Chapter Eight
Hatch
Walking into work the next morning, I find Axe and let him know I have a prospect running out to get another bed for Maysen. “Got a minute?” he asks. Nodding my head, we go into his office and he shuts the door. Fuck my life, what is going on now? I can’t help but wonder to myself.
“What’s up?” I ask, sitting in the chair in front of his desk.
“Just wanted to see how last night went and let you know that we’re here for whatever y’all need.” And this is why I’m an RGMC member right here. It’s all about family and brotherhood.
“Appreciate that, Axe. Where did you get Cara’s ring?” They got married at the courthouse, but she has a beautiful ring set and it’s time I went shopping for my woman.
“The jeweler in town has a lot of unique rings. Thinking your woman is like mine and you’re looking for something special.”
“Yeah, and I want to get something for the girls as well.”
“Listen, DJ’s cut is going to be ready by Friday. Do you want to do her cut ceremony when I do Cara’s?”
“I think she’d like that with them being best friends, don’t you?”
“Yep. Those two are thick as thieves. Honestly, they’re both hard workers, which is good because it seems like they’re gone more than they’re at home anymore.”
“Maybe someday they won’t have to work.”
“I don’t see either of them ever not working, but with you guys getting Maysen, it may be better for DJ to go to a part-time status. Hell, she can still get the work done in that timeframe, she’s that good. She’s got us into the twenty-first century.”
“That would give her more time to write. I know she’s trying to get some edits finished for her latest book.”
“You heading out?” Axe asks.
“Yeah, got two quick runs, then I’m going to hit the jeweler. Need to see if Nan can watch Ray Friday night.”
“Hell, we’ll watch her. You know Lily and Luca love it when she’s there.”
“This is true,” I reply, nodding my head. When the three of them get together, it’s like chaos on wheels. They’re good kids, but they are all very active. I can’t wait to see how Maysen fits into the group.
“And the girls are out looking at houses?”
“That’s what I understood.”
“Good. Then you can have Bandit and Jaxson make the girls beds like we’re doing for Lily and Luca.”
“Not sure I want my girl around Jaxson, she’s got a little crush on him.”
“You know he’d never do anything improper.”
“My head knows that but my heart wants to kill anyone she looks at,” I reply.
“And... it’s only going to get worse,” Axe warns.
“Fuck my life.” When he bursts into laughter, I want to hit him and the only reason I don’t is he’s my best friend and club president. “Alright, let me get this day going.”
DJ
Cara and I have a list of houses in the area that have all the checkpoints Hatch and I are looking for. So far, we’ve seen three of them and I’m not impressed with any of them, at all. Either the rooms are too small, or the renovations needed to bring the house up to code and livable is too much work, and we’d be waiting for months to be able to move in. We want something move-in ready. “Not feeling it so far,” I tell her as we leave the latest one.
“Yeah, I know. Let’s go look at this one,” she says, pointing at a listing further down on the page. “It’s got an in-law suite, but maybe…” I muse. “Okay, I wanna see it,” I tell her, getting into the car. “How are you feeling?”
“Like a small house,” she states, getting buckled into the passenger seat.
“You’re not that big.”
“Yet. Remember Luca?”
I start laughing because despite her best intentions, she still managed to gain a lot of weight. It could have had something to do with the daily milkshakes, but then again, she was also scarfing down double cheeseburgers. “I’m sure Braxton won’t let that happen.”
“No, and with all the, um, exercise I’m getting, I think I’m burning off any unneeded calories,” she replies, her face turning beet red.
“Really? You’re gonna be embarrassed around me?”
“Not exactly, it’s just...damn, DJ, I’m horny all the time!”
“How is this a problem? I’m sure your man isn’t complaining.”
“He’s not, but jeez, it hits at the most inconvenient of times.”
“Like when?” I ask, curiosity now roused.
“At work, when the kids are still up, when we’re just driving around running errands.”
“So, the club owns the damn trucking company and didn’t you tell me that the offices are soundproof?”
“They are! But that means everyone knows!”
“Oh who gives a fuck? Is anyone giving you shit?” I’m thinking specifically of the slut at the front because if she’s saying or doing anything, I’m taking her down again.
“No, but the fact is that once we’re done and I have to go out and face everyone, I feel like I’m doing something wrong. The office is for work, not for fun.”
“Hmm... I bet there’s plenty of work happening, just the fun type variety. And Twisted and Paisley work there too? I bet they do a lot of ‘working’ at work as well!” We both crack up laughing. “That’s the kind of work I could do daily with my man,” I say with a smile on my face.
