A short time later, I finally convinced myself that I was making something out of nothing and got back on my bike. I took one last look up at Delilah’s apartment, then headed home for the night. When I woke up the next morning, I got dressed and went over to the clubhouse to meet up with Axel and Menace. When I pulled through the gate, I found them both waiting at the front door with Viper. Axel walked over to me and said, “We’re ready when you are.”
“Prez coming along too?”
“Yeah, I filled him in on what we were doing, and he wanted to join in. Widow, too. He’s going to meet us there.”
“Appreciate that.”
“No problem, brother. Glad to do it.”
With that, he and the others got on their bikes and followed me over to the nursing home. When we arrived, Widow was waiting for us in the parking lot. We parked next to him, then headed inside. I was checking in at the front desk when I spotted Delilah walking towards us with a concerned look across her face “Hey, what’s going on?”
“If it’s all right, the guys and I thought we’d visit with Mr. McClanahan for a bit.”
“Really?” She looked over at my brothers and smiled. “That’s sweet of you to think of him. I’m sure he would’ve enjoyed seeing you, but he’s not doing very well today.”
“Oh? What’s going on?”
“We’re not sure. His blood pressure has been up and down all morning, and he’s a bit disorientated.” I could hear the worry in her voice as she added, “I’m not sure he’d be up for a visit. It might be too much for him.”
“I don’t know,” the nurse behind the desk interrupted. “I think he might enjoy some company.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah, I think it’ll be good for him.” The nurse handed Delilah a clipboard. “Go with them and monitor his vitals. As long as they’re good, the guys are welcome to sit with him.”
“Okay.” Delilah looked back over to us as she said, “Come on. I’ll show you to his room.”
We all followed Delilah down to McClanahan’s room, and when we walked in, he was lying in the bed with his eyes closed. Delilah walked over to the edge of the bed and placed her hand on his arm, giving him a gentle shake as she leaned over him and whispered, “Mr. McClanahan, you have some visitors.”
“Hmm,” McClanahan groaned. “What visitors?”
“You remember Hawk, don’t you?” With squinted eyes, he looked over at me, and his face lit up when he noticed the brothers behind me. “They wanted to chat with you for a bit, if you’re up for it.”
He eased up on the bed and smiled. “Of course, I’m up for it. Glad to see you again, Hawk. Good of you to come by.”
“Delilah mentioned you were having a bad morning. You doing okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.” He placed his hand on his chest. “The old ticker is trying to play out on me, but I’m not ready to call it quits just yet.”
“Good to hear that.” I motioned my hand over to Viper. “I’m not sure if you’ve met my president. This is Viper. Also brought along my VP, Axel. And next to him is Menace and Widow.”
“Good of you boys to come down like this.” McClanahan turned his attention to Viper as he said, “Heard good things about you, son. Sounds like you run a steady ship over there at the Ruthless Sinners.”
“I do my best.” A smile crept over my president’s face as he told him, “I heard the same thing about you. The Ravens are a good group of men.”
“They are.” Sadness filled his eyes as McClanahan muttered, “Miss those boys. Wish I could see them more.”
“Maybe we could do something about that.”
“Maybe.” He thought for a moment, then said, “You boys ever ridden the Tail of the Dragon up near the Carolina border?”
The Tail of the Dragon had always been popular with bikers. They came from all over the world to ride the eleven mile stretch down US 129. The desolate, wooded roadside isn’t for the faint of heart. The highway is filled with twists and turns that any biker would get a thrill out of riding, but with all the animal life and possible downed trees, it can make it dangerous to travel on a motorcycle. A smile crossed Widow’s face as he nodded. “Hell, yeah. Ridden it many times. One of my favorite places to ride.”
I glanced over at Delilah, and she was all smiles as she sat back and listened in on our conversation. Every now and then, she’d take a moment to check McClanahan’s heart monitor, but I could tell from her expression that we had nothing to worry about. He was hanging in there just fine and clearly enjoying himself. McClanahan shook his head as he said, “I remember the first time I took my Clarice out on that road. Thought she’d squeeze the life right out of me.”