Chapter 4
Chapter Four
Speedy led the riders as they returned from the toy run. They’d had a drop-off point in Pratt, KS, for the Toys for Tots program run by the Marines.
They’d lucked out that today had been good weather to ride in. Tonight, the second Saturday after Thanksgiving kicked off the MC’s orchard sleigh and carriage rides. Sleigh rides were only if they had snow, which they didn’t. So tonight, there would be carriage rides.
Regina had assigned places for all of them. Speedy preferred an iron steed between his legs instead of a horse. He’d volunteered to help string the lights yesterday through the orchard and would be manning one of the food booths tonight.
He held up his hand to make sure everyone slowed down as they rode into the compound. A shiny blue sedan, along with a sheriff’s vehicle, was parked in front of the clubhouse.
He backed his bike in and then waited for War to make his way to the door. Speedy followed along with the rest of the club.
Regina was sitting at the table with a woman Speedy would guess to be in her forties, wearing a suit, and the sheriff’s deputy. The sheriff’s deputy wasn’t smiling, but the woman smiled as she turned toward them.
“Here he is. Deke, you have some visitors,” Regina said.
He tried to read her face, but she wasn’t giving any hints about what this was about. She’d called him by his given name, which said to him it was something official.
“Deke Kimble, I’m Ginger Carlin. I’d like to talk with you regarding Anita Young,” she said.
Speedy sat down at the table. It had been six years since he’d heard Anita’s name.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen or talked with Anita. What do you need to talk with me about?” he asked.
“I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but Anita was killed by a drunk driver five nights ago in Las Vegas. It’s taken us a little bit of time to find you. Her will, along with the kids’ birth certificates, states you’re the father of Deacon and Teresa,” she said.
Speedy wondered if he was dreaming because the woman’s voice seemed to be getting louder rather than quieter. Surely she didn’t say what he thought she said. How could he be a father to two kids when he’d never heard of them or seen Anita in six years?
“I haven’t seen her in years, and you’re saying I’m the father?” he asked.
“Deacon is five years old and Teresa is six weeks. A neighbor was keeping the kids while Anita went to her six-week checkup. I’m sorry that this is such a shock. There is a sealed note addressed to you that was with the will and birth certificates,” the woman said.
Regina’s hand on his shoulder grounded him. This was really happening. He was trying to wrap his head around the news that he had a five-year-old son that he didn’t know.
“Umm, where are the kids?” he asked.
“I wanted to speak with you alone. Regina was nice enough to have Violet and Beth take the kids into the kitchen,” she said.
Speedy stared at her, thinking through all the things he needed to get and do, including moving out of the clubhouse.
It was mind-boggling how his life had changed in an instant.
He wanted to know why Anita kept him from his son, but also why she named him father to a child it was impossible for him to have fathered.
But for now, he’d concentrate on how to make this transition as smooth as possible.
His feelings didn’t matter. It had ripped out his heart to lose his parents at forty-four. He couldn’t imagine how a five-year-old was handling losing the only parent he’d ever known.
“All right. What do I need to do to make this legal and have the kids?” he asked.
The social worker smiled and started in on her spiel. He was listening but at the same time thinking through the logistics. He wondered, then had to know immediately.
“Does Deacon know I’m his father, and do you know what she told him about me?” he asked.
“I’ve talked with him a lot. She told him you were a hero in the Army and serving your country. I will say Deacon seems to be wise beyond his years. I haven’t figured out why yet,” she said.
“I apologize for interrupting, but I wanted to get people started. Deke, are you good with moving into the four-bedroom house two down from us?” Regina asked.
“Sure. Wherever you think is best,” he said.
He’d take all the help he could get because he had a son and, it seemed, an infant daughter, too.
He and Anita had a short fling when he’d been stateside helping in Las Vegas for a couple weeks.
He’d never heard from her again and hadn’t expected to.
But he wished she would have contacted him when she found out she was pregnant.
Speedy hadn’t ever really thought about having kids.
He’d have to find the right woman first, but now, he was a father.
He was going to be the best father he could.
