Fourth of July with Fury #3
I stole one last kiss before following her out of the family room and out the back door.
The moment we stepped outside, I spotted Savage, Two Bit, Q, and Big near the back field where we always built the bonfire.
And judging by the size of the enormous mound of wood they’d gathered, I feared they were getting carried away.
Wren went to join Mia and Wrath, while I went to intervene with the fire before they set the whole place on fire. I walked up to Savage and motioned my hand toward the woodpile. “What the hell is that?”
“The bonfire.”
“It’s a disaster waiting to happen.”
“I think she’s looking pretty good.” Two Bit sounded pleased as he said, “It’s even bigger than last year’s.”
“Not sure that’s a good thing.”
Q crossed his arms as he announced, “Technically, we’re still within acceptable parameters.”
“According to who?”
“Me.”
“That’s not reassuring.”
Big dragged another log over as he complained, “I told them we had enough an hour ago.”
“And yet, you’re still helping.”
“Say the word, and we’ll stop.”
“Word.”
“Aw, come on,” Savage whined, tossing another log on. “We gotta make sure it burns through the night.”
“I think you’re good.”
“No way. Look at it.”
“I am looking at it, and you’ll set the damn town on fire with that damn thing.”
The damn thing was already taller than Two Bit and twice as wide, but Q wasn’t impressed. “It’s barely a bonfire.”
“Tell that to the fire marshal when he shows up.”
I rubbed my forehead, and somewhere behind me, Cotton chuckled. When I turned, I found him standing beside Guardrail and Smokey. Apparently, he and Big had been listening and were amused by the fiasco. Guardrail shook his head and muttered, “Every year.”
“Like clockwork,” Cotton agreed.
“You guys are just jealous,” Savage goaded.
“Not even close.”
I should’ve put an end to it, but I gave the pile one last look and the men standing around it. Then, I decided it wasn’t my problem and turned my attention back to Cotton. “How about those burgers?”
“Ready when you are.”
“Let’s do this.”
A few hours later, the sun had disappeared below the trees, and the yard was lit by strings of lights, lanterns, and the glow from the massive bonfire that somehow managed to stay under control.
The cookout had been a huge success, and we were all sitting out back with full bellies and bowls of homemade ice cream.
I glanced around the circle of lawn chairs, and it felt good to be there with men who I called brothers.
Cotton was sitting across from me with a bowl balanced on his stomach, and Cassidy sat right beside him.
Guardrail and Allie were right beside them with Clutch and Olivia.
Smokey and MJ were sitting next to them, and on the other side sat Big and Zoe.
They were talking with Elle, Diesel, Q, and Jules.
If Maverick had been able to be there, we would’ve had the entire original crew.
The younger crew was scattered throughout the yard. They were all talking and laughing as they watched their little ones run around with sparklers in their hands.
Wren sat beside me with her shoulder pressing against mine, and I had one arm draped over the back of her chair. There was a half-empty bowl of ice cream balanced on my knee, and just when life couldn’t be any better, fireworks lit up the night sky with flashes of red, white, and blue.
A chorus of cheers followed, and kids stopped dead in their tracks. They pointed up at the sky, smiling as they watched the various colors mix in with the stars. They were in awe, like they were witnessing magic in action.
Maybe they were.
Another explosion rattled the night air, and then another and another.
For a while, nobody talked. We just sat back and enjoyed the show.
It was going great until one of the fireworks took off sideways.
I sat up a little straighter and watched as it started blazing toward one of the prospects.
The poor bastard took off running and let out a sound I’d never heard from a grown man.
His arms were flailing, and he was yelping like death itself was on his heels.
The damn thing chased him for a good twenty yards before it finally sputtered out in the grass.
The entire yard erupted into laughter and cheers, and Cotton damn near fell out of his chair.
Big doubled over, and Guardrail spilled his beer.
I laughed right along with them, and when I glanced over at Wren, checking to see if she’d seen it, I found her laughing so hard there were tears in her eyes. Cotton was still laughing when he said, “Nobody even tried to help the poor kid.”
“He’s fine. He knew what he was getting into when he signed up to help.”
“He didn’t have a choice in the matter,” Torch chuckled. “But he can walk that shit off.”
“Keep ‘em coming,” Wrath shouted.
The prospect nodded, then rushed back over and got back to it. Seconds later, the next round of fireworks filled the sky. The colors reflected across all the smiling faces, and all felt right in the world. Eventually, the fireworks started winding down, leaving trails of smoke drifting in the air.
The noise had settled, too, and the kids who’d been running wild all day were now sprawled out in lawn chairs and their parents’ laps, watching the fire.
The brothers were all close by, drinking their beers and shooting the shit.
Some were standing with their wives, while others tended to their kids.
I leaned back and took it all in. We’d come a long way.
It seemed like only yesterday that we were just a handful of hardheaded bikers trying to find our way.
Back then, none of us knew what was waiting for us on the other side.
Truth be told, most of us didn’t expect to make it this far, but somehow we’d outdone all of our expectations.
Not because it had been easy.
Not because we’d always gotten it right. Lord knows we hadn’t.
We’d made mistakes, lost brothers, and taken more than our fair share of hits. But, in doing so, we’d built something worth fighting for.
A family.
Our family.
I knew the day would come when my bike would be parked for good. By then, the clubhouse would belong to the next generation. Younger guys would be sitting where we were now, sharing their stories and laughing at old times as they watched their kids run through the yard.
And if that truly came to be, it’d mean we’d gotten it right.
We would’ve built something that stood the test of time.
Satan’s Fury. Now and forever.