“I can’t believe we’re opening presents in the middle of the Savage clubhouse. My balls are never going to unshrivel man. Do you know how the mighty have fallen here?” Gunner whines.

I notice the other men are flipping him off, and the women are laughing, and ignoring him.

“My balls are shriveling too!” Matty pipes up, because in the week since Bull and the club rescued him, Matty has decided he wants to be just like the men here. There are worse things that could happen.

I shoot a look at Gunner, and he actually blushes. Then I have to look down, because I don’t want everyone to see me laughing along with them. Matty is on cloud nine. He hasn’t even had a nightmare in the weeks following his kidnapping. In fact, he’s in his element. Crusher and Dani came in for Christmas with her new adoptive son, Dakota. He’s the same age as Matty and they’ve instantly connected. For so long Matty has missed having a male influence in his life and now…

I look around and Dragon, Dancer, and Crusher are sitting at a table laughing and drinking a beer. Gunner, Hawk, Nailer, and Six are all standing around them laughing. Nicole, Carrie, Dani, and some new girl everyone call’s Lips are all at a table holding babies, and joking. Lips apparently just came home and is engaged to Six. Freak is in the corner, holding the woman he just got engaged to, Nikki, and I can only think that I was wrong.

I worried Bull and his lifestyle was the wrong choice for my life. But, he was right. He was right all along. Here is a real family, of really good people, and every single one of them would lay their lives down for my son, for me and for Bull. I get it. I’m blessed to be part of them.

I feel Bull’s arm snake around my stomach, as he pulls me back into him.

“What are you thinking, Doc?” he whispers in my ear.

“How grateful I am that you made me and Matty part of your crazy family,” I tell him, honestly.

He places a kiss on the inside of my neck. “I love you, Doc.”

“I love you too.”

“All right brothers it’s time for some Christmas around here,” Dragon orders. “Freak, since you jumped the gun and already gave your woman her present, how about you give them out?”

“Got it Boss-man,” Freak says, and he gives Matty and Dakota some presents from Santa. New game systems. Apparently, the latest and the best, according to Bull. The boys immediately start planning on how they can play with each other even though they live apart.

While I was distracted watching the kids, it appears all the couples have paired off. Nicole is now in Dragon’s lap. Carrie is in Dancer’s and Dani is in Crusher’s. The others, including Lips and Six have all moved to another table, and Freak has already given them boxes to open.

Gunner holds up this long white and red striped knitted rectangle like thing. It’s about six inches in length, and at its base is two oval like shapes knitted in green. Gunner’s waving it around.

“What the hell is this, Nicole?” he asks.

She looks up at him and says. “A umm…bird warmer. Prevents shriveling.”

The room rocks with laughter.

“Dad? Why does Gunner need a bird warmer?” Dakota asks Crusher.

“I’ll explain later, boy,” he says.

“Yeah, like when he’s forty,” Dani mutters.

Crusher kisses her while laughing, “I love you, Hellcat.”

“Love you too, Cowboy,” she responds, holding him close.

Freak brings two boxes to Dragon and Nicole.

“You first, Mama,” Dragon orders.

Nicole opens up her box and pulls out a gold chain, but the attached pendant is what is breathtaking. It’s a perfectly, precisely cut dragon that’s made of beautiful emeralds, and right in its chest is a dark ruby, in the shape of a small heart.

“Dragon,” Nicole cries, wrapping her arms around him.

“You’re always my heart, Mama. Forever.”

“Open yours!” she urges.

Dragon opens the box, and he’s quiet. I can’t help but wonder what’s in there. Then he pulls out a yellow baby rattle.

“Fuck…Mama…” he says, and then stops. When he looks up, his eyes are glowing, but I see something in the man I never thought I would see. Fear. “You will not get sick, Mama. You will not die on me Nicole. You will listen to every fucking thing I tell you, and you will be healthy. You hear me?”

“Yes, Dragon. I hear you. It’ll be fine sweetheart, and you’ll be with me every step of the way this time.”

“Damn straight,” he says gruffly, and then he kisses her. It’s not a small kiss either. It’s the kind of kiss that even makes me hot watching. I suddenly feel like I’m intruding.

Freak has handed Dancer and Carrie a box. He apparently got her a locket with a picture of him and his sister and Carrie all together from years ago, inside. Carrie is crying, even as Dancer opens up his box. Inside, are keys to a brand new Harley. The custom paint job is a Savage MC emblem with Dancers name in white and highlighted by blue flames. Carrie is rich it seems, but I get the feeling Dancer could care less. I look over at Crusher and Dani. They’ve already exchanged. Dani’s holding her hand up and she’s got a ring on that looks like the shape of a cat. I don’t know what she gave Crusher, but whatever it was, he’s practically making out with her. So, he must be happy. These Savage boys apparently aren’t shy in public, that’s for sure.

Then Freak comes to me and Bull. My stomach rolls with nerves. I think he will love what I got him. But then, you never know.

“Open it, Doc.”

My hand shakes as I tear the wrapping off the small box, and open it. Inside, is the prettiest diamond that I’ve ever seen. He takes the box from my hand, and puts the ring on my finger.

“Will you marry me, Doc?”

“Fuck, yeah,” I whisper through the tears, giving him the word he loves to wring from me the most, right before he claims my mouth.

When we break apart, Gunner is moaning again.

“Jesus H. Christ, that’s three of you in one holiday!”

I dry my tears and Freak looks up.

“There wasn’t a box under the tree for Bull.”

“I got everything I need.” Bull says, smiling down at me.

I take a step back, grinning. “I hope you have room for one more gift from Matty and me,” I tell him.

Matty walks over and he has the envelope I gave him earlier. I asked him to keep it with him. I knew I could trust him, because this is just as important to him as it is to me.

“Bull,” his little voice says, starting out wobbly. “Mom and I wanted to give you this together.” He reaches the envelope to Bull.

Bull looks at me and then Matty, confused. He takes the envelope, his hand ruffling Matty’s hair. “Thanks, little dude.”

He opens the envelope and unfolds the papers inside.

“What…” he stops and he looks at both of us and his eyes are dark with emotion. I think I can see tears shining in them. My nerves go away.

“We want you to be my new dad,” Matty tells him, and I can hear the nerves in his voice. “Mom says if you sign the papers it will be all legal and everything. I can even have your name and stuff.”

Bull doesn’t respond, he looks at the papers, and then back at me. This time the tears in his eyes fall.

Matty must get worried about Bull’s silence. “I mean it’s cool if you don’t want to or whatever, we just thought, maybe you would like to be…” He looks up at Bull confused. “Don’t you want to be my dad?”

Bull tries to talk, but has to stop and clear his throat.

“Absolutely, Matthew. I want that more than anything in the world,” he says, picking him up, and holding him tight.

I look at my two favorite men in the whole world, crying and laughing. All the rest of the members come up slapping Bull on the back, congratulating him, then hugging me. My eyes lock onto Bull’s and he gives me everything I have ever wanted in one sentence.

“I love you, Skye.”

The man I was worried would be a mistake I would never recover from? That man has become my reason for living.

“I love you too, Bull. I love you too.”