Page 119 of Shine: Sins of the Father
It dawns on him I’m hinting he’ll be sewing his patches on his cut at long last. His face lights up brighter than I’ve ever seen. I just hope he likes arid desert climate, because his days of California coastlines and ocean views are over.
Green pokes his head around the corner and whistles. “Shine. Come on.”
“This is it, ladies. Wish me luck.” I stand, and Fiona gives me a kiss on the cheek, then I follow Green.
When we enter the room, men are gathered all around the long table, some standing against the wall.
Outlaw, Crash, Wolf, Green, Red Dog, Jake, Shane, Marcus, TJ, Reckless, Billy, Rafe, Kyle, and Cody. Fourteen men about to decide my future and whether I wear a patch at all.
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
Fiona—
Footsteps sound, and I turn. Shine approaches. He’s alone; there’s no group of laughing brothers behind him.
My heart sinks.
They didn’t give it to him. They voted against him.
No. This can’t be.
My mother squeezes my hand. She feels it too. This isn’t how a yes vote would play out. This seems more like when they turn a man down. I pass Dylan to my mother and meet him halfway.
When Shine reaches me, I slide my hands up his cut and frown. He still has his cut on. What does that mean? Is he going back to Nevada? Did he change his mind about giving up the club for me?
I cup his cheeks. “Oh, baby. I’m so sorry.”
He nods. “I am, too. Because you’ve got some sewing to do.” With that, he pulls a California bottom rocker out of his pocket.
I smack his chest. “Oh, you asshole. I thought they said no. That wasn’t nice to do to me.”
He winks. “But so worth it to see your face light up when I pulled this out of my pocket.” He lays it across my palm. “But seriously… you’ll have to sew it.”
I throw my arms around him, and he spins me in a circle.
The men come around the corner and into the room. They all slap his back, and soon shots are poured and toasts are made.
My father sits at the end of the bar, nursing a drink and not participating. I move to him and wrap my arms around him and kiss his cheek. “Thank you, Daddy.”
“Doesn’t mean I like him. Doesn’t mean I’ve forgiven him.”
“You’re not mad at him. Not really. You’re mad at me. I’m the one who snuck up to the cabin without permission. I was somewhere I wasn’t supposed to be. Not Shine. He had permission to be there. He’s an Evil Dead brother and was where he was supposed to be. I’m the one who lied to you about everything. I’m the one who tried to keep my pregnancy a secret, then kept Dylan’s father’s identity a secret. I did that, not Shine.”
“You’re right, Fiona. I am mad at you. I expected more.”
“I’m not perfect. No one in our family is, including you. You can’t expect us never to make mistakes. I’m so sorry I let you down and put you through all this, but I’m a grown woman, and I have to make my own choices… and sometimes my own mistakes. You and Mom are so important to me. I’m a success in my business because of you and Mom and everyone else who helped me along the way. But Shine is important to me, too. I want a life with both you and Shine in it. I need the two of you to get along.”
He doesn’t reply, but I can tell he’s thinking about what I said.
“Please just give him a chance. Shine will prove himself to you, just like he has to me.”
“We’ll see.”
It’s as much as he’s willing to admit, so I take it. I hug his neck, and his arm comes around me. “I love you, Daddy.”
“I love you more, Fiona. More than you’ll ever know. The love a man has for his child—it’s a powerful thing.”
I nod. “I think Shine is discovering exactly what you mean. Maybe you two have more in common than you know.”
