DUKE, AKA WATER PISTOLS AND WENDY DARLING
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This morning, before Clover leaves to supervise a work project, she wishes me good luck with my not-a-stripper girlfriend. My response to her teasing is to whip out a water pistol and shoot her in the back as she walks away. Clover gasps, realizes what I’ve done, and marches over.
“You shot me,” she mutters. “That place is a bad influence on you.”
“You’re just saying that because I have the water pistol and you don’t.”
A smiling Clover accepts a second pistol. “I plan to drench you.”
“Keep in mind, I need to look pretty for my lunch date,” I say as she aims at my face. “Don’t you want me to make a good impression on Donovan and Journey?”
“They already saw you swapping spit with their daughter. It’s too late to impress them now.”
“Who raised you to be so cruel?” I ask as she weighs pulling the trigger.
Clover only smiles and stuffs the pistol in her bag. “I’m happy you’re happy.”
“Happy enough to bunk at your grandma’s place tonight so I can make a lot of noise?”
Clover loses her smile. “You said I didn’t need to move out.”
“You don’t. But it’s my first night with Edith here. I’m not sure how loud we’ll get.”
“What the hell are you planning to do to her that’ll involve so much noise?” Clover demands, giving me a dirty look before shrugging. “I’ll stay away for my own sanity.” As Clover walks to the front door, she calls back, “But I’m planning to get a cat soon. Maybe a dog, too.”
“I look forward to dodging them both,” I reply as she walks out the door and into the warm morning.
As I ride over to the homestead, I consider Clover’s hesitancy to get more pets after our dog died. Struggling with her grief, Clover fell into her habit of avoiding anything that might make her uncomfortable. She will likely move out of the house for a short time to avoid dealing with Edith and the baby. But living in an apartment surrounded by people wanting to make small talk with her is bound to send Clover back home. In the end, everything will work out.
I arrive at the homestead to find Edith in the same edgy mood as last night. But once she starts smiling, she doesn’t stop.
As we walk hand in hand to her parents’ house, she asks, “What would you have named your girls if they had been boys?”
“I always like my grandpa’s name. Sean is simple and Irish.”
“Sean McGraw is a cool name.”
“Do you honestly like it or are you afraid to hurt my feelings?”
“No, I like it. If I didn’t, I’d say, ‘Oh, that’s nice.’ Despite my words, you’d hear my disdain.”
I chuckle at her tone, sensing she’s telling the truth. Before we reach her parents’ back deck, I ask, “Will one baby name be enough?”
Edith’s breath hitches. She stops walking and looks around. I know the answer before she has a chance to lie.
“I don’t know,” Edith says. “I’ve always wanted what my ma had, but I’m not sure now.”
“I think you are.”
“I believed I had things in order. In my head, my future made sense. But lately, I don’t know. I went nuts yesterday rather than showing grace under fire. So maybe I don’t know what I want beyond what I have with you.”
Studying her beautiful face, I don’t think she is lying. Edith has lived a very narrow life. Sure, it was weird and wild because of the homestead, but she never left her safe space. Now, she’s realized she can have more, but it might be scarier than she expected.
“What were you thinking for a girl?” I ask, and Edith smiles.
“I’ve had one name in mind since I was a kid, but I don’t think you’ll like it.”
“This thing between us started weird,” I say, and Edith’s smile falls. “But now, we’re starting fresh. I hope that means we don’t hide anything from each other. Just tell me the name. If I don’t like it, I’ll either grow to like it or we’ll find something else. Or maybe we’ll never have a girl. But don’t hide your feelings. That’s not the kind of marriage I want.”
Edith’s expression shifts immediately, and I realize how lucky I am to have found her. Without my panic attack, I’d be living my life in Basin Rock without knowing this incredible woman was within reach.
“Okay, but let me tell you my reason, so maybe you’ll like the name better,” she insists, and I assume it’s a grandma name. “When I was little, we were always playing outside. One of my favorite games with my brothers and cousins was Peter Pan. West and Val would take turns being Peter. All my girl cousins wanted to be the Lost Boys, so I always got to be Wendy.”
Edith looks around the homestead as if remembering a magical time.
“Otto was always Captain Hook,” she says, laughing at the memory. “He had a hat and a plastic sword. He’d chase around the Lost Boys, swatting them in the butt if he got close enough. And I’d stand up in our treehouse, crying for the Lost Boys to hide better.”
Edith sighs. “I was a little sad when we got too old to play that anymore. I loved being Wendy. Otto never swatted my butt. I got to stay pretty and clean while they all got muddy and wild. But I was still part of the action. Reaching me in the treehouse was the reward for Peter and the Lost Boys. Sometimes, Ike would go up there right away and hang out with me. When Tuesday got too hot, she would claim she was renouncing her Lost Boys status and was now Wendy’s assistant. Those were some of the best days of my childhood. Do you think Wendy McGraw sounds okay?”
