Arrow of Time (3 page)

They'd heard a lot about her, how she traveled the world, the kind of shit all kids that age dreamed about. So not only was she beautiful, she was really fucking cool in their eyes. They were probably both half in love with her already.

At the moment they were asking her millions of questions about all the things she'd seen, and he had to admit, it was pretty damn interesting. She was good at telling stories and had them all laughing, she included all of them in the conversation, even Eliza, who had ended up in Edie's lap within five minutes. That was his baby girl, always making friend and charming the shit outta people.

Personally, he was more impressed with Edie's wardrobe. Mel had looked like she was about to faint when she realized that Edie didn't have more clothes than that. It was pretty obvious to him. The girl had been living in a backpack for six years, not like she'd want to drag around on loads of shit. But as much as he loved his woman, she wasn't a practical being.

-o0o-

Melanie looked at Edie, who was buying some kind of shampoo made especially for dreads. She was surprised about how different she was now compared to when she left. It wasn't strange that she was, but it was a remarkable difference. The scared teenage girl who used to avoid looking people in the eyes now appeared to be confident. The hesitation and the nervousness that saturated her back then was all gone. She was still calm, not pushy and not sociable in the 'in people's faces' kind of way, just naturally friendly and not avoiding people.

Edie picked up her worn bag, nodded to the clerk and came walking towards Melanie with a small smile on her lips.

“Shit, I have to bite my tongue to not start haggling every time I pay.”

“
Guessin’ that’s a habit by now?”

“
Yeah. In some places they get offended if you don’t do it. Not sure that would be the case in the shopping malls around here, though.”

Melanie laughed and shook her head. “No. So please try to contain that need.”

“I’ll do my best.” The smile was bigger now. “Really, people got pissed when you didn't do it, and in the beginning I was too shy to try. It felt cheap, and also, I didn't know what anything was worth. Once I got the hang of it, I thought it was fun. And I'm
very
good at it.”

“
Might have to bring you to some business meetings,” Melanie said and then she carefully stroked one of Edie's dreads. “Why dreads?”

Edie hadn't had dreads when she left, but Melanie had to admit it suited her, and they seemed well looked after. Actually, they seemed to be the most well groomed part of her, and even if they looked taken care of, it did say more about the rest of her than the dreads.

“Not like I had the opportunity to wash my hair all the time. This way it's not all that obvious after a couple of weeks. If I just have them looked over now and then they tend to look pretty okay.”

“
Here,” Melanie said and pointed at a clothes store. “You need more clothes.”

“
Really? I bought two pairs of jeans, underwear and t-shirts. I don't need more.”

“
Yes you do. And a dress wouldn't kill you.”

“
No, but I might strangle you with it.”

That made Melanie laugh. She still hadn't gotten over the fact that her baby sister hardly had any clothes, and more importantly, hardly any other things from her travels. A few pictures, some jewelry, looked like some African stuff in polished wood, and that was pretty much it. No mementos at all, basically. She'd asked about it, but Edie shrugged and said she didn't need things or pictures to remember.

If Brick hadn't been impressed with Edie before that, he was then. He'd talked a bit while Edie was away to get ready for the shopping. How he thought Edie really had embodied what freedom meant. She owned nothing, just experienced things. She'd done a proper soul searching journey and he respected that. Of course that's what he thought, Melanie had thought with a sigh. All bikers always spoke about finding freedom, living free, experiencing things. As far as she could tell that usually meant getting drunk and fucking as much as possible. She doubted anyone of them would be able to do what Edie had done, but at the same time she understood what her husband meant. And if she'd seen it from his perspective she might've seen the same thing, but her husband didn't know Edie the way she did.

Edie wasn't just 'soul searching' or trying to be free. She was running away, and in a way even punishing herself.

And where he saw a girl living in freedom, experiencing the world, Melanie saw a lonely girl all by herself. It was possible the truth was somewhere in the middle of what the two of them saw. Either way, it didn't matter. Edie was back and Melanie wanted her to stay. She didn't want Edie to be alone anymore.

CHAPTER TWO:

I'd Even Key It

-o0o-

Friday, March 2
nd

I'D BEEN BACK FOR
just over a week, and so far, it was nice. Really nice. All of it. Having this big family around me, and it was a great family. Even if I'd had people around me most of the time while I was away, it had been nothing like this. It was strange to immediately be so accepted. The only one who really knew me was Lanie, but it didn't matter to the rest of them. I was family, so they accepted me as one of their own. They were really big on the family thing here.

I was also already getting used to the comfort with living in a huge-ass house with running water. Still wasn't hooked on the TV, and I wasn't planning on it. Not with a small library in the house.

At the moment I was on the deck, watching the last of this day's Arizona sun set with a cup of tea and a book. That was when Brick came out and sat down in the chair next to me. We had talked a lot, most of the time out on the deck like this, him drinking beer and me drinking something else. I liked him; most of all I liked how he was with Lanie. He'd mad an effort to get to know me, by doing this, taking time to talk just the two of us. And it wasn't just poking around; he let me get to know him, as well.

