A Family Man (40 page)

“
Glad to be of service.” He pushed her legs off his lap and, yawning, stood up and stretched till his joints popped. “Would it be too much to ask if you could drag your pregnant ass into the kitchen and fix your man some lunch?”

She held out her hands, and he pulled her to her feet. “You got it, big man.” She reached up and kissed him. “But first I need to book my flight to Seattle. I want to get back as quickly as possible.”

“I thought you wanted to spend some time alone with me.”

“
I do. But we have to get the house taken off the market, we need to get stuff for the baby, and no doubt it’s been pretty much standing empty, so it will need a good cleaning. And I need to sort out prenatal classes, an obstetrician….”

Joe silenced her with a kiss. “Beth, relax. Everything will work out.”

“I know, but…”

“
Everything’s cool. You make lunch, and I’ll book your flight.”

~ oOo ~

Joe was right about Seattle being freezing. Beth shivered as she climbed out of Yaz’s car and made her way across the lot to the clubhouse.

“
Beth!”

She turned to where Samson was working on his bike. “Hey.” She would have loved to run over and hug him like she always had, but was acutely aware of Yaz’s eyes on her. She knew how it worked. Joe had accused her and Samson of fucking behind his back. Things may be okay between the three of them now, but there would always be those that would have their doubts. The ones that would whisper that there was no smoke without fire.

Samson, of course, didn’t give a shit. He dropped his tools and stalked over to her, a huge grin on his face. “Hey, darling.” He kissed her fully on the lips, ignoring Yaz’s raised eyebrow. “You got fat.”

“
Thanks, Samson. You really know how to make a girl feel good about herself.”

“
Part of my charm.” He took her arm and led her towards the clubhouse. “Tiny should be here by midnight. He told me to keep you occupied here till he arrives. He don’t want you going to the house on your own.”

“
That’s ridiculous. I need to make a start on cleaning the place.”

Samson chuckled. “Which is exactly why he wants you to wait here. C’mon, lets get inside in the warm.”

Once inside, he led her to the ratty old sofa in the corner and sat down, stretching his left leg out with a wince. Beth frowned and sat down next to him. “You okay?”

“
Yeah, I’m good. Aches in cold weather is all.” He touched her cheek. “What about you? You an’ Tiny okay?”

“
I think so. The last few days have been great. Just him and me with no distractions.” She sighed. “I know he’s trying, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little scared.”

“
Oh, I think he’s learned his lesson, sweetheart. He was completely broken when you left for the second time. I ain't ever seen him like that. Not even after Amy died. I know he ain't exactly the caring and sharing type. But with you gone, he was like a dead man walking. Reckon it was only a matter of time before he put himself in the way of a bullet or an eighteen-wheeler.”

“
Don’t, Samson. I don’t need to hear this.”

“
Yes, you do. Told you before, that ink lasts forever. When you agreed to put his mark on you, you became his property. You don’t get to decide when you're done. He does.” He stared out across the empty clubhouse. “An old lady stands by her man and supports him.”

“
Joe would never force me to stay with him.”

“
No he wouldn’t. It ain't his way. Don’t mean he don’t need you, though.”

“
And me, Samson? What about what I need?” She turned and looked at him. “All I’ve heard since Amy died is what Joe needs.”

“
That ain't true. I will always be in your corner. I love Tiny, but he’s an idiot. He took you for granted. Twice. You are the best thing to ever happen to him. And I will do my best to make him see that.” He grinned. “You gotta stop running, Beth. You belong here, with Tiny. With us.”

She smiled and touched his hand. “I missed you, Samson.”

“I missed you too, little girl.” He looked over to where a prospect was wiping down the bar. “You hungry? I can send the grunt out for something.”

Beth yawned. “No I’m good.” She frowned as she looked around. “Where is everyone?”

“On a run. Would’ve gone with them but Tiny asked me to stay here with you.” He frowned as she yawned again. “You tired?”

“
A bit. Was up early, and I didn’t sleep too well last night.”

Pulling out a key he stood and held out his hand to her. “C’mon, you can use my dorm, get your head down for a bit. Don’t worry, it’s not too disgusting.”

