“Hey, my brothers from a different mother. I brought donuts.” The guys were at their desks and looked up when I walked into the office.
“Are you drunk?” Josh asked as I sat the box of donuts on his desk.
“Nope, just happy.” I walked to my desk and flopped down in my chair.
“I think I like you better bitchy,” Jake said as he rolled his chair over to Josh’s desk and grabbed a donut.
“Ah, is it that time of the month for someone.” I laughed when Jake glared at me.
“See, now if one of us had said anything about your rag when you were acting bitchy, you would’ve been screaming harassment or some other kind of bullshit like that.” Mitchell did the same with his chair and rolled over to get a donut. Travis was the only one who actually got up out of his chair and walked over to get his.
“Can we not talk about anyone’s rag, male or female, please?” Travis took his donut and went back to his desk.
“Geez, I would think after being at a party Saturday night. One I might add that had women present who are known to put out, you boys would be in better moods.” I looked at each of them, knowing out of the four of them, Josh was the one who would spill all. He turned his chair to face me and pointed at me with the half-eaten donut in his hand.
“Let me tell ya, it would be better if some of them didn’t talk first.” I grinned, and he continued, “Now that wasn’t me complaining, ‘cause we all know I don’t have any standards, if she breathes and puts out, hell, I’ll tap it. Travis is the one who likes his women to be able to converse and not the fuck me, baby, harder, faster, conversing, with actual sentences using more than one syllable words.”
Travis groaned, then said, “There were two of you. I don’t understand why Mom insisted on keeping you both. She should have given you up for adoption, Josh.” I’d noticed since I started working with the brothers that they may look almost identical but their personalities were far from it. Josh was the one that not much seemed to bother him.
Josh waved off Travis, “Please, I’m the baby. She loves me more. Now back to moods of getting laid. Travis’s mood is typical of a male who did not get laid because his standards are too high.” A pen went flying by Josh’s head, and he dodged it and continued, “Mitchell, well his mood is reflective of a man who got relief but the more temporary one, because he too, like Travis, seems to think a woman should be able to talk for his maximum relief. However, he will go for the temporary one, so he gives his hand a break, and it keeps the woman nonverbal.” I was laughing so hard tears escaped the corners of my eyes. And Mitchell threw a notepad like a Frisbee, narrowly missing Josh’s head.
“And Jake...well... I love him because he is my other half, but other than our shared looks, we are vastly different in how we approach sex. Where I don’t care how I’m getting it, as long as I’m getting it, type of guy. Jake is the we can do it, but it is always my way because you like that way and want to serve me, type of guy.” Jake wheeled his chair back to Josh’s desk, popped the back of his head and wheeled back to his desk with the box of donuts. I laid my forehead on my desk and continued to laugh.
“Now, you, my friend, are a—” I raised my head and looked at Josh who was grinning from ear-to-ear.
“Oh, this outta be good.” I leaned back in my chair no longer laughing at the expense of the other brothers since Josh felt the need to include me in his craziness.
“Ah, no need for thanks, my dear. You see it, want it, go get it, and no apology type girl.” Josh cocked his brow. “Am I right so far?”
“What if you are? There is no so far, that is me.” I crossed my arms over my chest and glared back.
“That changed.”
“Are you sure you aren’t the one who came in drunk? What the fuck are you talking about that changed?” The office phone rang, and Travis answered, and while he talked to whoever was on the other end, I waited to be woo wooed by Josh’s insight.
“Well, after the display of ‘I Tarzan, you Jane’ by the hunky VP of Haven and your happy ass today. I’d say you liked swinging from his little rope enough to give up some control because you know he won’t let you fall.” Josh stood, then bent over in a show of taking a bow. I threw a local phone book at him before he rose and hit the back of his head. Mitchell and Jake laughed, and Travis put his hand over the receiver and told us to be quiet.
