Blood in the Water (Kairos) (37 page)

She sucked in some fortifying air and, further strengthened by Paul’s arms squeezing tighter around her and the press of his lips on her head, she replied, “Yeah, you’re gonna be a grandma come spring.”

Ashleigh watched with trepidation as her mother slid smoothly off the stool she’d been perched on and walked over to them.  That eyebrow had finally come down a few notches, but it had lowered still further than its usually resting place and it had been joined by its twin.  Her mama wasn’t outright scowling, but she wasn’t far off.  Ashleigh felt Paul stand a little straighter, but he didn’t loosen his hold on her even a little bit.

When her mother reached them she stood close and looked directly at Ashleigh.  Moira lowered her voice, in tune with Ashleigh’s thinking that while it was too late to play out this scene elsewhere, they could aim for a modicum of privacy.

“Only thing I want to know sweetheart is, are you happy?”

Ashleigh looked up at Paul.  The anger, or whatever harsh emotion had been brewing in his eyes, was gone, replaced by something softer, but no less intent.  He smiled, that bright, wide, unreserved smile, and she knew unequivocally that she’d made her choice.  She turned to face her mama.

“Yes, I’m happy.”

For a long moment, Moira’s face didn’t change at all.  And then it split into a broad grin before she yelled, “I’M GONNA BE A GRANDMA!”

Ashleigh couldn’t be certain, but she thought maybe they’d heard that shout three parishes over.

An ecstatic pandemonium broke out around the room.  Immediately Moira came in to hug her and as much as she didn’t want to let Paul go, Ashleigh did so to return her mother’s embrace.  Before her mother let her go, only to be replaced by an equally delighted Dolly, they had been surrounded by just about everyone in the room.  She was hugged by so many people so close together that she began to get a little lightheaded.  She must have looked visibly woozy because Paul shook off the bro-hugs and back slaps to wrap his arm firmly around her and pull her into his side. 

The crowd parted a little, and her father made his way to the fore.  Ashleigh felt inexplicably nervous.  Her daddy seemed as happy as everyone else, and it wasn’t like he didn’t know she wasn’t a virgin.  Hell, she’d been married for years, and he’d almost walked right in on her and Paul, but somehow, revealing the physical consequences of her having sex made her feel all of about ten years old.  Her daddy was smiling, but his lips had an odd twist to them, and she’d have bet anything that he was imagining her in her jeans and scruffy t-shirt with her hair all wild, the way she used to look before she discovered fashion and makeup and when she was more interested in racing Dean to see who could climb to the top of a tree first.

Her daddy didn’t say anything to her, just put his palm on her back and leaned in and kissed the top of her head.  But when he stood back he looked at Paul and something of the humorous light in his eyes was gone. 

“You treat her right, you hear?”

“Yes sir.”

Ashleigh heard the fatherly threat in her daddy’s voice.  It might have been funny coming from any other father, but coming from hers it was deadly serious.  She knew Paul knew that too.

Paul spoke up, addressing the room.  “In fact, if y’all don’t mind.  I’m goin’ to start right now by takin’ her home to get some rest.”

“Rest my ass!”  That shout had come from Dolly and Ashleigh couldn’t help but blush; she was probably, certainly, right.

She was saved from answering by Paul beginning to steer her out of the room.  Her parents were smiling indulgently, her father’s arms around her mother’s shoulders.  The club was arrayed around them and Ashleigh thought that she’d never have a clearer picture in her mind of just who her family was.

She began to feel much more like herself as soon as she was able to take a deep breath of the warm but clear night air.

“So, beauty.  Your place or mine?”

“Yours.  But I’m driving.  I’m not getting’ on the back of your bike in this dress.”

“Damn right you’re not. Go on.  I’ll follow you.”

Paul went to kiss her, but Ashleigh skipped away towards her car, as best she was able to in the shoes she was wearing on the gravel.  “Nuh huh.  Save it ‘til you can make it count.”

“You are gonna pay for that.”  He promised, pointing a finger at her as he walked towards his bike.

Ashleigh couldn’t keep the grin from her face during the drive to Paul’s house.  She felt a sense of rightness, that a weight had been lifted.  Whenever she got that feeling she knew she’d made the right decision about something.  She was still plenty apprehensive about what the future held, but she didn’t doubt she’d made the right choice for its beginning.

