11. Eleven

Chase

My mom opens the door and gives both Val and me a hug. She ushers us into the living room, where some of the family members are already seated. They stand to give Val a hug or a handshake.

“Everyone, this is Val, Chase’s wife,” I can tell Val’s head is spinning as she meets numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins. It looks like our entire extended family is here.

When Carson enters the living room, I rescue Val away from my Great Uncle Harvey, who will continue to talk as long as anyone will listen. Val’s too nice to make up an excuse and walk away as everyone else does.

“Val, this is my oldest brother, Carson Knight.”

“Nice to meet you.”

“Welcome to the family, Val. I’ve heard a lot about you. The way Chase talks about you, I knew you were more than just a friend.”

I watch as a pretty blush covers Val’s cheeks.

“Okay, everyone, dinner is ready. We follow my mother into the dining room. The table is huge, as my mother insisted that it accommodate as many people as could fit in the room. I remember my dad laughing as he teased that our family would continue to expand every year.

Dinner is buffet style, and there are chafing dishes and crock pots sitting on the built-in cabinet on one side of the dining room. My father made sure that there were plenty of electrical outlets for the chafing dishes as he knew how much my mom loved to entertain.

Everyone gets in line. My mother went for a traditional meal. There’s ham and chicken and plenty of vegetables. Something for everyone, my mother likes to say. Desserts are at the end of the counter. There are two fruit cobblers and a large cake with ‘Happy Birthday Val’ written in pink. I see Val smile when she sees it.

I lean down and whisper, “My mom loves to celebrate birthdays, weddings, and every type of shower.”

“It was very nice of her.”

Val and I take a seat beside each other near the end of the table. Everyone goes out of their way to include Val in the conversations. I’m sure she’s probably feeling overwhelmed by all the new faces, but she doesn’t let it show.

My uncle, Sam Knight, sits down across from us. Sam is head of the Wild Riders Motorcycle Club. He runs the bar for their club and can be found there most nights. He’s a retired law enforcement officer but likes to keep that under wraps for the most part. He said it would hurt his reputation if everyone knew. I know it’s because he still works closely with the police. Being president of a biker club, he hears things, and most people let things slip the more they drink. He’s got tattoos covering his arms, and on or off his bike, he looks like the badass biker he is.

“So, Chase, when are you going to bring Val around to the club?”

“She doesn’t ride, Sam— yet.”

“Yet?” Val laughs. “I’m good at hanging on to the back of Chase’s bike, but I doubt I’ll ever ride a motorcycle by myself.”

My uncle just sagely nods his head but doesn’t say anything.

Val turns to me with wide eyes, “You were kidding, right Chase?”

I just give her a grin and change the subject. But with my uncle sitting so near, and because most of us in the family ride, the conversation naturally keeps coming back to motorcycles.

Even my conservative blue-haired Aunt Connie loves to ride. We’re a cross between badass bikers and upper-crust money. We donate to local charities, mostly by hosting fundraising rides.

“You should try it, dear. It’s so much fun. Nowadays, I drive a Can-Am Spyder, but I love riding any type of motorcycle.”

“A Spyder. The motorcycles with two wheels in the front?” Val asks.

“Yes, very easy to drive, and I don’t have to worry about picking it up because you can’t lay it down. Not with those wheels on the front.”

Val nods, and then my Aunt Connie gets out of her cell phone to show Val her Spyder and all the storage it has. Connie is very proud of her latest motorcycle.

I glance around. We’re all still sitting around the table talking. This is the best part of family gatherings: talking and catching up.

My mother comes out with a small cake for one with a lighted candle in the center.

“Happy birthday to you...”

Soon, everyone is joining in to wish Val a happy birthday. As my mother places the small cake down in front of her, she shuts her eyes to make a wish and blows out the candle. Everyone cheers, and then my mother cuts the larger cake and makes sure everyone has a slice.

“So, Val, did Chase do something special for your birthday?” My Aunt Connie wants to know.

I smile as Val tells everyone about the hot-air balloon ride and the bowling alley.

“A sunset balloon ride? Damn, Chase was really trying hard to make an impression,” says a family member.

“Yes, but now Val will expect every birthday to be that special. You shot yourself in the foot, boy.”

Everyone laughs good-naturedly.

“I want to hear about the bowling alley. Did you enjoy that as well?”

I watch as Val gets a sly look on her face. “I certainly did. Chase was nice enough to show me the ropes and explain the game to me. He told me the rules and how to choose a ball.”

I interrupt her story. “Yeah, and Val let me. Then she bowled a turkey.”

“What?”

“Yeah, come to find out, she played in a league when she was in college, and they made it to the championships that year.”

“Oh my. I wish I could have been there to see Chase’s face,” my mother says with a laugh.

“Good one, Val. It sounds like Chase has met his match,” My Aunt Connie states to the group.

My aunt leans in and says something low to Val, and I watch as she nods, and a flush covers her face. I wonder what my aunt said to her.

I notice Val’s glass is empty, so I get up and fill both of our glasses with more tea. When I set the glass in front of her, she smiles her thanks.

My cell phone buzzes, and I look down to see Carson, my oldest brother, who has included me in a three-way chat with my middle brother, Carter, who is out of the country.

“Chase is so whipped! Poor sucker! He just got his bride a drink without her asking. How the mighty have fallen. Playboy no more!”

I grin as my middle brother, Carter, texts back, “It was only a matter of time. Ever since he started talking non-stop about Val, I knew. But he kept denying it and didn’t want to ruin their friendship. LOL!”

I text back, “I’m the first, but you two will be next. Mark my words.”

I laugh as both of them immediately text back, “Never, no way! Not gonna happen!”

I look up at Carson, who is sitting up near the head of the table. I just grin and nod my head. He shakes his head in denial, and I just shrug as I text, “I give you both a year, maybe two. Then we’ll see who’s right.”

As we get ready to leave for the night, we thank my mom and say our goodbyes.

As we walk out the door, we hear my Aunt Connie ask loudly, “I asked Val when they would be starting a family. Bonnie, when are you going to start nagging them about grandchildren?”

Val and I hear my mom’s answer. “I’m not Connie. You know how Chase feels about kids. He’s never wanted children. I’ll give them a few years, and then we’ll see.”