He’d been blessed with his dad and mom in his life.
These kids had lost their mom, so he was going to do whatever it took to make their lives extraordinary.
“I can introduce you to the children now. With your okay, they’ll be in your care, but to make it permanent, there are some official things that will need to be done in the coming weeks,” she said.
He nodded and followed her into the kitchen. What if his kid hated him for not being there?
Beth was sitting at the table with a little boy with thick, dark hair. When his eyes caught Speedy’s, Speedy paused. He was looking at a boy that was almost identical to Speedy’s pictures from childhood.
Deacon stared at him warily, and Speedy couldn’t fault him. Speedy walked over and crouched down to Deacon’s level.
“It’s nice to meet you, Deacon. I’m your dad,” Speedy said, not knowing if he should reach to hold Deacon. He didn’t want to scare him, but he wanted to wrap this little boy in his arms.
Deacon stared for a second, then tears spilled out of his eyes. He threw his arms around Speedy’s neck. Speedy inhaled the scent of little boy, soap with a hint of the outdoors.
“Hey, I’ve got you,” Speedy whispered against the top of his head as Deacon shook in his arms. Speedy patted and stroked his back, just holding Deacon.
When Speedy realized this wasn’t ending anytime soon, he stood up with Deacon in his arms and walked over to the rocking chair Regina kept in the kitchen.
She’d sit there while she waited on the baking.
He set the chair to rocking and whispered that Deacon was safe and that Speedy would be taking care of him.
Once Deacon settled against him and wasn’t shaking, Speedy wondered what to do.
“Deacon, do you want to introduce your little sister?” Violet asked. She’d been holding the little one in her arms.
Deacon sat up in Speedy’s arms, nodding his head.
He hopped down off Speedy’s lap and grasped his hand, tugging to have Speedy come with him.
Speedy let his son lead him to the—oh my gosh, she was tiny—little girl.
Her eyes were closed. She was dressed in one of those pink outfits that had footies at the end of the legs.
He supposed since he now had two children, he’d be finding out what all those things were called.
Oh fuck! He had two children.
He’d been doing okay since the shock of the social worker’s words but seeing both children together hit home. He was a dad to a five-year-old and an infant. How the hell was he going to do this on his own?
“That’s Tessie,” Deacon said with a little lisp on the esses.
“She’s very beautiful,” Speedy said, his finger reaching and stroking her little fingers laying atop the blanket.
“I loves her. Even when she poops,” Deacon said.
Speedy bit his lip, trying not to chuckle. Violet was having the same issue.
“Deacon, maybe you can show your dad how he should hold her,” Violet suggested.
Speedy wasn’t sure why Violet offered that, but if it helped him connect with his son, he was all for it.
“You have to sit,” Deacon said, leading Speedy back to the chair.
Violet walked over with Tessie. “It’s good for him this first time, but remember we talked, and it’s okay for adults to walk holding Tessie like your mommy used to,” Violet said.
Violet laid Tessie in his arms. He’d held a lot of babies since coming to Bluff Creek. They seemed to be everywhere, and someone was always handing him a kid to hold while they did something. Now, he was very grateful they had.
“Okay. Support her neck,” Deacon said.
Speedy smiled at the serious tone in Deacon’s voice. Speedy bet that Anita had told Deacon that while he was holding Tessie.
He held his daughter in his arms and wondered if Deacon was this small. He’d never know because Anita hadn’t given him the chance. He pushed that down. He’d deal with his anger later. For now, he needed to take care of Deacon and Tessie.
Beth had stayed quiet in the room as she texted on her phone. She walked closer.
“The house is ready, and my dad brought one of the side-by-sides over to give everyone a ride to it. Deacon, have you ever ridden in one?” she asked.
He shook his head no and reached for the hand Beth held out. Speedy stood up with Tessie in his arms. He was totally in charge of these little ones all by himself, and it scared him to death.
“I’ll grab the bags the kids have if you want to take Tessie,” Violet said.
Speedy was glad someone was thinking of the logistics because holding his kids had made his brain short-circuit. How was he going to do this?