A Family Man (24 page)

He had half expected that Maria wouldn’t show, but she surprised him. Looking up from her coffee, she smiled as they approached. “Hey, baby. Happy birthday.”

Amy slid into the booth, followed by Joe. “What do you want, mom?”

“
I just wanted to see you on your birthday. Do you want something to eat or a drink, maybe?”

“
Coke, and Joe will have a coffee. What you really doing here?”

“
I told you.”

“
Yeah, but we both know that’s bullshit. Where’s Jack?”

“
Jack’s staying with a friend.” Maria ran her fingers through her hair and frowned. “You think I just abandoned him or something?”

Amy shrugged. “How about you answer my question. What Do You Want?”

Joe smirked. “Why don’t you tell her, M?”

“
I just want to talk to my daughter.”

“
So talk.”

“
Alone.”

“
Okay.” He stood and touched Amy’s shoulder. “It’s alright, sugar. I’ll just be outside.”

Maria waited until Joe had left the building and reached out and touched her daughter’s hand. “I think it’s time you came back and lived with me.”

“
Why?” Amy snatched her hand away.

“
Because you’ve spent too long away from me, and I miss you.”

“
Bullshit!” Standing abruptly she placed her hands flat on the table and leaned over her mother. “I will not live with you. Ever. Even if you force me to go back with you I will run away. I would rather live on the streets. My home is here with Beth and Joe. Oh, and Barney.” She laughed as her mother’s eyes widened. “Yep, my dad. The one you tried to keep me away from.”

“
How did you find out? Did he tell you?”

“
No, Joe did. See, he’s not the dumb fuck you think he is. He figured it out, and asked me if I wanted to get to know him. I’ll never look on him as my dad—I’m Joe’s kid, always will be. But we get along okay. So you see, Mommy dear, I don’t need you. So why don’t you crawl back to where you came from and stop trying to hurt my family.”

“
I’m your family.”

“
No, you’re not. You’ve never been there for me, and I refuse to be a pawn in your stupid games. Joe is with Beth whether you like it or not, and nothing you do will change that.”

“
And I’m supposed to sit back and watch you all play ‘happy families,’ am I?”

“
Yes you are. Joe loved you for a long time, and if you hadn’t been such a selfish bitch you could’ve had what Beth has.”

“
It wasn’t my fault. I was sick, I couldn’t help it.”

“
And you were given a hundred chances to get well. How many times did Beth pick up the pieces? How many nights did I spend a Nana Sophie’s? Who paid to keep a roof over our head and food in the cupboards?” Amy sneered. “Just go away and leave us alone.” She turned and started to walk outside, aware of her mother hurrying behind her.

Joe threw his cigarette onto the ground as Amy ran towards him, her mother close on her heels. As he watched, he wondered how it was he could have loved Maria so much. She was still beautiful, but that beauty had a hard edge to it. Had it always been there but he had been too blind to see? Grinning, he turned his attention to his kid. “Ready to go, sugar?”

“
Wait!” Maria caught up to them. “This is your doing, Joe. You’ve poisoned her against me.”

He opened his mouth to speak but Amy jumped in. “No, Mom, he hasn’t. You managed to do that all by yourself. Go home, take care of my brother. Oh and stay off the booze.”

“I’m not…..”

“
Whatever. Joe’s going to be in Bay View in a couple of months. Tell Jack I’ll see him then. Goodbye, Mom.” She climbed onto the back of his bike and wrapped her arms around his waist. “Get me out of here, Joe.”

~ oOo ~

Beth snuggled up against his chest as, lying in bed, he relayed the events in the diner to her. “You know, Joe, Amy is one smart kid.”

“
Yeah, there ain't much gets past her. I guess she gets it from her aunt.”

“
Do you think Maria will get the message?”

“
I dunno. Amy made it perfectly clear where she stood. There ain't no way she will live with her mom. Hopefully Maria will back off and leave us alone.”

“
And if she doesn’t?”

“
Then we deal.” He pulled her tighter into his arms. “It’s gonna be cool, Beth.”

