CLINT
I vy wasn’t in control of herself. She used lust to avoid facing her grief and fear. I worried about when she finally confronted the life she left behind.
This wasn’t the first time I’d watched someone hide from what haunted them. After my grandmother’s sudden death, Shay got it in her head to start an employment agency. Her idea wasn’t a bad one, but it mostly acted as a temporary distraction from her pain. Eventually, she had to grieve while also dealing with a new business.
Once we were back at my condo, Ivy alternated between trying to hump me and playing on the floor with Hanzee. The dog adored the attention. He followed her all over the condo, even barking at the bathroom door whenever she went to piss.
“What would you be doing if you weren’t babysitting me?” Ivy asked as we sat on the couch and admired the sunny day outside the floor-to-ceiling windows.
“Riding around town, probably. I usually spend my days talking to people and keeping an eye on the mood around Little Memphis,” I explained while sliding my arm around the back of her when she looked nervous. Ivy instantly moved closer and smiled at me. “What would you be doing right now?”
Ivy checked the time before answering, “Watching ‘Charmed.’ I had a schedule. My day consisted of cleaning, cooking, and entertainment. Right now, would be my TV time.”
“Do you miss that routine?”
“I’m not sure. I don’t feel like that person anymore. If I were her, I would miss it. I’m not sure who I am now.”
“Well, take your time figuring out the answer. If you’re someone different every day, my people will adjust. We have a lot of oddballs in our ranks.”
As Ivy studied me, I could feel her past catching up to her current good mood. She deflated in front of me and eased back on the couch. Hanzee saw a chance to climb into her lap. His presence helped Ivy stop spiraling.
“What are you worried about?” I asked, watching her every expression for hints of the woman hiding behind the masks she wore.
“You spent a lot of money yesterday,” Ivy said and glanced at the phone. “How can I pay you back?”
“Vanessa owns an auto shop. If you want to make money, you could help in the office. Lula has her law office. They always need people to file and take notes. Or you can stop worrying about money and just get to know people.”
Ivy glanced at her phone again. I felt her thinking about her uncles.
“Do you want kids one day?” I asked, startling her from her dark thoughts. “I think two is the best number.”
“I want seven.”
I smiled at the lie she didn’t even attempt to sell.
“What would you name the seven?”
“I don’t know. What would you name the two?”
“Well, if I follow my sister’s example, I’ll need to use an important movie from my youth,” I said and then shrugged. “So, I’d name my son Aragon and my daughter Arwen.”
Ivy burst into laughter, stopped for a moment thinking she might offend me, and then started laughing again.
“Could be worse,” I said as she giggled enough to worry Hanzee. “That was my favorite movie growing up. If I picked names from my favorite adult movie, I’d choose the names Marge and Norm.”
Ivy reached for my hand and smiled. “I liked those ‘Lord of the Rings’ movies.”
“So, you’re cool with the names?”
“No.”
“Well, I’m not naming my kids Paige or Piper.”
Ivy smiled. “How about Buffy and Xander?”
“Buffy Reed would be hilarious.”
“I don’t think children’s names are meant to be funny.”
Grinning, I pointed out, “My sister named her son after a horror movie villain. How is that not hilarious?”
“Was the character cool?”
“I guess, but that’s not why she chose it. The movie ‘In the Mouth of Madness’ had a profound effect on her.”
“I feel like you’re messing with me.”
“No, she was dealing with a lot of anxiety at the time. Something about the weird, apocalyptic plot scared her so much that real life could never be as frightening. She was calmer afterward.”
“Did ‘The Lord of the Rings’ calm you?”
“No, but I must have watched it a hundred times as a kid.”
“When I was little, I imagined a bunch of different lives I’d lead when I was old enough to leave the mansion. In each one, I had different names for my kids.”
“Why?”
“Because I was a different person in each one. I picked names that would fit that person.”
“But deep down, aren’t you really just one person?”
“Maybe. I don’t know.”
“Well, which of those people would pick orange shoes?”
“The rebellious one who wanted to piss off her mom.”
“Then, perhaps, she’s the real you.”
