Page 85 of Under the Influence

At breakfast, Clover, Lola, Val, and Erin show up. Edith makes pancakes while I fry eggs and hash browns for everyone. Clover hears our idea about getting to know the homestead dogs to see if any seem like keepers.

“But I’m planning to move to Lola’s apartment soon,” Clover says, seeming overly nervous about the dog idea.

“There’s no hurry on taking in one of those stinky bastards,” Val replies immediately. “Most of our fosters have been around for more than six months. They can wait for you to get your life in order. And if you don’t like any of them, they won’t even know what they’re missing. It’s all good.”

Clover smiles at how simple Val makes everything seem. I catch Erin also settling down, though she keeps a wary eye on Edith.

After breakfast, Val drives Edith to work while Lola shadows me for a few hours. We end up in my office where we once worked out our plan for her arranged marriage.

“Your grandma’s going to take a while to accept I haven’t lost my mind with Edith.”

“She thinks you’re making promises you won’t keep. Then, you’ll change your mind, and Edith’s heart will be broken. Then, the clubs will battle.”

“All that, huh?”

Lola lifts her phone to show off her grandma’s texts “It’s all very dramatic.”

“What do you think?”

“I think you’ve been enchanted by the homestead’s magic. That means Edith and you will stick.”

Smiling, I recall how perfect Edith looked this morning asleep in my bed. She was so beautiful when she first opened her eyes and saw me. I always feel like the best man in the world to make her smile like that.

“Clover told me about the baby,” Lola says, smirking at me. “I hope you don’t think that means I’ll wait to give you a grandkid.”

Thinking of my recent grumpiness, I admit, “I lost myself a little after my panic attack. I resented feeling weak. I hated how I needed help from the Rawkfist club. I was acting like a stubborn mule about Val and the future. But I’m past that now.”

Lola snickers. “I can’t believe I’m going to have a new baby brother or sister.”

“This is all because of you,” I say, sharing her grin. “You set everything in motion when you offered the arranged marriage to create an alliance.”

Lola’s expression softens, and I know she’s thinking of Val. “Our plan only sped up the inevitable. Val was never going to walk away. Sooner or later, I would have let him close, and you’d have met Edith. The alliance was always going to happen. But I’m happy it happened this way. I hope you don’t have any regrets, either.”

“As stressful as sneaking around ended up being, it was probably for the best. With eyes on us, I might have fought my feelings more. By the time everyone found out, I knew what I wanted. Now, you and I can start our new lives.”

A few days after Edith first visits my place, Lola and Val take off for their honeymoon in Arcadia. They return a week later with her suffering a stomach bug that turns out to be my first grandchild.

By then, Edith has moved into my house. We had planned to wait longer before bringing her things here full-time. Edith and I figured she’d stay two nights with me and then two at her parents’ place until we were ready to go full-time.

That was the plan, anyway. Then, her parents, brothers, and sisters-in-law come over for dinner. Edith expects to return to the homestead with them. Despite the relaxing meal with my new family, I can’t settle down. Though I don’t beg her to stay, Edith senses what I need. Her stuff is moved in the next day.

With her living in Basin Rock now, I get the meatheads together at the clubhouse to tell them about Edith.

“Nice,” Knobby says immediately. “She’s quite the looker.”

Mucky nods. “Long legs. Shiny hair. Real pretty lips.”

“Nope,” I growl and snap my fingers before any of them yell out more shit. “I’m marrying Edith. If you guys want to treat me like your fucking dad, then she’s your mom. Stop perving.”

“Edith called me ‘uncouth’ once,” Cubby says and looks around at the other guys. “Now, that she’s going to be our biker mom, I might need to find out what that word means.”

After I spell the word and they look it up, the guys start sniffing each other.

“Youareuncouth, man,” Knobby tells Cubby. “Soap up more.”

“Edith wants to have you over to my place for ribs and the fixings,” I tell the guys who instantly sit up straighter. “How about you all soap up beforehand, so we don’t need to look up any new words.”

During the barbecue, the meatheads are on their best behavior with Edith. Though she isn’t as fun as Tuesday, Edith doesn’t insult them to their faces, so they like her better. With everyone acting like a big happy family, I know they’ll keep an eye out for her when she’s around Basin Rock.

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