“I’m telling you, I never knew sex could be so…”
“What? Fun, exciting?” I interrupt her.
“All of the above and then some.”
“That smile on your face tells me everything I need to know,” I say teasingly.
“Shut up,” she says smacking me on the shoulder with the back of her hand. “We’re here,” she says as we pull up to the last house on our list for the day.
“Wow!” I say as we pull in the driveway. “It’s a lot bigger than the pictures, and justice wasn’t given in the photos.”
“Definitely not,” she replies.
“Well, let’s go take a look and hope the inside is just as gorgeous as the outside.”
As we walk around the outside, I notice the wrap-around porch that is deep enough for either comfortable chairs or even a swing. I can see that the backyard is fenced which will mean the girls will be safe when they’re outside playing. Wait...no, that’s not possible, is it? “Cara? Look over there,” I call out, pointing at the back part of the property. “Is that y’alls house?”
“Holy shit, it is! Y’know, if y’all buy this one, we’ll have to put a gate at the back so the kids can go back and forth,” she says.
I have a feeling that this is it but want to see it before I call my man. Cara keys in the code she got from the real estate agent and we walk into the house. The foyer opens into an open floor plan with a living room and formal dining room. There are hallways off to both the left and right, but I don’t see the staircase to go to the second floor. Straight back through the archway is the kitchen. Since Ray and I like to cook and bake, I walk in that direction.
“Holy shit,” Cara whispers. “Look at this kitchen!”
It’s nearly the length of the back of the house and is floor to ceiling windows. There’s a bumped-out area with padded benches and a table for informal eating. All of the appliances appear to be state-of-the-art and there’s a working island in the middle of it all. To the left is what looks like a family room with a stone fireplace, as well as the missing staircase. “Look, DJ! There’s a room over here that would be perfect for your office!” I turn to look at her and see she’s standing in the door of a room off to the right.
Walking over, I look in and it’s a corner room with windows that give it a large, airy feel. “Oh, this is stunning,” I murmur, looking around. “Either an office or a playroom for the girls. I wonder where the laundry room is?”
“Over here,” Cara states, having continued her explorations. “Jeez, DJ, you could live in this room, too!”
My eyes are so wide right now, I’m concerned they’re gonna pop outta my head. “We haven’t even seen the bedrooms yet,” I say.
“Let’s go down here first,” she replies, looking at the paper she was given. She wouldn’t really tell me much, so all of this is like opening up presents on Christmas morning.
We walk down the right hall and open the door into a sitting room. “I think this is the in-law suite.”
“Yeah, I think you’re right.”
The sitting room has its own fireplace and then there’s a huge bedroom with an ensuite bathroom. Over in the corner is an alcove that would work for an office area if there’s not a room upstairs. I kind of like the thought of being so close because sometimes, ideas hit in the middle of the night and being able to roll out of bed and go to the laptop instead of out the door and upstairs is very appealing. “Y’know, you and Hatch could take this room and let the girls have the master bedroom,” Cara says. “That way, y’all would all be downstairs.”
“Do you think my new desk would work over here?”
“Yeah, it looks like it would fit perfectly.”
“Let’s look at the master bedroom,” I reply, already heading back down the hallway to the other end. Opening that door, I glance around and mentally picture two beds, two dressers and two nightstands. “Do you think their stuff would fit?”
“I think there’s room for them to have whatever you want them to have, to be honest.”
“Oh my goodness, look in the bathroom, Cara!” She comes to the door and stops.
“Well, this will be perfect when they get older,” she replies walking into the bathroom, which is huge. There’s a double-vanity so each of them could have their own ‘spot’ and then? There’s a lowered area with a large mirror and brighter lights where I can picture them doing their make-up and hair someday getting ready to go on dates together. Like, when they’re thirty-five if Hatch has any say-so.
“Damn, I want to call Hatch now and we haven’t even seen upstairs or the back!”
“C’mon, girlie, let’s go upstairs.”
We go back down the hall and toward the stairs when I spot a pantry. Could this house get any better? I’m all for eating at home and when I’m neck-deep in writing or edits, having a fully stocked pantry means I can put something in the crockpot and let it cook itself. Up the stairs, I notice as we make it to the top that you walk into an open landing area and then see five doors down a hallway. The open area is big enough for a couch and television. Then there’s a full bathroom that opens into one of the bedrooms. “Cara? I’ve lost count of the bedrooms.”
“Um, there are four up here plus one of them has a master bath and there’s another full bath in the hallway, plus the master bedroom downstairs and the in-law suite. That makes six. Plus there’s a stairway over here, too!”
“Holy hell. We have two kids. Two.”
