Page 22 of Kingpin (Blackjacks MC #1)

Chapter fourteen

Hattie

Officer Shepard dropped me off at Connie’s house well into the afternoon. The moment I walked in the door, Wylie came careening into the entryway.

“Aunt Hattie! Look at my tattoos!”

He flexed his little arms, covered with blurry tattoos of motorcycles. I ruffled his hair and crouched down to his level.

“You must be feeling better, cowboy,” I said.

Wylie shook his head.

“I’m not a cowboy anymore. I’m gonna be a biker, like Uncle Vlad.”

My eyebrows shot up. A moment later, Vlad emerged, huge and broad and utterly terrifying if it wasn’t for the tiny bundle of Emma, fast asleep with her cheek resting in his palm.

“Uncle Vlad, huh?” I replied. “Those tattoos better be temporary.”

Vlad shrugged.

“You are the boss’s woman, yes? That makes little man part of the family.”

I took a breath to protest, but no words came. In technical terms, Neil and I were separated. But that was paperwork, and it clearly never meant anything to him. Our divorce was in name only, according to him. Besides, my body certainly still thought I was married to him.

“I’m sure my sister will not be thrilled to hear any of this,” I said with a sigh.

Gathering Wylie into my arms, I gave him a big squeeze.

Now that I was entertaining the idea that Neil and I might be getting back together, I didn’t know how that would affect my relationship with my sister.

Could I return to Brightwater and watch my niece and nephew grow up?

Or would Connie keep me at arm’s length to protect her family?

“Are you sure you don’t want to be a cowboy anymore?” I asked, sweeping Wylie’s tangled curls back from his forehead.

He shook his head.

“Uncle Vlad said he’ll teach me how to ride a motorcycle and go super fast!”

“Jesus,” I muttered under my breath. “Another man in my life who gives me gray hair.”

Wylie went racing off into the living room, playing with his toy cars on the floor. I couldn’t help noticing that a toy motorcycle had magically and mysteriously appeared. Rising to my feet, I fixed Vlad with a stern look.

“I left my nephew in your care for only a few hours. You were supposed to babysit him, not convert him into a biker. And how did you convince my sister to surrender her newborn?”

Vlad shrugged again, rubbing Emma’s back with his massive palm. She looked like a doll in his hands.

“I told you. I am good with babies.”

That didn’t explain how he managed to pry Emma away from Connie. I glanced around the living room, then checked the kitchen. Empty.

“Where is my sister, anyway?”

“Backyard,” Vlad replied simply.

I moved to the back door and peered through the screen.

Connie and Nathan were seated on a bench, tucked under the sprawling oak tree in a corner of their backyard.

She had her feet in his lap, while he stroked his fingers in idle circles over her calves.

Their heads were tipped close together, and when Nathan spoke, Connie’s eyes lit up with a smile.

Relief washed over me. I had expected to find my sister frazzled, exhausted, stressed. I had expected Nathan to be irritated that bikers were invading his peaceful home. This ordeal with the trial, and Neil, and the Blackjacks, had upended their lives.

It felt good to see her relaxed like this. In love. Enjoying a slice of regular life amid the chaos.

Now that I had given my testimony in court, I was free to return to Seattle. I could get back to my own normal life.

Why did that feel so lonely? Apart from my job, my cramped little apartment, and a handful of acquaintances, no one would miss me in Seattle. But I had family here in Montana—my sister, my brother-in-law, my niece and nephew. I had Neil. My heart never left Brightwater.

As I quietly retreated back into the house, Connie glanced my way.

“Hattie,” she called, waving me over. “How did the trial go?”

Reluctantly, I emerged from the house. I didn’t want to talk about the trial anymore. I was sick of it hanging over my head, shadowing the lives of my sister and her family who didn’t need this kind of trouble when they had two little kids to take care of.

“No verdict yet,” I replied. “But I testified, and that was the important part. Now that it’s out of the way, I can catch a flight to Washington.

Officer Shepard will continue to patrol your neighborhood himself until the trial is over, just to be on the safe side.

You look…happy,” I added. “Really happy.”

Connie kissed Nathan’s cheek and rose from the bench to join me.

“Vlad has been a godsend. Emma fell asleep in his arms in five seconds. Five seconds! And Wylie is glued to him like a little shadow. He’s so gentle, it’s incredible. Nathan and I got the best nap we’ve had in years and—”

She broke off, looking me up and down.

“Why are you glowing?”

I scoffed, even though my cheeks grew warm with tattle-tale heat.

“I’m not glowing. It’s probably just sweat. It’s summer.”

Connie eyed me warily and shook her head.

“No, I’ve seen you like this before. A long, long time ago.”

I turned away.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Understanding dawned on her face and she gasped.

“You slept with Neil!”

My gaze flicked past her shoulder to where Nathan was still seated on the bench.

“Keep your voice down,” I hissed.

Connie waved me off.

“Oh, don’t be shy. We’re all adults here.”

Nathan spoke up.

