Chapter Thirty-One
Veronica
My eyes scan the clubhouse, looking around to make sure everything is just right. The old ladies went all out, making sure there is food for everyone. Cline and I did our fair share of cooking, making five side dishes and three desserts. Luckily, the brothers are handling the meat on the grill. They are cooking hotdogs, burgers, chicken, ribs, and even steak.
Brass has gone to pick up Dad. He’s finally coming home today, and I want everything to be perfect. I haven’t seen him in months. I haven’t even talked to him in weeks, not since before he went to jail when we talked about me coming here. Today, I will finally be able to wrap my arms around my daddy and let him know how much he means to me.
“You need to calm the fuck down, baby,” Van says as I move the side dishes around for the tenth time.
“I’m nervous,” I tell him, letting him hear my fear.
“I know, but you still need to calm down,” he states, sounding exasperated.
I want to see my dad, can’t wait to see him, but a part of me is scared out of my mind. I haven’t had a chance to talk to him about Van and me. If he’s pissed that I’m with Van, I’m not sure what I will do. There is no doubt in my mind; I would not turn my back on Van and Cline. I just don’t know how I will handle whatever shit he might throw our way. Even worse, I have no idea how Van will react.
As a member of the Riot MC, I know he has to listen to his President. If Dad doesn’t allow him to claim me, he won’t have any choice but to turn his back on me. If he doesn’t, he won’t have his cut anymore. That is something I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy.
“What if Dad makes you let me go?” I ask, the question having been weighing on me for more days than I can count.
Before Van can answer, Dad walks in the door. All my worries disappear. I rush toward him, throwing myself into his arms. He pulls me in close, placing a kiss on the top of my head. No matter how old I get, I will always feel like a little girl when I am in my Daddy’s arms.
“I missed you, Daddy,” I whisper, not wanting anyone else to hear. “I missed you so much more than you can imagine.”
When I was in boarding school, the kids used to pick on me for calling my father Daddy. Not liking the constant teasing, I forced myself to think of him as Dad. The next time he came for a visit, I called him Dad for the first time. The pain in his eyes, a look that tore my heart apart, made me realize all those kids and their bullshit didn’t mean shit to me. He was my Daddy and would be until the day I die.
“I missed you, too, sweetheart,” He whispers, tightening his arms around me. “I’m hoping I won’t have to miss you again.”
I instantly know what he’s saying. Dad doesn’t want me leaving Cotton Plains, doesn’t want me living in Chicago anymore. He wants me close, wants to be part of my life on a regular basis. Well, I couldn’t agree with him more.
“You will never have to miss me again,” I promise, giving him a tight squeeze.
He finally pushes me back, not quite letting me go. He looks over my shoulder, lifting his chin to someone. A second later, Van’s arms are wrapped around me, pulling me away from my father.
As soon as his arms are empty, Cline rushes him. He has her off the ground a second later, laughing as she peppers his face with kisses. Seeing them together, I’m reminded of myself as a little girl. A knot forms in my throat as a wave of love crashes through me.
Cline isn’t usually allowed in the clubhouse. In fact, this is the first time I’ve ever see her here. Today is different. This isn’t a regular club party; today is about family. Van let all the boys know to keep their shit to a minimum and made sure all the club women stayed away.
Dad and Cline start talking. He listens to every word as she tells him everything she has done while he was away. He laughs when she tells him about feeding Denver cupcakes. He places a kiss on her cheek when she promises to make him some soon.
“I never would’ve thought that this would be a good idea,” Dad says, looking at Van and me. “Never imagined it before, but I have to say, if anyone is the right person for my little girl, it’s you.”
I look back to Van and whisper, “What is he talking about?”
Van smiles down at me but doesn’t answer my question. “Just listen, darlin’.”
“When he told me he was claiming you, I wasn’t sure what to think. I was pissed any man thought they were good enough for you. You’re my baby girl, too fucking perfect for any man.” Dad smiles at me. “Then, I realized that if anyone could make you happy, it would be him and Cline. Also realized you’d be staying in Cotton Plains. Gotta admit, I love that thought.”
I didn’t have a clue that Dad even knew anything about Van and me. I should’ve known that Van would tell him about us. Not only because I am the President’s daughter, but because Van respects him so much and wouldn’t want to go behind his back.
Cline wiggles out of my dad’s arms and rushes over to me, wrapping her arms around my thigh. “Are you staying, Ronni?”
When I first got here, Van explained that I would only be staying with them a little while then would be heading back to Chicago. She was okay with that at first, but over the last week, Cline has asked me to stay a million times. I haven’t known what to say, because I wasn’t sure how Dad would react to Van and me being together. Guess that just changed.
I pull out of Van’s hold and bend down to Cline. “Is it okay with you if I stay with you and your daddy?”
“Yes!” She wraps her arms around me and shouts, “I love you, Ronni.”
Tears fill my eyes as I hug her tight. “I love you, too, sweetie.”
When she finally pulls away, I realize Dad and Van are no longer standing beside us. I was so lost in the moment, I didn’t even notice them walking away. My eyes scan the room, wondering where the hell they went.
Cline taps me on the leg. “Where did Gramps and Daddy go?”
“They had something they had to do,” I answer, not knowing what else to say. “They’ll be back in a little bit, honey.”
Before she can ask anything else, I see a couple of prospects bringing in trays filled with meat off the grill. Everyone flocks to the food, filling their plates as if they were starving. My stomach lets out a noise, reminding me I haven’t eaten anything today.
“Do you want to go with me and grab something to eat?” I ask, not willing to wait for Dad and Van to get back.
She nods her head and grabs my hand. “I want some peach cobbler.”
Cline and I made four cobblers last night: one apple, a cherry, and two peaches, since that is both her and Van’s favorite. We ate one last night but made her wait to tear into the other one. She has been asking for some since we got here.
“How about we grab a burger first?” I say, knowing she needs something other than sweets. “Then, you can have some cobbler.”
She agrees, and we make our way to the food. It only takes a minute to fill our plates. When we’re done, I realize all the tables are filled with bikers and their families eating. I look around the room, trying to find a place for us to sit down.
“Over here,” Milly shouts from the other side of the room.
Cline runs to her, already digging into her food before I can even reach the table. I take my seat, looking around the table to see it filled with old ladies. I’ve only met a few of them, some nice and some not, but I still feel comfortable. These are my people now. They always have been really, since Riot MC blood runs through my veins.
Looking down, I realize that Cline has only taken one bite of her burger and hasn’t even touched either of the sides I put on her place, while she has nearly eaten all of the peach cobbler she got.
“I know you love peaches, but you need to eat a little more of your burger or some of the macaroni and cheese,” I instruct, knowing it is not going to make her happy.
“Fine,” she mumbles, wearing an adorable little girl pout.
A minute or two passes before Milly leans over and whispers, “Glad you’ve decided to stay. That little girl needs a momma to watch over her.”
I start to remind her I’m not Cline’s momma, but the words just won’t come out. I may not have given birth to her, may have missed the first six years of her life, but I’m the closest thing she has to a mother right now. Until her mom gets her head out of her ass, I’m going to enjoy every minute of filling that role.