Grumbler’s eyes come to me, his brow raised in question. Then he looks back down to my daughter. “What?”
She punctuates her words with more pokes to his chest. “Permission to marry my mom.”
He grins. “Okay, so I’m asking. Can I take your mom’s hand in marriage?”
Her head tilts to one side. “You going to look out for her? Care for her? Love her?”
His smile widens. “What do you think? I love your mom, kid.” Then he puts his hand on her shoulder. “Love you as well. Don’t know how you both fuckin’ did it, but you’ve made this old man the happiest alive.”
Alicia humphs and takes a deep breath. Her eyes rise to his. “I know you’ve knocked her up.”
“Alicia!”
Grumbler winks at me over her head. “That I have,” he agrees.
Her finger is back to poking his chest again. “Next time,” she says, warningly, “wrap it up.”
I snort. Grumbler chortles, and Alicia looks triumphant.
“Oh, and one last thing. I’m giving her away at the wedding.”
And here I was thinking she’d insist on being a bridesmaid, but I don’t have a problem with that.
“Too right you fuckin’ are,” Grumbler agrees, beaming widely.
The next few days fly fast. Another doctor’s appointment, this time a sonogram works, and while invasive, we both hear what people mistake for a heartbeat, but is an undeniable indication that there’s a baby growing inside of me. It affected both me and Grumbler, his whispered words as we left the hospital we’re really doing this bringing home that bizarrely, in a few months, we could be parents.
Then Alicia was dragging me out to get dresses for us both, and wanting her hair done, so I had mine done as well. I didn’t even mind Grumbler disappearing in the evenings, knowing he was only doing what I’d asked.
Before I knew it, the day had arrived.
Grumbler drove me and Alicia to the courthouse where a surprise was waiting for me. Not only were my own guests, Kristen and Terra waiting there, but the whole of his MC, and the three friends of Grumbler’s he invited who stayed in the background.
I’m wearing a nice new dress, not flamboyant, but something I was comfortable in. Grumbler is wearing clean jeans, a button-up white shirt, and, when he got out of the cage, he slid into his cut. I took a moment to lick my lips. I hadn’t wanted him to dress in a suit, although he had offered, as I hadn’t wanted to marry a stranger. I wanted to marry the man with whom I’d fallen in love.
“Mary, this is Salem,” Grumbler informs me as a man steps to the front. “I’ve asked him to be my best man.”
“Mary.” Salem raises his chin toward me, then leans forward, asking conspiratorially, “You sure about this? There’s still time to run.”
I snort in an unladylike fashion, but his words break the ice. I don’t reply but running is the last thing on my mind.
Then I stare, open-mouthed as his leather-clad brothers form an escort. Grumbler, I, Alicia and Salem walk past them, Grumbler pausing to shake a few hands and receive back slaps.
We head to the front, while everyone else crowds into the room behind us. Turning, I see Kristen and Terra in the first row, Kristen’s tongue all but hanging out. Jeez, I hope she behaves herself back at the clubhouse.
Then the brief ceremony begins. It’s over fast, and in no time at all, I have his ring on my finger and a new name, Mary Winslow, as we walk out into the sunlight.
“I took some shots.” A biker called Blaze waves his phone at me. “But we’ll take more at the clubhouse.” He winks. “I’ve got it all set up.”
Unsure what that wink means, I just thank him.
“Shouldn’t you have your bike?” I ask Grumbler, spying all his brothers getting on their rides.
“With you in that dress?” He grins broadly. “Not having you flash my brothers. What you’ve got under there is all mine. And what about Alicia? Nah, I’m good Mary. I can suffer a cage with you and her with me.”
We do, however, lead the convoy of bikes, Grumbler holding tight onto my hand as he drives as if he never wants to let me go. I feel the same way about him. I don’t think I’ve ever been happier, or not in recent years.
I smile broadly when it becomes clear what Blaze had been talking about. We reach the clubhouse to see Grumbler’s bike in pride of place. As Grumbler parks my car out of the way, his brothers circle around it, lining up their bikes behind his.
It’s there the main photographs are taken. It’s fitting that his ride is part of this, it was her who brought us together after all. It’s strange how things work out, I muse, as photo after photo is taken.
If Grumbler hadn’t been getting a tattoo that day, his bike would never have been spotted by Devon. If I hadn’t allowed Alicia to model, then some other girl would have been there. I’d have never met the biker who’d seemed so scary at first.
Would I change it? To save Alicia from being used, I might. But then, I wouldn’t have met Grumbler, and wouldn’t be where I am today.
“One more,” someone calls out. “Mary, get on the bike with Grumbler.”
“I’m wearing a dress,” I yell back.
“We’re gentlemen, we won’t look,” an anonymous voice assures me.
“Speak for your-fuckin’-self,” someone else says, followed by an oomph.
I laugh, realising this will be my adopted family. In the end, Alicia saves the day, coming forward and shielding me so I can get on behind Grumbler without showing too much flesh. Nevertheless, my dress is hoisted up around my thighs and I am showing a lot of leg. Alicia hands me back my small bouquet.
Then, before she steps back, she quietly asks, “You
