Game Changer (Hell's Saints Motorcycle Club) (30 page)

It was Willow’s second birthday. We had decided to celebrate it together with the housewarming of our newly built home up on the grassy knoll beside the little stream. Crow and Diego had begun drawing up the plans right after Willow’s birth. The house was made of stone and timber. It was beautifully rustic and filled with large windows that let in lots of natural light.

The house sat in the middle of the meadow where I had made love to Diego and had thanked the heavens for sending him to me. And I still gave thanks for him. My beautiful bad man who had given me this perfect little dark haired, blue eyed baby girl. Willow Magaskawee Montesalto was a happy, chubby baby and the apple of her father’s eye.

We had been married as soon as our whole little family had been up to it. The birth of the baby had gone quickly, but Willow had been small and had needed some extra time in the hospital. Diego and I had kept a constant vigil. I honestly believed that I heard the entire nursing staff heave a collective sigh of relief when little Willow had been released.

Diego kept his word to Claire. He did what the
good daddies do
and he did it all the time. He left us only once and that was to go to Nevada. He had stopped at the florist and brought Janey and his son a beautiful bouquet of flowers. He also brought the ring that was now too small for him, the one he had kept in his wallet under the only picture he had left of Janey. He took the picture and the wedding ring, buried them deep in the soil below the gravestone, placed the flowers lovingly on top and said his goodbyes. He had explained to me that it was not the memory of them he was saying goodbye to, but the crippling fear that had risen from their ashes and had almost destroyed him.

Then he had come home to Willow and me. That night he planted the seed of our next child deep within me. I rubbed my round little belly lovingly. Willow would have a baby brother or sister in the fall. I could not be happier.

It had been a good couple of years for the brotherhood. The deal that Prosper had been working on came through and had proven as lucrative as he had known it would be. Apparently, the Italians had been instrumental in seeing it through. Gianni’s crew had worked alongside the Saints on a couple of deals since then. In an odd turn of events I had met Gianni’s family and I had liked them.

I knew the incident with Manny and Ellie had put a crimp in the alliance. I had been out of my mind would fear that Manny would exact revenge on Claire or me or even Willow for Ellie’s death. Claire had the same fear. But Prosper had reassured us that he had taken care of it. While I was afraid of what that had meant, I was also relieved. God help me.

The MC had used the money to move towards more legitimate enterprises and they were all taking off. The brothers were rolling deep in green. Life was good

Claire and Glory had stayed on at the lake house and although the past couple of years had thrown them a few curves, they were holding their own.

Things between Claire and Reno got complicated, then simple then complicated again. I was not quite sure where they stood.

Glory had slowly revealed more and more of her story but still kept her secrets. She still spent a lot of her time at the lake. A lot of that that time was spent with Jules.

Dolly and Pinky spent a whole lot of time spoiling Willow.

*****

Dusk was setting in and the boys had begun to stoke the fire in the pit. Prosper was playing Seger on his harp. Crow, Reno and Jules were setting up the deck table for a poker game. Dolly, Claire, Pinky and Glory were beginning to clean up from the cake and presents.

Willow was rubbing her sleepy little eyes with her chubby fist. I picked her up from the middle of her cache of new toys. She held onto me sleepily until she saw her daddy. Then she tried to wiggle out of my arms reaching for him. He smiled lovingly at her and took her from me. Together we walked with her into the house. I watched as Diego washed her little hands and face, changed her diaper and put her into her little pajamas. It always amazed me to see how much he loved doing both the “mommy and daddy” things for her. I settled into the rocking chair and he handed her to me. I snuggled her little body against me. Softly singing, I fed her from the bottle. Diego kissed me, then her and moved to the door.

I stayed with Willow, holding her in my arms long after she had fallen asleep. I rocked her lovingly watching the light of the shadow people dancing on the warm wood patina of the light pine.

I watched as the silhouettes caught in the firelight, casting long shadows on my daughter’s walls.

I looked at her sleeping peacefully under the dancing images, satisfied that she had nothing to fear.

I kissed her softly, placed her in her warm safe crib and gently closed the door.

Then I went to find my husband.