Whitney

IT’S BEEN A FEW DAYS since Irish and Goose had dinner with us. I’ve noticed that they stay a little closer to the house these days. And they’ve both started doing things outside and around the house that need to be taken care of. Sami and I both watch them do the yard work when we can. They both take their shirts off and we make sure that they stay hydrated. It may or may not be an excuse to see them up close with no shirts on. I’ll plead the fifth if anyone asks me.

Today is the day that I’ve been dreading. It’s Sami’s birthday and I know that I’m not going to be able to do much for her. I’ve managed to buy a cake mix and frosting and that’s about it. There’s a little money I’ve put up and I plan on taking her shopping so she can get a few things, but that’s all I’m going to be able to do for her this year. My heart is breaking that I won’t be able to do anything more, but I’ll make it up to her one way or another.

Just as I go to start baking the cake, since Sami is hiding out in her room talking to Goose through the window, there’s a knock on the door. I don’t want to interrupt their conversation, so I hurry to answer it before she leaves her room. Irish has already assured me that he’s talked to the young man and made sure he knows nothing is to happen between them. It eases my mind a little bit to know this, but the mother in me will always worry where boys are concerned. I didn’t get to do the whole dating thing, so I don’t know how to help her with broken hearts and everything else a relationship entails. I’ve never gotten to experience love or wanting to be with someone.

I open the door and find the women from the club standing at the door. They have balloons, a cake, and a whole host of other things. My eyes instantly form tears because I know exactly who this is coming from. I can’t even be mad at him because he did this for my daughter. He’s only supposed to be guarding us and he did this because he knew I was upset I couldn’t do more.

“No tears!” Bailey says, wrapping her arms around me. “This is a good thing. We’re here to help take your worries about Sami’s day away. Not make you upset.”

“I’m not upset. Shocked, yes. But not upset. I can’t even be mad at Irish. And I really want to be mad at him!”

The girls all laugh and make their way into the kitchen. Skylar sees the boxed cake I have sitting on the counter and shakes her head at me. It’s the best I can do, and I try to convince her of this without words and she comes to wrap her arms around me. She knows where I’m at, I can feel it.

“Now, we haven’t met, but I can see that we’re going to be good friends,” another woman tells me. “I’m Darcy. I live a little ways a way but the girls always bring me in for spa day and shit like that. Part one of today is a spa day for your daughter and you. Free of charge for the women of the club.”

“Well, then I’ll be paying because I’m not part of the club.”

“You are. You just don’t know it yet,” Bailey says matter-of-factly.

“I’ll be moving on from here soon. There’s no point in staying here when I don’t know anyone. I mean, this is nice of you all to do, but you have your family and club. Sami and I have one another and that’s it.”

“No, you have more than one another,” Irish says, making an appearance. “I just wanted to make sure you were okay before I head back outside.”

“I want to be so mad at you right now. If it weren’t for Sami and giving her a good day today, I’d be giving you hell right now.”

“I know you would be. And I know that you’re probably still goin’ to. I’m prepared to take it. You both deserve this and so much more.”

Irish leaves the house before I can say anything else to him. I’m sure he planned it that way too. The women in my temporary house are staring at me like I have two heads right now. I have no clue why and I don’t know that I want to know.

“You guys weren’t lying,” Maddie says. “He’s already hooked and they’re still getting to know one another. Is Goose this bad with Sami?”

“Yep. One of the club girls tried to get him to take her back to his room a few days ago and he denied her. Said he didn’t want loose pussy.”

“He can’t do anything with Sami. She’s just turning sixteen,” I tell them, a little more worried at hearing that.

“He knows that. It doesn’t mean that he’s going to get loose pussy when she’s in front of him on a daily basis. He’ll wait until she’s eighteen and can legally be with him.”

I let this news sink in and I don’t believe it. There’s no way a young man is going to wait two years for my daughter to turn eighteen. I’m not saying she’s not worth waiting for because she is. He’s going to meet someone before that happens and she’s going to get her heart broken. I can see it happening already. There’s nothing I can say or do though to stop it from happening. I just can let her know that I’m there for her and I’ll help her in any way I can.

“Don’t worry Whitney!” Melody says. “I promise you that if Goose has it in his head that he wants to get to know your daughter and eventually be with her, he won’t do anything to hurt her. That includes finding loose pussy with the club girls. He’ll take matters into his own hands if you know what I mean.”