Ivy considered my words, wearing a faraway expression like she’d left me and gone back to the mansion. I saw her working through a few things before she suddenly smiled.
“What if I wanted to name our daughter Buffy?”
Smiling, I shrugged. “I had a good solid guy name growing up, but I don’t think that made me a better person. Like, if I had been named ‘Sue’ like the angry man in the Johnny Cash song, I suspect I’d be the same guy I am now. I’d probably have a nickname, but otherwise, I’d be me. I don’t think names matter that much.”
“I read that people with more traditional names did better in life.”
“One of the most successful people I know is named Tallulah. She ping-ponged back and forth between owning her nickname Lula and wanting to seem more traditional. In the end, she stopped fussing over what didn’t matter and decided she wanted to be Lula again. Her dad still calls her Tallulah. He insists Lula sounds like a poodle’s name, but the rest of us call her Lula.”
“And she’s a member of the club and its lawyer?”
Nodding, I explained, “I’ve heard other lawyers refer to her as The Blair Witch because if you get on her bad side, she’ll wear you down until you go mad. I don’t know about all that. I’ve only known her as my older cousin who was smart and sweet. Sure, she can fight, but she isn’t prone to it like her sisters.”
Ivy fell silent as her fingers slid through Hanzee’s coat. I watched her try to piece together the world she’d only known through entertainment.
“Once you have a life in Little Memphis outside this condo, it’ll be easier for you to know yourself,” I promised Ivy. “I used to think I’d like horseback riding. It seemed a lot like riding a motorcycle, but I hated every moment I was on that animal. So, what you imagine in your head isn’t necessarily real. That’s why you need to be patient. In a week, you’re bound to know more about yourself.”
Ivy opened her mouth to ask if I’d like who she turned out to be. I saw on her face how that was her immediate concern. Her lips clamped shut as she recalled what I told her about the universe and soulmates. She and I were meant to be.
For the rest of the morning, Ivy and I kept busy by watching TV since I sensed she missed her shows.
Just before lunch, Elle texted, “Come over early. Shay and Ford are on edge. At this rate, they’ll be banging by the time you guys arrive for dinner. Be a big brother and keep them apart long enough to feed me and my innocent, hungry child.”
“Isn’t Sutter at school?”
“No, he woke up with a bad case of Boogie Fever, so I kept him home to entertain me. Does that make me a bad mom?”
Choosing not to get suckered into her trap, I replied, “I’m supposed to bring dinner.”
“Well, golly gee, big bro, feel free to bring food for lunch and order something for dinner,” she texted.
By the time Ivy and I were at the truck with Hanzee, Elle had added, “The best prescription for Boogie Fever is boneless wings. Hawaiian, parmesan, and sweet chili would hit the spot.”
“My sister doesn’t cook despite having taken classes with a few of the foxes,” I explained to Ivy. “She just won’t do it. She claims timing the various dishes is too difficult. I’ve never once eaten anything she’s made. Though Sutter claimed she often makes him boxed mac and cheese.”
“I know how to cook,” Ivy said, offering a proud little smile. “I learned to make soups when Uncle Dwight could only eat soft foods.”
I was startled by the sudden sadness in Ivy’s voice. I stopped pulling the truck out of my garage spot and reached over to stroke her cheek. She offered me a tight, slightly panicked smile, as her past nipped at her heels again.
Keeping Ivy’s mind busy, I pointed out various locations on our drive to my parents’ house. When we sat in the truck and waited for our large order of wings and fries, I told her about my high school years. Mostly, how I walked around too cool for the classes.
“I could have been the star of the football team or an ace student,” I bragged, chuckling at the memory. “But I wouldn’t lower myself to hang out with the jocks or take extracurricular classes with the nerds.”
Ivy smiled softly. “Do your parents have your high school pictures on their wall?”
“Yes, they do,” I replied, grinning at her hopeful expression. “There’s also a super goofy one of Elle in the hallway. If she ever gives you grief, you need to keep that picture in mind.”
Ivy’s mood improved as I spoke about my childhood. Despite being her anchor to this new life, I was a stranger.