She was still grinning when she pulled up outside Paul’s home, although it faltered a little bit when he swung off his bike, having pulled up immediately after her, and started stalking towards her.  There was no other word for it, she felt like prey.  Deciding that she’d rather not be caught at the bottom of the porch steps, she tripped up them and then halted at the door that she didn’t have the key to.

Before she could turn around, two arms framed her on either side, palms flat against the door.  His voice came from behind her as he leaned down to her ear.

“You owe me.”

At the feel of his body heat surrounding her, Ashleigh felt the air leave her body. 

“You’re goin’ to collect out here on the porch?”

“I might.”

That low rumble did strange things to the pit of her stomach and lower places.  She was having a hard time thinking why that was a bad idea.

“What if someone saw?”

“You expectin’ anyone, ‘cause I ain’t.”

Now she was stepping into the dangerous territory of challenging him, which was a bad idea because she knew she’d lose.

“I’d rather be out of the way of the bugs.”

“You sure about that, beauty”

As he asked the question he dropped one arm.  She felt him reach down and bunch the skirt of her dress up until he could find his way under the fabric and slide his rough palm between her thighs.  Now she was having even more trouble remembering why letting him fuck her out here on the porch was a bad idea.  When his fingers reached the silk of her underwear and rubbed back and forth over the damp cloth she moaned.  Her hips began to move of their own accord against his fingers until they slipped past the scrap of material, feeling deliciously hot against her weeping flesh.  Ashleigh decided that she absolutely did not care about bugs or unannounced visitors and let loose another moan as the pleasure began to build.

“Fuck!  Fuck!”  Paul swore and pulled away, suddenly leaving her dazed and not a little confused. 

He fumbled the key and unlocked the door while Ashleigh was still deciding which way up the world was.  He pushed open the door, and Ashleigh stumbled inside on shaking legs.  She half thought that he might pick up where he’d left off in the hallway, but after locking the door he took her by the hand and practically dragged her to his bedroom. 

“Did you miss me or somethin’?”  She half laughed as he all but pushed her down onto the bed and dropped over her.

All at once his body went completely still.  “Beauty, I have been goin’ out of my ever lovin’ mind waitin’ for an answer from you.  It’s been three long weeks.  And now I’ve got my answer, I don’t intend on wastin’ another second.”

He was leaning down to kiss her, but she stopped him with a palm on his chest.  She had to ask.  “So, while you were in Texas, you didn’t....?”  She had to ask, but she couldn’t.

The look he gave her was pure fire, a little angry, a lot of something else.  “No, beauty.  While I was waitin’ on you to tell me whether you wanted me or not, I did not fuck anyone else.”

Ashleigh slid her palm along his jaw, feeling the tenseness in the muscles.  “I wasn’t jokin’ before.  I didn’t want to put what I was thinkin’ in a text, I didn’t know how to.”

He dipped his head to her ear and all but growled.  “You forget how to speak, too?”  When he nipped at her earlobe and then at the skin of her neck she arched off the bed until she was blocked by the wall of his chest.

“I didn’t know what to say.”

“You know now?”  He growled into the crook of her neck

“Yeah.  I know now.”  Her voice came out as a breathless sigh.

“And?”  He pulled back so that he could catch her eyes.

“I love you.”

And just like that his face broke into that wonderful smile.  “Good job, beauty, ‘cause I love you, too, and I ain’t ever lettin’ you go.”

Epilogue

Samuel looked down at the little bundle in his arms and felt his heart swell to bursting.  Every feature was perfect, the tiny nose, the little pink lips, even the traces of what weren’t quite eyebrows and eyelashes.  Those blue eyes were closed at the moment, and even when they were open they were still a bit squinty, unused to the bright lights of the big wide world; but he had no doubt they’d be as big and blue as her mama’s after a few days.  Whether they stayed that way or whether they took on the deep brown of her daddy’s eyes, Samuel knew for a certainty that a few bats of those lids and he would be putty in her little pudgy hands.  He was almost embarrassed just thinking about what a soft touch he knew he was going to be.

