Page 89 of Under the Influence

Sean and Wendy are Mooneys in spirit. They like to play and get rowdy, but they’re also aware of the rules. They’re probably a little more rebellious than I was growing up. That’s the McGraw influence. Duke loves to ride, will fight if necessary, and doesn’t back down easily. They see how their pa holds himself, rough without being scary. I catch Sean pulling the same facial expressions with his cousins as Duke does with the meatheads. When annoyed, Wendy crosses her arms and scowls just like her pa.

Duke and I don’t butt heads over much during our marriage. One sticking point is where to send the kids to school. I would rather they attend Tumbling Rock’s elementary school with their cousins while Duke wants them to go to the local Basin Rock schools.

By then, we’re spending most nights in Basin Rock. Yet, during the day, I often take the kids to the homestead. They are best buddies with their cousins. The natural leader in Sean is a solid mix with Worth and Van who prefer to follow. The three boys often walk around, talking about animals, motorcycles, and mustaches.

“I’m getting one for my lip when I’m big,” Sean announces with great bravado one spring day while everyone is together for a birthday party.

Duke instantly glances at King Peepaw Jared who nods approvingly. I share my grandfather’s proud grin.

“I don’t want anything on my face,” Worth says with less bravado and then looks to Val to see if that’s okay.

“Your face, your choice,” Val replies, winning a smile from his boy.

“I’m going to grow a beard like Otto,” Van decides.

My nephew is a tricky kid to read. I’m never sure if he’s teasing or not about the beard. Only time will tell.

With Wendy and Sean so attached to their cousins, I feel like school will be more fun in Tumbling Rock.

“I have a plan,” Lola announces after I explain the dilemma during dinner in Basin Rock.

By then, Lola and Val have a house on the property, not far from ours and Clover’s. Like Duke and me, they bounce back and forth between homes.

“This should be good,” Clover says, snickering with her sex-free life partner, Zelda.

The two of them live together with their many pets. Alexis’s cousin is also disinterested in the romantic aspects of a relationship, but she adores Clover.

Months ago, Erin found her own special someone. Her fourth husband is a gentle, goofy guy named Henry who retired to Tumbling Rock. The two met at a farmer’s market on his first weekend in town. They’ve been inseparable ever since.

Lola pauses to admire her family before explaining her idea, “Val and I have chosen to send our kids to school in Tumbling Rock. If you did the same, we could take turns driving back and forth and lessen the load for everyone.”

Duke frowns. “What’s wrong with the schools in Basin Rock?”

“Nothing,” Lina tells her peepaw and pats his hand. “You’re doing great.”

Chuckling now, Duke shrugs. “I liked the schools.”

“Allow me to explain, sir,” Val says, winning an eye roll from Duke and me. “Our people are more awesome than other people. The more of us in one place, the cooler it becomes. Of course, as we all know, school is a drag.”

The four kids instantly go wide-eyed and glance at each other, having been told school was fun and exciting and not to worry about being away from home all day. Now, they realize they’ve been lied to.

Val ignores their horror and continues, “In Basin Rock, there’ll only be four awesome kids. In Tumbling Rock, there’ll be nine. Ten if you include Oana’s nephew. That’s a small army right there, watching each other’s backs, making each other laugh, and smelling each other’s farts. Just priceless.”

“I’m not smelling your farts,” Wendy tells Lina immediately.

“You’re smelling them right now.”

The two of them start laughing. Their brothers quickly join in. Soon, we’re all laughing at how Lina pretends to fan the smell at Wendy who swoons as if lightheaded from the stench.

Duke and I share a gaze. I know he’s come around on the school issue. After all, he spent much of his life feeling like he had to stand alone. Even with his brother and the club, he couldn’t trust anyone to have his back. He was a man with many friends, but none he fully trusted.

His life opened up when Val claimed Lola. Duke is no longer alone at the top. He’s even stepped back into the VP position to let Val run the show.

His daughters have found love and a solid tribe of friends. His mom isn’t marrying men for their wallets or penis sizes anymore. She’s actually in love.

The Rawkfist Motorcycle Club is no longer his rival. His relationship with the meatheads is stronger now that he no longer resents them for being unable to lead. Without that pressure, the men can hang out like they did years ago before Duke worried about the Charleston club.

The threat from Charleston ended once they learned taking Basin Rock would involve also facing off against the Rawkfist Motorcycle Club. The two clubs are a good match. Rawkfist has a better management style, something Duke is learning to emulate. Meanwhile, the Blood-Red Suns have a surplus of younger guys able to throw down in a fight.

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