We all burst out laughing and I can’t stop. Just the thought of someone not being with anyone for that long and ‘taking matter into their own hands’ is funny. I’ve seen the way that Goose and Sami look at one another. It’s almost like they know that at one point they’re going to be together. They’re just biding their time until they can get there. For now, they’ll just continue to get to know one another and make sure they have a solid foundation for a relationship in the future. As long as Sami gets to experience things she wants to, I don’t care how they do it.

“Now, where is the birthday girl?” Skylar asks.

“In her room. She’s talking to Goose through the window.”

The girls all silently make their way down the hall towards Sami’s room. They want to see what I’m talking about. I hope Sami has her door shut so they can’t see anything she won’t want them to. Not that she’ll really care anyway. She’s told me what they talk about and I think it’s good that she has someone. Even if he is a motorcycle riding, leather wearing, young man. He’ll be better for her than her dad will ever be.

I follow the rest of the women down the hall and peer over their shoulders to see Sami sitting curled up in front of her window while Goose is leaning on the outside of it. They’re talking and laughing like kids their age should. It’s amazing to witness my daughter being so free and open with someone. I’ve never see her look so carefree in her sixteen years on Earth. Why couldn’t I get her away from her dad sooner?

“Awww!” Bailey says. “So cute!”

Sami startles and her face turns a bright shade of red. The women start laughing because they’ve all been there and know where she’s coming from and what she’s feeling right now.

“Sami, I hate to interrupt your time with Goose, but we got things to do and places to be,” Maddie tells her.

“Wh-what are you talking about?” She asks.

“It’s your birthday! We’re going out and doing this right.”

Sami’s face lights up and I know that these women are going to make this day one she’ll remember for a long time to come. She tells Goose that she’ll talk to him soon and leaves the window. I look over at him and see his face is crestfallen. He didn’t know today was her birthday and feels horrible.

As the rest of the women lead my daughter out to the living room, I walk over to the window and lean down to talk to Goose.

“I don’t know why she didn’t tell you today was her birthday. But, I’m guessing she didn’t want you to feel you had to make a big deal out of it. You just being here and talking to her is good enough for her.”

“But, I would’ve gotten her somethin’.”

“And I’m guessing that’s why she didn’t tell you. Sami isn’t materialistic and wouldn’t want you spending your money on her.”

“I’m goin’ to talk to Irish and see if I can leave for a little bit.”

With that, Goose takes off and I know that Sami is wrapping this young man around her little finger without having to do anything to try. I’m not sure if Irish is going to let him leave, but I know one way or another Goose is going to figure out a way to get Sami something for her birthday.

“So, what are we doing first?” I hear my daughter ask.

“First, you’re getting a spa day.” Darcy tells her. “Then we’re taking you shopping and Skylar is coming back here to make dinner before we have cake.”

“Wow! All that?” Sami asks, astonished.

“Yep, all that,” Bailey answers, amusement clearly lacing her voice.

I’m soon called into the living room because apparently spa day includes me. We’re getting manicures, pedicures, and our hair done. I’ve always kept my chestnut hair long and straight. Even when Carl tried to get me to cut it, I disobeyed him and kept it long. That’s one thing I’ve always wanted, long hair. I can’t stand short hair and I’ll never get my hair cut short. So, when Darcy asks me what I want to do, I tell her that I want a trim and long layers put in it. That way there’s some volume added, and I might be able to actually do something with it.

Darcy is doing her thing on my daughter and I. We’ve already had our feet taken care of and our nails are drying. Now, she’s starting on my hair while Sami decides what she wants to do to hers. She’ll end up keeping it long and just end up getting a trim. She’s never like short hair either. In the meantime, Bailey and Melody start working on her make-up.

By the time we’re done, I can barely recognize myself in the mirror Darcy holds in front of me. I’ve never been one to do my make-up or anything else. So, to see it done is a shock to my system. It’s understated and doesn’t really look like I have any on to begin with. Sami’s is done much the same. Her cheeks are absolutely glowing at being pampered for the first time in her life. I’m sure I have the same look on my face as her. As far as our hair goes, she’s trimmed it and curled it. My daughter has it styled in a way that makes it look much thicker than it already is. While mine looks soft and like I can do absolutely anything with it. Darcy has left it down and it curls down my back falling just short of my ass.

