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I note the way he turns his head and nods at them both before he focuses back on me and follows me inside.
“It’s good to have you here again.” Maisie looks pleased to see my uncle when we step inside.
“Good to be here, it seems like a long time since Thanksgiving. How’s Everleigh?” His smile turns a little sad when he mentions her. I still haven’t disclosed everything that happened to that girl to Maisie yet. My wife’s the kinda woman who takes other people’s problems on as her own, and Mitch seems to be doin’ a fine job of taking care of the girl Uncle Jimmer sent here to heal.
“Doin’ good from what I hear. I always make it clear that she’s welcome here anytime, but Mitch and Josie don’t think she’s ready yet,” Maisie explains, sounding disappointed.
“It’s understandable, given her circumstances.” He assures Maisie, sliding his hand across her back. “And I’m sorry for the inconvenience.” He looks at me, knowing what a vital role Mitch plays around here and that the girl is taking up a lot of his time.
“I don’t think Mitch minds at all.” I raise my eyebrows when I think about how attached he’s become, not that he’d ever admit it. I put it down to the fact that he’s grieving for Dalton. He needs someone to take care of as a distraction, and him throwing it all into that poor damaged girl seems like the right outcome on everyone’s part.
“And what have we here? These little guys are twice the size they were when we came for Thanksgiving.” Jimmer quickly changes the subject, crouching down to the playpen and making a fuss of all three kids. It’s hard to believe that the man in front of me is one of the most feared men in the country.
“Come on, I’ll show ya to your room.” I lead him up the stairs and into the room that used to be Mom and Dad’s, and when I open the door he pauses before he steps inside.
“Is this gonna be weird for you?” I check.
“I’ve slept in weirder places.” He huffs a laugh to himself as he steps inside and stands beside the window. He looks down onto the yard and watches everyone bustling around.
“So now we’re alone, are ya gonna tell me why you're really here?” I fold my arms and rest my shoulder on the door frame.
“You know why I’m here, family’s important, Garrett. I’ve come to realize that over the years. I’ve come here to pay respects to the nephew I never knew I had. I came here to help you with your Harvey problem, and I figured that, in the process, I could write a few of my wrongs at the same time.
“Write some wrongs?” I stare back at him confused.
“Call your brothers in, Garrett, I got a proposal. One that will benefit both our causes.”
It’s late, but Garrett has called all the branded men to the Long Camp. We all sit around the fire, and the others have curious faces, wondering why the President of the Dirty Souls is here too. Of course, me and Wade already know what's going on. Jimmer put his offer on the table to the three of us a few hours ago because he knows that us Carson brothers always make our decisions together. Unless, of course, it's the choice to take our mother’s life. I feel a chill on the back of my neck just thinkin’ about her, and I lift the collar of my jacket in a hope that it’ll go away.
“You're all probably wondering why I’m here,” Jimmer starts off the meeting. “Well, I’m here because I’m family and this place meant a hell of a lot to my father. He worked real hard to make it what it is, my nephews here have done the same, and I got a duty as a Carson to help protect it.”
Now I understand why my uncle has hundreds of men at his mercy. He has a way of talkin’ to people. When he speaks, you fuckin’ listen.
“You all wear the brand because you have the same intention,” he continues. “So as far as I’m concerned, I see every one of ya here as my brother.” I note the way Finn nods his head, he was, still is I guess, a member of my uncle’s club.
“Right now ya have someone tryin’ to tell ya how to run your town. Harvey needs the power and respect of the Carson name to do whatever his work here is, and I hate to break it to ya, but there ain’t a way to stop that right now.” Noah shares a look with Garrett because he knows Harvey better than anyone, and he knows that what my uncle’s sayin’ ain’t nothin’ but the truth. “But what ya can do it use it.” Jimmer suddenly turns everyone’s curiosity into confusion.
“Your dirty men who run your town clean, same way we do back in Manitou Springs, and that's a damn sight easier to do when you have someone ruling it who you trust.”
“You saying we should support this Harvey bullshit? Come on, Jimmer, Garrett don’t wanna be no Mayor,” Mitch speaks up, he’s been my uncle’s best friend since they were kids and he ain’t scared to disagree with him.
“No, he doesn’t, but a good leader doesn’t always get to do what he wants, he does what's right.” Jimmer looks to Garrett who nods his head in agreement. My brother’s already found acceptance with all of this. Proving once again that he’s a better man than me.
“I’d rather have someone we trust than someone we don’t,” he tells Mitch, reminding him of the alternative.
“You already do a fine job of running this town, boys. The Souls would like to help you protect it,” he reveals, and Mitch sits up straighter on his log, looking intrigued. “Davy, Finn’s pa, was one of my founding members.” Jimmer gestures his head toward Finn who smiles back at him sadly. “Finn took the cut back in Long Beach the day he turned eighteen and he showed his true loyalty and integrity when he came to me a few months later with some information a lot of kids his age would have been too scared to share.” It’s no secret that Finn used to be a Soul, he can’t hide it, he has the club tattooed big and bold on his back, but Finn never talks about what it is that brought him here.
“Before Davy died, and before Garrett reached out to me, we were lookin’ at forming a charter here in Montana. Davy was a cowboy, he wore the brand just like you do and he followed me to Colorado out of duty to my pa. He was as loyal as a man can be. I trusted him with my life and I had every intention of trusting him to run one of my charters. I’d still like to make that happen.” Jimmer lowers his head to Finn, who I can see is gettin’ kinda choked by all this.
“And you're okay with this?” Noah looks between me, Garrett, and Wade seeming shocked. “Listen,Prez, this town ain’t like Manitou Springs. The folk here still hold barn dances for fuck sake.” He chuckles to himself.
“You're right about that.” I’m surprised that Jimmer laughs along with him. “But times change and what my nephews have, here, is the kind of thing people get real jealous of. This land has been in our family for generations. This town has been the Carsons’ home. It’s just as important to me as Manitou Springs and I wanna play my role in protecting it.”
“Jimmer’s right, a lot of shady shit goes down in this town. Having support close by could work to our advantage. We already work with the Souls and we’ve all benefited financially from it,” Wade points out.
“So we all gonna have to take the cut now too? I don’t fancy being no Prospect.” Tate knocks back some of his beer.
“No.” Jimmer shakes his head and laughs. You’re cowboys, not bikers, and you…” He looks toward all three River Boys. “Well I don’t quite know what the fuck you are, but I hear from my nephews that you do a good job of it.”
