9. Chapter 9

9

Chapter 9

Pops

I park my truck in its usual spot in front of the clubhouse and make my way around the back. I’m feeling pretty fucking special after spending the morning with my youngest great grandson. Not only did Ana gift Gus with the most perfect little boy, but she gifted me with the greatest honor, giving the boy my name. Although we did agree to call him Junior for now seeing as Debs calls me Sid and it would get damn confusing otherwise.

Speaking of, I haven’t seen my woman that much in the last few days, given how busy we’ve both been in the run up to Christmas. And I’m sneaking around planning this surprise for her. We’ve been talking on the phone every day, but I may have been purposely avoiding her a little. Only because she can read me like a book and I know I’ll accidentally give away what I have planned. And what I have planned will blow all other Ol Lady proposals out of the water. Both literally and figuratively.

It tickles me so much that I whistle a peppy little tune as I catalog all the things I need to do. I need to stop by the gym to check on the guys’ progress for the performance and then I have an important meeting with Chewy to go over our display and then we’ll get to wiring our fireworks, making sure to program the music and the ignitions for full impact. We may have to make them less explosive than I was hoping as Ana, Gus and Junior will be home tomorrow. Having Junior and Savage’s unnamed baby around for the surprise on Christmas Day means I don’t want anything too loud. We don’t want to scare them or anything.

“And five, six, seven, eight!” echoes from inside the gym, music blasting.

My feet hurry me along in that direction to check on the boys’ progress. Peeking through the door I’m impressed by what I see. All the brothers except for Marx and Switch are busy going through their steps. Rhodie with that damn gator strapped to his chest, Chomper’s arms and legs flapping in the breeze. It may be clunky, but they move in time, the choreography well learned. Sure some are better dancers than others, but that doesn’t matter. What matters is these boys are putting everything into this thing for Debs and I couldn’t be prouder. I won’t tell them that, though.

“Looking good, Dipshits. You might be able to take over from those strippers at the club in Roxburgh!” I yell through the door before letting it slam behind me, silencing their smart ass comments.

Giggling like a little girl, I make my way toward Dayz and my home away from home, the Rev Room. That’s where all our tools live and where we can brainstorm new and exciting ideas. I never in a million years would have thought that all the shit I went through in ‘Nam would give me the tools to build a close relationship with my granddaughter, and yet here we are.

Swinging open the door and stepping in, I take in the scene before me. Dayz is bent over the table, her messy bun lurching dangerously close to Elio’s dark head, who is also bent over, staring intently at what she’s showing him.

“Hey gang, what are we doing?” I ask, stepping closer to the pair.

“Oh, I’m showing Elio the circuit board where we will time all our explosions.”

Elio looks up at me when I smooth my hand over his head, giving me a little smile. I feel like a fucking star knowing that Elio doesn’t dish out smiles easily. “So kid, are you our new apprentice?”

He turns to look up at Dayz, who gives him two thumbs up. He turns back to me with an even bigger smile and mimics her two thumbs up.

It’s funny, because I remember doing this exact same thing with Dayz a long time ago. My son and daughter-in-law never really knew what we got up to in our back shed together, and I’m fucking glad of it too because they would have shit themselves. Now I’m doing it in an even bigger back shed with the next generation.

“Right, first things first, Elio. Safety. We need to make sure we have all the right protection on.”

He nods solemnly, then lifts the goggles Dayz has placed in front of him. They’re a few sizes too big, so I make a note to ask Tav to pick some up while he’s out shopping with Debs. My woman. I feel a little giddy at the thought.

“Strap em on, kid. Shit’s about to get real serious in here.”

Blanche

I flop down onto my couch, arm across my eyes and savor the quiet. All the kids are at the clubhouse doing God knows what. As someone who has spent the whole of my children’s lives being the only person for them to rely on, it seems odd to just be able to leave them somewhere and know that they’re safe and happy. It also shows how much easier getting their Christmas shopping is. One full day on Christmas Eve’s Eve and I’m done. All gifts bought and wrapped and packed up to be placed under the club’s tree. I’m a goddamned Superwoman.