Once she settled down, Ivy started looking out the window and absorbed the details of her new home.
Little Memphis had expanded a lot over my lifetime. Former farmland was now housing subdivisions and strip malls. A decade ago, my parents embraced the building frenzy by designing their dream home in the lakeside community of Sleepy Eye.
Ivy sat up straight once I pulled my truck in front of my parents’ three-car garage. Turning off the engine, I admired her until she noticed. A smile warmed her pretty pale face. I couldn’t believe we met twenty-four hours ago. I already couldn’t breathe right when I considered losing her.
My family exited the house as a group. I grinned at how Elle hurried to the passenger window and stared in at Ivy.
“Hurry over, Sutter,” Elle said, waving for her seven-year-old son to join her at the window. “Come look at your uncle’s girlfriend.”
Elle waved wildly at Ivy while a frowning Sutter stood on his tiptoes to see through the truck window.
On the porch, my parents gossiped with each other. Ford remained in decent shape for a middle-aged man. The tips of his silver hair brushed against his wide shoulders. His bushy white beard and tanned skin gave him a wild man appearance, but he claimed my mom turned him soft long before I was born.
Dressed in a white T-shirt and faded jeans like Ford, Shay was a beautiful woman. Her gray eyes were the most comforting things from my childhood. When she turned fifty, she decided to stop coloring her hair and let the gray take over.
Shay and Ford referred to each other as “silver foxes.” That talk often led to them spending time naked in their room. Based on their touchy-feely behavior on the porch, I’d arrived just in time to keep them fully dressed.
Before I climbed out of the truck, my cousin Sabrina appeared out of the house and walked past my parents. With her athletic build, shiny brown hair, and bright brown eyes, my cousin had a ‘girl next door’ look that hid a snarly beast inside.
“Oh, she’s hot,” Sabrina said, pressing her nose against the window and staring in at a startled Ivy. My cousin’s dark eyes found me as she grinned. “Clint and Ivy sitting in a tree.”
“Knock it off,” I grumbled.
Offering me a dismissive smirk, Sabrina shook her head, causing her thick dark bangs to bounce around her eyes. “We’re not at work, boss, so suck it.” She turned toward the porch where her girlfriends, siblings, and parents joined Ford and Shay. “Xandy, Moe, come gawk at our president’s soulmate.”
I climbed out of the truck while my cousin’s girlfriends joined her at the window. Elle ran interference by bouncing in front of me as I moved to the passenger door.
“Let it happen,” Elle said and stroked my face. “Don’t fight it. The process will be less painful that way.”
“It’s only Ivy’s second day in Little Memphis.”
“Yes, but she’s going to be family, so she best learn how we behave in our natural environment.”
“What’s the problem?” Uncle Pax asked from the porch. His hair was also silver and shoulder-length since he always copied his older brother. Right now, his blue eyes flashed to Ford. “Is this girl goofy or something?”
“Of course not. She’s lovely,” Shay announced, wearing a big smile before she looked at me and asked, “Right? Don’t make me a liar, Clint.”
“Ivy is a gem,” Elle declared and shoved her way between Sabrina and Xandy who blocked the door. “Let me free her from the truck.”
Blonde Moe batted her big, brown eyes and offered me a toothy grin. Unlike most club members, she hadn’t grown up with our group. Instead, she entered the Crimson Guard world through Sabrina.
Rowdy joined the party at the passenger side door. Throwing me an assist, he filled his mouth with water and spit it at the troublemakers.
“Jackass,” Sabrina muttered and went to kick him in the dick.
Rowdy took off running down the road while Sabrina, Elle, and Moe gave chase.
Xandy shoved her wavy red hair from her face and said in her rough voice, “It’s too early to run.”
I smiled because she once told me the same thing at eight in the evening. Unlike her girlfriend Sabrina, Xandy found sports and exercise to be torture.
“Your fox looks good,” Xandy said before returning to the house.
Up the street, Rowdy ran circles around the women who stopped long enough to coordinate their attack. I took that moment to free Ivy from the truck. Grabbing the dog carrier, I left the food for someone else to bring inside.