~ oOo ~

Maria leaned against the bar, staring at the large glass of Jack in front of her. Her daughter’s words played over and over in her head. How dare she! Sure, there had been times when maybe she didn’t measure up as a mother, but she’d done her best. This was Joe’s doing. No, it was Beth turning her daughter against her. Bitch had always been jealous, had always wanted what she’d had. Well she wasn’t going to get away with this. Just wait. She took a huge gulp of the amber liquid, savoring its warmth as it slid down her throat. Amy was her kid, and Joe was her man, if she couldn’t have them, no one would. She glanced at the clock on the wall. Her flight was in two hours, and she had to be on that plane. It didn’t mean this was over, though; she wasn’t giving up without a fight. Ignoring the little voice in her head that was telling her that every word Amy had said was true, she called the bartender over for a refill.

~ oOo ~

Normally nothing on earth would persuade Amy that going into Beth and Joe’s bedroom was a good idea. But she really needed to talk to someone, she wouldn’t be able to sleep until she did. Tentatively she knocked on the door. “Are you guys awake?”

Joe grunted and opened his eyes. “Yeah, c’mon in, sugar.” He squinted in the dim light. “S’up, can’t you sleep?”

“No, I just feel so bad. The stuff I said…”

“
Why don’t you go downstairs and get a drink. I’ll be there in a minute.”

“
Okay.” she turned and walked slowly down the stairs and waited in the kitchen for him to join her.

Joe pulled on his jeans and headed downstairs to join his kid. She looked up as he approached and he pulled her into his arms. “This shit with your mom eating at you, sugar?”

“
I shouldn’t have said all that stuff. She’ll think I don’t love her.”

“
No, she won't.”

“
But I said she wasn’t my family. I know she hasn’t always been the mom I wanted her to be, but she didn’t deserve that.”

With his hands on her shoulders, he pushed her away from him so he could look her in the eye. “Amy, you haven’t done anything wrong. Your mom wanted to take you away, and you called her out.”

“But…”

“
Would you prefer she to take you back to Cali?”

“
Of course not.”

“
And do you think that all this was to hurt me and Beth?”

“
Yes.”

“
Then you did nothing wrong.” He chuckled. “Shit, baby, you say worse to me all the time. How come you don’t lay awake wracked with guilt after giving me shit?”

“
Cuz you’re tough and you know that I love you. Mom’s not like you, she will take what I said to heart.” Blinking away the tears that threatened to fall, she allowed him to pull her close to him again. “What if she gets upset and starts using again?”

Joe tightened his hold on her; this is what Maria always did. She had done it to him time and time again. “Amy, did she call you?”

“She told me not to say anything to you, that you’d get mad.”

“
What did she say?”

“
She was drunk, said she’d missed her flight. It’s my fault she’s drinking again.” The tears were falling freely now. “I should’ve known.”

“
This isn’t your fault sugar. Your mom is responsible for her own actions.”

“
And Jack? What about him? When I was a kid there was Nana Sophie, or Beth, or you to take care of me. He’s got no one. I’m gonna have to go home and take care of him.”

“
No, you don’t. You are sixteen years old. You got school to worry about. The kid ain't your responsibility. This is exactly what your mom wants you to do.” He kissed the top of her head. “She say where she’s staying?”

“
Joe, I can’t tell you.”

“
I ain't gonna hurt her, I swear.” He frowned at her expression. “You don’t trust me.” A statement, not a question.

Amy shook her head. “I want to, Joe. More than anything in the world. But I know what you’re capable of.”

“Sugar, if I hurt her, I’ll hurt you, and I’d tear out my heart rather than do that. I just wanna talk to her.”

“
You promise?”

“
When have I ever lied to you?” He grinned. “There’s nothing we can do tonight, go to bed. We’ll talk about this in the morning.”

“
Okay.” She reached up and kissed him on the cheek. “Night, Joe. I love you.”

“
I love you too. Sweet dreams, sugar.”

As soon as she had disappeared upstairs, he lit a cigarette, pulled out his cell and dialed. There was no answer. He hadn’t expected one. He listened to the message and waited for the tone. “Maria, do not call Amy again. If you want to speak to her, call me first. Oh, and clean up your act. I will be in Cali in a couple of months. If you don’t want me to call child services, you will be sober. Goodbye.”