“Let’s see what the guys think,” Maddie says, a smirk on her face because she knows that their opinion has become important to both of us.

Skylar heads out and calls for Irish and Goose, leaving the other prospect outside. The other two men come inside and their jaws about hit the floor. I’m not sure if it’s a good thing or not at this point. Just before the men came in, they gave us outfits they picked out for us to change into. I’m wearing a pair of tight jeans and a spaghetti strap tank top. Instead of my usual sneakers or flip flops, I’m wearing a pair of low heeled ankle boots. Sami is wearing a pair of jean shorts and a tank top. She’s got on a pair of dressy sandals and a pair of hoop earrings that Darcy had in her bag. My daughter is absolutely stunning!

“Whit, you look amazin’!” Irish says, taking another step in the house.

“Thank you!” I murmur shyly, putting my head down in embarrassment.

“You too Sami,” Goose says, not taking another step forward. He doesn’t want to get any closer with all of us standing here, knowing how he feels about her.

“Well, we just wanted your opinion on our work,” Bailey says. “Now, we’re off shopping so we’ll see you boys later.”

“Nope. You got an escort. Whit and Sami aren’t goin’ anywhere alone. We’ll be followin’ you all day long.”

I can’t believe that Irish and Goose are going to be following us all day long. I’m not sure exactly what the women have planned, but I can guarantee that they’re going to be bored as fuck! What man wants to spend the day shopping and shit What man wants to go shopping with a bunch of women? Not any that I know. In fact, Carl never shopped a day in his life. It was always my responsibility.

As we load up in the SUVs that Bailey and Darcy are driving, I can’t help but look at Irish. He doesn’t seem to mind that he’s going with us for guard duty. Cassidy is riding with Sami in the other SUV and I’m glad that Irish is going in case something happens at the mall or wherever we’re going. Too bad I didn’t realize the women split my daughter and I up so that they could question me.

“So, Whitney, I need to ask you a question,” Skylar starts out.

“Okay. I’m not sure what I’m willing to tell you, but I’ll do the best I can.”

“What’s going on with Irish and you?”

“Nothing. We talk, Goose and him have been doing some work around the house, and it’s nice to sit and just be with him. Nothing else is happening.”

“But you wouldn’t mind if something did happen?”

“No, I wouldn’t mind if something did happen. I can’t even believe that I’m saying that right now. I mean, I just got out of a whatever you want to call it with my husband. Now, there’s Irish. There’s definitely some sort of a pull between us that I haven’t ever felt before.”

“What do you mean?” Bailey asks.

“I mean, I like the thought of him being around. And, I’m not going to deny that I’ve had a thought or two about him.”

“What do you mean, you’ve had a thought or two about him?” Skylar asks.

“Let’s just say, I had to take care of myself after a thought or two went through my head. There’s just something about him that makes me want to forget about Carl and give him a chance.”

“Interesting!” Bailey says.

“What’s so interesting about that?”

“Just that I know for a fact he talked to my husband about you,” Bailey tells me, smirking like she knows more than what she’s telling me.

Instead of saying anything more, I choose to sit back and let that information sink in. I don’t want to know too much more so hope builds if things don’t pan out the way I want them to. There is one thing I want to know though.

“Can I ask you guys something?”

“Yeah,” Bailey and Skylar both answer.

“What happened to Cassidy’s mom?”

The two women look at one another and I can tell that they’re trying to figure out how much information to tell me. This is not something I want to put them in the middle of. In fact, maybe I don’t want to know anymore. I should just take the question back and leave it be. Let Irish tell me if it’s something he chooses to tell me.

“You know what, never mind.”

“I think you should ask Irish is all. It’s a complicated story and one none of us know the whole answer to.”

“It’s up to him. I’m not going to ask him.”

We’ve been shopping for hours, stopped for food, and now we’re shopping some more. I found out that Irish gave the girls money to spend on Sami and I did get pissed off about that. We don’t need his money. So, I made the girls give it to me so that I could give it back to him. I’m not going to spend a dime of his money on my daughter. He did enough getting the women to organize today for Sami.

Sami has gone crazy. She’s gotten more new clothes today than I’ve ever thought about buying at one time. The girls did insist on buying some of the stuff for her. There’s jeans, tops, skirts, shorts, new underwear, shoes, and a book bag that looks more like a really big purse. Sami has had a blast and her laughter has been contagious. We’ve all had a good day and I’m glad that Irish arranged this.

