The Davenport Christmas Chronicles - Piper Davenport Page 0,51
around the page and then back to me. A look of excitement washing over his face.
“Does this mean what I think it does?” Flash asked.
“Yup. Sadie’s aunt has agreed to foster Madison until the state can best figure out where to place her long term.”
Sadie Carsen was married to Ryder, a local bar owner, and he’d become an unofficial member of the Dogs. Sadie was an ex-nun and her aunt was not only a registered foster parent, she was the Mother Superior of the Beaverton abbey.
“Seriously?”
“Yep. Uncle Booker was able to get a family court judge to expedite the order, and by tonight she’ll be out of that house and away from her train wreck of a mom.”
“What about her stepdad?”
“Turns out, the club had history with this guy and he’s a real piece of work. I’ve had eyes on him since the minute you told me what was going on, and he’s never getting near Madison again. I called Jaxon at the FBI and he’s gonna investigate her stepdad’s web-cam operation. We’re gonna make sure this guy is stopped and can’t hurt anyone else.”
Flash looked stunned. “Wow.”
“Trust me, Madison will be well setup and safe with Sadie’s aunt.”
“But she lives in Beaverton, doesn’t she? What about school?”
“The club’s got that covered, too. I’ve assigned a rotation of guards that will drive her to and from school, as well as keep an eye on her from a distance, until we get her situation worked out permanently.”
Flash dropped the papers on the bed and hugged me super tight, like he did when he was little. My middle child and I had always had a special bond. Maybe because he was my first son, or maybe it was because I saw myself in him so clearly. Either way, he was growing up fast and I savored this moment with him as I knew it may be a while until we had another like it.
“Thanks, Dad. I don’t know what to say.”
“The only thing you have to say is that you’ll come to me right away the next time you, or any of your friends, has a problem. You understand?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Earlier you said something about my time being divided between my family and my club, but that’s not true at all, son. You and your brother and sister, and your mama are my family, but so is the club. And they’re your family too. A family that loves you and will always protect you and the ones you love.”
“I guess I was afraid that you’d be disappointed that me and my friends aren’t perfect.”
“You have nothing to be ashamed about, and never have to be afraid to come to me about anything. The stuff Madison is dealing with is more than either of you can or should handle. Hell, it’s more than I can handle alone.”
“But you’re the President of the club. Doesn’t that mean you’re qualified to do everything and make whatever decisions you want?”
I smiled. “It’s the exact opposite, buddy. Being the president means depending on the people around me all the time. A great leader knows how to rely on the talents of their teammates, and a great man or woman always puts the needs of others before their own. Your mother and I have taught you this since you were little, but it’s only now that you’re a little older that some of these lessons will start to make sense.”
“I promise I’ll come to you right away next time.”
“You’re a good man for looking out for your friend. Now your job is to let Uncle Jaxon do his, and let me do mine. We’re gonna make sure Madison is okay, and you’re gonna work on smoothing things over with Tate.”
“She’s still pretty pissed,” Flash said.
“She’s only pissed because she’s hurt, and she’s only hurt because...”
“I hurt her.”
“By?”
“Not listening to her advice and minimizing what she was going through in this situation.”
I grinned. “See, I knew you had the answers, now go over to her house and tell her.”
“What if she doesn’t want to talk?”
“I’ve found women tend to find time in their schedules for us to grovel and beg for forgiveness. Besides,” I added with a smile. “Until the stroke of midnight, it’s still the Christmas season.”
“Thanks, Dad,” Flash said, and true to his name, was out the door like a shot.
I walked out and joined Maisie, who was already relaxing on the couch with a flute of Champagne.
“Hey, aren’t you supposed to wait until midnight to drink that