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I took another bite.

Holy crap, this is good.

It may have been an old family recipe, but it tasted exactly like the meatballs my mother prepared for me when I was a kid.

I missed my mother, and I missed her meatballs.

In my odd way of thinking, we ate as a family, whether we really were one, or not.

On that night, at my first Sunday dinner with Brad, his mother, and his sneaky father, I had a family again.

Even if it was only for one night.

TWENTY-EIGHT

Pee Bee

It was a typical sunny So-Cal morning. We stood in the parking lot, preparing to pull out for the two-hour trip to Palm Springs. Forty bikes, neatly parked side by side, filled the lot.

Crip positioned himself beside the bikes, up against the building. “Listen up, fellas!”

The crowd went silent.

“In today’s traffic, this is going to be a short little run, about two hours up, two there for lunch, and two back. There’ll be no stops. If you’re riding, you know the rules about pulling over, but I’ll remind you anyway, don’t fuckin’ do it. Lunch is meat, served with a side of meat, so if your Ol’ Lady’s a vegan, you’re out of luck. As always, colors in the front, colors in the back. Sicko, you’ve got sweeper duty. Any questions?”

He looked around the crowd and then nodded. “We’ll saddle up in about twenty.”

“What’s sweeper duty? Can I ask that?” Tegan whispered.

“He’ll be in the back, trailing behind the formation. In case someone wrecks or falls out of rank with a broken down bike. Sweeps up the mess. Sweeper duty.”

“And we’re up front here, with Crip?”

“Right behind him. Him and the road captain will be in the front. We’re right behind them.”

Peyton walked up the side of the bike and stood quietly behind Tegan.

“Tegan, I want you to meet someone.”

Tegan smiled. “Okay.”

I gripped her shoulders and turned her around. “This is Peyton. Peyton, this is Tegan.”

Peyton smiled and shook Tegan’s hand. “Nice to meet you.”

“Really nice to meet you, too. Have you been to many of these?”

Peyton nodded. “A few. It’s fun. They call it a short run, it’s not. Two hours solid. But it’s exciting. Wait till you hear all the bikes fire up. It’ll get your blood going.”

“My blood’s already going,” Tegan said. “I’m excited.”

“She’ll be in front of us, riding with Crip,” I said.

“Cool.”

“It was nice to meet you,” Peyton said.

“Nice to meet you, too.”