“So, is Sami havin’ fun?” Irish asks me as we’re exiting one of the stores.

“Yeah. Oh, here, take this back,” I tell him, letting the anger add an edge to my voice.

“What are you doin’? I gave them that money to spend on Sami. I don’t want it back.”

“Well, we’re not a charity case. I don’t need, or want, your money.”

“It has nothin’ to do with that. I want to buy somethin’ for her. Not havin’ a clue about what to get her, I figured this was the best way.”

“Still, I don’t want your money. Go buy her something like Goose did. I’m not sure what it is, but he spent the time to look and find her something.”

“Whit, why can’t you just let me do this?”

“Because. That’s all you’re going to get, so deal with it.”

I shove the money in his hand and turn my back to walk with Sami. Irish can take his money and shove it up his ass! If I wanted it, I would’ve asked to borrow some. Yes, I spent more than I wanted to today, but I’ll figure out how to get it back. I’m going to get a job and I’ll just put it up from that. We’ll be more than fine.

Finally, we’re heading back to the SUVs to head back to the house and I’m ready to get off my feet. But, I’ll probably help make dinner and then we’ll have to have cake too. We’re almost back to the house and I get a message from Sami on the new phones that Irish bought us. Yes, I did let him do that. I don’t have the credit to do it, so he added us to his plan. We’ll just leave the phones when we leave here.

Sami: There’s a ton of presents in the back of this SUV. They’re all for me, mom!!

Me: What?

Sami: You read what I wrote. They got me gifts on top of everything else today.

I look at the girls and I can tell that they know what Sami’s just told me. When they managed to get gifts, and have them wrapped before loading them into the SUV is beyond me. I guess they just know how to get things done when they want them done. Damn, I wish I knew how to do that.

“Don’t say a word,” Bailey tells me. “The guys in the club wanted to make sure that Sami had a good birthday. The presents are from them.”

“And how are they going to know if she gets anything from them or not?” I ask, confused.

“Because they’ll be at the house shortly after we get back. They decided that they wanted to throw a barbeque for her. So, they’ve set it all up and are going to be cooking shortly after we get back.”

I can’t say a word to that. It seems the members of this club are trying to make sure that we’re immersed in the club somehow. For some reason, they seem to be trying to get us to stay in Clifton Falls.

Irish

Other than getting yelled at by Whitney earlier, I’ve had fun today. I know not many guys would say they had fun watching women shop and spend hours and hours in and out of a bunch of stores. The only reason I did was because I got to witness the pure joy and freedom on Whitney and Sami’s faces. They had so much fun being with the rest of the women and getting to buy some things that they couldn’t help but be happy and carefree. I was pleasantly surprised that Whitney even bought a few things. There’s even a few things I wouldn’t mind seeing her in. Yes, one of the stops was Victoria’s Secret. That one about killed me.

We pull up at the house and I fully expect to see the rest of the guys already there. But, other than two prospects, no one is. I pull out my phone to call Grim and see that there’s a message saying that he’s calling church. So, I let the women know that we’ll be there shortly and make my way to the clubhouse.

By the time I get there, I see that I’m the last one to show up. Grim can’t be mad though, he knew we were taking the girls out shopping. So, I hope that he gives me a little leniency. He has when I was dealing with Caydence and everything. This is different, but I was still doing club business.

“It’s nice to see you,” Grim tells me. “I know you were out with the girls. So, sit down and let’s begin.”

As soon as I take my seat, Tank stands up and hands a folder over to Grim. I’m guessing it’s the information on this Carl bastard and can’t wait to hear what we’re dealing with. But, on the other hand, I don’t want to know about what Whitney and Sami dealt with unless it comes from one of them. I almost feel like I’m sneaking into their life and getting information they don’t want me to know. I’m so torn right now.

“Now, there’s not much about Whitney and this sick fuck in the news. Him alone, yeah, there’s a ton of shit. It all portrays him as some good guy that wants to help everyone he can. He’s got money and a lot of it. But, not many people that are around him will have his back. We should’ve known that when Whitney told us one of the guards helped her escape,” Tank says.