“Well…” she says, “guess that means you could add to the family comfortably.”
“Bite your tongue!” I say to her.
“I thought y’all talked about fostering.”
“Down the road,” I tell her.
“Exactly, and look at it this way, you already have the available space.”
“True, we definitely would have the space and not have to move again to make it happen.”
“Let’s check where this staircase goes,” Cara says. Hmmm, wonder what on earth is up there? We go up another set of stairs and it opens into what can only be described as a man cave. There’s dark paneling, a mini-bar area with a fridge, a small half-bath, and an area that likely holds one of those big-ass tvs.
“So, are we getting it?”
“As long as Hatch is in agreement, we’re getting it!” We grab each other’s hands and both start jumping up and down in excitement. Cara stops and holds her stomach, “Guess I didn’t think about the invasion in my stomach before I went jumping around like a lunatic.”
“Guess we shouldn't be acting like teenagers,” I say, attempting to be serious, but my excitement is overruling my attempts to be an adult. She looks at me with wide eyes and we start squealing again, this time without the jumping around. Once we settle down, I pull out the phone to call my man.
“Yo, gorgeous, what’s up?”
“I’m in love,” I say to him in response.
“Baby, you don’t have to call me to tell me that, I already know.”
“Calm the ego down some, mister,” I say teasingly.
“If it’s not me you’re calling to admit your undying love about, what is it exactly you’re in love with?”
“This house, Hatch! You have got to see it, it's as if someone plucked my dream house out of my head and has it sitting waiting on me.”
“That is wonderful news, baby, give me the address and let me call and make an official offer.”
“Don’t you want to see it first, Hatch?”
“Baby, did you or did you not just tell me it’s your dream home?”
“Yes I did.”
“Were you telling me the truth?”
“Of course I was, I wouldn’t lie to you about anything. Let alone something this important.”
“Do you want the house, baby?”
“Well, yes.”
“Then you’re getting it, text me the address.”
“Are you sure, Hatch?”
“No question about it, baby.”
“Okay then, I’ll send you the address and asking price of the house.” I send him the promised information and cross my fingers that it all works out.
Hatch
I was sitting in the parking lot of the jewelry store when DJ initially called me. Once we finish our conversation, I hang up the phone smiling at the enthusiasm I can hear in my woman’s voice. A few seconds later, I hear my phone chime with an incoming text, so I open it and see the information. The price isn’t too bad, only two hundred and forty-nine thousand. Wonder if it’s going to freak my woman out that we’ll pretty much be able to pay it all in cash at once? I’ve lived at the club ever since I joined RGMC, and have done nothing but save my money other than purchasing clothes and food, and keeping my bike in tip-top shape. We all get a cut from the club’s businesses, plus I get a paycheck from the trucking company. I’ve made some sound investments as well. I pick up the phone and dial the number DJ sent me. It’s a short-lived conversation, I offer cash up front as long as the closing is no longer than fifteen days and I don’t pick up the closing costs. The agent tells me she’ll contact the sellers and get back with me as soon as she receives their response to my offer. As soon as I hang up with her, I get out of my truck and head into the jewelry store. I’m not sure exactly what type of ring I’m looking for, but I figure once I see the right one it will call to me. If it doesn't scream DJ, it’s staying in the cabinet until it finds the right owner. DJ isn’t a flashy kind of girl, I need to remember she’s on the computer all day and doesn’t need anything heavy on her finger.
“May I help you?” the salesman asks me. He’s young, not sure if he’s old enough to be working, but I don’t care. His age may hinder him since he won’t have the same skill set to hold his own against me. I’m a wheeler and dealer, and never pay retail price, I google everything and end up with wholesale prices more often than not.
“How old are you, kid?”
“I’m fourteen,” he replies.
“Not old enough to be working, are you?”
“No, but this is my foster dad’s business, and he makes us all put in our time.”
“Need to see your engagement rings,” I state. “My woman isn’t really flashy so I don’t want to see anything gaudy.”
“Got it, nothing gaudy,” the clerk replies. “Our engagement rings and wedding sets are over here.”
I walk over to the display case and start looking. They range from average size to gigantuous, I dismiss those and head over to the ones that make me think of DJ. There are two that I like so I say, “Can I see those please?” The clerk pulls the two ring sets out and I look at first one then the other, picturing DJ’s finger wearing each one. I really like the one that’s mine-cut, it has an edgier look that almost screams ‘take me home’ to me. “I like this set,” I tell the clerk.
“There’s a men’s ring that will match this set if you’re interested.”
Fuck yeah, I want to wear a ring to show everyone I’m taken. “I’m interested.”
