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“What about plates? Any identifying markers on the car?” Cowboy asks.
“I’m going to be honest, Prez. It was a black truck. I didn’t get anything more than that. I wanted to get Dillon out and away before whoever was driving the truck came back. That was my priority.”
Cowboy lets out a sigh but nods his head. I want to yell at him for not getting more information to help us, but I can’t. Not when my son is inside with his mom, and he’s safe. I have to be grateful for that, and I am.
“Where were you when you found him?” Knuckles asks,“I can check the area’s cameras and see what I can find.”
I look back over at Bigfoot, and he nods in agreement.“I was outside of town‘bout forty miles. I figured it was time to broaden the search area. Everyone was so congested in town—my gut told me that whoever took Dillon was trying to escape. I happened to go in the right fucking direction. But I was at some podunk gas station in the middle of nowhere.”
“Hmm, I might not be able to get anything, but I’ll try,” Knuckles announces and turns his focus to his computer screens.
Everyone continues to go back and forth, but I can’t help but think that something isn’t adding up. Something, somewhere, foiled this plan. It was so easy for them to take Dillon, and not even six hours later, I got him back. Again, not that I am not grateful, but it seems too easy. I can’t look a gift horse in the mouth, though. My son is home.
I push away my doubts as I stand and make my way over to Bigfoot. When he sees me next to him, he stands, and I pull him into an embrace.
“Thank you. Thank you for trusting your gut and bringing my son home.”
“Of course, brother. We’re family,” he says as he pats my back. Bigfoot has been a part of this club for a long time, and he’s seen some shit over the years. What he’s also learned is how to trust his instincts; today, I couldn’t be more thankful.
***
Dillon is home, and I couldn’t be happier. After speaking with Elvira, we decided to get the whole family together and celebrate that we were all together, happy, and healthy. We’d planned all of Thursday evening, and today, a short twenty-four hours later, the backyard was full. Each club member, all current ol’ladies, all the kids, and even the ranch hands that weren’t part of the club were here too. It is a family affair. Unfortunately, Aletta and Abilene couldn’t make it. She caught some bug and was at home with a fever and barfing her brains out. And Abilene, not having had her baby home to dote on before, is now taking full advantage.
The kids were running around, and I had to hand it to Dillon; he’s strong. Looking at him, you wouldn’t know that he went through something so traumatic. He’s running around like nothing happened. I refuse to sit back and let him handle it on his own mentally. He has a meeting with a therapist on Monday, and I will make sure that he is as okay as he seems.
His strength is admirable. It truly is. He was kidnapped and acts as if it was just a drive to the park. I’m not entirely sure what happened that day. Bigfoot got lucky when he found him. Dillon says that he remembers the nice policeman offering to hide him. He’d hidden in a truck, and the next thing he remembered, Bigfoot was rushing him home.
“I held on so tight, daddy. I didn’t want to fall. It was scary, but I knew that uncle Bigfoot would keep me safe. He was going so super fast, it felt like. It was like this, whoosh,” he accompanies the sound effect with hand motions,“and we were home. It was pretty awesome. But next time, I wanna ride your bike. Can I get one? How big do you have to be?”
As he continued to ramble on, I held him close, savoring the moment. Everyone always says to hold your loved ones closer because you never know when they will be gone. Let me be the first to say you don’t know how true that statement is until it’s in your face.
The kids screaming brings me out of my memory, and I smile when I see that they’re all running around as Turd chases them, pretending to be a dinosaur.
“That’s one way to keep them entertained,” I hear the voice that belongs to the woman of my dreams say when her hands wrap around my waist from behind. She’s shorter than me, so once her arms are fully wrapped around me, she rests her head against my back. I close my eyes momentarily and appreciate how this right here feels.
For something I thought that I would never have, this feels perfect.
“Hey, if it works, it works. Hey, listen,” I turn in her arms and bring mine to wrap around her in return,“I think now is the time to announce Malika’s name.”
Her smile is blinding,“I think that is a great idea. I do have to ask. I thought you wanted her to have her day when you did that?” I protest, but she says,“I’m not trying to change your mind. I’m honestly curious.”
I kiss her quickly before I tell her what else has been on my mind as I watch my family.“I did, yes. But as I stood there, looking at everyone, I realized this was a perfect time. Everyone is here. Dillon is safe, and I wouldn’t have made it without my family. If anytime is the perfect time to announce her name, it’s now.”
She steps up onto her tiptoes, and her lips connect with mine. For a brief moment, we forget about those around us and immerse ourselves in each other. However, that grown-up part of me reminded me that I couldn’t do anything more. Pulling away, I smile at the woman I love more than anything.
“I think that’s perfect, Nate. Do you want to do it now?”
“No. I want to wait for everyone to be seated so I can make sure everyone finds out at the same time. This is a big deal, you know?”
“I’m ready whenever you are.”
It wasn’t long after that when everyone was seated at the table. Kids were as calm as they would be while everyone else was busy eating and smiling. Seeing everyone embrace the happy, especially after everything lately, made my eyes start to well. I looked to my left, and Audrina smiled at me while her hand squeezed my thigh. Leaning in, I gave her one last kiss for support and then turned to my right.
Cowboy was animatedly telling Bri and Storm something. I couldn’t even tell you. I was so nervous about this, and his reaction was the one I worried about the most.
Steffie naming my daughter Marley Kelley was ahugeslap to my face and a massive trigger for Cowboy. He had a tough time accepting Marley’s fate. She was his entire world, and she was stolen from him. Steffie, the manipulative cunt she was, thought naming my child after the one he lost would make Cowboy flock to her. All she succeeded in doing was making Cowboy want to murder her.
Shaking out my thoughts, I stand as I clear my throat.