Grim opens the folder and starts spreading the papers inside out on the table. Pops picks up the piece of paper closest to him. I’m not sure what it is, but he’s looking at it for a very long time. It’s almost like he’s studying it, or one particular part of it.

“Pops, what you got?” I ask.

“I’m not sure. It’s Whitney’s birth certificate. Her mom has the same first name as my sister.”

“Okay. I didn’t know you had a sister dad,” Joker speaks up. “Why am I just now hearin’ this?”

“Because she got so wrapped up in a guy that I haven’t seen her in so long. She all but disappeared no matter how hard I searched for her, I could never find her. I always assumed she married the guy, and if she did, I wouldn’t have known his last name. We never got much information on him.”

We all sit in stunned silence. This is the first any of us are learning that Pops has a sister. I’m not sure what to make of this news. Is there a chance that Whitney and Sami have a family after all? Are they more ingrained in this club than any of us know? I guess we’re about to find out.

“I gotta see her,” Pops says, standing up. “I know you haven’t called church, but I need to know if these girls are my blood.”

“Go. We’ll go with you. There’s no point in goin’ over any more of this when this big of a question is hangin’ over your head. Let’s ride!” Grim says, banging the gavel on the table with enough force to have the vibrations go through our bodies.

Pops and Joker practically run out the door. Now that there’s a chance Whitney and Sami are related to these two men, nothing is going to get in the way of them finding out for sure. Pops doesn’t wait for anyone as he climbs on his bike and takes off. Joker and the rest of us are hot on his heels, but we’re not fast enough to keep up with him. At this rate, he’s going to scare the living shit out of Whitney and Sami. I better give Bailey a heads up so she can let them know Pops means no harm.

“Hello?” Bailey answers her phone.

“Your dad is almost there. He has an idea in his head and wants to see Whit and Sami. Tell them I’m almost there and he’s not goin’ to hurt or mean to scare them.”

“What’s going on Irish?” she asks.

“That’s for your dad to tell you. He needs to see some things for himself and talk to her. Just have her sittin’ in the livin’ room or somethin’. Please Bailey?”

“Of course. Anything you need.”

I hang up the blue tooth in my helmet and try to go a little bit faster. I’m not going to pass Grim or anything like that, but an overwhelming urge to protect the girls has come over me. The need to be there is so strong that I can’t help but feel like I’m letting them down by not being there.

By the time the rest of us pull up and park our bikes, Pops is just getting ready to go in the house. The only reason we caught up to him is because he paused on the porch. I’m guessing he wanted to gather himself and calm down a little bit before he just went storming in there.

I put my hand on his shoulder so he knows that he needs to reel it in a little bit. He can’t go in and scare Whitney and Sami, he needs to tread lightly because this is going to be a lot to take in for everyone. Not just Whitney and Sami, but for him, Joker, and Bailey too. Hell, for the whole club.

“I’m good now, Irish,” he tells me.

“I just want to make sure that they aren’t hurt any more than they have been.”

“I got you. I’ll just ask some questions and we’ll go from there. It’s not like we all weren’t goin’ to be here for the cookout any way.”

Knocking on the door, I open to see the women in the kitchen. They’re all cooking and laughing, having a good time. Sami is sitting at the table, playing with Cassidy while she’s in the highchair. This is a scene I could come home to every day and never get tired of seeing it. Where the hell did that thought come from?

“Whit, can you come in here for a second please?” I ask, that way she doesn’t have an audience while she talks to Pops.

“Yeah. Give me just a minute,” she responds.

Pops sits on the edge of the couch and I can tell it’s taking everything in him to not storm in the kitchen and demand the answers he wants. I applaud his ability to look like he’s calm when I know a storm is rolling through his entire body right now. Whitney and Sami could be family to him and he wants to know, along with what happened to his sister. I know it’s killing him not to know what happened to her. And then to find out that Whitney’s parents sold her to a man would be devastating to him.

“What’s up Irish?” she asks, finally coming in the living room.

“This is Pops. He has some questions for you. You okay with that?”

“Um, I guess so. I don’t know how much I’ll be able to help, but I’ll do what I can.”

For the longest time, Pops does nothing but look at Whitney. I can see the wheels turning in his head as he’s trying to see any part of his sister in her. He must hit on something because I can see a light begin to shine from his eyes that hasn’t been there since Ma died.

“So, I saw that your mom’s name is Elizabeth.”