With her hand in his she allowed him to lead her to the dorm. She could feel Yaz’s eyes boring into her back as she walked. Jesus, did she really think they would be fucking right under her nose? He unlocked the door and stood to one side as she walked inside. “I’ll be outside working on my bike if you need me.” He kissed her forehead and, turning on his heel, walked back through the clubhouse.

Beth closed the door and lay on the bed with her eyes closed. She hadn’t been lying when she told Samson she was scared. She knew that she loved Joe, and that he loved her. But she didn’t know if she was strong enough to hold the whole thing together. Despite his reassurances that he would try to open up to her, Joe had difficulty expressing himself at the best of times; in fact, the only person he’d ever been completely open with was Amy. She sighed as she allowed her tiredness to overwhelm her. She was just going to have to trust him to want this badly enough to change the habits of a lifetime.

~ oOo ~

She had no idea how long she’d been asleep when she felt the bed dip. “Hey, little girl. There’s a cheeseburger on the bar with your name on it.”

“
Ugh, Samson. How long have I been asleep?”

“
Couple of hours. Thought it best to wake you while the food’s still hot. C’mon, fatso, shake that ass. You’re eating for two now.”

“
Joe told you to make sure I eat, didn’t he?” She sat up and rubbed her eyes. “He’s obsessed with feeding me.”

“
He wants to take care of you. You shouldn’t be doing this on your own.” He pulled her to her feet and frowned as she took a sharp intake of breath. “You okay?”

“
Yeah.” Beth laughed. “Baby kicked me. I think it’s the sound of your voice.” She took his hand and laid it on her belly, chuckling as his eyes widened.

“
Shit, kid can pack a punch. Does it hurt?”

“
Not really. Just feels weird. She’s pretty active and noises set her off.” She grinned. “So does this burger come with fries?”

“
Sure it does. C’mon, lets get in there before they get cold.”

It would be another six hours at least before Joe got back. So after they had finished their food and when it became clear that whining at Samson wasn’t going to get her a ride home, Beth settled down next to him on the sofa to watch TV.

At some point Yaz must have gone home, so they pretty much had the place to themselves. The prospect was around somewhere and a couple of despondent-looking girls hung around the bar. Beth shifted, trying to get comfortable. She was still pretty tired and would have liked to have rested her head on Samson and got some sleep, but she didn’t like the way those girls were watching them, and she was pretty sure they would waste no time in letting everyone know cozy they were getting.

You okay?” He put him arm around her shoulder. “Why so tense?”

“
I dunno. I guess I don’t want to be accused of cheating again.”

Samson chuckled. “You do know that the reason Tiny asked me to keep my eye on you while you were here is his way of apologizing? He should have trusted you. Hell, he should have trusted me, too. I don’t give a shit what those whores over there think and neither should you. You’ve done nothing wrong. I kissed you, not the other way round. I wasn’t pushing up on you. I know better than to hit on a brother’s woman. I just needed you to realize that you and Joe weren’t done.” He grinned. “Probably not the smartest move I’ve ever made, but I’ve never been very smart.”

“Oh, I think you're smarter than you let on.” She allowed him to pull her close and closed her eyes. “Samson?”

“
Yeah?”

“
When this baby comes, will you be her godfather?”

“
Of course. Shit, I thought you’d never ask.”

When Joe finally arrived, cold, wet and exhausted, they were both asleep. Samson with his legs outstretched on the coffee table and Beth laid on the sofa with her head on his lap. Shaking his head, he slipped behind the bar and poured himself a large Jack, before heading over to them.

“
Hey.” He touched her shoulder, grinning as her eyes blinked open. “You do know there are rooms with beds back there?”

“
I know.” Rubbing her eyes, Beth sat up. “I wanted to wait up for you.” She stood and slipped her arms under his cut. “Shit Joe. You’re soaking.”

“
Yep. Maybe we should go out back and get me outta these wet clothes.”

“
We could. But I’d rather go home.”

“
Okay.” He turned and, heading back behind the bar, grabbed the keys to the van. He grinned as Samson opened his eyes. “Hey, bro. Thanks for taking care of my girl. I’ll see you in the morning. I’m taking her home.”