“Babe!” Tav calls as he stomps through the door. I can hear his boots hit the trim from where he’s kicked them off.

“In here!” I yell back, my feet in too much pain from my shopathon. You would think that I would have had everything I needed after Mama Debs and I went out the other day, but you would have thought wrong. That stuff was for the brothers. Today’s stuff was for the kids and my brothers who are due to descend later this evening.

Tav steps into the room and I have to bite my lips to not burst into laughter. “What the hell happened to you?”

“Mama Debs happened,” he sighs as he plops down on the couch next to me, his hard thigh pressing up against my soft one. Usually this would make me horny, but not today. I’m far too tired.

Tav must feel the same because I watch as he looks at our thighs pressed together, and then down at his lap. “She ruined me! I can’t even pop a chubby because I’m exhausted!” He flops his head on the back of the couch and pouts.

“Come on, it can’t have been that bad. What did she even need? She got most of all she needed the day Nat gave birth. I was with her.”

“Yeah but that was before she decided that Chomper was going to grow too big for Dayz to wear which means that he will need his very own special stroller. That then had to be customized especially for him so we had to go to,” he shudders and then whispers, “Hobby Lobby.”

A gut busting laugh bursts out of me and can’t help but snort and hiccup at Tav’s misfortune.

“Yeah, yeah, yuck it up. I swear it was the most trying assignment I’ve ever had in my life. I’m amazed I still have an intact Achilles tendon! The women and their trolleys were ruthless. RUTHLESS!”

I try to calm myself a little, so I can at the very least pat my man on the shoulder and tell him he’s done a great job, but unfortunately I’m leant over the side of the couch with tears streaming down my cheeks. He just huffs and crosses his arms over his chest to wait me out. Poor man.

“Ok, Ok, I’m good. Phew, Ok. Do I even want to know what she’s going to do to this stroller for Chomper?” I ask him once my breathing calms.

“Don’t know and I don’t care. Remy, Nat and Lovely were going to help her, so I’m sure it’ll be nice and ridiculous.”

I clap my hands “God I hope so!” I grin at him and he rolls his eyes.

Tav looks around, then cocks his head slightly, as if listening out for something. “Where are the kids?”

“They’re at the clubhouse. They were decorating the tree and then Cove and Jovie had secret Christmas stuff to do, the big kids were hanging out, and Chewy and Elio had plans.” At this, Tav’s eyes narrow.

“What kind of plans?”

“Not sure. They were waiting on Pops when I left,” I shrug.

Tav’s brows fly up and he looks conflicted.

“What’s wrong?”

“Do we really trust Pops AND Chewy with Elio?”

My brows pinch in as I take in his concerned face. His very handsome, concerned face. “Well, yeah. They’re his family. I’m sure they’re fine. I mean, what could they possibly be doing? They’re working on Deb’s surprise.”

“Well, I guess. I mean Pops did say that there wasn’t going to be any blood or torture or killing, so I’m sure they’ll be fine. They’re probably making up a soundtrack or something.” He looks at me for reassurance and I nod encouragingly at him. “Yeah, you’re right baby. We can definitely trust them.”

He relaxes back into the couch, positioning himself down one end, leaning on the arm rest, and then taking one of my feet in his hands, tugging on my leg until I’m at the other end of the couch, mirroring him.

“What time are we picking up the kids?” he asks, rubbing the ball of my foot, drawing a groan out of me.

“Mmm, in three hours. That feels so good, babe.”

“Well, Pixie, we have two options,” he gives me a salacious grin, over my foot. “We can get naked and fuck on the couch, the one piece of furniture we haven’t christened,”

“Or?” I raise a brow.

“Or, we rub each other’s feet until we fall asleep right where we sit.”

“Is it bad if I say we have a nap?”

“Oh thank fuck, I was hoping you’d choose that,” he says on an exhale, lifting his socked man foot up so I can pull it into my lap and very half assedly massage it. “I love you so much, Pixie.”

“I love you too, babe.”