“Yeah.”

“I have a sister named Elizabeth and now seein’ you, I’m wonderin’ if your mom is my sister. I haven’t seen her in a very long time. Not since the man she was with and her ran off.”

“Do you have a picture of her or anything?” Whitney asks. “I mean, she’d be younger if you haven’t seen her in a while, but I’m sure I could still tell you if it was my mom or not.”

“Let me see. I think I have one in my wallet.”

Pops pulls out his wallet and starts going through it. There’s years and years of shit accumulated in there and it could take a while for him to find it. Looking up, I see the women and the men have entered the living room and are all waiting to see what happens next. Joker and Bailey have moved to the forefront so they can be first to learn what’s going on. This involves them too after all.

Finally, Pops pulls out a picture and hands it over to Whitney. She looks at it for a few minutes before I see her face pale and turn a ghastly shade of white. Just from the look in her eyes, I can tell that it is indeed her mother in the picture. Immediately I’m at her side, wrapping my arm around her.

“I have to go. Please, Irish, I have to leave now!” she tells me in hysterics.

“No, you don’t. Why do you think that?”

“Because they can’t find out where we are. They’ll make us go back to Carl. Please, let us go!”

Whitney is near a panic attack she’s so frantic right now. I look at Pops and the rest of the people standing around us as they all close in. There is a pure and true panic in Whitney right now and I don’t know what to do to help her get past it. I’m at a complete loss.

“You listen here, sweetheart,” Pops starts. “She quit bein’ my sister the day she sold her baby girl to a man for his slave. Knowin’ that you were goin’ to endure everythin’ he put you through. If Elizabeth and the piece of shit she calls a husband show up here, they’ll have to go through me to get at you. You’re my blood and I won’t let anythin’ happen to you. Do you hear me?”

“How can I believe you when I didn’t know you existed until two minutes ago?”

“You’ll just have to get to know us and believe that your family has your back,” Joker tells her, coming to crouch down in front of her. “See, Bailey and I are also blood to you. Pops is our dad which makes you and Sami our cousins. We’re not gonna let anyone get you.”

Whitney takes a second to look at Joker and then Bailey before looking at Pops again. She wants to trust them, wants to get to know the individuals she just found out are family. There’s a hesitation though because she’s never had anyone to rely on, they’ve never had anyone to trust.

“So, can I ask you a question?” Pops asks, scooting a little closer to Whitney.

“I guess. After this, I might need to go lay down for a little bit though. I need time to process this. Oh, Sami!”

“I’m good mom. You find out what you need to know and then we’ll talk. I’ll spend time with them while you lay down.”

“Whitney, how come you didn’t know you had any family?” Pops asks her, desperation for answer shining from his eyes.

“I was never allowed to get to know anyone. Whenever I tried to ask my mom, when dad wasn’t around of course, she would shut me down. I always saw a sadness in her eyes though. He wouldn’t let her contact anyone from ‘her old life’, as he put it. So, I never knew there was anyone out there that might have been able to help me.”

“What has that man done to my sister?”

“About the same thing that Carl did to me. I’m not sure about physical beatings or anything because I never saw it happen and didn’t see any evidence of it. But, he controls every move she makes. Even if she wanted to contact you, she couldn’t.”

“What the fuck kind of world did she get you involved in? Did she get involved in? This is so fucked, and I just want to find her and shake some sense into her,” Pops says.

“Can I go lay down now? Please?” Whitney asks, and I can see the wear on her face.

“Yeah sweetheart. This has been a lot to take in and I’ll see you when you get up.”

I watch as Whitney walks down the hallway and disappears around the corner. The only thing I want to do right now is go be there for her, but I think she needs to process and reflect by herself. I’ll go check on her in a little bit. For now, I’ll hang close to Sami and make sure that she’s taking this news better than Whitney is.

Sami

Not only has today been crazy with finding out that Irish had the women plan a special day for me for my birthday. Now, mom and I find out that we’ve had a family all along that would’ve helped us escape. She’s gone to get away from everyone while I want to do nothing but get to know the people that are my family. This is incredible!

Goose has been by my side from the second Pops and everyone else made an appearance. I’m not sure whether or not he knew what was going on, but he’s been keeping an eye on me regardless. Honestly, I’m glad that he’s by my side. I’m not sure what I’d do without him to lean on, because I know if I told him right now that it was too much for me, he’d make sure I was gone for a little bit. Even if we just hid outside somewhere.

