“Let’s go party! Mommy, I need to potty.”
Shamus walks over to us and plants a kiss on top of both of our heads. “See y’all in the kitchen where all the good stuff is.” He winks at Ella as he leaves the room.
“Mommy?”
“Yes, dear.”
“I think Mr. Shamus is my new bestest friend.”
Swoon.
A smile ruptures across my face as I tote her off to the bathroom. “Mine too, baby girl. Can we share him?”
She ponders my question before vigorously nodding her head.
Chapter Twelve
Star
The women and I are outside with the kids. The younger ones can’t run amuck and play like Ella can, but there’s a blanket spread out on the grass with their toys on top of it. They’re all settled and as happy as clams to be sharing with one another. The guys had club business to attend to, so us women are enjoying the fresh air.
“Country told me Ma and Pops were heading down this way and should be here any time now,” Charlee tells us.
“Those are Charlee and Gunner’s folks. They’re a hoot and when you see the two of them banter back and forth, it gives insight into what our lives are gonna eventually be like,” my sister declares, catching me up on who’s who.
I look over to see where Ella is and smile when I see Jessia pushing her back and forth on the swing set. They’ve built a mini park in the back of the clubhouse for all of the kids that are here now and the ones who will come in the future.
“I can’t wait to see Jaggar and Ella playing together like that,” Stella discloses.
I crack out a laugh, “He’ll have to learn how to run before he walks if he ever wants to keep up with her.”
“Did you see how excited she got when she saw the playground?” Cameron pipes in with her question. “When she asked if she had to be ‘special good’ in order to play, it ripped my heart out.”
“Jeremiah instilled it in her mind that she didn’t get privileges unless she earned them. She’s never gotten to just be a kid in the normal sense of the word. She got up, ate her breakfast, had her bath and started learning time. She’d spend four hours with Jessia in class time. She far exceeds a child of her age with his requirements. He actually had the lesson plan drawn up himself and required certain daily activities. If she didn’t accomplish everything with precision, she didn’t get any free play time.”
“I was wondering how the hell a two-year-old had a vocabulary as extensive as she does. I thought maybe she was just a genius,” Charlee exclaims.
“Oh, she’s smart, but a lot has been forced upon her that her little mind isn’t ready for. I don’t mind sitting down and reading a book with her. Teaching her colors and the alphabet, but she shouldn’t be learning mathematics yet.”
“I’m sorry, did you just say at two years old she knows math?” Cameron’s voice comes out in an awed fashion as she asks this.
“Small quantities. The basics of adding and subtracting. She has these popsicle sticks that they use for adding and taking away. At least he allows her to count those instead of having to do it all in her head,” I apprise them.
“You know, it wouldn’t hurt my feelings any if that fucker came face-to-face with my Ruger. I don’t know him, yet already I want to spill his blood,” Charlee decrees.
“Don’t mind Charlee, she’s more bark than bite,” Cameron tries to diffuse any worries I might have.
“Well, that makes two of us who’d like to spill his blood. And if that time comes, I’d hope her bite meets the mark,” I admit.
“Oh, joy. We have two vicious, blood-thirsty women to contend with,” Cameron laughs.
“Because you’re so damn innocent when it comes to doling out punishments,” Stella rolls her eyes. Then, she proceeds to tell me about the club girls… bunnies she calls them and the big showdown that she witnessed.
“Bitches deserved that shit,” Cameron huffs.
“Sure the fuck did,” Charlee concurs.
“So, all those structures out in the far corner, those are the bunnies’ residences?” I request, quite a bit intrigued now. Women like them don’t scare me, and I hope they don’t plan on trying, I’ve lived with sketchy, skanky bitches for years now. I know just how to handle them and put them in their place.
“Yeah. We got rid of the worst of them, the ones left give us a wide berth and don’t even consider messing with a taken man,” Charlee enlightens me.
“That’s good to know, but none of them know Shamus is now off the market,” I assert.
“Then you need to make that shit known far and wide.” The twinkle in her eye and the smile that Cameron sends me should scare me, but it doesn’t. They’re silently communicating with one another through looks.
“What are you two planning now?” Stella moans, gearing up to hear what the dynamic duo is up to.
“Nothing.” Charlee innocently shrugs her shoulders.
“But, don’t you think Star and Ella deserve a welcome home party?” Cameron questions, but I know it’s not as simple as she’s making it out to be.
“You ladies think I need to publicly claim him as my own, don’t ya?” I already know the answer to this. Why I find it pertinent to ask them far exceeds my comprehension.
“Hell yeah,” Charlee laughs as she and Cameron high-five one another.
“It’s gonna be more than that, isn’t it?” I quiz my sister.
“Oh yeah,” she simply answers with an impish smile.
Shamus
When we make our way back to the clubhouse, I find I’m energized and ready to see my girls. Usually, after a hard run like today, I’m ready for a beer, pussy and bed, in that order. Now, all I wanna do is play with Ella and spend as much time with my old lady as I can.
Word on the street is that Jeremiah is scratching his head
