Chapter 30
RORY
“I’m going home to be with Jill tonight, Rory,” Grady gives me a hug before he walks into school. I watch him go and think about how much he’s changed in such a short space of time.
“Hey!” I shout, and when Grady turns, I ask. “Do you want to go ice skating next week?”
Grady gives me a huge smile and shouts right back to me, “Yeah!” I give him a thumbs up sign as I turn and head back to my car.
I parked a little further away this morning so we could walk a little in the morning breeze.
I’ve not been to the park in weeks, and maybe it’s time I got a routine of some kind going.
It’s harder now that Truck has moved into the house, but I don’t regret that because he’s something special to me.
That thought has me going still because the realization that my mind now jumps to Truck and not Terrence is telling.
Back at the house I notice the few things Grady has left on the coffee table and take them into his room. I make his bed and open the window a little to allow some fresh air into the room.
Walking into my room, or I should say our room now?
After making the bed, I sit on the edge and think about how fast Truck made his way into my life.
One date, that is all we had, and yet here we are living together.
I smile to myself because, honestly, if anyone had told me I would jump into a relationship this fast, I would have said they needed counseling.
My heart beats a little faster when I think about Truck, and wonder why I don’t see him as Troy, which is his given name.
Troy Whitestone. It’s a good name, but Truck, brother with the Restless Demons MC seems to suit him more.
It is who he is, and I’d not try to change that.
He has asked me to call him Troy because no other person can do that.
He also said that we’d be taking a trip as he has a surprise planned.
It’s Friday already, and it is the last day Grady is at school. Summer break is now upon us. I wonder what Jill has planned for them both? I’ll have to ask how she wants to deal with the time Grady is not at school because she and I will both be working, and that’s a given.
Walking back to the kitchen I make a drink of peppermint tea, which seems to be my go-to at the moment. I sit at the table and take a sip, releasing a little tension I have going on in my neck.
I pick up the placemat that is set for Grady and move it to the side of the table ready to put it into the cabinet once I have finished my tea. What I don’t expect is that placemat to slide back to where it began.
I shoot back in my seat, but I’m shaking so hard that standing isn’t going to happen. “Are you the ghosts from the clubhouse?” I ask, noticing my hands are shaking badly as I grasp the edge of the table.
The placemat moves slightly. Is it a coincidence? Is it answering my question? “Move the placemat if you are saying yes?” The placemat moves. I freeze while I stare at it, and my mind is spinning. I wait for what comes next, and when nothing happens, I feel my bravery happening.
“Are you Terence?” I ask while staring at the placemat. When nothing happens, I ask, “You are someone who is not Terrence?”
The placemat moves, and my heart jumps a little more. Beating fiercely with anxiety. “Are you one of the three brothers who are at the clubhouse?” The movement happens again.
I frown as I do my best to remember the names of the brothers I’ve heard mentioned.
“Pyro?” No movement.
“Bono?” No movement.
Remembering the conversation, Truck relayed to me about Tracker and Finger making bets on who Ayla would say next. I bring to mind the last one.
“Tank?” Again, the placemat moves.
“You cannot tell me what you want to say, and I cannot guess. But you are not here to hurt me, are you?” The placemat stays, and with no movement, the anxiety eases. Knowing they are not wanting to hurt me has me letting out an enormous sigh of relief.
“Is this because you frighten me?” I ask when the thought flashed across my mind. The placemat moves.
“Okay. I’ll do my best not to be scared of you anymore.” The placemat stays.
“I’ll speak to Cilla about my fear.” The placemat moves.
It is hard to describe, but the kitchen feels lighter all of a sudden, and it crosses my mind that Tank has left.
“Are you still here?” When the placemat doesn’t move, I jump to my feet, grab the darn thing and throw it into the cabinet.
I’m not sure it is making me feel any easier, but at least now I’m not staring at it.
I’ll speak to Truck about what has happened and ask him to go with me to speak with Cilla. I’ll feel better if I have him by my side. That’s another thing that strikes me. I’m seeing Truck as my man. I include him in my thoughts and what I am going to do, or am doing. I wonder if he ice skates?
My phone rings making me jump. Seeing it is Coin, who had given me his contact number previously, I quickly answer. “Hi, Coin.”
“Hi, Rory. Can you come over to the clubhouse when you are free and look at some of the businesses for us? Check if there is anywhere we could make changes?” Coin quickly fills me in on a problem he thinks he has found with the dumpster business.
“From next week, Grady is on summer break. Truck has said he’s going to be at the clubhouse earning a few dollars by helping do chores. I can come over one day with them, if that is any good?”
“Perfect. Thanks, Rory.” Coin cuts the call, and I sit looking at my phone for a moment. Men, they are all useless at saying goodbye on the darn telephone!