“Sami, can I talk to you for a few minutes?” he asks me, a nervousness I’ve never seen in him present.

“Yeah. Um, I have to find someone to keep an eye on Cassidy.”

“You go. We got her,” Skylar tells me.

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah. Go spend a few minutes with Goose and we’ll be right here when you get back. Better go now before Bailey and my husband decide to start monopolizing your time. They’ll want to spend as much time with you as they possibly can.”

Goose leads me outside and to the side of the huge back yard. I never noticed that there was a swing over there, but I’ve really never gone exploring out here either. As I take a seat, I notice him fumbling with something in one of the pockets on his cut. Yes, he’s given me all the correct terms to use about his cut and different things within the club. Things that I’m allowed to know that is.

“Why didn’t you tell me it was your birthday today?” he asks, looking me in the eye now.

“I didn’t want you to think you needed to make a big deal out of it. I’ve never been allowed to really do anything for it, even though mom always made sure something was done for me. So, I didn’t want to go on and on about it when it’s never been a big deal to me.”

“I would’ve made sure that somethin’ special was done. Um, I got you somethin’ when we were shoppin’ earlier. It’s not much, but it’s somethin’.”

Goose takes a gift bag out from behind his back and unfolds it a little bit. I can see his hands shaking slightly as he hands it over. I see in his face that he’s not sure of himself. This just endears me to him even more.

Opening the bag, I see a bigger box with three smaller boxes. I have no clue what he could’ve gotten me, so I pull out the biggest box first and rip it open carefully. Inside is a silver bracelet that you can put charms on. So, I open the next three boxes and find charms in the shape of a music note, the number sixteen, and the last one is a heart. I look up at him with tears in my eyes.

“The music note is for the first conversation we ever had about music. Obviously the sixteen is for your birthday. The heart is because the more time I spend with you, the easier it’s becoming for you to steal my heart. Eventually, when it’s all legal, I’ll give it over to you unconditionally.”

Now I’m fully crying because this is a side of Goose I haven’t seen before. He’s showing his sweet and soft side. I’m sure not many people get to see this side of him and I’m honored that I get to see it. Even if it’s only on a rare occasion.

“Thank you so much! This means so much to me and you don’t even have a clue how special this is.”

“You can keep addin’ charms to it when there’s important events or things too. I’ll show you where I got it someday so that you can get what you want.”

“It will be filled with memories of us and only us. No matter what happens, this is for you and me. No one else will ever have a place on this bracelet.”

Goose doesn’t respond to that. So, I stand up and wrap my arms around his waist. After a brief hesitation on his part, he wraps his arms around me and I feel him kiss the top of my head. It’s a gesture so sweet that I feel the waterworks start to build again and I let go before I do something stupid. Like kiss him the way I want to kiss him.

“Sami, are you ready to help us out?” Bailey asks.

“Yeah,” I reply, walking inside.

I’m sure that Bailey saw the embrace and wanted to get me away from Goose before anything could happen. We both are well aware of the fact that we can’t do anything. At this point, the only thing I’m interested in is spending time with him and getting to know Goose. I’ve never been one to be interested in boys and right now, I’m kind of holding myself back because I don’t know what mom’s plans are going to be as far as staying here or not. I hope we stay though.

“Sami, can you keep watching over Cassidy while Irish goes to check on your mom and we put the finishing touches on everything in here? The guys are going to go out and start getting the grill up and going so that they can get food cooking.”

“I can do that,” I answer as I see Goose making his way in the house. Like I said, never far from my side.

It’s been a few hours and I’ve been playing with Cassidy. Goose and Joker have stayed close by my side. I can tell that Joker wants to talk to me but he’s trying not to overwhelm me. So, I make it easier on him and tell him that if he’s got questions or something to say, then have at it.

“Well, I’m just curious to know about you. Anythin’ that you want to tell me is fine by me.” Joker tells me, scooting his chair a little closer.

“As you know, I’m sixteen and I am hoping that we stay in Clifton Falls. It has nothing to do with Goose, I think that this is the type of town that we need to put roots down in. Now that we know we have family here, true family, I want to be close. I want to have the chance to get to know you all,” I tell him honestly.