Deanna Belle: a beautiful name for a beautiful baby.  He hadn’t felt like this since the first time that he’d held both his own children in his arms.  He’d been just as astounded at the miracle of life then.  It was truly amazing, that an entire little person could just grow inside another body, little nails, little limbs, little eyeballs, and then just pop out whole and ready to go.  Of course he knew both Moira and Ashleigh would dispute the whole ‘popping out’ idea.  He was just as proud of his daughter as he had been of his wife, knowing what she’d had to go through to bring this tiny person into the world.  At least this time he hadn’t had to witness it.  He didn’t think there was any worse feeling in the world than standing by the side of a hospital bed watching the woman he loved in unendurable agony, knowing all the while that not only was there nothing he could do about it than mutter meaningless encouragement, but that he was responsible for that agony in the first place.

His tiny granddaughter stirred just a little, hardly at all, but he cooed and rocked her, instinctively falling into a rhythm that he hadn’t known he’d remembered from thirty years previously.  He was excited about this little life in his arms.  He’d missed so much of his own children’s childhoods; he planned on being around for every second of this little lady’s. 

Moira had been knitting and crocheting like a woman possessed.  This little princess already had more booties, blankets and bonnets than you could shake a stick at.  He could see, just looking at his wife, that even though her granddaughter wasn’t yet a full day old, that she was just chomping at the bit to have her stay over.  Moira was just so happy about being a grandma that she’d have forgiven Paul anything.  Samuel didn’t doubt that she might well have served him up on a silver platter to Lucifer himself if she’d have thought it would have gotten her grandbabies.

He hadn’t introduced the subject of marriage, or even so much as hinted; but he’d have been lying if he’d said he wasn’t happy that Ashleigh and Paul had decided to tie the knot before this little beauty had arrived.  Ashleigh had been adamant about the ceremony being small and private, just the club, with none of the airs and graces of her first wedding.  It had been held in the clubhouse, the ceremony in the Chapel and the party in the main room, with most of the guests wearing denim and leather and only the women dressed all fancy.  Ashleigh had been a vision in simple shimmery dress that was a few shades from white.  She would never know of the epic arguments that had taken place in his house between Moira and Dolly as Moira had tried to rein in her friend’s over-exuberant good intentions for the sake of her daughter.

Samuel reluctantly handed the little ball of blankets and baby back to her daddy, thoroughly enjoying the look of abject fear on Paul’s face.  Some things just needed to be forgiven.  He wasn’t entirely sure he would ever forget, but he would move on.  Seeing the happiness, even tinged with exhaustion, feeling the aura of serene contentedness that Ashleigh projected, helped with that a lot.

The future wasn’t going to be without its strains.  He was working with Eduardo to fill the gap left by the extermination of the Rabid Dogs.  That was going to be a lot easier since the complete annihilation of the Satan’s Tails, but Samuel knew it wouldn’t be a walk in the park.  What they were setting up was beginning to look a lot like a Texas Chapter of the Priests.  Eduardo had been adamant that he didn’t want an obvious branch of his own family business out in the open in that way.

The Priests had gone from small time outlaws to now being a major player in the movement of illegal substances and people.  The manner in which they’d dealt with their enemies, and particularly that they had avoided jail time in doing so, had given them a fearsome reputation.

It had been a very long time since Samuel had found himself in the prison cell of Eduardo Dias, since Eduardo had suggested they do business together.  The world had changed a lot in that time.  Technology was taking over in a way that Samuel struggled to understand, no matter how hard he tried to keep up.  Law enforcement had changed; science was forever providing new hurdles.  However, the capacity for human greed had not changed, or people’s aptitude for self-destruction.  To that end the essential base of his and Eduardo’s business remained profitable, and in its own way made life easier.  They had managed to set up the debacle at the motel so that the Priests were never considered as suspects.  Crash and his skills with the computer had had a lot to do with that.

Eduardo had found the orphaned little girl that Paul had been concerned about.  She was eight, and despite more emotional trauma than most adults ever experienced, she was a shy, precious little thing.  Although Eduardo had a large family and was happy to absorb the little girl into it, Samuel had had another idea about her future; but he needed to speak to Terry about that some before he took it further.

All this thinking about family made him miss his boy, although the ache of grief had eased a little, it wasn’t ever going to go away.  Dean would have been an amazing uncle.  Samuel felt aged by the loss, not just for himself but for his family and club as a whole.  But now wasn’t a time to dwell on what was gone and what would never be.  The club was strong, his family was strong.  Now was a time to look forward to the future.  He still had work to do.

The End