“Do you know her ring size?”
“Hang on,” I say, before pulling my phone out and calling Cara. When she answers, I say, “Don’t tell DJ it’s me calling, but do you know her ring size?”
“Um, six if memory serves.”
“Thanks, Cara. Later.” I disconnect and tell the clerk, “She wears a size six.”
“And what about you?”
“Twelve.”
“Mighty big hands,” the salesman says to me.
“I’m a big guy,” I say to him.
“The bigger they are, the harder they hit,” he says under his breath.
“What do you mean by that, kid?”
“Nothing,” he says. “Do you need anything else?” he asks me as if he’s in a hurry to get rid of me. I ponder the way he said what he did, and really take him in for the first time. He walks rigidly, as if he’s been injured not too long ago.
Deciding the best thing to do is let it go for now, I ask him, “What do you have for a little girl? I’ve got two daughters and I want to get them each a special necklace.”
“How old are they?” the kid questions.
“Five and six years old.”
“We may have the perfect thing over here.” He leads me over to another display case where there are necklaces of all shapes and sizes. He opens up the cabinet and pulls out two dainty-looking necklaces that have the word ‘Princess’ in cursive writing and a tiny tiara over the writing with embedded pink rhinestones. Yeah, these will work.
“I’ll take these as well, please. Do you have a gift box?” I think I’ll save these for when DJ and I get married. Yeah, right, I doubt I’ll last that long. Knowing I need to also get them something for the cut ceremony, I make a mental note to call Twisted once I step outside.
“Will this be all for you today, sir?”
“Yeah, that will be it for today,” I say following him to the register. He begins to ring up my purchases and instead of attempting to lower the prices and possibly get him into any trouble, I pay retail cost for the first time in my adult life. He grabs gift boxes and neatly places the necklaces inside. Before I go, I need to know that this kid will be alright no matter what.
“What’s your name, kid?”
“Talon, sir.”
“Well, Talon, this here is my business card. It has my personal cell phone number on it,” I say handing him my card. “If you are ever in need of anything, and I mean anything no matter what time, day or night, I want you to promise to call me.”
“Sure,” he says, taking the card.
“Talon,” I say getting his attention. “I’m someone you want to have at your back, you get me?”
“I get you,” he says.
“Day or night,” I reiterate before walking out the door. I have a feeling that I need to keep my eyes wide-open on this kid’s behalf.
Sitting in my truck, I call Twisted. “Yo, Hatch, what’s up?”
“Hey, man, any way we can get a few more cuts for Saturday?”
“Whatcha mean?”
“Well, I’d like two smaller cuts for the girls with Princess Maysen and Princess Ralynn on the front and then Property of my Daddy, Hatch on the back. Pretty sure that Axe would want one for Luca as well. I know that Tig and Lily already have one.”
“You won’t believe this, but Axe already asked me to do to this.”
“What do the backs say?”
“Just what you asked for, except Lily’s and Luca’s say Property of my Daddy, Axe. He remembered that we had gotten one for Tig and Lily and thought it would be a good idea for the newest additions to the club.”
“Man, how is it he always beats me to the punch on the good ideas?” Twisted laughs at me.
“I feel ya, man, he does that shit to me all the time. If I get them ordered now, and pay extra to have them expedite the order, I will have them in my possession by Friday afternoon at the latest.”
“That would be perfect timing, man, can you get those ordered for me?”
“Consider it done.”
“Thanks, man, I owe you one,” I tell him before hanging up. I’m excited and impatiently awaiting Friday night to ask my girl to marry me, and Saturday, to let my girls know I’m accepting them into the fold of both of my families, as well as letting everybody know they’re mine. I pick up my phone and call Gino’s personal cell.
“Hatch, my man, what can I do for you this afternoon?”
“I need to see if you can fit me in Friday night for reservations?”
“I can always fit you in, how many will be in your party?”
“It will just be DJ and myself,” I tell him, wondering if I should tell him what the occasion is for. Deciding it would be best so he can give me the most romantic spot available, I continue, “I’m gonna ask my girl to marry me.”
“No shit? Wow, that’s fantastic news. I’ll make sure you get the corner booth and I’ll have candles there waiting for you. Let me see, I have a six o’clock and a six-thirty availability. Which one will work best for you?”
“Let me have the six-thirty slot, that way we can make sure Ray is taken care of and we have time to get ourselves ready.”
“I’ve got you down, any special requests?”
“Can you have a bottle of your best red wine chilled and waiting for us?”
“I’ll make it happen.”
“Thanks, man,” I say hanging up the phone, one less thing to check off my to do list.