CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
-:- BLAKE -:-
The week is buzzing past, and it’s Wednesday already. Tonight, I’ll be with my seniors and I’m becoming more and more protective of them. I’m watching Pru closely as she has had a nasty cough the last two weeks. I may mention it to Alf and see if he can have someone check what’s going on with her health.
I’m nearly ready for my second job, and I pack the cupcakes I purchased as treats for my seniors into single cupcake boxes. I know they’ll not eat more than the one tonight, but I have one for tonight and one for them tomorrow. I know Ed will watch what I take for him, as he does every Wednesday evening.
Later that evening I arrive at Ed’s and still have a feeling that Pru is not as well as she is trying to convince me. I’m lucky that my clients all live close to each other and I’m going to use that to my advantage.
“PawPaw, I need you to do something for me,” I quickly ask as I place the cupcake boxes on the kitchen counter.
“What do you need me to do?”
“If you would check on Pru for me sometime tomorrow. I’m worried she has this cough that isn’t going away. I’m going to speak to Alf and see if he can get someone to look at her. You know he has everyone’s health information, so he’ll be able to get the right person to check her.”
“You worried about Pru?” Ed opens the small box and takes out the cupcake. I don’t miss he has a cheesy smile on his face.
“Yeah, I am. She has allowed no one to check on her, but I’m going to speak to Alf tomorrow. But if you can check in at her place for me, it will ease my mind.”
Ed takes a bite of the cupcake, hums with enjoyment and looks up, giving me a nod, before mumbling he will check on Pru. But I smirk at him as he has frosting all over his top lip and looks like a little boy.
Before I know what he is doing, Ed picks up his phone and makes a call. “Alf, you need to check on Pru. She’s not well and is ignoring it.”
I’m not sure what is being said as all I hear is a mumbling sound, with Ed giving a ‘Yeah,’ ‘Okay,’ ‘For sure.’ But when he turns to look at me and hands me his phone, I take it and give a tentative ‘Hello’.
“Hi, Blake, it’s Alf. Look I’ll have Pru checked and Ed will go around to her home and see if he can get her anything. I know you have seen her tonight, so she’ll be fine until the morning. I’ll make sure she is okay even if I have to get her to emergency. The other thing is your house is cleared out and clean. They did a fantastic job of it and worked hard to get it done quickly. I gave them a bonus, and the realtor has an offer on the place. They said if you accept, then they will do the yard, it’s up to you. I’ll get the realtor to contact you, and you can get it completed. It’s an excellent offer, and I would accept.”
“Oh, thank you Alf. I was worried about Pru because that cough wasn’t going away, and she wouldn’t hear of me taking her to be checked out. You stepping up is great and makes me feel much better about it. As for the house, well, I want it gone. It was never my home, so I have no emotional attachment to the place. I’ll do what’s needed to get the place off my hands.”
“Okay, you don’t be late leaving Ed’s place. I know he’s one for taking up more of your time,” Alf chuckles more to himself than me, but he’s right that Ed keeps me here longer than is really necessary but I love the old fool so it’s not a bother to me.
Handing the phone back to Ed, he gives me a smile with some frosting on his top lip, which has me rolling my eyes and grinning more to myself than to him. But I quickly get to the reason I’m here and head to the utility room, where I know I’ll see a pile of laundry waiting. It is Wednesday after all!
After finishing all my chores upstairs, I head back to the kitchen where I overhear Ed talking with someone called Glo. “Oh, you’re all done then. That’s good. Hum-hm, okay, yeah, that’s great.”
I finish wiping the hob and counter tops and rinse out the cloth I was using as I hear Ed say bye. He’s not long before he talks to me.
“That was Glo. She’s one of the ladies that was working at your other house. She’s all done. They got it cleaned out, and she said to thank you for the bonus. Well, Alf gave them a bonus. Anyway, it’s done, so you just have to get with the realtor as Alf said and get it off your hands,” Ed chats away while I finish up in the kitchen.
“I’ll check with the realtor tomorrow. Alf has organized everything so I hope all I have to do is sign something. Any news about my yard yet?”
“Yeah, the contractor my friend is sending will see you on Friday morning if you are about when he comes to look. I’ll be there with you, and I suggest you have it paved and have a few plants in pots, so’s you don’t have extra work,” Ed grins when he gives me the so’s comment.
“Okay, I’ll see what they suggest on Friday, but I don’t want a lot of cost because I’ll make a small profit on the house sale and I want to keep it as a safety net, as much as I can, anyway.”