Beth opened her eyes as Joe climbed in next to her. “Amy okay?”

“
Freaking out. M got drunk and called her. Kid thinks she has to go and take care of her brother.”

“
Shit, Joe. What are we going to do?”

“
We are gonna get some sleep. I will deal with this in the morning.”

~ oOo ~

In the end, there was nothing to deal with. At first light, a very contrite and hungover Maria had caught the first available flight to Cali. It was clear on hearing Joe’s message that Amy had spoken to him about what she had said, and she knew she had to get away as quickly as possible. Although she had been reasonably confident that Joe wouldn’t hurt her, she wasn’t stupid and knew that he would do whatever it took to protect her daughter from any perceived threat. It had been the drink talking, she’d gotten angrier and more resentful the more she drank. And her in booze-addled mind, one last ditch effort to get Amy to come away with her had seemed like a good idea. Now, though, in the cold light of day, she realized it was most certainly not. Pissing off Joe never was. She was still angry with Beth and hurt by what her daughter had said, but drunken rants in the middle of the night were never going to win her back. She would be sober, calm and loving next time she saw her, the sort of mom she knew Amy wanted.

Despite how compliant Maria was over the next few weeks, Joe couldn’t relax. Both Beth and Amy had tried to convince him that she wouldn’t try anything stupid. She was doing as he asked, not contacting Amy directly, and had apologized profusely for her behavior, promising that she was sober and had been attending AA meetings again. He knew Amy and Beth were planning on traveling down south with him in a couple of months' time and couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that this was a mistake. However, as he didn’t really have a solid argument against it, he had no choice but to agree.

~ oOo ~

As she climbed into the passenger seat next to her aunt, Amy could barely contain her excitement. Although she loved living with Joe and Beth, she missed her brother and her mom and was looking forward to seeing them and Nana Sophie again.

Beth grinned at her niece’s obvious enthusiasm. She was glad that Amy and her mom had resolved their differences, and even though it looked like Maria would never speak to her again, as long as she maintained a good relationship with her daughter, that would be enough. “Ready to go, sweetheart?” Amy nodded and turned on the radio. She much preferred traveling with her aunt. Unlike Joe, she had decent taste in music and they would be singing all the way to the motel, where they would be meeting Joe for their overnight stay.

THIRTY-THREE

Maria gazed out of the window as her daughter hurried down the garden path. She would have liked to go outside to meet her, but there was no way she was going to have anything to do with her bitch of a sister. Her progress to the front door was halted as she checked her reflection with a frown. Just recently she had noticed how she was starting to look her age. There were shadows under her eyes, and her skin had lost its youthful glow. It looked like the years of substance abuse were finally catching up with her, and she knew that she should be taking better care of herself, but the chronic stomach pains that had plagued her for the last year or so meant that eating wasn’t always possible. Her doctor had said they would improve if she stopped drinking, but that was easier said than done. She could stay sober for days, sometimes weeks at a time, but whenever she got stressed, the old Maria reared her ugly head and dived straight into a bottle.

Joe would only be able to spend a couple of hours with his mom before heading out to Bay View. It would have been nice to have longer but he was joining his brothers on a run to Vegas. Beth would be staying with her before she and Amy joined him in Bay View in four days' time. As he watched her struggle out of her chair, it became clear she wasn’t going to be able to carry on living alone for much longer, although how he was going to broach the subject with her, he had no idea. If he as much suggested she could no longer cope, she would rip him a new one. He smiled as Beth wrapped her arms around his waist. “You want me to talk to her?”

“I dunno, girl. I don’t know how much longer she can cope. There’s no way she’ll move to Seattle, and she’ll fight going into a home, tooth and nail.”

“
Leave it to me, Joe. She’s less likely to flip at me. If you say anything it’ll end up with you and her yelling at each other.”

“
Have I ever told you what an amazing woman you are?”

“
Not often enough, Joe.” She kissed him, then turned and followed Sophia into the kitchen.

