Charlie

 

The next morning, I had some shit to get done. After having breakfast with Nicolette and her folks, I drove out to the Steel Gods’ hideout. They were all sitting at the bar, having a beer, and by the looks on their faces they were none too surprised to see me.

 

I walked over to James, one of the guys who’d joined the MC around the same time as me. “Hey,” I said. “Thanks for seeing me like this.”

 

James looked at me warily. “No problem,” he said. He pulled me into a half-hug and slapped me on the back. “Are we gonna be seein’ you around here?”

 

I shrugged. “Depending on what Nicolette wants to do,” I said. “But I can’t get involved with anything illegal again. Can’t risk leaving her with that kid all alone. She needs someone to take care of her.” I sighed. “And I’m gonna ask her to marry me sometime when we’re here. So I can really take care of her, y’know?”

 

“Fuckin’ congrats! Get this man a beer!” The other guys cheered and clapped. One of them tossed me a cold can of Bud and I popped the top, chugging the cold, yeasty brew until my stomach was full.

 

“I need you to promise me that Jack ain’t ever gonna hunt her down again,” I said. “Even if he gets out of the big house. He can’t come near Nicolette. She’ll get a restraining order, but that goes for her kid, too. I legally adopted her.”

 

“I swear,” James said. He gave me his hand and we shook. “I’m the new Prez now, anyway, so I make the fuckin’ rules. Jack isn’t welcome around here, even if he does get out.”

 

“Oh yeah?” I smirked. “What else did he do?”

 

“He fuckin’ left Kip stranded in prison in Utah,” James said. He made a fist and punched his other hand. “And he was fuckin’ stealing money from the club. About three million of it. All siphoned right into his personal bank accounts.”

 

“No shit,” I breathed. Jack had been like a god of the Steel Gods, and no one had ever been willing to disobey him before. Hearing that the guys had finally turned their backs on him for good was the best news I’d ever gotten.

 

By the time I left the clubhouse, I was feeling nervous again. Nicolette’s parents cooked dinner, and we all sat out on the front porch together afterwards, drinking iced tea and looking up at the sky. I’d really missed California – maybe it was in my blood now – and being back felt like the perfect vacation, the perfect time to tell Nicolette how I really felt.

 

When the sun started sinking low in the sky, I got up and walked over to Nicolette. She gasped as I dropped down on one knee and pulled a small velvet box out of my pocket.

 

“Nicolette, I know we didn’t meet under the most ideal circumstances,” I said slowly. “But since we met, I’ve never been able to get out outta my mind. You’re the perfect woman, and the only woman I could ever imagine spending the rest of my life with. I love you, and I want to take care of you and Isabelle until the day I die. Will you marry me?”

 

Nicolette teared up. She blinked, her big brown eyes shining in the twilight. Her blonde-streaked brown hair was pushed over one shoulder, and her lips were pouty and trembling. “Yes,” she whispered. “I love you, Charlie. And yes, I want to marry you.”

 

With shaking hands, I lifted the ring out of the small box and slid it onto her finger. “You’ve made me the happiest man on earth,” I said. “And I’m so glad.”

 

“About time!” Nicolette’s dad thundered. He walked over to me and clapped his hand on my back. “Son, I had no idea you were gonna take so long!” He threw his head back and laughed loudly. “Congratulations, both of you!”

 

Nicolette glanced from me to her father. “Charlie, what’s he talking about?”

 

I licked my dry lips. “When I first called your parents, to see if they would want us to visit, I asked permission for your hand,” I said. “I know it’s old-fashioned. But I know how much the approval of your folks means to you, and I wanted to make sure I was doing right by them.” I smirked. “I’ve been doing things wrong for so long that it’s taken me forever to learn how to do them right. And dammit, Nicolette, I need to do right by you. I need to do right by Isabelle, too. And all the other kids we may have.” I raised my eyebrows and smiled as Nicolette’s face blushed bright red.

 

Nicolette glanced down at the ring on her finger. “It’s too perfect,” she said softly. “I don’t believe this.”

 

I grinned. “Yeah, well, living in a cottage in Utah sure has its perks,” I said. “That’s why I wanted to stay out there for a while, babe. I wanted to make sure I could buy you a ring. But now that you’ve got it…” I trailed off, teasing her. “Feel like moving back to Carlsbad?”

 

The pressure of Nicolette’s little arms around my neck were all the answer I needed. We kissed as her parents picked up Isabelle and carried her into the house, giving us some privacy.

 

“You happy?” I raised my eyebrow at her. “You happy, marrying me and settling down with Isabelle?”

 

Nicolette’s eyes were shining with happy tears as our lips met. “Yes,” she whispered softly. “I love you, Charlie. This is the happy ending I always wanted.”

 

I couldn’t stop the lump from forming in my throat as I kissed her back. “Good,” I said quietly. “This is everything I always wanted, too.”

 

THE END

 

 

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