TRUCK
Sunday and time for church. It’s been a hell of a week, and yet I’m more upbeat than I have been for a long time. Living with Rory is nothing but awesome. I love going home and having our meal around the kitchen table while listening to Rory and Grady talking about what sort of day they’ve had.
Grady is home with Jill now that he’s out on summer break, but I’ll pick him up and drop him at the clubhouse because I can’t spend all day there when I have to be at the gas station.
I’ll bring Grady to the gas station some days, but I’ve heard Rory talking about going skating one morning, and I’m up for that. It’s years since I’ve done anything like that, but I’m sure it’s going to be fun.
An elbow nudging me brings me back to the present, as it seems I’ve been daydreaming again. I call it contemplating so the fuckers don’t take the piss out of me, but it doesn’t always work.
Whistle is sitting next to me asking if I have seen Xero and the brothers. I shrug and look around. I don’t see them, but they know about church as I told them yesterday to be here and not be late.
Speak of the three of them and they saunter into church as if they’ve been attending for years. They each take a seat behind me and give me a nod. I nod in return and turn back to the front, waiting for Pres to arrive.
“Are you gonna claim your woman today, Truck?” Whistle asks while looking straight ahead.
I smirk as I reply. “Sure am, Whistle. I had Books order my cut two weeks back, and it’s here today so gonna have it put to the vote.”
Whistle agrees with a nod, offering no further words, yet the subtle twitch of his mouth suggests a smile. The most I was likely to receive from him at this time.
Pres, Cap, and Finger walk in and quickly take their places. Pres opens the meeting without wasting time. We all listen to the officers give their reports before Pres asks if anyone has any business to bring to the table.
“Yeah, I have business,” I quickly say and look at Pres for his nod to continue. “I want to claim Rory as my old lady, and I want it voted on. I’ve got her cut ready, Pres.”
“Okay. Does anyone have any objections?” Pres asks, and nobody speaks. It’s a good thing because I’d have beaten the crap out of them if they had objected. “Show of hands for Rory being Truck’s official old lady.”
Every hand in the room lifts, and I get the usual comments. “Pussy whipped.” “Henpecked.” “Oh, no more runs.” As I said, the usual bullshit. “Shut the fuck up,” I snarl, but have a grin on my face while doing so.
Books hands me the cut and taking the lid from the box I see the name patch on the front. ‘Numbers.’ That is the suggestion Pres gave when I had a conversation with him about claiming Rory. Financial manager, working with numbers, it suits me and I like it, so I ran with it.
“Who chose that name?” Bowie asks.
“Pres suggested it, and it is perfect for Rory. I reckon Pres may be the one to name all the old ladies. He seems to have a flair for it,” Joker laughs, but we are all nodding in agreement.
“Is Rory here?” Cap asked me, and I give him a shake of the head that no, she isn’t here this morning.
I had left her weeding the front yard while talking and laughing with the neighbors who each had a chair next to the front door. I should have brought her, but I knew she’d not like the attention getting her cut would bring, and I need to explain the meaning behind the cut.
“Anything else we need to discuss?” Pres again asks, and again I speak out.
“Yeah, me again, Pres.” I smirk when I hear Cap snort.
“What is it this time, Truck?” Pres asks as he leans back in his seat, folding his arms over his chest.
“The gas station, as you all know, now has the vehicle recovery running their business from the mechanic's shop at the rear, along with the office that Bull had delivered which is now operational. What we also have is a shower area that was used for long-haul truckers at one time. Why don’t we reopen it, give them a pit-stop area, basically. They buy a token which opens the shower area, and it’s all set up as I said.
We just have to get it running. Rum thinks we could get a cleaning company to come in and make sure they remain hygienic, and we can report each morning how many of the showers need cleaning.
Or we can get our own cleaner who comes in and cleans daily, regardless.
” I throw it out as quickly as possible, and the positive comments I’m hearing are encouraging.
“Good idea, Truck,” Judge throws into the mix, and looks at Pres before looking back at me.
“If you have regular truckers, it will work. I’ve had a lot of trucker friends over the years, and they’ve all said the same thing to me.
They aim for the best stop they know, and they park, eat, drink, piss, and sleep before heading out again.
What they all said was lacking was shower rooms with privacy.
They’d pay for it, Truck, and as long as it covers the cleaning cost you can’t lose. ”
Pres speaks as soon as Judge sits back in his seat. “Okay, Coin, check it out with Books and Keys. Look at cleaning and any other costs that may need considering. Truck, are the showers working?”
“Yes. Rum went in and checked them out.” I chuckle, “He came back to the office wet to the skin, cursing like one of us, and declared them working.”
“Okay, any objections?” Pres asks. Nobody objects, so we call it done. I’ll let Rum know Coin, Books, and Keys will speak to him about the project. That’s what Rum calls it, so he can deal with it.
Pres dismisses us, and I speak with Xero, Echo, and Dice a few minutes before I head home to put my property patch on Rory’s back.