Sophia knew that they were talking about her, and she had a pretty good idea that she knew what they were talking about. She was well aware of her limitations these days and certainly didn’t need reminding of them. There were days when she could hardly get from one side of the room to another. That didn’t mean that she was going to give up her independence without a fight, and there was no way she was moving to Seattle. Her friends were here, and she enjoyed the California sunshine too much. “You kids hungry? There’s a pie in the oven.” She may be getting old, but it would be a cold day in hell before she couldn’t cook a hot meal for her son.

“
Here, let me help.” Beth took the pan of vegetables from her. “Why don’t you sit with Joe. He won't be here long, and I’m sure you want to catch up.”

She would have loved to object, but as she eased herself carefully into the chair next to her son, Sophia knew that she wasn’t kidding anyone. The morning’s baking session had exhausted her, and she knew it was written all over her face. Her eyes met Joe’s. “Not one word, son.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it, Ma.” Joe grinned. “Can’t speak for Beth, though.”

~ oOo ~

The Bay View to Vegas charity run was one of Joe’s favorites. The clubhouse there always offered the best hospitality, although he had no intention of indulging in more than a lap dance. He had given his word to Beth that he wouldn’t cheat, and when Joe Taylor gave his word, he kept it. As he and his brothers headed south, carefully avoiding Alcaran territory, he couldn’t stop the grin spreading across his face. This was what he had always lived for, and it never lessened in its appeal. But now that he had Beth and Amy, his life was richer than it had ever been. It wouldn’t always be perfect, he knew that. But at this moment in time it was about as damn near perfect as it could be. Yup, today, life was good.

~ oOo ~

For pretty much his entire adult life, Joe had always put the club above everything, and as far as he was concerned, nothing had changed. He was beginning to think, though, that maybe Wolf felt differently. There had been jobs that in the past would have been handed straight to him that were now being given to Samson or other nomads. Nothing had been said, and he was still a very active member of the Seattle chapter. It just felt that over the last few months he spent more days working nine till five at Seattle Auto, and more nights sleeping in his own bed than he ever had done before. He hadn’t minded; there were enough protection runs to top up his income, and Beth earned good money. So, despite spending more for a caregiver to go in daily to help his ma, they were financially secure, and he was getting to spend some quality time with his girls.

Today, though, as he watched his President and the big nomad head through the chapel doors, he couldn’t help but feel a little pang. He knew that the Serpiente  MC had been stirring up shit and the Tucson chapter had been badly hit, and he guessed it was retaliation time. Pushing himself away from the bar, he walked slowly towards the chapel. It wasn’t like him to push himself forward. He would always follow orders, and, if asked, would happily volunteer for jobs that others would shy away from. But this should have gone to him; there was a war on and he was a soldier. He should be there.

His progress, however, was halted by a hand on his arm. “Going somewhere, Joe?”

“
Wanna talk to Wolf. Shit in Tucson, I should be there.”   

Bugs grinned. “Wassup, bro? Feeling all left out?”

Joe shrugged. Was that it? “Nah, but this job has my name all over it. Reckon Wolf thinks I’m going soft.”

Throwing his head back, his VP roared with laughter. “He doesn’t think you’re going soft, you fucking moron. Wolf knows you’ll go wherever he sends you. No one’s given more to this club than you. But you’re a family man now.”

“Don’t make no difference.”

“
Yes it does, Joe. I love this club, and will lay down my life if necessary. But I got an ol’ lady and a bunch of kids at home, they need me, too. It’s about balance. I go on runs and do what I need to do for the good of the club, but I don’t get seconded to other charters or take jobs that will keep me away from home for weeks or months at a time. I leave that to the nomads or brothers without families. It don’t make me soft, it makes me a husband and father.”

“
Beth’s okay with me going away.”

“
Maybe she is. But she shouldn’t have to be. There will always be times when your particular talents will be needed, but don’t go putting yourself in the firing line just to prove you’re a good brother. No one thinks any less of you because you make time for Beth and your kid. Family is what the Freaks are all about.”

