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“Go ahead and remind us. Like it’ll make any damn difference.”
Roland turned to face the three men who appeared at Joy’s side. They weren’t just partners in his business, but men he thought of as the younger brothers he’d never had. However, there were times when they took their roles of bodyguards/protectors way too seriously. They would neverlet him forget that night a few years ago when his car had been hijacked. He’d been shot and had come very close to losing his life.
He glanced at Stonewall. “You better be glad your wife is standing here or I’d tell you a thing or two.”
“Start an argument some other time, guys,” Joy said, sliding her arm into Roland’s. “He’s with me now so you three can back off.”
She pulled Roland away and he couldn’t help but chuckle. “Thanks, Lieutenant Courson.”
A few years ago, Joy had been promoted from detective to lieutenant in the Charlottesville Virginia Police Department, and it was a job she’d definitely earned. Roland, an ex-cop himself, could attest to that. She had beauty, brawn and brains and could kick ass like the best of them.
“Don’t mention it,” she said. When they stopped in front of a table loaded with food, she added, “Help yourself, and take as much as you’d like. Granny Kay did all the cooking. So you know it won’t last long.”
That said it all as far as he was concerned. Stonewall’s grandmother, Granny Kay, was a great cook. Roland immediately recognized some of her signature dishes--the rigatoni pasta made with vodka sauce that went well with those brussels sprouts and caesar salad with chicken bits. Without wasting any time, he began loading his plate, deciding there was no reason to leave Stonewall any leftovers.
“Well, Sheppard, it looks like our daughter’s godfather finally got here.”
Roland didn’t look up from piling food on his plate when he recognized Carson Granger’s voice. It was bad enough that Striker, Quasar and Stonewall were trying tokeep up with him, but there was also Carson. Whereas he thought of the men as his younger brothers, Carson was more of an older sister.
“Honestly, Carson, you’re beginning to sound like Striker, Quasar and Stonewall.” He turned to Sheppard. “I think your wife’s been hanging around those three too long.”
“You’re probably right,” Sheppard Granger said grinning, giving him a pat on the shoulder. “How’s the move coming along?”
“My lease on the apartment doesn’t expire for another month, so I still have plenty of time. There’s no rush.”
“If you need help packing, let me know,” Carson offered.
“Thanks, but I can handle it.” His plate now full, he gave Carson and Sheppard his full attention. He always felt good whenever he saw them together. They’d been given a second chance at love, and it couldn’t have happened to nicer people.
“I take it your sons are here,” he said to Sheppard.
Sheppard laughed. “Yes, all twenty or so of them.”
Roland nodded and smiled. Everybody knew that although Sheppard only had three biological sons, there were a good seventeen others who considered themselves his surrogate sons. It was hard to believe that just a few years ago, the distinguished looking man standing before him had been in jail. He’d served fifteen years of a thirty-year sentence, for a crime he hadn’t committed, before finally being exonerated.
While in jail, Sheppard had forged a bond with a number of inmates who considered him a father figure. He’dstarted programs while confined such as Toastmasters, Leaders of Tomorrow and the GED program. His efforts had been successful and had been recognized by the media and even Virginia’s governors. Now Sheppard was a free man and had married his attorney, Carson Boyette.
“There’s a big crowd here tonight,” Carson said.
Roland agreed. There was a house full. It was a good thing Stonewall and Joy’s three-story home was big and spacious and could accommodate everyone. He, Quasar and Striker had helped the couple move in last month.
Finally, Sheppard and Carson wandered off to mingle and he was approached by his niece Margo, who was married to Striker. Of course, she had new photos on her cell phone of their son Wade Murdock Jennings--Wade after Striker’s brother and Murdock after her father and Roland’s brother. Roland was always eager to see recent photos of his grand-nephew.
He was handing Margo’s phone back to her when Quasar’s wife, Randi, joined them. Randi wasted no time pulling out her cell phone, too, to show him photos of their son, Quasar Patterson, Jr., affectionately called Que.
Stonewall’s sister, Mellie, and her husband Dak, who’d only been married a few months, came over to join them. A few moments later everyone had moved on and Roland found himself in the company of five of Sheppard’s surrogate sons--Locke Dangerfield, Shogun Duke and Macayle Wasilla were attorneys living in Oregon, Ryker Valentine was a US Senator from California, and Andrew Logan was a police detective in Virginia. It was hard to believe that at one time, all five men had served time with Sheppard.
“Where’s Toni?” Roland asked Andrew, inquiring about his wife, who was also a police detective.
“Probably hitting the food table again. Her excuse is that she’s eating for two these days.”
Roland smiled. “How much longer now?”
“Five months. I can’t wait for our son to be born.”
“Son? You sure about that?” Locke Dangerfield asked, chuckling. “Everybody thought Caden was having a girl and it turned out to be a boy.” Caden Granger was Sheppard’s second oldest biological son and a Grammy-award winning saxophone player.
“Mistakes are known to happen when an ultrasound is done in the first trimester. That’s why we waited to get a more accurate reading. Our technician is one hundred percent certain we’re having a boy,” Andrew said, grinning proudly.
