“I know we’ve had a lot going on over the last few months.We’ve lost men.Some permanently, some hopefully not.But the last few months haven’t been all loss.We’ve received a lot of gifts too, and you know I don’t mean the physical kind.”He squeezed Taylynn against him.“Despite the losses, our family is growing.We’ve gained Taylynn, Andy, Delilah, and now Tania.But that’s not all.Tania brought with her the first patchling we’ve had in quite a while, and I’m glad to have kids around the clubhouse again.But Carter won’t be alone for long.”He turned and looked down.Tenderness filled his face as he gazed upon his woman.“Taylynn and I are going to have a baby.”
Noise instantly filled the room as people cheered and congratulated them.Several of the brothers moved in and gave Taylynn hugs or slapped Raven on the back.It took several minutes for the hubbub to die down.Raven kissed Taylynn long enough there were calls for them to get a room.When they finally parted, Taylynn went back to the table with the girls and Raven headed in their direction.He waved at Thorn for a beer and took the stool beside Smokey, on the far side from where Dagger turned around to face the bar and watch the women in the mirror behind the bar.
“Congrats, man,” Smokey said.
“Thanks.”Raven twisted the top off the bottle Thorn set in front of him and took a long pull.
“I have one question though,” he continued without waiting for someone to ask what he wanted to know.“What’s the kid’s name gonna be?”
Raven scowled and turned to look at him as if he was nuts.“We haven’t gotten that far, haven’t even started to talk about it, and what makes you think I’d tell you before it’s time anyway?”
Smokey shook his head.“I’m not talking about first name.I mean last name.You’re Guzman, she’s Higham.Which will the baby be?”
Raven stared at him for a moment, then blinked.“Fuck.”He turned back to stare at the mirror behind the bar as he tilted back his bottle again.“That’s something else I’ll have to do.I don’t know how we’ll handle a wedding on top of everything else.I’ll talk to her about it.And thanks for mentioning it.It may not have occurred to me until we were in the delivery room, but I can bet she’s thinking about it now.She’s a little crazy but she takes care of me in ways I never thought I needed.”
Behind the bar, Thorn snorted.
“Shut it.I’m not talking about that, but obviously that too.I mean she makes sure I have what I need.I never get in the shower to find I’m out of soap.I never run out of coffee at 4 AM when there’s now where open to get more.There’s so much more, but she takes care of me just like I take care of her, but in different ways.”He glanced up at the mirror, to his woman, Smokey had no doubt.
“Talk to her.See what she wants.She may not want some big production.Knowing her she’s already thought about everything going on with the club, and what will work.”Dagger tilted his head toward where the women still giggled and laughed.“But if it’s money you’re worried about.Unless she wants some huge production with the entire town, we can swing it.”
“Are you talking what I think you’re talking?”Hawkeye said, coming up and taking the stool on the other side of the Prez.“Congrats old man.Who would have thought you’d be having a kid at this age.”
Raven turned his head slowly, before pinning the tech sergeant with a look that would have withered a lesser man.
“Just how old do you think I am?”
“I don’t know.I mean I’ve seen your personal info, I know what the state thinks but from some of the things I’ve seen and heard.I’m pretty sure you’re at least a hundred years older than that.Personally, I think you’re some kind of vampire, but I haven’t figured out how it works yet because I’ve seen you in the sunlight, man.It doesn’t turn you to ash, but nor do you sparkle.Give me a little more time though, I’m sure I can figure it out.”
Raven blinked then turned to look at Smokey.
“Did that make any sense at all to you?”
Smokey scrubbed one hand over his face before answering.
“Only to let me know we’ve got to get him out of that command center more often.He’s about to go full geek on us.”
“I don’t know why that makes me a geek,” Hawkeye said as Thorn handed him a drink.“But back to what I was saying when I came in.You know, I can do a little computer magic and have the two of you legally married in about five minutes.”
“You can what?”Raven’s head whipped back around to look at the club’s hacker.
“I can put a record of your license and marriage into the court records.It’s a simple process, and it’s not even getting into the system that takes the longest.”
Dagger cleared his throat.“If I can offer a bit of advice,” he continued without waiting for an answer.“Talk to her first.See what she wants before you have him do his thing.”
“Oh, that ain’t my only thing,” Hawkeye said.
“I don’t want to hear about it.Save that for Delilah,” Dagger said, holding up one hand.
“You’re right.”Raven tilted his bottle back and drained it.He set the empty on the bar with a thump and slid off his stool.“I need to talk to her.I’ll see you idiots tomorrow.I’m gonna grab my woman and call it a night.”He went to the booth in the corner, said something to them.Taylynn laughed, hugged Tania who sat next to her then stood and went upstairs with the president.
“And that’s what I’ve been waiting for too.”Dagger stood, retrieved Andy and took her upstairs.
Across the room Smokey met Tania’s gaze.He knew what he wanted to do.He wanted to take her upstairs, strip her down and show her just how he felt about her.But this wasn’t the time.Not because of Carter but because they had a lot they needed to know.He needed to see what she knew and what she wanted to do about the divorce.
He glanced over at Hawkeye.
“You ready for yours?”