“Well, I don’t usually share private stuff but...there is nothing little about Kaden.” Josh slammed his head on his desk and groaned. “But I do wonder what Kaden would think of you referring to him as the hunky VP.”
“You don’t know, he might like it. How well do you know him?” Josh raised up and looked at me, and I burst out laughing at the absurdity that was Josh, earning me a glare from Travis as he ended the call.
Travis pulled the page off the notepad he’d been writing on and walked over and sat it on my desk. When I picked it up and read what was written, every emotion imaginable ran through my system. I looked up at Travis, and he smiled.
“Seriously?” I felt tears form in my eyes, and when I went to wipe them, I cringed when I rubbed a little too hard across my bruised cheek.
“Yes, my contact is a hundred percent sure.” The other brothers were now standing beside my desk, so I turned the paper around so they could read it.
“Son-of-a-bitch,” was said simultaneously by the three of them.
“You going to be okay, Charlie? It’s what you wanted to find out, right?”
“Yes, I’ll be fine. It’s just that a part of me thought he would be deceased. I had to keep that part so if it were true, I wouldn’t be so disappointed. Do you understand? And now to have it confirmed that he is living and I’ve been in the same area, it’s surreal.”
“Now that this is real. What are you going to do if he isn’t receptive to you?” Mitchell asked.
“Oh, I expect him to be shocked, hurt even, hell...I was. Other than that, I’ll accept what he decides to do with the information.”
“Do you want to go now, Charlie?” Travis asked, then added, “We’ll go with you if you need us to?”
“Yeah, but I need to do this on my own. Though I do appreciate the offer.” I stood, folded the paper and put it in my pocket, grabbed my phone and keys off my desk.
“Take a few days if you need to, Charlie. We got nothing going on right now. And good luck.” I had headed for the door before Travis changed his mind.
The ride across town seemed to take forever, but it gave me time to settle my nerves. When I pulled up to the gate, I smiled at the man who stood guard.
“Don’t they let you sleep, Cutie Pie?” Mac’s expression didn’t change, and I was surprised that he didn’t even blush.
“What do you need, ma’am?”
“I thought we had this discussion. The name is Charlie, Cutie Pie.”
“Yes, we did. So, what can I do for you...ma’am?” The twitching of his lips gave him away.
“Ah, you think you’re funny, huh?” I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing. I really did like the young man.
“Someone has to be.” Mac face, when he answered, was so blank of emotion, I almost lost my fight and laughed.
“Hey, I’m funny.” I gave him the most serious face I could muster.
“No, you are really not.” His reply did it, and I laughed.
“I give. I don’t know why people don’t think I’m funny. But whatever. I came to see Wild Bill. Is he in...Mac?”
“Let me text him...Charlie.” He pulled out his phone and punched the buttons. It didn’t take long for his phone to beep with a reply. Mac didn’t say another word, he just stepped to the side and waved me in. I rolled the bike forward until I was right beside him, then I stopped.
“You can be a little assholish. You should fit right in at Haven.” I moved the bike forward but not before I saw Mac grin.
Other than a few bikes, the lot was empty. I backed into a spot beside the door, and when I dismounted and turned, the door opened, and Wild Bill walked out.
“Thanks for seeing me, Wild Bill,” I said and walked toward him.
“Not a problem. Something you need, Charlie?”
“I took the job with the Matherson brothers because they are good at what they do, but I also made the move to look for my grandfather.”
“Yeah, I heard. I don’t know what we can do to help, but if you tell me what you need, I’ll see what we can do.” Instead of answering him, I reached into my pocket and handed the piece of paper.
Wild Bill unfolded the paper and began reading. I watched his face, but he gave nothing away. When he finished, he turned toward the door. “Come in, Charlie. Let’s go to my office and discuss this.”
“Sure. Is there something wrong?” I asked as he held the door open for me and an older man I had seen before stepped out of the main room as we walked in.
“Hey, Prez. I was looking for you. Got some lunch ready in the kitchen if you want some. Plenty if your guest wants to join you.”
