Page 4 of Always My Fate

Randi darted off to the bathroom and returned quickly with the first aid kit. She knelt in front of them, gently cleaning the scrape with a wipe while Peaches held Lil Bit steady and murmured soothing words. Once the bandage was in place, a bright pink one with tiny stars, Lil Bit’s tears slowed, and she gave a watery smile.

“All better,” Peaches said, kissing the top of her daughter’s head.

Randi sat back on her heels, looking relieved. Peaches studied her oldest for a moment, heart full.

“Randi...come sit with me for a second.”

Randi climbed onto the couch beside her. Peaches shifted Lil Bit to her other side so she could wrap an arm around her daughter.

“I’m so proud of you,” Peaches said softly. “You’ve been such a big help these past few weeks. Carrying so much while I’ve been stuck on the bench for this game. You stepped up with the wee ones, pitched in to keep the house running...so many small things that could add up to a huge burden. I lean on you a lot, sweetheart. Sometimes more than I should.”

Randi looked down at her hands. “I don’t mind, Mom. Really.”

“I know you don’t,” Peaches replied, squeezing her gently. “But I don’t want to curtail your life either. You’re growing up. You deserve room to breathe, to have fun with your friends, to just be a kid sometimes. So if something ever feels like too much or crosses a line...you tell me. Okay? I need you to promise me that.”

Randi was quiet for a moment, then nodded. “I promise. I’ll let you know if it gets to be too hard.”

Peaches pulled her close and kissed the top of her head. “Thank you, baby. I love you so much.”

“Love you too, Mom.”

Lil Bit reached up and patted Randi’s cheek with a sticky hand, making both of them laugh. Peaches held these two girls close, heart full, grateful for the strength and love filling their home even in the middle of fraught danger.

***

Blackie

The sun was dipping low when Blackie rode up the drive, his bike rumbling as he dodged the worst of the potholes.

Need to put a shovel in the hands of a couple of prospects, get that drive leveled out.

He killed the engine and sat for a moment, letting the day’s dust and tension dissipate before swinging off. The run had been routine, checking a couple of support club connections, but his mind had been here the whole time.

He found Peaches on the front porch, settled in the wide wooden swing with a light blanket over her legs. The care package box sat sealed beside her, ready to go. She looked tired but peaceful, gently rocking back and forth.

Blackie climbed the steps, boots heavy, and dropped into the swing beside her. The chains creaked under the added weight as he pulled her close and wrapped one arm around her shoulders.

“Missed you, sweet lady,” he murmured, pressing a kiss to her temple. “How’s my boy treatin’ you today?”

“Active,” Peaches said with a soft laugh, drawing his face close for a soft kiss. “Feels like he’s doing laps in there. Thank goddess for Randi and so many of the old ladies. I don’t know how I’d cope with the littles if it wasn’t for them.” She pulled in a breath. “How was the run?”

“Fine. Boring, which is how I like business to be these days.” He rubbed slow circles over the swell of her stomach, feeling a strong kick against his palm. The sensation hit him square in the chest every time. “Fuck, Peaches. I can’t believe we’re doin’ this again. Me. A man like me with six kids. A dad.”

She turned her head to look at him, eyes warm. “You’re already a good one. We’re just adding to the tribe.”

Blackie huffed a rough laugh, but his voice dropped, laced with something raw. “I’ve spent most of my life breakin’ heads and barkin’ orders. What the fuck do I understand about raising a crew of kiddos right?” He stared out at the yard, jaw tight. “All I know is I’ll burn the whole goddamn world down before I let anything touch any of you. MDMC, rival clubs, some random asshole on the street—doesn’t matter. They come near my family, they’re done.”

Peaches squeezed his hand. “I know you will. But you don’t have to carry the burden all alone, baby. We’re in this together.”

He turned to face her fully, his hand coming up to cup her cheek. “My world wouldn’t be the same without you. At one point, far in the past, I thought I’d lost my shot at this kind of life. Now I’ve got you, and them...” His thumb brushed her lower lip. “I’m fuckin’ terrified I’ll screw it up. That the club business will pull me away at the wrong time. That I won’t be here when you need me most.”

“You’re here right now,” she whispered. “That’s what matters.”

Blackie rested his forehead against hers, voice rough and low. “I swear to you, Peaches. I’ll come home. I’ll protect what’s mine with everything I’ve got. This kid’s gonna understand he’s loved. All our kids know that. This one’s gonna see how his old man would walk through hell for him and his momma.”

The swing creaked softly as they sat together in the fading light, Blackie’s arm wrapped tight around the woman who had held his heart for nearly fifteen years.

***