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Chapter Twenty-Eight

L ocks gingerly got out of Ginger and hid his wince at the pain from moving. Today was the first day that Hope had let him out of the house, and it was only because Bluff Creek Ink was having something special since the addition was done and the additional tattoo artists were arriving today.

He wanted to welcome them. He would have never believed Bootstrap could have the addition finished in such a short period of time, but they’d worked around the clock taking shifts. It helped that the building inspector was a friend of the club and ran over to okay anything, no matter what time of day or night they got done.

Locks breathed in deeply. The promise of rain was in the air, but Locks was just thrilled to be standing and not in a hospital. Hope slid her shoulder under his arm just in case he needed help, and Benji grabbed hold of his hand.

His wedding to Hope was right before he was released from the hospital. They’d applied on Monday and been married on Thursday by a chaplain in the hospital chapel. Those who couldn’t be there in the chapel were on video calls with them. Neither of them cared about dresses or suits. After their near loss, they wanted to be married and be together.

The love he had for Hope when she said the first ‘I do’ had brought tears to his eyes. When he’d promised to love her until their last breath, he’d meant every word. Kathryn was his past, and Hope was his future. Once Beth and Flick were back from their assignment, he wanted to have a reception with all his family, but for now, being married to the woman was perfect.

He and Hope were petitioning to adopt Benji and have her son’s rights severed. Locks didn’t want Benji’s dad to have any say in how Benji was raised or by whom. Locks was going to make sure that Benji had the childhood he deserved and knew every day how very much he was loved.

His family was growing, and Locks was thankful he was around to experience it. He would never take each day he walked this earth for granted after how close he came to leaving it.

Winnie and Bear had headed down to Texas to be backup for Beth, Flick, and Della. Roam, Sprite, Baron, Regina, Rascal, and Meg were taking turns watching the kids. If he felt better, he’d want to help, but he couldn’t even lift anything over ten pounds right now. It was frustrating, but he wasn’t going to complain because, at least, he was alive. He didn’t regret taking a bullet for Hope. He’d much rather it was him any day.

Locks let Hope and Benji help him lower himself into the lawn chair they’d brought for him to watch the festivities with. He wasn’t going to fight her because he felt as weak as a newborn calf, stumbling around. The doctor told him that he needed to wait until after his check-up to start doing any type of exercise, but Locks was going to start walking because he was getting his strength back.

The doctor had already told him no strenuous activity, which included making love to his wife, and unfortunately, Hope was a stickler for helping him get better. Despite him trying to convince her that he would just lay there and let her do all the work, she said no and left the room.

He’d shared with Hope the night he’d come home from the hospital what he’d seen when he’d died. Her acceptance of it and her thankfulness that he was still around made him feel like he wasn’t crazy.

The reason he was positive that he’d really seen Kathryn was because she’d been in a pale gown that he’d never seen her in before. He didn’t believe his mind would make that up, but even if it had, in his heart, he had Kathryn’s blessing and her push that it wasn’t his time.

“We’d like to welcome everyone to our grand reopening,” Roam said.

“We’re excited to welcome the Ellis siblings—Stone, Emerson, Finn, Ben, and Harriet—along with Francesca Smith, to Bluff Creek Ink. They bring a variety of experience and different specialties. Please meet them and chat with them today. They have openings as soon as next week if you’re interested,” Sprite said.

He started to stand up, but a hand in front of him had him stopping.

“I’m Stone. War said you’re recovering. If you need help, I’m around,” Stone offered.

“Thank you. I’m Locks. Once Hope lets me out of the house on my own, I’d like to talk with you about a tattoo.”

Stone nodded and walked off. He seemed like a man of few words, and Locks liked that. People didn’t need to fill the silence with useless chatter. Stone was standing and nodding to people, which was more than Locks would be doing if he spent twenty years inside for defending his mom and his sister.

The youngest sister walked up to Locks and offered her hand. “That’s the most I’ve heard him say since he got out,” she said.

“How long has he been out? I’m Locks, by the way,” he said.

“Forty-eight hours. And sorry, I’m Harriet, but I go by Harry,” she said.

“I imagine there’d be quite an adjustment after twenty years inside. Give him time to let it sink in that he’s out,” Locks said.

“It sounds like you know something about it,” Harry mused.

“I’ve got some friends who have done time, and they’ve all talked about the adjustment,” Locks said.

“He won’t sleep in the RV. He said it’s too confined. War said there was a place for us to stay, but I’m not sure Stone will be with us,” Harry said, anguish in her voice.

“Sweetie, you know that you’re not the reason he went to prison. Your dad was. You’re part of the Bluff Creek family now, and we’ll figure out how to make a place for Stone to be that he’s comfortable in,” Hope said.

“Thank you. I hope this is a good place for us,” Harry replied.

“It will be. We’ll make sure of it. You let me know anything you need at all, and I’ll make it happen. I’ve got plenty of time on my hands to meddle in everyone’s lives and help them, especially while I’m recuperating,” Locks said.

“Thank you. I should get back to talking with people. Roam and Sprite want us to chat with people today. It was nice meeting you,” she said, wandering off.

“Locks, are you ready to go to the diner for lunch, or are we heading home for a nap?” Hope asked.

Locks frowned at the woman he loved. Nap was not code for sex. It was really a nap, and he despised that he needed them.

“I think I can stay up for lunch. I’d also like to discuss something with you about Stone,” Locks said.

He had a little reprieve before he had to go back home and lie down. He and Hope could discuss an idea he had for Stone. He got to help welcome the new people to Bluff Creek. All in all, it had been a good time the last month, minus the shootout.

Compass met the new tattoo artists and could see some new prospects for the club if they were interested. He and Maureen had decided to wait until Locks was well enough to come home and the grand reopening happened.

Lexi and Booker were going to take the majority of the items that Maureen had bought while they were there, as well as the wedding gifts that had been given to them, home in the RV.

Compass and his bride were heading on a road trip. They were going down to Frisco, Texas, and staying in the hotel where they met and then riding over to visit the Cider Creek Chapter’s clubhouse. And if Beth or Flick needed help while they were there, they could offer to lend a hand.

Once they were done there, he and Maureen were riding back through Arkansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and then home. Compass had no plans other than sleeping in hotels. If she wanted to stop and shop for five hours, they’d do that. If he wanted to spend two hours at a Harley dealership, so be it. They had no firm plans and the rest of their lives to enjoy themselves.

Maureen walked up and grabbed his hand, crooking her finger at him with a mischievous look in her eye. He followed because he would do whatever the woman wanted. She walked down the street toward the diner. They’d just eaten, so he couldn’t imagine she could be hungry again, but she led him through the diner and out the back door.

The RV was parked behind the diner. Maureen unlocked the door and led him in. Well, it seemed like his woman wanted some alone time, and although his dick was getting a tad sore from the workout it had been getting, he’d never tell her no.

Once she closed the door, she pulled him close and leaned up to kiss him.

“Oh my gosh, Booker, harder,” Lexi’s voice yelled.

Maureen paused, and Compass wondered if his eyes looked as surprised as Maureen’s did. He grasped her hand and turned quickly, leading her out of the RV. He closed the door behind them and then chuckled. Maureen was shaking with laughter beside him.

“Do we need to have a sign that the RV is in use?” Compass quipped.

Maureen composed herself and nodded. “Looks like it. Well, hmm, shall we go see how Hope and Locks are? Maybe we could have lunch with them before we leave.”

“Great plan. Anything not involving listening to our children do that would be great,” Compass said and vowed to himself to never bring it up to Booker and Lexi ever.