“Your man will help you out with finances now, I’m sure. He’s living with you and he’s not the kind to not pay his way, or look after his woman. It’s easy to see that, and if I thought he was going to do you wrong, I’d make sure he paid for it.” Ed gives me a hug after I put my jacket on, ready to leave for the night.
“Yeah, I think he’s a good one too, PawPaw.”
Cuddled in bed next to Mav later, I look up from where I’m resting my head on his chest. “Do you think having the front yard done will cost me a lot?”
“I think we should see what the man suggests and then tell Hammer what we want. This way we only have to pay for the materials.” Mav chuckles. “Yeah, I know that’s sneaky, but hey we all got to do what we got to do.”
“Okay, let’s see what he suggests. Ed is going to come over and see, too. He’s going to make sure you don’t do me wrong, too.” I giggle when I hear Mav mumble to himself , ‘do you wrong, never.’
“Oh, Mia said I have to have a hog or a trike? Now, I’ve never driven a motorcycle, Mav, and only been on the back of yours. So, if being in this girl gang means I have to own one, can you teach me so I can get my license?”
“I can do that, but do you have which one you would like in mind?” Mav kisses the top of my head as he responds, and wraps his arms tighter around me, tucking me close to his body.
“I think a trike, because it’s got three wheels and will more than likely be easier to learn to drive.”
“Okay, we’ll ask Mia if you can learn on hers and if you are good with it, I’ll buy you one. A damn good one that you can have custom painted.”
“Oh, that would be awesome. I’ll call her and speak with her about it,” I kiss his chest before sighing and closing my eyes.
“No, I’ll speak to her. Now go to sleep.”
Once Mav has left for the clubhouse in the morning I quickly clean the kitchen after breakfast and make a coffee before sitting at the table and making a call to Bitty. “Morning, mama. I wanted to ask if Raven was alright after she had that bash on the head?”
“Oh, she’s fine. She had a headache apparently, but she’s okay, she’s at work.” Bitty talks to someone in the background before continuing our conversation. “I heard you are having someone look at your yard tomorrow.”
“Yeah, it’s a friend of Ed’s who is sending someone. But Mav said we’d listen to ideas, then get Hammer to do the work, so we only have to pay for the materials.”
“Good idea, Mav has his head screwed on right. He’s here and helping finish the treehouse extension. The tree next to the original one is going to be the children’s nursery and playroom. Meat has it set up so they can’t escape, or so he thinks, but you never know with the twins,” Bitty giggles. I can imagine she is seeing something in her mind's eye that the twins could get up to. Again, someone speaks to Bitty in the background, “I’ve got to go, Blake, but I’ll see you soon.”
I look at my phone because she’s gone already, not giving me a chance to say goodbye. People, honestly they all are so busy, and here I am wondering what to do until I go to work tonight.
Now, I shouldn’t have thought that because my phone rang and I was surprised it was the realtor. After making arrangements, I quickly go into town, using the van as I’ve now Alf’s permission to use it outside of work hours. I get the offer, sign the paperwork and it’s done. All I have to do now is wait for all the legalities to be completed.
Late afternoon I finish making the cookies I’m taking for my seniors tonight, and the lasagna dish for Mav and I. Hearing his bike, I quickly place plates and cutlery on the table and take out the lasagna so it’s sitting on the table ready to serve. Opening the fridge, I grab the bowl of salad I made earlier and pop that on the table, right on time to turn and give Mav a huge smile as he walks into the kitchen.
Placing a box on the countertop, Mav grabs me into his arms and kisses me thoroughly before pushing his nose into my neck and taking a huge intake of breath. “You smell great, just what is needed after a day with Meat.”
“You’re just a sweet-talker,” I giggle, but I love the way he holds me and makes me feel special.
“Oh, I have something for you.” Mav picks up the box he brought inside with him, and opens it, taking out a jacket that I see when he turns it around has what is called a property patch. ‘Property of Mav’ it states clearly for all the world to see. My eyes tear up because this shows how invested in our relationship Mav is and I know he’s given me all the information about being an Ol’ Lady, and what it means to a biker.
Placing the jacket on me, Mav again wraps me close against his body and kisses the top of my head. “I’m such a lucky fucker to have found you, and I promise to love you and cherish you the rest of our lives.”
A tear trickles down my cheek with the emotion that is bubbling from my soul. For Mav to say that means everything to me, and I look up with a single tear still falling, “I love you too, and I’ll cherish you until our time on earth ends.”
I can’t help but think we sound like a movie or a romance novel, but I don’t care and looking at Mav, he doesn’t either, and that’s all that matters.