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“We ain’t bikers, neither.” Noah makes that point very clear.
“You don’t have to be, you men already gotcha roles. I ain’t here to fix something that ain’t broken. I’m here to strengthen the fort.”
“I like that idea,” Finn speaks up and I can tell from the pride in his eyes that he’s thinking about his dad.
“I’m glad you said that, son, because I’m short on a leader.” Uncle Jimmer reaches back behind the log he was sitting on and takes the leather cut. Then walking around the firepit he holds it out in front of him.
“I know you still got your own, probably collecting dust in a locker in the bunkhouse. But this was your dad’s. I know he’d want you to have it.”
“Wait, this says President.” Finn looks at the badge sewn on the chest. “I ain’t a leader. I’m twenty fuckin’ five.” He laughs nervously.
“Same age I was when I left here and formed a club that now have charters in twelve states. This was your dad’s dream and I can’t think of a better man to see it through,” My uncle explains.
“What about the Long Beach charter…? The only reason I’m alive is because those fuckers thought I was dead.” Finn goes into a little more detail and I watch Sawyer and Zayne frown at one another.
“Long Beach is being taken care of. Cliff is being taken down and anyone who supports him will be stripped of their cut. I may still not have known what he was doin’ if it wasn’t for you,” Jimmer reminds him.
“But we got nothin’. No clubhouse, no members. I don’t have the first idea how to build a club, Prez?” Finn shakes his head, still in disbelief.
“I got you a site for a clubhouse, and I also got you a mentor. Someone who left here with me and your Dad and retired a few years ago,” he assures him.
“But no members,” Finn reminds him.
“Members will come. For now, you got friends and brothers who all want the same thing. We don’t need this to be a big charter, that wouldn’t work in Fork River. This is gonna be aslow process. The Souls don’t build fast, they build loyal. You’ll still be able to work at the ranch for some time yet, and you can say no. I have enough men I trust to take the role on. I just wanted you to have the chance to build the foundations and I want to get things in motion before…” My uncle cuts himself off and it makes me wonder how worried he really is about the Harvey situation.
“I want it,” Finn assures him, taking the cut in his hand and gripping the leather tight.
“I’m glad to hear that. Uncle Jed will be in contact.” Jimmer winks at him, slapping his shoulder and returning to where he was standing.
“Now, there’s just one more thing I came here to do before you all get back to your business.” He nods his head to Garrett, who heads over to the porch.
“When I was living here, I did the same job as every one of you. I did whatever it took to protect this place and our family name. Back then, Carson men decided who got the brand, but they never took it themselves. I like how my nephews have changed that, and if none of you have any objections I’d like to take the brand too.” Every head nods before Garrett plunges the Carson branding iron into the fire, and Uncle Jimmer unbuttons his shirt.
“You're gonna need this?” Noah reaches over and hands him a bottle of Vodka, and Jimmer shakes his head and refuses.
“I’m good.” He rolls his shoulders and prepares himself.
“You ready?” Garrett checks while me and Wade stand up and each take one of Jimmer’s arms.
“Ready.” He smiles and when Garrett presses the red-hot iron against his chest, I smell the burn as his skin singes. My uncle doesn’t make a sound, he just breathes through his nostrils like a bull as he takes on the pain.
Mitch hands his old friend a bottle of scotch when it’s over and with the permission of everyone here, he calls his buddies who are waiting back at the ranch to come out here and join us for a beer.
I’m much more of an observer than a partier, so I sit on the porch and watch all the men who are prepared to work together and protect this place as they swap their stories and bond over whiskey.
Mitch is the first to leave. I know him and Jimmer spent some time together this afternoon discussing the girl he sent out here a few months ago. He doesn’t like to be away from her for long, which has me convinced that he’s in too deep.
The River Boys leave next, they never stick around for long after a meeting. They play hard just like they work hard and I guess, for them, the night is still young. Jessie and Troj catch up with Finn, who now seems much more excited than nervous about his new project, and despite the fact he’s young, I agree that Uncle Jimmer’s picked the right man for the job.
“You're quiet.” Uncle Jimmer drags himself away from Garrett to come and sit on the porch step beside me.
“I’m always quiet.” I snigger to myself as take a sip from my beer.
“You agree with what we’re doin’ here?” he checks. Like he said earlier when he put this idea to us in the office, none of us can be in any doubt.
“I agree with it.” I nod slowly. “What I don’t agree with is you knowing where our mom was for all those years and not telling us.” I let it off my chest. I don’t care how feared this man is, or how he’s gonna help us. He should be held accountable.
“It ain’t gonna be nice for you to hear this, but your mother was a very deceptive woman. She spun me a story too, and I’m ashamed to say I believed it.”