“
How are you doing, girl?”

“
Good. Actually starting to feel really good.”

He nodded and lit a cigarette, offered me one, but I shook my head. He knew I didn’t smoke, but he always offered. Probably out of habit. He looked tired, and after a deep drag on the smoke, and a huge gulp of the beer, he sighed. He redid the braid in his dark brown, slightly gray hair and smoothed out his big mustache before looking at me. Yup, he looked really fucking tired.

“How are you?” I asked.

“
Ah, you know...” he shook his head. “Had church today. Always some shit at church.”

Church was the club meeting. Another one of those things Lanie had explained to me in the emails. She'd also told me about the parties they had after church, but considering the time, Brick had apparently skipped that today. I never asked about anything that had to do with club business, the legal parts that I knew about or the illegal parts that I assumed were a part of it. I looked over the railing at the landscape. It usually looked pretty meek, but in the light from the setting sun it looked amazing, it was glowing.

“She missed you,” he continued.

It didn't exactly came out of nowhere. The subject of me being away for a long time had been more than mentioned. Also about Lanie missing me, although he'd danced around it a little more before. This was the first time he was this direct.

“I know,” I said and kept my eyes on the horizon, too embarrassed to look at him.

I had thought about it now and then while I was on the road, but I hadn't fully understood how much Lanie had missed me. She'd already had a life before I came barging into hers. I didn't think it would make such a big difference when I left. Now, when I knew, I felt bad about staying away for so long. It wasn't fair to Lanie, and I was afraid she might think it was to punish her, which it wasn't. The first two, maybe three, years I hadn't in any way been ready to go home. Even after that, it felt like too much to deal with, and I still hadn't felt done or ready to face the things waiting for me here. To be honest, I wasn't sure I was ready still, but by now I knew that I wouldn't have any big revelations just because I was in a foreign country.

Facing Lanie had been easier than expected. Part because Lanie was Lanie and was just happy to have me back. I wasn't an idiot; I knew we had things we needed to talk about and we would. When we were both ready. Part because she was just being the big sister she'd always been and cut me a lot of slack.

“
Did you stay away so you wouldn't be in her way when she met me?”

I laughed. “No. I wasn't that noble of a soul when I was around twenty. I just wasn't ready. There was a lot I needed to deal with by myself, away from others.”

“Yeah, I know. Just thought maybe you extended the trip to not, you know, be in our way.”

“
No. That wasn't it.” I shook my head. “I'm glad she did, though. Meet you, I mean.”

“
Me too,” he smiled. “So, think you're ready now? For whatever it was you were trying to get ready for.”

“
No,” I shook my head. “But I don't think I'll get any more ready, and I might as well get ready here. I can't run forever.”

“
So you're sticking around?”

“
Yes. But I'll get on the apartment-finding mission next week,” I assured him.

“
Why?” He honestly looked surprised when I said that. “We got space. There's fucking five of us living here already, Eliza’s like three normal kids, and there's usually even more around the table at dinner. Not like one more will make much of a difference. And you're family, you’re helping out, and we like having you here. All of us. Stick around. Land and figure out what you wanna do.”

I'd obviously read a lot more into that question than there was to it. I thought he was worried that I'd stick around in his house forever, which apparently wasn't the case at all. He seemed to honestly like having me around. Or at least not have any problems with it.

“That's... really decent of you.” I wasn't sure what else to say.

“
I love your sister. Kicking you out would get me kicked out of our bed. Kinda like it there,” he had a playful smile while he looked out over the landscape.

That made me laugh out loud. “She can be a vengeful bitch when she's angry.”

“You're telling me?” He shook his head. “Think I got you down all wrong. Not sure if what you're really like is better or worse than what I imagined.”

“
I'm sorry, but you can only be worse. She's put you on a pretty high fucking pedestal in those emails. Mr. Perfect in the form of biker.”

He laughed again. I once again had to agree with that part of Lanie's description of him. He really did have a great laugh. Judging by the laugh lines on his face, he laughed a lot.

“That what she called me?”

“
Can't use it against her. She'll know I told on her.”

“
Lips are sealed.” He took a swing from his beer. “There's a party tomorrow. Family and friends, at the clubhouse. The Spring Hog Roast. We have it every year. You should come.”

“
As long as no one thinks I'm available pussy, I'll consider it.” A surprised look from Brick and I nodded. “She told me about that, too. About your groupies and... yeah. Don’t want to run a gauntlet between hard-ons.”

He shook his head. “I'll make sure they know you're family. Besides, most of them saw you, they know who you are by now.”

“What else do they know?”

That was another thing Lanie’d told me, that the members talked about stuff. A lot. The exact quote was 'gossiping worse than grannies'. I wasn’t sure if I was one of those things—obviously most of them hadn’t heard of me before I came here. But they might’ve asked, and he might’ve filled them in, and I wasn’t sure I liked that idea. I was hoping he'd calm me enough so I wouldn't have to worry about it if I went to the party.