“Thanks, Roach. I’ll grab some in a few. Have you met Charlie, Roach?”
“Ah, Hawk’s redhead. Nope, I haven’t had the pleasure. Nice to meet you, Charlie.” Roach stuck out his hand, and I shook it, wondering if there was anyone in the club that didn’t know about Hawk and me.
“Charlie and I were going to my office to go over something. Can you join us?” Wild Bill asked.
“Yeah, you need me to help with something, Prez?”
I stood and watched the two men as they spoke to each other. People always seem to jump to the wrong conclusions when they saw bikers because they judged them by their outer appearance instead of getting to know them. I’m sure under the right circumstance or the wrong, depending on how it is looked at, they could be scary as hell. But in the short time, I’d been around Haven MC, the men were friendly, loyal to one another, and willing to help with no questions asked if they considered you a friend.
“Yeah, I want you to look at something.” Roach never questioned, he followed Wild Bill, and so did I.
When we entered the office, Wild Bill waved at the seats in front of his desk as he took the one behind it.
“So, what do you want me to look at?” Roach asked as he took the seat beside me.
“Have you heard about Charlie looking for her grandfather?” Wild Bill asked.
“Hawk mentioned it. Said the Matherson brothers were helping with it.”
“Take a look at this and see what you think.” Wild Bill handed Roach my paper. I didn’t say anything because I figured Wild Bill wanted Roach to take a look because he was one of the older ones in the club and might know the man.
Roach took the paper and started reading. I smiled when his expression never changed as he read. The men in this club were so much alike. When he was done, he looked at Wild Bill, then at me.
“Is this real?” Roach waved the paper for emphasis.
“Yes. Travis’s contact said it was his name. Do you know Spencer Danson? The contact didn’t have anything on a road name for him.” I looked at Wild Bill, then Roach. Both men’s faces had softened as they looked back at me.
“Who’s your grandmother, Charlie?” Roach asked.
“Annette Rhoades.”
“Annie.”
“Yes, that is what her friends called her. Did you know her too?”
“Charlie, I’m Spencer Danson.”
I felt the tears form in my eyes as I looked at Roach. The more I studied his face, I saw that my dad shared some of his features: the square jawline, nose, and the same warm brown eyes. And I wondered briefly if I had met Roach before if I would have seen the resemblance to my dad as I had between my dad and the young soldier in the photograph.
“I have so many questions, Charlie. Some I can guess at the answer. Like Annie was pregnant when she left here. I didn’t know. She never told me. I guess since your last name is Rhoades, I have a son. What I’m not understanding is why you had to search for me. I’ve never left the area. Why didn’t she just give you my name?”
“My grandmother died over a year ago.” The sadness and hurt that crossed over Roach’s face had my tears spilling over. “I’m so sorry. She never told my dad who his father was. We never knew your name. There was only a picture of a soldier laying on a bunk. That is what I used to find you. Well, not me, Travis’s contact.” Wild Bill got up and went across the room and brought a box of tissues back and handed them to me. I nodded my thanks and pulled one out of the box and dabbed at my eyes.
“Grandmother had a stroke, which took her memories and impaired her speech. She tried at the end to relay something about you, like Washington as the place you lived. Then she would talk about a biker. It was bits and pieces that seemed to pop into her head at random times. Before she could come back from the first stroke, another hit her, and it hit her hard, she didn’t survive it.”
“Well isn’t that just nice for her. I miss my son growing up, and I’ve missed you growing up because she chose not to talk about me until she had death knocking at her door!”
I felt so bad for Roach. He was facing what my father and I had when she died. We’d both asked the same questions to each other. Even the one of waiting until the end to bring him up at all.
“I can’t do this.” Roach stood, walked to and out the door with Wild Bill getting up and going after him.
I sat there for a few minutes, then wiped my eyes, set the box of tissues on Wild Bill’s desk and walked out.