“Hattie, I would appreciate it if you don’t convince my wife to leave me in favor of nasty, sweaty biker sex.”

“You’re the father of my children,” Connie protested. “I would never leave you.”

Nathan arched an eyebrow.

“There is a hulking, muscled, tattooed biker in my living room, who is really great with kids. That’s like crack to women.”

“Well, I’m very happily married,” Connie said. “And besides, nasty, sweaty biker sex is more Hattie’s department than mine.”

I dragged a hand down my face.

“I don’t understand how this conversation got started, but I’m literally begging to change the subject.”

“Not a chance.” Connie scooped her arm through my elbow and led me back into the house. “You talk. I’ll make tea.”

She listened attentively, without interruption, while I told her about Neil and my conflicted feelings regarding Seattle.

“If you still love him, I don’t see the issue,” Connie said, dipping her tea bag in her steaming mug.

“Because we loved each other before and it wasn’t enough to cover the problems in our marriage,” I countered.

She propped her chin in her hand, fixing me with a long look.

“But you said it yourself. You’ve been chasing this dream, this idyllic fantasy. When you met Neil, you fell for him as easily as breathing.”

I snorted.

“Probably due to my raging hormones. I was twenty-one. He was older than me by almost ten years, my mother hated him, and he had a motorcycle. It's like winning the lethal combo lottery. I didn’t know any better.”

“You do now though,” Connie countered. “And that doesn’t change how you feel about him.”

I studied my tea, wishing I could find a concrete answer to my future in the depths of the golden brown liquid.

Connie was quiet for a moment. Then she reached across the table and clasped my hand.

“Did you ever think that this fantasy you’re chasing might have been part of Mom’s dream for you?”

I blinked, stunned.

“What? No. No, I…”

I trailed off. Maybe she had a point. My mother had constantly pressured me to be more lady-like, to soften my sharp tongue, to marry a man with wealth and social influence.

“Mom was always harder on you than she was on me,” Connie continued. “I got away with murder sometimes. For a while, I just assumed it was because you were older, so she put greater expectations on your shoulders.”

I smoothed my thumb along the rim of my mug. Connie really was sweeter than I could ever be, more feminine, more motherly. But I didn't hold that against her.

“It’s because you looked like Dad,” I said. “She missed even, though she wouldn't admit it."

“But you look like Mom,” Connie replied. “You have her nose, her eyes, her hair. I think she blamed herself for the lack of love in her marriage, and she took it out on you. She kept a wall around her heart, and she just couldn’t let it down. No matter how hard Dad tried to reach her.”

A lump formed in my throat.

“My theory is,” Connie added. “Neil loved you entirely, completely, and wholly as you are. And your heart responded to that. You blossomed around him, Hattie.”

I managed a wet laugh of disbelief, tears stinging my eyes.

“We fought all the time though. About everything.”

“Because he gave you room to do that. He was strong enough to take your heat and not get burned. Mom tried to clip your wings, to make you smaller, to crush you into someone you were not. But Neil gave you the sky so you could soar.” Connie smirked.

“Honestly, I think that’s what he liked most—your fire. ”

God, she was right. Neil never held me back, never told me that my dreams were wrong in any way. He let me go to pursue what I wanted—or what I thought I wanted—as long as it made me happy.

I swiped my hands over my eyes and released a shaky breath. The club still worried me. Losing Neil would destroy me. But I would use the most of the time we had together and count my lucky stars that he loved me as long as he did.

“If I do this,” I said. “If I get back together with Neil, there will be bikers traipsing through your house on a regular basis.”

Connie didn’t even flinch.

“Are you kidding? A lifetime supply of free babysitters? Where do I sign up?”

I laughed and squeezed her hand.

“If you develop a crush on Vlad, Nathan might get jealous."

She scoffed.

“He won’t have time to be jealous when I drag him to bed for a nap.”

“You’re taking this surprisingly well,” I admitted.

Connie lifted one shoulder in a nonchalant shrug.

“My sister deserves to live happily ever after with the man she loves. You certainly didn’t glow when you were dating that financial analyst.”

I winced and waved her off, embarrassed.

“Don’t remind me.”

“Hattie, sweetie, you came this close to spending the rest of your life married to a man who bored you to death. It’s my job to remind you that the smoking hot, sexy biker with the tattoos and the bad attitude dropped to his knees and worshiped you today.

Don't let that man slip through your fingers.”

I bit the inside of my cheek, but I failed to hide the smile that spread across my face and the pleased blush that warmed my cheeks at the memory.

“Now,” Connie went on. “Please tell me this means you’re staying in Brightwater forever, because it breaks my heart every time I have to take you back to the airport.”

I sighed.

“I need to talk to Neil first. And I have to pack up my things, take care of the lease on my apartment…”

It was strange how fast my life had turned upside down. Two weeks ago, visiting Neil in the hospital, I never dreamed I would be moving back here. But it felt good. It felt right.

I couldn’t wait to come home.