FORTY-SEVEN

“
Shit, Joe. What happened to the furniture?”

“
I, er, kinda flipped when you took off. Smashed the place up a little.”

“
A little? Fuck. The place is empty. Didn’t it occur to you to replace anything?”

“
Didn’t seem any point. You’d left. Place wasn’t a home anymore. I just wanted it gone.” He shrugged. “Didn’t expect another chance. I swear, Beth. I’ll never let you down again.”

Beth didn’t answer. Instead she turned and slipped her arms around his waist. She knew he meant what he said, but whether he would be able to keep his promise, that was something else. Joe pressed his lips to the top of her head. “I had the grunt come in and clean the place up. All you need to do is order whatever you want for the place.”

“Can we afford it?”

“
Been taking a lot of jobs recently. Use whatever’s in the safe.”

~ oOo ~

If Joe had thought that by having the place already cleaned up and enough cash to replace everything that he’d smashed up twice over, his old lady was going to kick back and relax, he was very much mistaken. Beth’s hormones and nesting instincts were in overdrive, and he was beginning to wonder where his easygoing old lady had gone. She insisted on cleaning the house from top to bottom, just in case the prospect hadn’t done it properly. And, if the compulsive cleaning wasn’t bad enough, there were the mood swings to contend with. When she wasn’t crying, she was yelling. On the plus side she was horny as hell. Unfortunately, Joe felt he was taking his life into his hands every time he tried to touch her. He had no idea if she wanted to fuck him or kill him. The first time he had came home and found her in tears, he’d freaked out.

“
Baby, what’s the matter?” He wrapped his arms around his sobbing old lady.

“
I put a pair of red panties in the white wash and now your t-shirts are pink.” She sniffed. “Why are you laughing?”

“
It ain't exactly the end of the world is it?”

“
But I’ve ruined them. I’m useless. I can’t get anything right.” Her sobbing intensified. “I’m a useless old lady.”

He was completely at a loss. His instinct for self preservation was telling him that saying the wrong thing now could be bad for him. Very bad indeed. Wisely, he decided to say nothing, choosing instead to hold her in his arms until she calmed down.

Over the next few weeks, he learned to tread carefully, accepting that normal, rational Beth could walk into the kitchen and crying, psycho Beth would walk out.

Despite this, she ensured their house was refurnished, the nursery was ready for their daughter’s arrival and was having regular checkups at the prenatal clinic. He no longer accepted jobs that would take him away from home. His old lady might be crazy but he was staying close at hand as they prepared for the big day.

Sometimes they would go to the clubhouse, or have Sunday lunch with Bugs and Yaz and gradually his brothers and old ladies started to drop by, and once again their home was filled with laughter and love. He still missed Amy, they both did. But now he found himself accepting what had happened. The anger that had burned inside him was still smoldering, and sometimes he would have to go for a ride for a few hours to restore his equilibrium, but he felt calmer now, less afraid to share his feelings. As Beth neared the end of her pregnancy, he began to feel optimistic about the future again.

As they headed into summer, Beth became increasingly impatient. She was too fat, and something weird had happened to her brain. She would forget why she had gone to the store or put something down and immediately lose it. It felt like her brain had turned to mush. He of course had told her to relax. She was doing fine. Her response hadn’t been reasonable, she knew that. Neither the yelling or the bursting into tears, but she couldn’t help it. She was beginning to hate this, she just didn’t feel like her anymore, and now she was over a week overdue and her back had been aching for three days and there were weeds growing on the driveway, and Joe hadn’t done anything about it, and the delivery man was late with the new garden furniture, and … OH!

~ oOo ~

“
Joe. Phone.” Dan waddled over to where he was stripping down an old Fatboy. “It’s your old lady.”

Wiping his hands he walked to the office. “Beth?”

“You didn’t answer your cell.”

“
I’m sorry baby, it’s noisy here, I didn’t hear it. What’s up?” He braced himself for the latest crisis. The last time she’d called had been less than four hours ago, in tears because she couldn’t get the top off a pickle jar. He’d tried to explain that he couldn’t just drop everything and run home for the least little thing. And no, he wasn’t a complete asshole or a selfish piece of shit. At least she wasn’t crying this time.

