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My mom works harder than she needs to. We make enough money with what we get from the farm to live on. I make a good check each week along with our foreman and the other four men we keep as full-time workers. I know we’re going to need to hire those extra workers but we will still have plenty of money. That doesn’t include the extra help we have during the first big harvest. I think she misses Dad, and the thought of being on the farm all the time without him is too much for her. She’s a strong woman, but she had been with Dad since she was fifteen years old. She married him at sixteen and I was born the following year when she was only seventeen. While she carried me, she continued to go to school and work the farm with Dad. After Ryan was born and only six months old, she was twenty-one and started college at a community college. She finally got her nursing classes finished after Maggie was born, Mom was still only twenty-nine years old. She worked full time with Dad by doing the books and working in the fields and took care of us kids while being a full-time student. I don’t know how she juggled it all but she and Dad made it work. I just hope I can be half the woman that she is now at thirty-eight years old. My mind is wandering to different ways about the way Mom and Dad made things work when I hear motorcycles outside.
I lift my head and concentrate on what I want to say today. I need to keep on track. I see Rager and Reaper walk through the front door, and they have smiles on their faces. I raise my hand and wave them over. They make their way over, stopping to shake some hands on the way. I picked the right place to meet at least.
“Sweetheart, why did you ask us to meet you at the Veteran’s Post?” Rager asks as he and Reaper sit down. I hand them both a ticket and they just look at me.
“It’s a ticket for you to get a buffet breakfast. It’s why the Post is open this morning. There are some veterans who need new wheelchairs in this area. The first Thursday of every month, they have a buffet-style breakfast and use the ticket money to help the ones in need to purchase or upgrade their chairs,” I explain to them. “We always buy a lot of tickets for it each month. My dad and granddad were veterans. We’ve done this for years. It’s a tradition my dad started. When they do the dinner later this month, we’ll supply the vegetables and add in some desserts.”
“Well, I’m starving. I’ll find their donation jar and add some money for us,” Reaper says to Rager, as he stands up and walks away.
“You just keep surprising me, Billie,” Rager tells me.
“We can go somewhere else if you’d like,” I tell Rager. He laughs a small laugh.
“Billie, I feel as comfortable here as I do in my clubhouse. You see, once you serve in the military, you have brothers in arms, brothers on the battlefield, and brothers you can breathe easily around and just be yourself, no matter how flawed you are. This place is just fine.” I relax a little bit.
“Good. Go get your breakfast and I’ll wait on you.” I see Reaper talking to some of the men and then when he sees Rager making his way toward the food buffet, he comes back to the table.
“Tyson is smiling so it can’t be too bad of a talk,” Reaper says as he sits at the table with me. I see the front door open and see my mom making her way over to the buffet. She grabs two plates and starts filling them after she gives the woman by the register the tickets. I thought she was going to sleep while I was talking to Rager and Reaper.
“I hope Rager doesn’t think this was going to be a bad conversation.”
Reaper settles himself and digs into his food. I see he’s chewing as I wait for him to answer after he swallows.
“He thinks you were meeting us today to say your old man won’t let you talk to us again. I hope that’s not the case.” Reaper picks his cup up and takes a drink of coffee. Mom walks up to the table and looks at Reaper. He turns his head to look at her. His eyebrows raise and I see that bad-boy smile return to his face. Mom puts a plate in front of me and Rager puts his plate where he had been sitting. He too looks at my mom, but his eyes have no interest in them, only a puzzled look.
“Rager.” I point to him. “And Reaper.” I point to him. “This is my mom, Frannie. I thought you were going to sleep while we were here?” I introduce the three. Mom looks at the two men and then her eyes are on me.
“Why would I sleep when I can sit here with these handsome men with you? You need to eat. You’re eating for two now. Would you like juice, water, or milk?” I smile at my mom. She’s being such a mom. It’s what she does best.
“I was waiting for you to wake up so you wouldn’t need to eat alone. I’ll get the drinks,” I say, but Mom is shaking her head.
“You start eating and I’ll get them. Which one would you like?”
“Just water, please, and thank you. I should be waiting on you. You’re the one who just worked a graveyard shift.” Mom walks over to me and kisses the top of my head.
“I got this.” She smiles down at me as I look up at her. “Can I get you two anything while I’m up there?”
“No, but thank you.” Rager speaks first.
“I could answer that question in a lot of different ways, beautiful, but since I need to put my best foot forward with Billie, I’ll just say, no thanks.” Reaper winks at my mom. Oh, this is going to be fun to watch. Reaper is not going to know what hit him. My mom is a feisty one.
“Handsome, that would be the safest answer for you. You’re too innocent for the likes of me.”
Rager chokes on his food and I hit him on the back. Then Mom does something I have never seen her do. She winks at Reaper. Mom goes back to the counter to get our drinks.
“Billie, you have been holding out on your uncle Reaper. Where have you been hiding that gorgeous woman?” This makes me laugh.
“If you can dish it out, my mom can take it and sling more back at you. But she’s not serious. My mom hasn’t dated since my dad passed five years ago,” I tell Reaper.
“No offense to you, but we’ll see about that.” I know not to encourage Reaper, so I just let it drop. Mom needs someone to try to bring her out of her shell, so this might be a good thing.
“Why is your mom here? Don’t get me wrong, she’s easy on the eyes. Not that I’m looking, just observing. Is this going to be a bad conversation? Does Raider have a problem with us being friends, and don’t think this old man missed the part about you eating for two?” Rager is direct and to the point. Mom is back with my water and her juice.
“I’m glad you didn’t miss that part Grandpa-to-be or whatever he or she calls you. It’s part of the reason I’m here,” I answer Rager. I can’t miss the smiles of the two men at the table.
“Billie, quit leaving the man in suspense and get to the point. Don’t let them think Raider is bossing you around,” Mom speaks up.
“Yeah, kid, don’t make me think I need to go beat the ass of my only nephew,” Reaper says with a smile on his face. My surprise is that Mom has a smile on her face, and it’s directed at Reaper.
