Breaking Hammer (Motorcycle Club Romance) (Inferno Motorcycle Club Book 3) (40 page)

HAPPINESS

There is balm for the wounded, and there is bread for the hungry.  There is water for the thirsty, and there is hope for the despairing.  There is light for those in darkness...

~ The Gospel of Buddha, Carus' translation

“Did we forget anything?”  I paused by the passenger’s side of the minivan, running through my mental checklist.

Stan, check.

Holly, check.

Suitcases for everyone, check.

Road trip snacks, check.

Cade’s voice interrupted my thoughts.

“I think we’ve packed everything possible, so I wouldn’t worry too much,” Cade said, grinning.  “Get your as- uh,
rear end
in the car and quit thinking about it.”  He slid behind the steering wheel.

I sat down, instinctively turning around to check on the kids in the back, already watching cartoons on their portable electronic devices.
 “God, they’re already wired up,” I said.  “You remember when we were kids, suffering through road trips with no TV?”

Cade grinned.
 “You’d rather listen to them bicker while we drive?  It’s a small price to pay for sanity.”

We drove out of West Bend, the rolling hills a blur of greens as we blew by them in the vehicle.
 “We didn’t forget to leave Janice anything, right?” I asked.

Cade laughed.
 “You went over it a hundred times.”

“Can you blame me?” I asked.
 “It’s my first time leaving the bed and breakfast to anyone else to run.”

“Janice has been your assistant for two years now,” Cade said.
 “She’s going to do just fine.  Besides, it’s been how long since we’ve had a vacation?”

I laughed.
 “Never?”

“Exactly,” he said.
 “The kids are going to love the beach and California."

“How do you feel about seeing everyone from the club again?” I asked.

“I’m not gonna lie,” Cade said.  “I miss those guys.  And I want them to meet the kids, you know?  They were a big part of my life.  They’ve been there for a lot of important things.”

I reached for Cade’s hand, and settled back in the seat, closing my eyes.
 Here, in the car, I had everything that was important to me.

Blaze’s arms circled around my waist, and I leaned back against him.
 “How are you feeling?” he asked.

“Queasy,” I said.
 “I thought I was supposed to be beyond this already.”

“Fourteen weeks,” Blaze said.
 “The book said it might continue into the second trimester.”

“Ugh.
 I hope not.”

“Are you going to be able to make it through a barbeque?” he asked.

“Are you kidding?” I said.  “I’ll make sure I do.  I haven’t seen Axe and June in how long?  I want to meet the kids.  It's good that they're going to come by the clubhouse.”

“And we’re going to announce the pregnancy,” Blaze reminded me.

“I didn’t forget,” I said, smiling.  I turned around to face him, his hands on the small of my back.  “Are you happy?”

Blaze grinned.
 “More than I ever thought I could be,” he said, his lips on my forehead.  I surge of arousal rushed through me at his touch, and a trail of goose bumps dotted my arms.  I shivered, and he laughed.  “Good to know I still got it.”

“I’ll always have the hots for you, old man,” I said, arching up on tiptoes to kiss him, hard on the lips.
 “Nothing will ever change that.”

The four of us, our family, stood as a group in front of April’s tombstone.
 Hammer reached for my hand, giving it a quick squeeze before he stepped toward the grave to replace April’s flowers.  MacKenzie and Ben helped me open the lantern I'd brought, a routine we'd practiced monthly now since we'd moved back to Los Angeles.

"Can I light i
t this time?" MacKenzie asked.

"Sure, honey," I said.  "Hammer, did you want to say a few words first?"

He cleared his throat.  "April, not a day goes by that we don't think about you."  He was silent for a moment, and then the corners of his mouth turned up as he looked at MacKenzie.  "Your mother says she's going to haunt your ass if you don't get your grades up."

"Dad!" MacKenzie said, her eyes wide.  MacKenzie looked at me.  "Do you see what kind of a man you married?  The kind who uses his only daughter's dead mother as a w
ay of getting her to study more."

Ben laughed.  "
I
thought it was funny."

MacKenzie shook her head in mock disgust.  "Boys," she said.  But she couldn't hide her smile.  "Okay, I'll say something for real.  Mom doesn't want to know how my grades are,
dad
."  She cleared her throat, holding the lantern in both hands.  "Mom, I miss you a lot.  We all do."

I felt my eyes get misty, thinking about the way that little girl had suffered after April died.  About the way Hammer had suffered.

Hell, we all had.  I reached for Ben's hand, holding it tightly in mine.  I was content, happy, surrounded by my family.

Surrounded by love.

MacKenzie's words broke through my thoughts.  "We're doing great, mom. You'd be really proud of all of us.  Even dad.  And you'd like Meia and Ben."  She paused, and I thought she was about to add something, but she let go of the lantern, and we watched it float, in a zig-zag pattern, up into the sky.  "I love you, mom," she said. 

We stood silently for a few minutes before Hammer spoke.  "
I know I don't say it enough, but I should say it a hell of a lot more.  I love you guys."

I smiled as MacKenzie hugged him.  "You too, dad," she said.  "And not just because you got me a horse."

"Oh yeah?" he asked, rubbing her hair with his knuckles as she squealed in protest.  "Okay, smartass."

"Dad!  You're going to mess up my hair!"

He laughed and let her go.  "Let's go get some barbeque," he said, sliding his arm around my shoulder as we walked.