“
I need you to come home. I’m having contractions.”

“
Are you sure?”

“
Yes, I’m fucking sure. Just get home now.”

“
Okay baby, relax. Remember to breathe. I’m on my way.”

“
Don’t fucking tell me to relax I….Ooooohooow! Shit, fuck. Joe!” 

“
I’ll be there in five.” He ran out of the office. “Dan, I gotta go. Beth’s in labor.”

“
About time. Good luck, man.”

She was pacing up and down the living room when he arrived. “Hey, baby.” He gently touched her cheek. “So this is it, huh? Have I got time to shower?”

She nodded. Calmer now that he was with her. “They’re pretty far apart. I just didn’t want to be on my own.” She rested her forehead on his chest. “I’m kinda scared.”

“Course you are, baby. It’ll be fine. We’re having a kid, it don’t get better than that.”

“
But it’s gonna hurt. What if I can’t do it?”

“
Don’t see that you got much choice. She’s coming whether you like it or not.”

“
Big help you are. All you gotta do is sit and watch. I’m doing all the work.” She gasped as she was hit by another contraction.

“
S’okay girl. I got ya.” He swallowed the feeling of panic that was rising in his throat. “You’re doing fine.” As soon as the contraction subsided, he gently pushed her away from him. “I’m gonna take a quick shower. You gonna be okay?”

“
Yeah.” She gave him a shaky smile. “Go.”

~ oOo ~

Joe leaned on the doorframe and watched as the nurse settled Beth onto the bed. He’d wanted to take her to the hospital right away, but she’d refused. This of course had freaked him out a little; he didn’t want her giving birth on the kitchen floor. Calling Yaz for backup hadn’t helped, either. She’d agreed with his old lady and had come over to lend moral support. He didn’t think there had ever been a time when he had felt so useless. Everything he said was wrong, and if it wasn’t Beth snapping his head off it was Yaz.

Eventually, though, as her contractions grew closer together and increased in their intensity, she finally agreed to go.

As soon as the midwife had finished doing what it was she was doing, he sat on the chair next to the bed and took her hand in his. This was really it. They were going to have a baby.

No one understood better than him the capacity of the human body to withstand pain. But as he watched his old lady, bathed in sweat, panting through her latest contraction, he had to resist the urge to beg the midwife to give her something to make it stop. He knew she was tough, but he’d seen hardened one-percenters crack under less. Never again would he view women as the weaker sex. He winced as her nails dug into his hand. “You’re doing great.”

“
Shut up. I hate you. If you think I’m ever letting you near me again you are very much mistaken. This is all your fault. You and that big fat cock of yooooour’s.”

“
Now Mrs. Taylor. You know you don’t mean that.” The midwife looked up from whatever it was she was doing between Beth’s legs. “Now, when the next contraction starts, I want you to start to push.”

“
I caaaaan’t arrrgh.”

Joe gritted his teeth as the pain in the back of his hand increased. “That’s it. Good girl. Push.”

The midwife smiled. “Okay, I can see her head. A couple more pushes like that and she’ll be with us.”

She was going to die. He was sure of it. No one could go through what she was going through and survive. Why was the midwife smiling? Where was the fucking obstetrician? He was going to lose her. He could feel the panic building inside him and fought to keep it under control, when suddenly there was a loud wail.

He watched in awe as the midwife handed the tiny bundle to his old lady. “All present and correct. Say hello to your daughter.”

She was tiny, red and bore more than a passing resemblance to a prune. But as Joe ran his finger across the black fuzz on the top of her head, he knew she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever set eyes on. “Hey, little one.” He turned to Beth, who was watching them with tears streaming down her cheeks. “She’s beautiful. Thank you.”

“She is. I guess we should think about what we are going to call her.”

He smiled. “Abigail.”

“Abigail. Yeah I like that. Any particular reason why?”

“
It means father's joy.”

He grinned as the latest addition to their family opened her eyes at the sound of his voice, and that tiny spark flared deep inside him and his heart was filled with light.

THE END.