Chapter Thirty
Judge
ONE MONTH. THAT’S how long it’s been since the day Wren met with Mr. Vanguard and learned her life changed in ways she never imagined.
We discovered she wasn’t just left the fifty million dollars and properties as part of Leah’s estate.
There was also an account with a few million dollars in it to deal with the checklist Leah left Wren in regard to the diner.
She wanted Wren to completely remodel the place and make it her own.
So, that’s what we’ve been doing for the last month.
We’ve had construction crews in the place around the clock to meet the deadline Wren set for a grand reopening.
Today would have been Leah’s birthday and it seems fitting for a new beginning to the place Wren first met Leah.
Even going all out and having multiple construction crews on sight around the clock, the money in the diner account was barely touched.
Wren is at a loss about what to do with the rest of the money other than hold it for any kind of emergency or something like that.
A lot of shit has changed with all of us over the last month.
Fury and I buried the beef between the two of us completely and are now back to how we were before all of this shit happened.
I’m happy as fuck because I missed my best friend and the friendship we had before.
Losing Fury only deepened the void in my life and I don’t ever want that shit to happen again for any reason.
It’s also a good thing we fixed our friendship because he spends all of his free time with Wren so I spend every day with Fury.
Not that we didn’t before. The only difference is we now spend more time away from the clubhouse.
Every single member has had a hand in the remodel of the diner.
My brothers, Gramps, and the rest of the family went home a few days after the will reading.
Wren shed tears when they left and promised to talk to them all on a regular basis so they’re all kept up to date with the pregnancy.
Gramps bought us two cribs and rocking chairs for the nursery before leaving to go home.
Yes, Wren cried when he gave them to us and she gave Gramps the largest hug he’s ever accepted from anyone else.
I could see the bond between the two of them clearly as he held her tight and let her cry in his arms. Death and Talon reminded me to treat Wren like a queen or they’d be back to kick my ass before moving her to Braedon with them.
I already know she’d move there but I won’t give them a chance to take her from me.
Wren is mine and it’s time everyone knows that.
The relationship between Wren and I is going so much better than I thought it would.
We’re both busy and have lives of our own.
While we spend time together every single day, it doesn’t mean we’re constantly up one another’s ass.
I have time for club business and working at Whittaker’s while she’s overseeing everything going on at the diner.
I go to her appointments with her for the twins and we got to see them in an ultrasound again.
This time I heard their heartbeats and we got to learn the gender.
Little Bird was right, we’re having twin boys.
Our only argument so far has been what to name them.
Wren and I can’t agree on names at all. Fury and the rest of the guys have laughed their asses off at us every single day because of our arguments and the insane names we’ve both thrown out to each other.
I’ll fully admit that some of the ones I’ve said were simply to make Wren laugh and absolutely ridiculous.
Now, today is the day Wren has been waiting for.
We’re all heading for the grand opening of the newly improved diner.
Wren even renamed it because Leah gave her permission to.
After much thought and debate, Wren decided to name it Leah’s Comfort Food.
Leah loved the diner so much and rarely left the place.
She used to make all sorts of food and had some kind of sixth sense about when people needed good old comfort food so she’d make it instead of serving something else from the menu.
Wren and I stayed in the apartment last night because she was worried about being late or something happening before we could get to town.
“Little Bird, where are you?” I call out, walking out of the bathroom.
“On the couch,” she answers as I enter the living room to find her trying to get off the couch.
“Havin’ some issues there, Little Bird?” I ask her, laughter filling my voice as I walk up to her and lift her in my arms.
“This isn’t funny, Bray. I blame you for not bein’ able to get out of bed, off the couch, or move around very good,” she says, the most adorable pout on her face as she looks up at me.
“I’ll accept the blame, Little Bird. You know you were there when this happened, yeah?” I return, resting my hand on her protruding belly as one of the twins kicks.
“I know I was there. I’m to blame for this, too,” she relents as I lean down and kiss her just as a knock sounds on the door. “Am I ready for this to happen?”
Wren is nervous about today because she wants everything to be perfect.
Not just for the diner but to honor Leah’s memory.
She has gone over all the details with a fine tooth comb and driven herself insane the last few days as the grand opening got closer.
We’ve all had to tell her to rest and force her out of the diner or she would have continued working without sleeping, eating, or drinking anything.
“You’re more than ready for this, Little Bird.
You’ve double, triple, and quadruple checked everythin’.
Do you remember me draggin’ you out of there in the middle of the night last night because you just had to make sure everythin’ was still runnin’ the way it should so the desserts on display didn’t get ruined and the cold food already prepared for today were kept as cold as possible without freezin’?
” I question her as she grabs the keys from the counter in the kitchen and we open the door to find Fury waiting for us.
“Everyone’s waitin’ on you, Wren. The parkin’ lot is full, grills are goin’ out back, and there’s a ton of people waitin’ to get the first glimpse of the changes you’ve made to the place,” Fury informs us as I carefully help Wren down the stairs.
We round the building to see Fury wasn’t lying.
There isn’t a single empty spot in the parking lot as people form a long line in front of the door.
Zach and Tristan put up a red ribbon across the door so Wren could do a ribbon cutting ceremony thing today.
It was their idea and something she fell in love with the second they mentioned it.
“You’ve got this, Little Bird,” I whisper when I feel Wren hesitate the closer we walk up to everyone.
As people start to notice us making our way to the front door, silence fills the crowd taking the place of the various conversations that were happening seconds ago.
Wren doesn’t look at anyone as she steps behind the ribbon with Fury on one side and me at the other side.
Tristan and Zach step up behind her so she’s not alone and has the four of us for the strength she needs right now.
“Good morning everyone,” Wren begins to speak, her voice wavering with the nervousness filling her.
I place my arm around her waist and let her lean into my body for the strength she needs in this moment.
“I’d like to first thank you for coming out today to celebrate the grand opening of Leah’s Comfort Food.
Leah meant so much to us for different reasons.
To me, she took a chance on an unknown woman and became like a mom to me.
One conversation is all it took for Leah and I to bond over feeling alone in the world with no family of our own.
We were both lying to ourselves though. I had family in the members of the Knight’s Rebellion MC.
Those men took me in and accepted me without questions or caring where I come from.
Plus, I have my two foster brothers back and they won’t let me leave their lives again.
I’ve also got a man at my side who I love with my entire heart and soul.
Judge has been next to me every single day and calmed down my crazy when I got overwhelmed.
“Leah, has had all of you in her life. You might come in the diner and enjoy a meal, dessert, coffee, or whatever else, but you also share parts of your life. Leah knew most of you and enjoyed hearing about your triumphs in life. She cried with you when you weren’t doing so well and did everything in her power to support all of you here today.
Leah was there as each new addition to your family was born and attended funerals when you lost loved ones.
If one of you needed it, she threatened those who wanted to hurt you in one way or another and meant every word.
So, without any further delay, I declare Leah’s Comfort Food open for business,” Wren says as clapping fills the crowd and Zach hands her one of those extremely large pair of scissors.
Someone takes pictures as she cuts the ribbon and we watch it fall to the ground at our feet.
Turning around, Wren unlocks the door and opens it before stepping back and holding it open for the customers to start walking through. Fury holds everyone back for a second while gesturing to Wren.
“You go in first, Wren. Greet everyone inside as they enter. You can lead them to the tables and booths with the waitresses on staff today. Everythin’ else inside is ready.” Fury says as I walk my girl in and stand back to take in all the changes now that everything is done.