“Hey,” he said. “Don’t suppose you’d help me with this streamer?”
Ryan grabbed a stepladder, and walked up it to pin the streamer on the wall. “Thank you.”
“What?”
Ryan finished pinning stuff for the upcoming wedding and party before stepping down off the ladder to face him. “James told me he gave you a choice. You’re still here, and I wanted to say thank you for staying.”
Dane stared at his son, and it was fucking freaky to think how much he looked like him. There was no mistaking Ryan as his. “I fucked up a lot. I’ve done shit I’m not proud of, but I want to get to know you.” He held his hand up when Ryan went to talk. “I don’t expect you to forgive me, or even for you to make this easy for me. I don’t deserve that. Never have.”
Ryan ran fingers through his hair, and looked toward Lewis and Lucy. “What you did was really not cool. I don’t want to spend all my time angry with you. I want to get to know you, and if you want to hang out some time, then I’m game.”
“I’d like that very much.”
“Sure.” Ryan walked away, but for once, Dane didn’t feel like he was being cursed straight to hell.
Looking toward Teri, Dane wondered if she had moved on. She was talking with Chloe, Grace, and Suzy, and she looked every inch the confident woman he had been drawn to all those years ago.
“You’re not having her,” Damon said, coming up from behind him.
“What?”
“Teri. She’s worth a hell of a lot more than you’ve ever given her. Don’t even think about it.”
Before Dane could do anything, he watched as Damon walked toward Teri, and wrapped his arm around her. Dane had lost Lucy, and now it looked like he had lost Teri. Part of him wanted to run, but then he watched Ryan and his two other kids chasing after him.
He had a reason to stay in Greater Falls.
It had nothing to do with the women, and everything to do with being a good father. A better one than he had ever had, and one his kids deserved.
****
“Do you, Skylar Davies, take Leo and Paul to be your husbands in the eyes of the club, and do you promise to be a faithful, loyal Dirty Fuckers old lady?” James asked.
There were a few snickers around the room, but Skylar ignored them.
“I do.”
“Leo, Paul, do you take Skylar to be your old lady? Do you promise to love, honor, and ride her hard so that no man could ever tempt her?”
“We do,” Leo and Paul said in unison.
“You’re just making this up now,” Cora said, laughing.
Skylar couldn’t even be offended. On the plane journey home, Leo and Paul had both warned her about what was to come.
“With the power of the Prez of the Dirty Fuckers MC, I
now pronounce you husbands and wife. As the club we are united, and she will be in our protection, and we will honor your love for each other,” James said. “Congratulations, kiss your wife already!”
Applause erupted around the room, and the sounds didn’t bother Skylar. She kissed first Leo, and then Paul, and then stood in the middle as they both embraced her. She was so happy, and being with the club, she couldn’t think of anything better.
Their love, their support, it meant everything to her.
Teri ran up toward her and pulled her in for a hug. “I just knew this would have a happy ending.”
“I love you, Teri,” she said, holding onto her sister. “You have got to stop feeling guilty. Leaving was the best thing you ever did.”
“I left you with her.”