We sat on the same bench beside the lake where we first shared our secrets. The sun began to set in the distance, and the late evening clouds blocked the few remaining minutes of sunshine, but provided an extremely colorful sunset. Blake’s tattoo convention must have been very relaxing for him, because he seemed at peace with everything since he returned.

“I talked to Doc Racine on the phone this morning,” he said as he gazed toward the western sky.

“About…”

“Well, I don’t think I need to go back. It all started because of my past, and now that we’ve written that letter, and worked out the entire sex thing, there’s really nothing left,” he said.

“You think? Really? Like never go back?” I asked, excited about his progress with everything in life.

“Maybe not. We’ll see, I suppose, but I’m feeling pretty good about everything,” he said.

His face looked healthy. I knew he rarely slept an entire night, and often stayed up drawing until very late, but to Blake, it was his therapy. Tonight, however, he looked like he had received full night’s sleep, and he seemed to be at peace staring out at the sunset.

“Are you okay?” I asked.

“You know,” he said as continued to gaze blankly at the horizon.

He turned toward me and smiled. “I’m really good, Riley. Really good. I uhhm. That’s why I wanted to come here. Just to talk and relax. It’s peaceful here. It just seems like this is where everything started to be, I don’t know, fixed.”

“I like it here, too.”

“So, I talked to Jackson this morning,” he said.

“Oh, yeah, and?” I asked.

“Well, you know. Clubs never ask a person to be a member or prospect. Never happens. But uhhm. If a guy asks them about being a member, then they offer everything up. You know, the process and all. But it always starts from an outsider asking,” he said.

I nodded my head. “Okay.”

“Well, I made the mistake of asking how a guy becomes a member,” he said.

“Oh. Wow. Uhhm, what happened?” I asked.

“He turned sideways on the bench and placed his hand on my thigh. “They asked me to become a prospect.”

I swallowed heavily. From my talk with Em in the bar, she shared with me how the club had become a family for Jackson, and that it was the best thing that ever happened to him. She also explained the level of secrecy the men have regarding the club and club business. As much as I hated to admit it, I was excited for Blake to possibly become a member of something like a motorcycle club, and I felt it would provide me with several new girlfriends.

“What did you say?” I asked.

“Told him I’d think about it,” he said.

“Well, you ride, you love to ride, and you’re covered in tattoos. Hell, you don’t even own a car. And you don’t have a family. I think you’re perfect for it,” I said as I reached for his hand.

“Do you?” he asked.

I nodded my head. “I do. And I’d be proud of you if you did. And you know how my mom feels about those guys. In her eyes, they can’t do any wrong. She just loves Axton.”

“You be proud?” he asked.

“Who wouldn’t? Yes, I really would,” I said.

“Well, I’ll sleep on it,” he said. “And we’ll talk again, okay?”

“Okay,” I said with a smile.

“And I’ve got something,” I said.

“Let’s hear it. What, you catch the shop on fire?” he asked.

I laughed. “No. My uhhm. My mom, she wants to start a tradition, and she wants to know if you’re interested.”

“Depends on what it is,” he said.

“She wants to have Sunday dinner at her house every Sunday. You know, like a family.” I said.

Slowly, he twisted his forearm half around, gazed at the line tattooed across his wrist, and stared. “That’d be really nice,” he said as he glanced up.

I jumped up from the bench. “You mean you’ll do it?”

“Yeah. It’d be nice,” he said.

“Oh wow. Mom’s just gonna die. She’s going to be so happy. You realize this is like every Sunday, right?” I asked.

He stood from the bench and wrapped his arms around me. “Yes, I understand. And it sounds perfect. Like a family.”

“Yes,” I said.

A tear welled in my eye and slowly crept down my cheek at the thought of Blake having something he could call a family.

“A family,” I said as I wiped my finger across my cheek.

“Let’s go see her,” he said.

“My mom?” I asked excitedly.

He nodded his head.

“Okay,” I said as I reached down and grabbed my helmet.

“Meet me at the bike,” he said. “I’ve got to do something really quick.”

“Okay,” I said.

It seemed strange for him to ask me to walk away, but if it was what he needed, I wanted to provide it. As I sat on the curb beside the bike and gazed down the hill at the lake, I watched as Blake reached into his pocket, pulled something out, and tossed it into the middle of the lake.

I couldn’t tell for sure against the setting sun, but it looked like his cross.

After a moment, he walked up to the bike and smiled a huge smile. “Ready?”

I nodded my head and stood. “What did you throw away?”

He gazed down at his boots for a moment. As he shifted his eyes upward, he responded.

“My past,” he said.

And I fully believed him.