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“How are you girls holding up?” I finally ask them after we’ve finished half our drinks.
“I’m uncertain how to describe it, but I think I’m feeling a sense of relief,” Shayna says. Her answer surprising me.
“Relief?”
“I think so,” she says. “All these years, I mourned him, but a part of me realized I didn’t miss him as much as I should have.”
“I know what you mean,” Sasha adds. “I have memories of him, but they aren’t amazing. If that makes any sense. I remember doing things as a family and those times were fun. But my memories of him with me or the three of us are almost non-existent.”
“Really?” I ask in surprise. “What about when I was out working?”
Shayna and Sasha share a look before shrugging. “I think we either stayed in our room or went over to visit friends,” Shayna says. “Dad never took us anywhere or spent time with us unless you were around.”
“I mean, we loved him, but only because he was our dad. Neither of us were daddy’s girls.”
“Nope, we were always your girls.”
I hug them tight as the emotions flood through me. For the first time in my life, all four of my children are under the same roof. That alone is enough to make me the happiest woman alive, but what really gives me peace is the realization that my children aren’t holding a grudge for the mistakes I’ve made. How could I get so lucky?
“Is everything okay?” Asks Cleo when she and Nora enter the bar. Cleo is holding a long cylinder while Nora has her laptop.
“Just some mother-daughter time,” I assure her. “What are you doing? That looks like one of Zip’s maps.”
“It is,” Cleo says as she takes a seat at a table and spreads the map out on the surface. The girls and I take seats around to study the intricate map that the club’s tattoo artist and Road Captain created. Zip has amazing talent and can draw anything, whether it is on paper or skin. His hobby is cartography and the maps he creates are museum-worthy. It doesn’t take me long to realize this one is a map of the clubhouse and the surrounding property.
“This is a map of the plantation! You should hang this on the wall. It’s gorgeous.” Shayna says, her tone reflecting her awe of Zip’s talent.
“Zip is extremely talented,” Cleo agrees. “He has the map of New Orleans that he created hanging up in his office, but he refuses to hang up any more of his work. I don’t know why. Each one is a piece of art.”
“He doesn’t like the attention,” I explain. “Zip isn’t confident about his talents, except for his tattoos. He sees every flaw in his drawings. He only keeps the New Orleans map up because they reference it often. Plus, I think Hex ordered him to hang it. It’s one reason he prefers tattooing. The artwork walks out once he’s done.”
“Silly man,” Sasha says, but changes the subject. “What are you doing with this map?”
“I was telling Cleo that I want to create an herb and vegetable garden. I want to add fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs to our food. One of my courses went over the advantages of fresh over store bought and I couldn’t believe the difference.” Nora is a Kutte Bunny, but she’s different from the others. Rather than having sex with the brothers, she feeds them. Nora’s studying to be a chef and she enjoys practicing on the men. Of course, the men love to give her a reason to practice.
“We were looking at where we should break ground. I was thinking here,” Cleo says, pointing to a location kitty corner at the southern edge of the clubhouse. “It’s close to the kitchen, but won’t impede the comings and goings of the members.”
“Let’s go look,” Sasha suggests.
“Okay, but you two need to change into jeans and long shirts. Also put on boots,” I tell my daughters. “I’ll grab the machetes in case we run across any snakes.”
Once we’re dressed more for a safari than a trip to the backyard, I hand each girl a machete.
“What do we need these for?” Sasha asks.
“We might have to cut through overgrowth or fight off creepy crawlies that might be slithering around.
Sasha shudders but takes the weapon.
When we reach the area, I realize that the reason this area seems like an ideal location for a garden is because it was once a garden.
“Is it me, or does this look like it used to be a garden?” Cleo asks, glancing around the space.
“I think you’re right,” I agree. “Let’s cut out some of the overgrowth and look at what we have.”
We spend the next half hour chopping vines and pulling up dead grass. We’ve made a pile that the prospects can clean up later. Stepping back, we can see the vague outline of what used to be a good-sized garden. Nora ducks back into the clubhouse and returns with several long round sticks, two balls of twine, two pairs of scissors, two measuring tapes, a pad of paper, and a pencil.
“Let’s map out the space,” Nora says, handing out the supplies. We split into groups. I leave the bending and crawling around on the ground to the younger women while I write down measurements and take notes. We take a break when Hex, Vladimir, and Dixie join us so Vladimir can say goodbye to me and his sisters. I watch him leave with a heart light with love, but heavy with worry about my long-lost son. He’s playing a dangerous game by joining forces with us against his father. The thought of Maxim discovering Vladimir’s betrayal sends a chill down my spine. However, I don’t see imminent danger to him, so my concern is just that of a mother for her son.