When I reached my house, I went into the living room and sat down on the couch. Pulling the photo out of the folder, I studied it, refusing to believe that I had found and lost my grandfather all in one day. My cell rang startling me, and I looked at the screen. Not a number I recognized, but I hit the button anyway. The distraction for even a minute would be appreciated.
“Hello.”
“Hey, Red. How you doing?” Kaden’s voice came over the line, and I burst into tears. “Whoa, Red. What is going on? Has something happened?”
“I...located...my...grand...father,” I said between sobs. I couldn’t even rationalize why I was crying.
“Umm...Red, shouldn’t you happy? Wasn’t that what you wanted? Help me understand, baby.”
Taking deep breaths, I worked to pull myself together. Kaden waited quietly on the other end of the phone.
“I’m sorry. I don’t know why I’m crying. You know, with finding the picture and wondering if we would even find him... Through it all, I’ve had time to absorb the shock, everything to deal with this. I knew if I found him, he would need that time and I was willing to give it, but actually being there, I don’t know. When he said he couldn’t do it and walked out, all that understanding left and it just...hurt, Kaden.”
“Your grandfather walked out on you? I’m the one who’s sorry, Red, that you had to deal with this by yourself. I should have been there. Don’t worry, okay? When I get back, I will handle the man. What an asshole?”
I held the phone out and looked down at the screen, and the whole pot and kettle thing made me smile. At least I hadn’t lost my humor.
“Kaden, thank you for the offer, but you probably want to reevaluate your offer to help.”
“I doubt that, but why do you think I would?” Kaden sounded almost offended at my suggestion.
“Kaden, my grandfather is Roach.” The line got quiet, and I checked to be sure we hadn’t got disconnected.
“No shit? Fucking talk about coincidences. Christ, Red. I don’t know what to say.”
“Yeah, well, evidently he didn’t either,” I explained everything that had happened and Kaden listened without responding until I finished.
“Red, I’m not saying that didn’t happen. It’s just Roach wouldn’t act like that. Baby, I maybe the shock was too much, and he will come around when it sinks in. I wish the fuck I was there.” Kaden’s words reminded me that he wasn’t there and also of something else.
“Kaden, how did you get my number? And I shouldn’t even be talking to you for standing me up.”
I was done with the pity-party and chose to change the subject away from it. I didn’t know what any of this meant with Kaden calling me but like Katie and I had discussed—it was up to me if I thought there could be something between Kaden and me.
“I had Moose get it from Katie. I wanted to call to let you know I didn’t blow you off. I had every intention of coming back to your place. Just something came up.”
“Where are you at, Kaden?”
“Can’t tell you that, Red. And before you go off on a rant, I’m going to go ahead and let you know that there are things I will not talk to you about. Club business and the work I do for it. There is something between us. Haven’t figured it out, but I want to. You’re going to have to decide if you can deal with not knowing my every move. Up to you, Red.”
“So no questions? I can’t put up with other women, Kaden. I’m not made that way. I don’t share.”
“Red, I’m talking club business. You can ask questions, it just depends if I can answer them. And I sure as fuck am not talking about other women. Goddammit, I haven’t touched another woman since the day you came to my place. I might be the asshole you claim me to be, but I’m not a cheater, Red. Now with Roach being your grandad, we are going to run into each other, but I won’t call or come by again if you tell me not to. Can you trust me, baby?”
Could I? When I thought about it, the answer came quickly because part of me already did.
“Yes,” I whispered into the phone.
“Yeah? Well good. Now tell me what other kinda trouble you’ve gotten into since I’ve been gone.”
“You’ve only been gone a day, Kaden.”
“And your point, Red.” I could hear the humor in his voice and imagined he wore a smirk on his face to go with it.
We talked and laughed, and by the time I got off the phone, I felt better. Relaxed and with my resolve back to give Roach time to deal with the information I dumped on him. I made the first contact, now the next move was his and I would have to bide my time.