My heart clenches at how sweet the name sounds. I answer her with a kiss. My arms wrap around her and enjoy how the waiting is over. I’m like an excited kid when I imagine her at my place tonight. The baby is no longer a scary thing. Something shifted in me yesterday. Once I claimed Edith in front of her people and mine, I felt unburdened.
“They’re both good names,” I say after our lips part. “Makes sense to try and use them both.”
Edith leans against me and sighs. “Let’s make sure I can handle one.”
“You might feel like you’ve lost your way, but you’re still Edith. Not so long ago, right there in that spot,” I say and point at where we first met, “you stole my heart. I tried to be sensible, but you make me crazy. And that’s okay. We’re allowed to lose ourselves over important stuff. Don’t be so hard on yourself over acting a little crazy.”
Edith grins at my words. In an ideal world, we could spend the next few weeks hanging out in both of our safe spaces. No pressure or worries. Much like Lola and Val did. They feel comfortable together in a way I’ve never known in marriages within my own family. I’d like to get to that point with Edith.
Before we can bond that way, we’ll need to share lunch with her parents.
Journey and Donovan have patiently waited on their back deck while Edith and I talked and kissed halfway to their place. They stand in unison when we finally arrive at the back steps with the sandwich bags.
“I apologize for your sandwiches getting cold,” I tell them. “But I got distracted.”
Donovan doesn’t react while Journey offers me a small smile. Edith doesn’t seem bothered by their lack of enthusiasm. She only has eyes for me.
“Duke is cooking dinner,” Edith tells her mom after we sit down and dig into our sandwiches.
Journey gives me a curious look. “What will you be making?”
“My family’s recipe for pork chops in creamy Irish whiskey sauce. Erin taught me how to cook it when I was ten.”
Journey and Edith nod, clearly impressed I know how to do more than grill. Revealing nothing, Donovan eats his sandwich and watches everyone in that cop way he has about himself.
As we enjoy the sandwiches and a pitcher of sweet tea, the women share the various meals popular on the homestead. I imagine Lola eating with her new family. A pang of sadness hits me despite the short distance between Tumbling Rock and Basin Rock. I’ll miss not having her a five-minute ride away.
I sense Donovan is facing similar feelings when he asks Edith, “When will you be back home?”
Edith looks at me. Her expression is so raw. She’s imagining our future together.
“I have to work tomorrow,” she mumbles, seeking out my feedback.
“Basin Rock isn’t far,” I say under pressure to soothe the three of them. “Edith won’t need to choose. By the time the baby is born, we’ll have a house here.”
Based on Edith’s expression, I’ve hit the right note. Her parents seem less sure.
Journey sighs. “It’s been difficult with Otto and Betty spending so much time at her sick ma’s house. Entire weeks go by without seeing them.”
Edith hears her mother’s meaning and looks at me for reassurance.
“I don’t know where Betty’s mom lives, but my place is less than thirty minutes away. Val and Lola plan to go back and forth. We’ll do fine, too.”
“What about Clover?” Journey asks, sounding a little like a prosecutor asking calculating questions meant to corner a defendant.
“What about her?”
“Is she okay with Edith coming around?”
“No, so I’m getting her a pet. It’ll be fine.”
Edith laughs at my words, sensing the joke her parents miss. I grin at the way she bounces in her chair.
“Do you have any pets now?” Journey asks, narrowing her gaze.
“When Clover was two, we adopted a beagle mix puppy. After living a long, lazy life, Pickles died a few years back. Since then, Clover has often talked about getting another dog. She’s even claimed she wants more than one along with a dozen cats and a couple of birds. But she’s struggling to take the leap with her first pet. I think she worries the new dog won’t live up to Pickles.”
Edith slides her hand across my arm, making me smile. “Half of the dogs on the homestead are fosters. Maybe when Clover’s visiting, she’ll get attached to one. That’ll help her get past her uncertainty.”
I glance back at the dogs watching us from the bushes and then notice more lurking near Court’s house. One of the animals might be the furry friend Clover’s been craving.
After we finish eating, Edith wants to show me her room. Her parents agree, but then Donovan adds, “Okay, but then I get to talk to your boyfriend before you leave.”
Edith glances at me like I might be in trouble. I take her hand and gesture at the house.
“Let me see where you grew up.”
We walk through the back double doors into a welcoming family room stuffed with chairs and couches.
“This is where I watch movies with my family. I also flipped out right here yesterday,” Edith explains and points at the wall. “There’s where I threw my flip-flop for some reason.”
“Were you crying when this happened?”
“Mostly squealing.”