“I’m sure we’d all like it if you guys stayed here too. But, the ultimate decision is your mom’s to make,” Joker tells me.

Before I can say anything else, I see my mom making her way out of her bedroom with Irish not far behind her. I know they’ve both been through some serious shit, but I think that they’d be perfect together. He’s always watching her, even when he tries to hide it, and my mom is doing the same thing. She thinks it’s too soon after leaving my dad to even be thinking about finding someone else to be with, but I don’t think that’s the case at all. With them, I think it’s just a matter of timing, and they’ll get it right.

By this time, Joker has joined the guys outside. Goose is still sticking close and the women are all trying to include me in their conversations. I think that Bailey is going to try to get some one-on-one time later on. No one here wants to make us feel uncomfortable. So, I’m guessing that Pops, Joker, and Bailey are going to take some time and visit with us separately over the next few days. It will probably be better for mom in the long run. I know she’s already stressed out and this is just going to add to it. When that happens, she tends to get some migraines. I hate when that happens because she’ll be in bed for days and there’s nothing I can do to help her. It sucks!

“Mom, I’m glad that you’re back out here,” I tell her, letting her come to me.

“I’m sorry that I had to lay down for a bit honey. It’s just a lot to take in.”

“I know. But, you’re here now and that’s all that matters. The guys are getting ready to cook so we can relax until it’s time to eat.”

“I’m going to relax with you and spend some time with Cassidy.”

“Well, you can relax Whitney,” Bailey tells us. “Sami, you’re going to open your presents while we’re waiting to eat. It’s taken longer than usual so this will make time seem quicker if you’re busy.”

We all gather outside around the tables the guys brought over here. At some point in time, someone set up one of the tables with nothing but presents. I thought there was a lot in the SUV, but there’s nothing on what’s out here now. Where the rest of these came from is a mystery to me. I guess I’m about to find out though.

Bailey and Joker start to bring everything over to me one by one. The kids wanted to do it, but I think that Joker and Bailey just want to do something for me since we’re just finding out that we’re all related. Today is definitely turning out to be one of the best days in a long time. If my mom hadn’t decided to stop here for gas and something to eat, we’d never know that we had family.

I got so many gifts from everyone that I don’t know what to do. There’s been everything from clothes, gift cards, a new iPod, money, and the promise from Joker and Pops to teach me how to drive. Mom wasn’t too thrilled about the driving part, but I know that she knows I want to do it. Truthfully, I think that she’s a little relieved that she doesn’t have to be the one that has to do it. Mom’s never said anything, but I know that she’s scared to death to have me behind the wheel with her riding shotgun.

“Did you have a good day today Sami?” mom asks me.

“It’s been amazing! Did I show you what Goose got me?”

“No. Let me see,” she says, excitement for me lacing her voice.

I lift my arm and show off the charm bracelet. It’s one of my favorite gifts and I’m never taking it off. I don’t care what happens or where I go, Goose’s gift is going to be with me no matter what. I can’t wait to start adding charms to show our memories together. By the time we start to build our future, I’m going to need more than one bracelet for charms.

“That’s so pretty!” mom gushes.

“He was so sweet when he gave it to me. I’ve never seen someone nervous like he was. But, he gave me the sweet I see Irish giving you mom.”

Before she can respond, I hear people start singing Happy Birthday. Looking up, I see Joker and Cage carrying a huge cake. I’m going to guess that Skylar made it because this cake is too awesome to be made at some bakery. It’s got pinks and purples on it with butterflies all over the different layers.

As soon as the song is done, I blow out all the candles. I never used to make wishes, but this year I did. My wish is that we stay in Clifton Falls and my mom becomes happy for the first time in her life. She deserves to be happy after everything she sacrificed for me growing up and staying with my dad. I think that if it weren’t for me, she would’ve left a long time ago. We’ll never know for sure, but it’s my thought on the situation.

Skylar cuts the cake while the rest of us wait to get our pieces. She serves me first and then the kids. I walk over to a table with my plate and get joined by Pops, Bailey, Joker, my mom, Irish, and Goose. They surround me, and I can imagine this is what my life would’ve been like if we had known that our family was out there looking for us. Well, they would have if they’d known about us. Now, we don’t have as much to worry about. We have people that want to have our back and make sure that we’re safe and happy. Today couldn’t have turned out better if I planned it out myself.