Chapter 2 #4
Cross leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees.
“I swear to you, I take excellent care of all my sponsees. He has my phone number and I’m available twenty-four-seven.
But I am not responsible for him,” he clarified, gaze turning to Ranger.
“You did the hard part. You got clean, but recovery isn’t a destination.
It’s a decision you make every second of every day for the rest of your life.
Only you can keep yourself sober. You don’t have to have it all figured out today.
Today is a big enough day as it is. Having me, having friends and family, we’re not the medication.
We can’t ‘fix’ you, but we can guide you and help you with as much or as little as you need. ”
Ranger squeezed Becks’ hand without looking away from Cross. “I know. They went over all this in rehab.”
“In rehab, you didn’t have the constant temptations and stress of everyday life.
Rehab was the smooth highway compared to the pothole-filled road you’re about to go down.
Your sobriety can never be taken lightly, never be taken for granted.
You already relapsed once. You know how easy it was, how out-of-body it felt.
That’s why going to meetings is so important.
I’m not your parent or your babysitter. We’re going to build a routine that works for your life, but at the end of the day, your sobriety is your own. Succeed or fail, it’s on you.”
While Ranger did not like the scolding tone Cross took, he could appreciate it.
Even though alcohol wasn’t his addiction, Ghost and Becks had still removed all the alcohol from the house.
If the bar was still around, Ranger would not be able to work there.
As it was, it was under construction with their Grand Re-Opening planned in a couple of months.
The bar had been such a big part of Ranger’s identity since he’d joined the club.
Was the club going to take that away from him too?
Like being the enforcer, would it only be in name now?
Would he still co-manage the bar with Ghost but never step foot in it again?
When Cross spoke next, he reverted back to that calming tone he’d started out with.
“Your life is different now, Ranger. Take it or leave it. I won’t baby or coddle you.
That’s my promise to you. Pure, unadulterated honesty.
You won’t like it. You may even hate me for it.
But good or bad days, I will always be in your corner rooting for you. ”
Ranger studied the man for a moment before nodding.
“Good,” Cross said with a smile. “Now, for this week, I will pick you up and drop you off from meetings. Obviously, we’ve already chosen the eight-thirty meeting for tonight.
They generally take about an hour. It’s good to find you some closed meetings in the beginning so you don’t feel so much like there’s a spotlight on you.
My suggestion is to double up this week.
AA in the mornings, NA in the evenings. Let’s get you going strong from the beginning.
Eventually, you’ll start driving yourself and I’ll just meet you there, and then I might just be a phone call a day with the occasional in-person check-in outside of meetings.
My other sponsees know I’m helping you this week, but that I’m always still available to them.
We meet outside of meetings every Sunday for dinner, too.
We rotate whose house we go to, and I always bring pizza so no one feels obligated to cook. ”
Next to Ranger, his mom let out an appalled sound. “Absolutely not. I’m cooking for you from now on. If it’s not here, then I’ll send Liam with the food. Just let me know how many people and if there’s any allergies.”
At Cross’ surprised expression, Ranger added, “She’s already made you four different pies, not knowing what it was you liked.”
Cross reached diagonally across to grip Loretta’s hand. “You’re too kind. We usually just have coffee cake and old coffee at these meetings. I’m sure the pies will go over very well.”
“Oh, I didn’t think about the meeting. Wait here!
” Becks’ and Ranger’s mom quickly got to her feet.
“I just dropped off pies to the clubhouse. If those sweet-tooth vultures Liam calls brothers haven’t demolished them by now, that’ll be six more pies you can bring with you.
Mr. Cross, make sure you get me that list of allergies.
I’ll need to go to the store if you’re doing two meetings a day.
I’m thinking twelve pies per meeting. That’s twenty-four pies per day…
” She continued talking to herself as she rushed from the room.
Everyone stared after her a heartbeat before Ghost let out a long sigh. “She keeps forgetting that we have prospects who can do her bidding for her,” he said before kissing Becks on the lips and chasing after his mother-in-law.
Ranger leaned over to whisper in Becks’ ear. “Um, how long is she planning on staying for?”
Becks shrugged. “Not sure. Why? You too manly to have your mommy make you sweets to bring to your meetings?”
Ranger snorted. “The opposite. I’m afraid they’ll kick me out if she stops.”
Becks squeezed his hand, and then the siblings turned their attention back to the stunned Cross.
“She is aware that she doesn’t have to cook for us to allow you into the meeting, right?” he asked them.
Ranger shrugged. “Wouldn’t matter. Don’t be surprised if she starts feeding the meetings I don’t attend, too.”
“We’re going to need to start taking up a donation jar if she does. I don’t want her spending that sort of money on us,” Cross said, clearly concerned.
Becks and Ranger exchanged a look. This whole catastrophe had started over money.
Ritchie Austin had worked as a junior attorney at the same law firm where Becks and Ranger’s grandmother had filed her last Will and Testimony.
Though not biologically related to them, Andrew Fremont had always treated Becks and Ranger like his children.
He was the only father Becks had ever known.
Their sperm donor had been an abusive asshole Ranger was very grateful Becks had never had to meet, even though he contributed to half her DNA.
Like Andrew, a cop who had died in the line of duty a decade ago, had adopted Ranger and Becks, his mother had always treated Becks and Ranger like they were blood related.
Unknown to them and Loretta, when she passed, Beatrice had split her small fortune between her two grandchildren.
Realizing Beatrice wasn’t long for this world, Ritchie and his stepsister, Cameron Powell, had hatched a plan.
Each of them would seduce a sibling, get them to marry them, and then the fortune would be theirs by marriage.
What happened to Ranger and Becks afterwards was still unknown, but the logical assumption would be that both Ranger and Becks would meet untimely ends.
They’d been prepared to play the long game for that money, with Ritchie having already proposed by the time Beatrice passed.
But a huge wrench was thrown into the plan, though, when Ranger brought Ghost to Becks’ wedding, and like a fairytale straight from Hollywood, the moment the two saw each other, there was no going back.
Becks might have fought it, wanting to stay loyal to her fiancé and the man she was set to marry in a couple of days, but there was no denying that it was love at first sight for the two.
Becks was preparing to leave Ritchie the morning of the wedding when it was discovered that Ritchie was nowhere to be found.
In the middle of that debacle, Ghost showed up and proposed, which Becks had accepted without hesitation.
Meanwhile, in Mount Grove, Ranger was playing right into Cameron’s hands, having no idea that he was sleeping with his little sister’s ex-fiancé’s stepsister.
Ranger cleared his throat. “Don’t worry about it,” he told Cross. “It makes her happy.”
Plus, maybe some good could come of that money.
Ranger hadn’t even known about it until after he was released from the hospital, but he’d been in no mental or physical state to do anything with the knowledge that he now had access to a trust with one-point-four million dollars in it.
He’d already been planning on telling Demo to anonymously donate a portion to Colby the Asshole, who’d refused to accept any money for Ranger’s care.
Maybe donating the rest to the local NA/AA groups via pies was the best way to get rid of the rest.
* * *
Taking a deep breath, Ranger put his hands on the wood podium, still warm from those who shared before him. “Hi, my name is Liam, and I’m addicted to heroin.”