Total pages in book: 130
Estimated words: 125517 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 628(@200wpm)___ 502(@250wpm)___ 418(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 125517 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 628(@200wpm)___ 502(@250wpm)___ 418(@300wpm)
His free hand went to one of hers to link their fingers together.
“Won’t you get in trouble for giving Blue a beer?”
“Not if we don’t get caught.” Doom shrugged uncaringly. “Every father deserves to have at least one beer with his son at a bar.”
“You didn’t want Dad to miss out,” Tink stated.
“I didn’t want Blue to miss out,” Doom corrected her.
“He seems so much better today. He’s been so sick for the last few days that I was starting to get scared…”
Doom didn’t want to give her false hope. “It’s called the rally time.” He had noticed how ill Carter had become, and he had been carefully watching for his father-in-law to exhibit the signs of rallying, which certain terminal patients experience a day or two before dying. “My mom did the same before she died.”
Tightening his hand over hers, Doom shielded Tink from her father’s and brother’s eyes.
Several minutes passed before she was able to gather enough control for her to move to the side and participate in the conversations going on with and around her father.
When Doom caught sight of Carter growing tired an hour later, he made his way back around the bar to place a steadying hand on his shoulder. “We should leave before you get too tired to ride back.”
Carter nodded gratefully. “I don’t want to miss that.”
Picking Carter back up, he carried him back outside with all the vets they had asked to come and The Last Riders following closely behind. Several Last Riders had arrived after they had come but had remained outside and were standing in a group in the middle of the parking lot.
Carrying Carter toward them instead of his bike, Doom stopped in front of them to nod his head. The Last Riders moved aside, showing the motorcycle hidden from view.
Carter stared at the bike in astonishment. “Is that—” he had to stop before he was able to continue, “my old bike?”
Lucky grinned. “Yes, we had a hell of a time finding it.” Lucky used his chin to point at Rider, who was standing next him. “Rider just finished the repairs a couple of days ago. It’s all yours.”
“I can’t—accept.”
Doom sat his father-in-law down on the motorcycle.
“You have to.” Lucky grinned at Carter. “Tink took care of Andy when I lost contact with him. I have to pay back my debts.”
Carter lovingly touched the handles and started laughing.
Everyone looked at Carter in concern when he used his hand to wipe the tears away.
“It’s funny how life comes around.”
“What do you mean, Dad?” Tink asked, handing her father some tissues.
“I always planned to leave this bike for my kid. I can’t refuse it if it was meant for Arden. I would have left it to her when I died anyway.”
Doom didn’t miss the crushed expression on Blue’s face. Carter didn’t miss it, either.
“I was going to leave it to Arden, because I taught her to ride on this motorcycle.”
Doom looked at his wife in astonishment. “You know how to ride a motorcycle?”
Arden nodded as her hand familiarly grabbed the handle. “Yes.”
“Why did you stop?” Doom asked Arden.
“I sold the motorcycle,” Carter provided the answer. “I needed the money to pay for medical bills for her mother.”
Doom could hear the pride in Carter’s voice.
“I was going to buy another motorcycle, a less expensive one, when I got back on my feet financially and teach Luc. A few times, I was ready to buy, but Luc’s mother talked me out of it. She was overprotective because we almost lost him a few times when he was a baby. I let her talk me out of it. Arden and I have been on the lookout for one for Luc, but every time I get close to buying him one, something comes up, and the money gets spent. Arden has offered to give me the money, but if I couldn’t buy her one, I didn’t think it was fair to take her money.”
“You wanted to buy me a motorcycle?” Luc eyed his sister.
“Yes.”
“You said they aren’t safe.”
“You talked about it in front of Mom. I didn’t want her upset. When I tried to discuss it with you when she or Dad weren’t around, you wouldn’t listen.”
“Because I was angry.” Luc’s voice started to rise.
“I, um—Doom!”
Doom ignored Tink’s shocked yell. “Apologize. Now.”
“Doom, let my brother go.”
“You raise your voice to my wife again, you and I are going to have problems. I don’t give a rat’s ass you’re resentful of your sister. Man up!”
“I’m not resentful of my sister,” Luc argued.
“I love both children exactly the same,” Carter asserted.
“I know you do. Tink and Blue know you do. The problem is Blue can’t compete with what Tink can do. Shit, I wish I had half the know-how to repair some of the stuff she can. You know how I know you’re resentful? There isn’t a brother—” Doom accented his anger by giving Blue another shake, “here who wouldn’t take their eye teeth to have the natural ability she does. The way your mind works for science and math is the way her mind troubleshoots what she’s working on. When you’re some big-time doctor, making a couple hundred grand a year, I’d kiss your fucking ass if all that fucking resentment goes down the drain when your name-brand dishwasher goes on the fritz.” Doom gave Blue another shake to emphasize his point.