“Like you do in bed?”
“No, more high-pitched and crazed.”
“Is it weird that I want to see you do that now?”
“Yes, it is,” Edith says, grinning at my teasing before taking my hand and guiding me down a hallway.
Edith’s bedroom is exactly what I expect with pale blue walls and a pink comforter. Everything is gently feminine. I imagine she’ll want to tweak things at my house to give it more of her style.
“I masturbated to you in this bed,” Edith murmurs.
Tugging her onto the bed, I stretch out. “Let me see what mattress firmness you’re accustomed to.”
Edith laughs, cuddling closer. We kiss and roll around for just enough to get ourselves riled up with no relief in sight.
Once we return to the back deck, Donovan suggests, “Double check your overnight bag, Edith. Duke and I are going to talk a bit.”
As Edith heads inside, I follow her father off the deck toward the pond. We stand next to the water for a minute while he pretends to ignore me.
Suddenly, his gaze lands on me and narrows. “Does your home have space for Edith and the baby?”
I’m surprised by how he doesn’t mention the sneaking around or how he knew. I realize right then how he’s a man who keeps his secrets.
“Yes,” I say, choosing not to sell the attributes of my home or property. Donovan isn’t a man who will take my word for anything. “You should come over for dinner this week. Bring your boys and their women. That way you can see the setup for yourself.”
Donovan offers a curt nod, but I think he appreciates how I don’t expect him to believe me. We’re essentially strangers who’ve spent decades distrusting each other. Now, I’m claiming his only daughter.
Scanning the horizon, Donovan says, “I’ll be square with you. I don’t think Rawkfist needs this alliance. Not right now, anyway.”
When I don’t react to his words, he continues, “Emmett’s ma still does the books for the Charleston club. She knows where their money is hidden. They won’t want to piss her off by coming here and threatening Emmett.”
“Did you tell Court your views on the situation?”
“The day you approached us, I told him how we didn’t need the alliance. It’s not just Emmett’s mom, either. My family runs the Sheriff’s Department. Coming in here and killing me won’t give the Charleston club what they want. Rawkfist is safe.”
“But Court went along with the alliance.”
“Well, he didn’t have much of a choice, did he?” Donovan asks and glances toward Emmett and Poppy’s house. “Val planned to marry Lola. Even if the deal fell through, he would become a member of your family. That meant, your problems were our problems.”
“Why are you telling me this now?”
“You and I haven’t shared a single conversation in our lives. We both grew up in this area. I’ve known about you for most of my life. Yet, before Edith and you started up together, I had no reason to reach out and be friendly.”
“Well, if you’re looking for me to admit this alliance helps my club more than yours, I won’t deny the fact.”
“No doubt, in the long run, Rawkfist won’t want Charleston taking over Basin Rock, even if the club didn’t mess with us.”
Donovan crosses his arms. “And an alliance was always going to happen. Val and Lola would have gotten together. It’s what happens with homestead couples. Though they might fuss and feud in the beginning, they always end up together. So, where we are now is where we were always going to be. And if we weren’t here, you wouldn’t have put a baby in my daughter. I’m choosing to be okay with our present situation.”
“I would be lying if I claimed I wasn’t relieved to hear that. As much as I love the biker life, it was easier when I was young.”
Donovan nods immediately. “You’ve got Val now. That’ll take off some pressure. And a new baby will give you plenty of distractions.”
“I’m planning on marrying Edith.”
“I assumed as much. Once these homestead people get you under their spell, there’s no escaping your feelings. At least, that’s how it worked for me once I stopped fighting.”
“I’m glad you understand. This kind of thing isn’t normal for my family. I’m finally getting the hang of wanting Edith so much.”
Donovan nods again, seeming relieved to have me spell out my feelings. “I want my daughter to have everything, but I find myself wishing she had lured a guy back here to live full-time like Tuesday did,” he says and then shrugs. “At least, you’ll be close by, unlike Court’s kids who are all hours away. I’ll try to remember that when Edith is gone too much.”
“After Lola moved to her apartment, I got insomnia,” I admit. “I’d drive by her place in the middle of the night. I don’t even know what I was worried about. My club guys live around there. No one was hassling her, and she can protect herself. Yet, having Lola move out made me a little crazy for a while.”
“Then, you’ll understand if I act like a cold dick around you,” Donovan says instantly. “I always assumed Edith would live here full-time especially after Tuesday met Bullet. I never bought into the Arcadia idea. I’ve been in denial for a while, and I plan to remain that way for the time being. I’ll mellow out once the baby is born.”
Back at the deck, Edith appears with her suitcase. The thought of her at my place feels like a reward I’ve been craving all my life. I don’t care how quickly we’re moving. I just want us to reach the finish line.