Running his hand across his head, he sighed and headed back to the bar. What Bugs had said made sense. Although it wasn’t unheard of, as a rule the nomads didn’t have old ladies and it was usually his younger, single brothers that would spend long periods away with other chapters. He’d never really thought about it before, and he certainly wouldn’t call any of his brothers with families soft, but it was clear that the ones with long, successful relationships were the ones who got the balance right.

~ oOo ~

The drive from Beth’s office to their house was only fifteen minutes. Barely long enough to clear her head before the long, tree-lined driveway came into view. She loved her new job as a legal adviser for a small charity. It was engaging without being too demanding, and she felt that what she was doing was worthwhile. She had only been working there for a couple of months, but was already feeling like she belonged, something she’d never felt before.

At home, too, things were going really well. Joe was around a lot, and Amy had finally stopped trying to fight the world. They had been living in the house for twelve months, and it had quickly become a second home to many of Joe’s brothers. Barney would drop by once or twice a week to see Amy, and Samson would always stay when he was in town. Beth would never be much of a party animal, and rarely visited the clubhouse, but she was more than happy to entertain at home, so Sunday lunches or barbecues in the summer were becoming commonplace.

Despite Joe’s concerns, Maria had not really caused any trouble. Sometimes, if she had been drinking, she would make what could only be described as abusive phone calls. But none had reached Amy’s ears, and Beth had ensured that child services were keeping a close eye on her, so mostly she was behaving. Whatever sympathy Beth had for her sister had long since disappeared. No one could have helped her more, yet it had never been enough. She had known that her being with Joe would drive a wedge between the siblings, but if she had thought for one moment that he and Maria had a future together, she would have stayed away. She knew Joe loved her. But sometimes, after one of those drunken calls, or when he watched Amy goofing around with her friends or with Barney, there would be an expression on his face that could only be described as regret, and, whenever she saw it, Beth’s heart would leap into her throat.

It was irrational, she knew, he was committed to her. But she would get the horrible feeling he was settling for second best. Fortunately, those feelings never lasted long. In fact, as soon as he turned to her and smiled, they would fly away.

The only real blip on the horizon was Sophia. Joe was paying for someone to go in every day for a few hours, but it was looking like that wouldn’t be enough. She was pretty unsteady on her feet and had fallen a couple of times. It had been a shock, the last time they had visited, just how frail she was becoming. But her spirit was as strong as ever, and she was determined to stay in her own home for as long as she could.

~ oOo ~

Amy twirled and checked her reflection in the mirror. The dress was perfect. It clung to her curves in just the right places and showed off her best assets. All she had to do was figure out how to get it past Joe. There was no way on earth he would let her out of the house wearing it; in fact, she could hear him now. “Get the fuck back up those stairs, sugar and cover yourself up. Ain’t going out looking like a whore.” She sighed. He had never shown any interest in what she wore before, and now suddenly, everything was too short, too low-cut, or too tight. He had all but banned her from going to the clubhouse, even at family gatherings, and he watched her like a hawk, snarling at any brother that dared look her way. She was trying not to fight him over this, but he was becoming overbearing, and even Beth couldn’t get him to back off. As far as he was concerned, he was protecting her, although she wasn’t sure what from. Word had spread far and wide that the Tiny's kid was off limits, and as a result she hadn’t found anyone brave enough to even kiss her.

It didn’t make her any less determined to lose her virginity, though. She was well aware of how men looked at her, and as she got older it was clear she had inherited her mother’s sex appeal. Joe couldn’t watch her all the time, and judging by the prospect’s blushes when she smiled at him, it was only a matter of time until she got her way. She was her mother’s daughter, after all.

~ oOo ~

Sophia scowled at the brochures in front of her. Assisted living! Ha! Just because they put a kitchen the size of a postage stamp in the corner didn’t mean she’d be independent. It was bad enough that she had to put up with that nosy bitch coming round every day and reporting back to Joe every time she as much as stumbled. But there was no way she was going to be bullied into going into a home. This was Joe’s doing. Next time she saw him she would so put him in his place. Leaning back against the cushions, she closed her eyes. Hopefully she’d get the chance soon. She missed him so very much.