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“Chelsea!” I heard a bright voice call as I climbed out of my car. I saw Harlyn standing in the doorway waving. Neil stood just behind her, watching her carefully.
I couldn’t help but smile and wave back as I walked toward them. “Hi, Harlyn.”
“Will you come play with me? Momma went out and Daddy’s busy,” she asked excitedly. “You said when you got back we could play.”
I wondered where Sugar could have gone that she wouldn’t have taken Harlyn with her.
I crouched down in front of the stunning little girl. She was practically bouncing. “I did say that didn’t I? Let’s go!”
I held out my hand to her and she excitedly took it, skipping with me toward the kid’s playground. Neil trailed along behind us like a good prospect. The playground and barbecue area was well hidden from the road by a large fence, so I knew we’d be pretty safe. I noticed Sammy and Caity, club girls, lounging on some deck chairs, cigarettes hanging from their fingers. They barely even acknowledged us as we passed by, Harlyn chatting my ear off about what she’d been doing that morning. There were a few members scattered around the area, some talking, others tinkering with their bikes.
“I like the swings the best, what part do you like?” Harlyn asked as we stepped into the soft padded area. The playground was reasonably new, maybe a couple of years old. There wasn’t any particular reason other than the Brothers by Blood was very much supportive of family. It was what they stood and lived for. Whether that was their blood family or their brothers. They stood as one and that included having the support of Old Ladies, children, and even club girls.
The club was a unit and we did what we could to support our men. Every one of us had a part to play, and while the club may be on the other side of the law occasionally, and some saw these guys as a gang of misfits and criminals, the loyalty and love you found within this group was unrivaled.
“I love the swings, but I think the slide would probably be my favorite.”
She nodded the gentle curls in her hair springing to life. “Good choice,” she praised, giving me a thumbs up.
I laughed. Harlyn was an amazing kid. She shocked and surprised me so much, just in the short time we’d played. She was quick-witted and ahead of the game. Sometimes that could put a lot of pressure on a child when they’re so aware of the feelings and emotions of the people around them. But Harlyn seemed unfazed and allowed the young girl in her to be let loose. She laughed, she had fun, but she didn’t miss a beat.
She was Optimus’ child, there was no doubt about that.
Neil watched us from a picnic table. I could tell he hated being put on babysitting duty by the bored look and eye-rolling that was a total give away.
Harlyn and I took a swing each.
“Do you like my dad?” she asked as she pumped her legs back and forth.
I froze for a minute, but Harlyn continued to swing back and forth casually like she hadn’t just dropped that on me. “Yes, I like your dad.”
“No, I mean do you like,likemy dad,” she said, emphasizing the second like.
I laughed. “A little.”
“It’s okay if you do.”
“Well thanks, I’ll keep that in mind,” I told her, amused by her crass and straight to the point attitude.
“Harlyn!” I turned to see Sugar walking across the grounds toward us from the clubhouse. She had a soft smile on her face, but it seemed a little forced.
“Hi, Momma!” Harlyn called before throwing herself off the swing as it flew forward. My breath caught in my throat and I almost threw myself off after her, expecting tears as she stumbled and rolled across the ground. There were no tears and Sugar didn’t even falter at her daughter’s epic daredevil actions. Harlyn bounced right up, brushed herself off and ran over to embrace her mother. “Chelsea is playing with me, isn’t that cool?!” she beamed.
Sugar glanced at me over the small girl’s head. “That’s great honey. You know, I saw Uncle Blizzard inside raiding the ice cream. You better go get him before he eats it all.”
Harlyn gasped. “Oh no, he doesn’t!” She started sprinting toward the clubhouse, a girl on a mission with Neil plodding along behind her.
I slowed my swing until it came to a stop and climbed off. I was nervous as hell. Sugar essentially had a lot of power here and I wasn't sure what she was going to do with it. “She’s a smart kid.”
Sugar brought her eyes back to me, only once Harlyn was safe inside the building. She nodded. “She is. I can’t hide anything from her. It’s like she has a radar for deception.” She walked closer. “You must be Chelsea. It’s nice to finally meet you. Optimus and Blizzard have both spoken very highly of you over the years.”
“I wish I could say the same. I only just found out you two existed,” I told her sadly, breathing a sigh of relief.
She smiled and gestured to the picnic table that Neil had just vacated. I followed her over and we both took a seat. “It must have been quite a surprise for you. I remember seeing your face the day we arrived. I always expected that us coming here would piss off some club girls. It’s not a secret that many of them are very...shall we say...territorial of the men. But the look on your face was pure heartache.”
I looked down at the table, picking away at a broken piece of the wood. “It was a shock.”
“I’m sorry that our presence has caused this rift between you and Op.”
