women in.
“Was going to anyway. I’m pregnant, you know.”
“No shit,” Blanche mutters, eyeing Chewy.
“If I have to hear her say that one more time…” Vi mumbles under her breath before pasting a fake smile on her face at Chewy.
“I have the hearing of a bat,” Chewy deadpans. “But also, I have cookies and a baby in my belly so I don’t care what you say.”
“That’s fair,” Vi answers before blowing Chewy a kiss.
We all settle around my little countertop. There’s a lot of us to cram in.
“Are the Big Littles here?” Kit asks, looking around in case her little gang of evil geniuses are around somewhere.
“Sure are!” Lovely smiles. “The men are pretending to DIY next door.”
“And you left the kids with them?” I ask, a little shocked.
Nat snorts. “They’ll just be standing over there talking and making the prospect DIY.”
“Which means the club kids are over there running wild,” Remy cackles.
“Bye!” Kit yells, ditching us for greener and more wild pastures.
“If you think we’re over here chilling out for no reason, you are sorely mistaken,” Jaz says.
Mira nods in agreement. “We’re here for the tea.”
“What tea?” I ask as innocently as I can.
“Oh, I don’t know,” Ana says, tapping her bottom lip. “The ‘silver fox putting his foot through your door’ tea?”
“She means Mad Dog. But she’s trying to be subtle.” We all turn to stare at Chewy who waddles to the small dining set I have where she plops down and puts her feet up on a chair opposite her. She groans as she rubs her belly, a frown on her face. Her hand stills and she blinks once. Twice.
“Chewy?” Mama Debs asks, brows furrowed. “Are you OK e hine?”
Her lip wobbles and Chewy bursts into tears, the emotion not only shocking us, but Chewy as well.
“Chewy!” Ana rushes to Chewy’s side and we, as a pack all follow and crowd around her.
“Oh my god, I’ve never seen her do this! What do we do?” Nat says, clearly taken aback.
Chewy’s wild gaze darts around the room. She’s saying something between sobs, but I’ll be damned if any of us can understand a word she’s saying.
Mira stands upright, pointing at the sobbing Chewy. “Did…she just ask us why she’s crying?”
“I…don’t…how…do…I…make…it…stop!” Chewy hiccups. “Why…am…I…leaking?”
“Out of where?” Kaia shrieks while Joy and Lovely, arguably the two most nurturing Ol Ladies, start patting Chewy’s back.
“My…personal..bubble…” Chewy starts flapping and I’m not sure if it’s a neurodivergent thing or a Chewy thing.
Oh, no, she just tried to vag punch Remy, I think it’s a Chewy thing.
“Someone get Chomper! Or Rhodie! I don’t care which one!” Ana yells and I delegate myself.
Not because I don’t want to help. There are enough women there to comfort her, but Chewy needs someone who can talk her down before she headbutts someone.
I make my way up the path between my and Joy’s houses, bursting through the door so abruptly that I’m sure I see Rider jump.
“Chewy’s crying.” Every man freezes in place and I’m sure I could have announced myself a little better.
“Like crying crying?” Rhodie says, already moving toward me.
“Yep.”
He lets out a sigh. “Hormones, I bet.”
“You ain’t even gonna run?” Mad Dog asks, doing that damn hot thing where only one brow raises.
“Nah, I’m sure it’s all just hormones or she’s hungry.” He makes his way to the door calmly and we watch as he closes it gently behind him.
We turn to the window just in time to see Rhodie hauling ass, making it to my back door in around three long strides. I bite my cheek to hide my grin but the MC men think nothing of bursting into laughter and yelling jibes at their VP.
“Willa.” Mad Dog’s smooth as chocolate voice rolls over me and I have to hide my reaction.
“Mad Dog,” I answer curtly. Or at least I try but it comes out a little breathy.
“Let’s go watch my boy try to calm down his woman, huh?”
My gaze drifts over Mad Dog’s shoulder, at the men pretending to DIY but who are clearly listening in to our conversation.
“Aren’t you busy?”
“Not if my boy needs me.”
A smile tugs my lips at his answer. He’s a good man. But sometimes good men are the dangerous ones. The ones you lose yourself to without even realizing you’re handing them your heart.
“Willa?”
He holds his hand out, letting me go first and dammit if those manners don’t have me leading the way out the door, down the path, toward my house with the warmth of Mad Dog’s hand at my lower back.
Then, when we reach my stoop I feel it. Just a whisper of touch guiding me rather than steering.
That simple touch does something to me, excitement and fear warring within my gut, making me scramble to shore up my walls before Mad Dog blows them to smithereens.
Wailing and Rhodie’s calm tones drift from the other side of the door. Whatever internal battle I’m having gets shoved deep down where I might only be able to find it after a bottle of wine and a true crime podcast. Chewy needs us.
“Holy shit.”