“Yeah.So, you can come and go as you please.”
She stared at him for a moment, not understanding what had changed.Bishop had asked her not to go anywhere without a couple of the brothers, or at least prospects, with her.And now that seemed to have changed.
“I don’t understand.”She could have said more but thought she’d give him a chance if there was something he might have forgotten to tell her.
“Can you give me about ten minutes to finish this up?Then we can sit down and talk.There are a few things I need to let you know but this isn’t the place to talk about it.”
“I can.You want me to wait here?”
“Sure, I’ll never turn down your company, Spitfire.If you look over there...”He tilted his head toward the back wall, “You’ll find a roll-around stool if you want to be more comfortable.”
She found the stool and an out-of-the-way spot to sit for a while, watching Bishop work on the bike in front of him.She closed her eyes, listened to the general noise in the shop, and couldn’t help but be reminded of days she’d spent with Dad while he worked on his bike or hung around with the Angels.Being here with the Sons reminded her of what she hadn’t been aware she’d been missing.She hoped Bulldog giving her keys back wasn’t his way of telling her it was time to move on.She’d started to like it here and enjoy having people around again.
“Ready?”
Winter opened her eyes to find Bishop standing in front of her, holding out one hand.She gave him her hand and let him pull her to her feet.
“Come on, Spitfire, I’ve got a couple of things to tell you.”Bishop wove his fingers through hers and led her from the shop toward a large open grassy area behind the main clubhouse.It had a large shade over several picnic tables, a bunch of chairs and a few benches around a firepit on the other side.A couple of soccer balls sat on the grass as if waiting for someone to come along and kick them.Bishop led her to one of the tables then picked her up and sat her on the end of the table.
“Bishop, people eat on these tables,” She tried to slide off.
“And we wash them or cover them with a cloth when we do.Stay put for a minute.”He moved close, cupped her chin until she looked up at him, then bent and placed a gentle kiss on her lips.She felt like he was leading up to something.Not knowing if what he was leading up to was good or bad, her stomach churned.
Bishop stepped between her knees, making her crane her neck to look up at him.
“There are several things we need to talk about.First, tell me how things worked with the Angels, since I’m not familiar with them.”
She stared at him for a moment, confused.
“You’re going to have to give me some context here.How did things go with the Angels?”
“How do they deal with the old ladies, how much do they know?How involved are they in club life?”
She waggled her head back and forth.
“I’m not sure I’m the best person to ask about that.I was a kid.I was expected to do as I was told and not ask questions.”
“I get that, but you were old enough to see what happened between the men and their women, weren’t you, or at least some of it?”
“Kind of, but there were never a lot of old ladies around the Angels.Usually maybe two or three at a time.”She fell silent for a moment as she tried to remember interactions between her dad’s brothers and their women.She’d been too young when Mom died to have noticed much between them.
“Like I said, there weren’t a lot of old ladies around.I think the only one I spent much time around was Debra, Freud’s wife.She was sick when I left.I’m sure she’s passed away since then.”
“People do get better, you know.”
“I know.”She gave him a sad smile.“But she was terminal and we knew it.Not staying in touch with her and being there with her to the end is one thing I regret in the way I left Montana.”She looked down at her lap.
Bishop used a finger on the end of her chin to lift her face to look at him again.
“I’m sure she understood, but maybe we can take a trip up there and you can talk to this Freud about it.I’m sure he won’t hold it against you.”
“He won’t,” she said shaking her head.“He was always so sweet to me.”
Bishop scowled and she wondered if he thought Freud was interested in her.Even if he hadn’t been married, Freud was more than twenty years older than her, and that just did nothing for her.
“Back to us.None of the Sons have a woman yet.I mean we’ve got the club girls but no one is married, and until recently, no one had anyone they wanted to claim.We do have some policies in place already but some of this will be learn as we go.”
“We?”
