ready. You’re the one in here searching through all the kitchen cabinets for something to eat.”
“I was hungry!”
He placed his hand on my ever-so-large and growing-by-the-minute belly. “You’re always hungry, Sunshine.”
I rolled my eyes and said, “It’s your fault, you know. With your gene pool, he’ll probably end up being ten feet tall.”
Clutch’s lips curled into a mischievous grin as he asked, “You reckon he’ll have big hands, too?”
Before I had a chance to respond, Charlie came barging into the kitchen and shouted, “I’m rolling out!”
“Wait!” I shouted. I rushed over and straightened his tie. I tried to hold back my tears as I said, “You look so handsome.”
“Don’t go getting all mushy on me, Sis. I’ve gotta go,” he told me as he pulled away. He headed for the back door and yelled, “I’ll see you there!”
“We better get moving,” Clutch told me. “I’ll grab Casey and meet you in the car.”
“Okay,” I told him as I grabbed a couple of snack bars and shoved them in my purse.
When we arrived, all of Clutch’s brothers were already there waiting in the parking lot. I could tell by the expression on his face that it meant a lot to him that they were there. Even Cyrus came all the way from Memphis, and I was pleasantly surprised to see that he’d brought Sam along with him. When I’d last talked to him, he was about to be patched into the club, so I knew he had gotten back on his feet. I almost didn’t recognize him with his bright-colored polo and khaki pants, but as soon as he smiled, I knew it was him.
I rushed over to him and gave him a big hug. “I can’t believe you came! It’s so good to see you!”
“I wouldn’t miss it,” he said softly. “You look beautiful, Olivia.”
“Thanks, Sam. You look pretty great yourself,” I told him as I linked my arm through his and led him towards the seating area. “Let’s go find a place to sit.”
It was a perfect afternoon. The sun was shining bright and there was a cool breeze whipping around us as we sat there waiting. I looked to my side, watching Clutch make funny faces at our daughter Casey. She was only eighteen months old but I could already tell that she was going to be just like her father, with her silly sense of humor and mischievous smiles, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Hadley was sitting next to them, texting on her phone as usual, and she looked absolutely stunning. I couldn’t believe how much she’d grown in the past three years, and I just couldn’t stop staring at her. When she noticed that I was looking at her, she rolled her eyes and pointed to the front as she said, “Charlie is about to come up.”
My heart swelled with pride as I watched my brother walk up to the podium. He’d worked so hard, and I knew it meant the world to him that he’d made valedictorian of his class. He stepped up to the microphone and smiled when he spotted us all sitting out in the crowd. The only thing missing was our parents. It was days like this that I missed them the most. They would have been so proud to see him standing up there in his cap and gown. Their children’s education meant a great deal to them, so with the inheritance money, I’d paid Charlie’s college tuition in full and bought him a safe vehicle to drive back and forth. I planned to do the same for Hadley when she graduated. As they stepped out to make their mark on the world, money would never be an issue for either of them; Dad made sure of that.
When the graduation ceremony was over, we all headed over to the clubhouse. The guys had a big barbeque planned and everyone was excited to celebrate Charlie’s success. The brothers of Satan’s Fury were our family, and they never failed to be there at our side whenever we needed them. With all of them, we’d found our home, and there was no other place I’d rather be.
The End.
Smokey’s book is coming soon. And Blaze will also get his own book in the near future!
Marci Ponce – Your dedication astounds me. Thank you for always being there to give me that little push I need to make the book even better. I can’t wait for you to publish your