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“Jack was in the goddamn barn trying to hang himself.” Prosper opened his eyes. Then he leaned forward with his hands on his knees.
“What?” Claire looked confused. “What did you say? He waswhere?”
“Jack left you and Raine alone while he got totally shitfaced drunk. Then he went to the barn, put a rope around his neck, and tried to off himself. And the only reason why he failed was because the stupid ass misjudged the goddamn distance from the stool to the floor.”
“But why weren’t you with us? How did you let this happen?”
“After your mother died, Prosper went through a hard time himself, honey,” Pinky told her. “You’re right, this never should have happened, but it wasn’t Prosper’s fault that it did.”
Prosper sighed. “I left not long after Maggie died. I hit the road to ease that pain. If I hadn’t, I would have ended up right next to Jack with that rope around my neck. Only I wouldn’t have fucked it up like he did. But I had a whole crew of guys looking out for you. I had some of the brothers from the club stay behind and watch after you and Raine. They kept an eye on Jack and an eye on you. They worked at a car repair shop we owned at the time. It was a bullshit job mostly just to keep Jack busy and out of trouble Then there was an oil fire at the shop. It wasn’t too bad, but it was bad enough that the fire trucks had to come and put it out. Big damn mess all around. The guys were busy with the cleanup and it was a couple of days before they realized Jack hadn’t shown up for work. They went out to the house and found Jack dead drunk with a bottle in his hand and a hangman’s noose around his neck.” Prosper shook his head in anger. “Stupid fuck couldn’t even hang himself right.”
“So, they called you.” Claire surmised. “That’s how you knew to come get us.”
“That’s right, honey. One of the boys called us,” Pinky chimed in. “Prosper had just been back a couple of weeks and we had moved up to the lake house together. Prosper set out to bring you and Raine back as soon as he hung up the phone. He was so angry I thought that he was going to finish the job that Jack had started. So I called ahead to the garage.”
Prosper snorted. “Gonna tell her you lied?”
“Lied about what?” Claire asked wide eyed.
“Well, I might have told a tiny white lie about Prosper giving the boys orders to get Jack to the hospital.”
“So you lied about that order so when Prosper came to get us, he wouldn’t kill Jack?”
“That was first on the list. But it was also a way of getting Jack the help he so desperately needed,” Pinky told her. “So, the boys brought him to the hospital, noose and all. Jack was immediately admitted to a psych ward and then drug rehab. Jack needed both, the counseling and a way to deal with his addictions.”
“So, when we were with you at the lake house, Jack was in a rehab?”
“That’s right, honey.” Pinky continued, “In the meantime, Prosper petitioned for temporary custody. When Jack was moved to out-patient status, the first thing he did was try to come see you and Raine. Prosper was carrying a baseball bat when he met Jack at the end of the driveway. He was stillthatmad. But Jack and Prosper had been friends such a long time, and they had been through hell and back together. They talked it out. Jack agreed to sign off for Prosper to talk to his counselors, and Prosper agreed that Jack could have supervised visits with you and Raine. Jack did all the hard work that it took to get himself sober. He wanted you and Raine back. In his way, he loved you both so much. And that had been your mother’s final request. She made Prosper promise not to separate you and Raine from your fa— from Jack.”
“So, you had to give us back,” Claire said with understanding.
“Yes, honey. We had to give you back.”
There was a heavy silence as each of them was lost in his own thought.
“Okay, I understand. I do. But there is still the question of those blood tests.” Claire looked at Prosper.
“So, the dates, the time that you and my mom spent alone together …”
Prosper nodded. “Yeah, they all add up, darlin’. And before we go any further with this, I want you to know that I have never thought of you or Raine as anything but mine. So, to me a blood test doesn’t mean shit. I’m your father in every sense of the word. But I know how much this means to you, so let’s get right down to it. My blood type isAB.”
“A perfect match,” Claire whispered out.
And then she smiled.
“Ican’t believe they’re still coming.” Raine shook her head as she watched the bikers ride up the road to the clubhouse. Then her eyes widened. “And they’re not even our boys. I don’t know if this was a good idea, Diego.”
“It was P.J.’s first executive call to make, and he made it.” Diego draped his arm around his wife’s shoulder. “It’ll be okay.”
Raine leaned against Diego’s chest. “Do you ever regret not having a boy to hand the reins over to?”
Diego chuckled “Six girls. It’s not like we didn’t try. But if you want to try one more time, I’m game.”
Raine laughed. “That ship has sailed and been replaced with hot flashes. I’m afraid the baby factory is closed.”
“And been replaced by a playground,” Diego whispered devilishly to his wife as he brushed his hand against her breast.
“Oh, for shit’s sake, hasn’t anybody told you that you two are too old for that now?” Reno called out in mock disgust as he and Claire entered the room. Now the four of them were looking out the window at the constant stream of bikers coming up the road.