“Not much. They know what they need to know, nothing else.” He gave me an assuring look. “It's your story to tell, not mine. It's up to you who knows what. Okay?”

I nodded and looked down at the book in my hand. I was relieved, but at the same time I wondered how long it would stay that way, how long it would be a private thing. What I'd done.

“What did she say to you? About... you know.”

“
She said you did what you had to do and what she never dared to do. You're good in my book, girl, and you're welcome to stay for as long as you need. That's what family is for, and we all like having you here.”

“
Thank you.”

“
Nothing to it. Like having a full house.” He emptied the beer. “It's up to you if you wanna come to the party and if you wanna be involved with the rest of them or the club. But I'd like you to meet them at least, before you decide. It's a big part of who I am and also who Lanie is now.”

“
I know. And I hadn't thought about avoiding them or anything. Think I'm just getting used to one thing at a time.”

“
Okay. They're curious about you, but they won't poke around.” He stood up with a nod. “I'm hitting the sack.”

“
Night.”

“
Night, girl.”

I sat there for a while longer. Not reading, just thinking about what he'd said, what Lanie'd been writing me before I got here, and my general situation. I might not have to move just yet, but I was getting a job. At least I could try to help out a little and pay for myself.

I went inside, cleaned up the kitchen before I went back to the guestroom. I took a shower, and when I came back out to the room I opened the drawers to get a pair of panties. I already had more clothes than I'd had in total the last six years, and if I wasn't mistaken, it kept becoming more. I suspected that Lanie was buying more stuff and putting it in my drawers, thinking I wouldn't notice. It was a very Lanie thing to do.

I smiled when I opened the second drawer, with the t-shirts and sweaters. That drawer was also definitely fuller than it used to be. I gasped when I noticed a Motörhead t-shirt, and when I roamed around I found Velvet Underground, My Bloody Valentine and Jesus and Mary Chain t-shits as well. They weren't new, so these were my old ones. The ones I left behind. She'd kept them, for six years, and god knew how many moves. She'd saved them for me.

I sat down in the armchair and dried my cheeks. Obviously I had more clothes than I'd thought.

-o0o-

Bull was on a bench next to Dawg, both of them leaning against the table behind them. He was looking at the women carrying out food to the tables they'd set up earlier that day. His own Old Lady was among them, Angela. She wasn't at club functions that often, but she'd wanted to come to this one. Angie was his second wife. He hardly ever thought about the first one, not unless he was forced to, but he was reminded of her now, since she used to love these things. Parading around as the Old Lady of the Sergeant at Arms, giving other girls shit. Angie was mostly looking uncomfortable and kept eyeing the sweetbutts. Probably wondering which ones of them he'd nailed.

She was nice and he did love her; he just had a lot of issues and probably shouldn't have married her. She was hard to pass up on, though. Really pretty Latina woman with big soulful eyes, and he'd needed a mom for his kid. He knew she was better than he deserved, as far as a wife went, at least. She was good, and he tried. He just wasn't very successful and had a hard time caring about how bad he was failing.

Brick came walking next to Bear, their VP, and he stood up to meet them. It had been a packed week, and he still hadn't gotten around to talking about Edie, so he was gonna have a quick talk with him now.

“
Hey, Bull,” Brick took the beer a hangaround was handing him and then waited until he was gone. “What's up? You've got that serious face.”

“
Been wanting to ask you about Edie. Want me to do a check up on her? Or put Mech on it?”

Brick shook his head. “Nah, I know what you'll find.”

Bull eyed him, and then Brick took him to the side.

“
I know you, so I know I could order you to not do a check up and you wouldn't do it, but it would bug the shit outta you.” Bull had to admit the guy was right. It would bug him. “So do it, but you don't share that with anyone, got it?”

“
Okay?”

He'd been worried before that, now he was more curious. Brick seemed pretty damn sure he knew what was on her, and he also seemed sure it would be something big, but nothing that would matter to the club. He'd get on it first thing tomorrow.

“I might need Mech.”

“
No. Do it yourself, it'll be enough. Full name is Edie Marie Yates, born in New York. I'll text you the rest of the info tomorrow. I'm not gonna ruin Mel's day by asking for Edie's info today.” Brick looked at something and when Bull turned around he noticed Edie walking across the lot and up to Mel. “Make sure the others behave tonight. She’s not pussy, and she’s already a bit on edge about this. I want her to feel welcome.”

“
I will. Don’t think you have to worry. Mel’s sister is family, that's how they'll treat her.”

Just then he saw Dawg home in on her and with a big smile he got up and started towards her. Brick turned towards him with a meaningful smile.

“Fuck! Yeah. Hrm...” Bull said. “I'll fill him in. He wasn't here when she came.” Dawg had been away up to the mother charter to visit his family and had come back that morning.

“
Do that,” Brick said and watched Dawg with an amused face.