I walked up to the porch where my parents smiled at me like they’d been practicing all day for this moment.
“Ford, Shay, this is Ivy,” I said, still holding her hand. “Ivy, these are my parents.”
“I’m right here, boy,” Pax said.
“Can you help Sutter grab lunch from the truck?” I asked my uncle.
Pax muttered under his breath about being treated like the help while Ford smiled wider at his brother’s irritation. Once my uncle called over Sutter, who was transfixed by his mom trying to tackle Rowdy, I turned my attention back to my parents.
“Hello, welcome to our home, Ivy,” Shay said, sounding far more “Stepford Wives” than usual.
“Yes, we welcome you,” Ford added and then winked at me.
Sounding nervous, Ivy mumbled, “You have a beautiful home.”
“If you think the porch is fancy, wait until you see inside,” Ford replied and gestured for us to enter.
Pax and Sutter walked inside with bags of food while I freed Hanzee. The little dog’s excitement over seeing Hobbs awakened Ivy from her anxiety-induced hiding place. She smiled as the two dogs sniffed each other and began running circles around the couch, where Vanessa and Xandy sat.
Next to me, Ivy looked around the family room, lifting her gaze to admire the two-story high timber-style ceiling. Her gaze lingered on the rock fireplace, where photos rested across the wood mantle.
Pax fussed over the food in the adjoining kitchen where my aunt watched us. While my uncle had embraced his “bum” phase in life, Bebe looked tidy in blue jeans and a tucked-in blue T-shirt. Her dark hair was tied back in a ponytail, and her big brown eyes sparkled with curiosity.
“I’m confused about the gas station part,” Pax announced and frowned at Ford. “I feel like you were fucking with me when you said your son picked up a woman in between getting gas and beef jerky.”
Ford muttered, “Shut up.”
“No.”
Maneuvering around her stepdad, Lula introduced herself to Ivy. My cousin was three years old when she was swept into the world of the Little Memphis Motorcycle Club. Pax soon became her new dad. A few years later, Sabrina was born. Then, Vanessa and finally Rowdy, who currently entered the house out of breath.
“Sabrina kicked me,” he whined to Bebe. “It really hurt.”
Bebe pretended to be worried about his health, babying her youngest child who smiled at Sabrina walking inside.
“He spit water at me.”
“Oh, I get it,” Pax said and pointed at his children. “You’re all acting like dum-dums to distract from Clint’s child bride.”
“She isn’t a child,” Ford growled threateningly at his younger brother before looking at me. “Is she?”
“She’s twenty-three.”
“I’ll be twenty-four in August,” Ivy mumbled as if needing to prove her age.
“And this thing between you two started when she was legal, right?” Pax asked me, just to fuck with his brother.
Lula ignored the men’s bitchiness and told Ivy, “I’ve heard only good things about you.”
Ivy nodded nervously before glancing at the couch where Vanessa and Xandy were now asleep against each other.
Sabrina and her girlfriends didn’t usually get up before two. They were barely functional until four in the afternoon. When I considered them getting up early to meet Ivy, my irritation faded. My family tended to get rowdy, but we were close. That’s why they were all here for a weekday lunch.
“You’re a lawyer?” Ivy asked, looking intimidated by Lula.
“Yes, but I ride with the club. Don’t view me any differently than my sisters and this one,” Lula explained and paused as Rowdy came up behind her to drop a kiss on the top of her head.
“Lula’s normally harmless,” Rowdy told Ivy. “Unless she goes into lawyer mode. Then, she’s a downright witch.”
Lula rolled her dark eyes and waved off his compliment. Instead of showing her scary side, she used her sweet gal routine to separate Ivy from me and usher her toward Elle and Sabrina. Soon, my petite girlfriend found herself corralled down the basement stairs.
Realizing what was happening, I signaled for Rowdy to follow the women downstairs and act as my advocate.
Left behind in the living room, I found myself facing off against the “grownups” of the family. Oh, and Pax was in the mix, too.