But you’ve got to remember the good times.
The good times did far outweigh the bad.
It didn’t take long for people to be frozen off their asses and wanting to head inside. The families that were staying at the clubhouse were shown to their rooms. The families like Devil, Lexie, and the kids, were heading home with Eva and Tiny.
Lash made his excuses as it started to get loud to head to his office. He had about ten minutes before there was a knock at the door.
He was tempted to stay quiet but knew there was no chance of him being left alone, so he called for whoever it was to come on in.
Angel was there.
“Babe,” he said.
“I figured you’d be hiding in here.”
“I’m not hiding.”
“Right.” Angel rounded the desk and leaned against it. She took hold of his hands and locked their fingers together. “Something is going on with you. What is it?”
“It’s nothing.”
“Come on, Lash. This is me you’re talking to. You think I don’t sense it?”
He stared at their linked hands, and he pressed a kiss to hers before pulling her into his lap. Wrapping his arm around his woman, he breathed her in.
She helped to ground him.
“I … don’t know. I guess with the guys all around, and everyone here, the clubhouse full, I guess it is reminding me more now than ever before all of those we’ve lost.”
“Oh,” she said. “I had no idea it would do that.”
“Don’t be sad. It’s just some stupid shit that’s going on inside my head. I love that we’ve got everyone around us for Christmas and the kids home still.”
“You’re worried about Anthony, aren’t you?”
“It’s not easy.” He sighed.
“We’ve lost so many.”
“True, but look at what we have.”
Angel cupped his cheek and forced him to look at her. “But you’re right. We never should forget those that we lost. It has been one hell of a rocky journey to get here.” She slid her thumb back and forth. “I love you, Lash, so damn much.”
“You don’t think about how easy it would be without me, without us?”
“Shut up. No. I don’t. I don’t want to ever think about a world where you’re not in it. I love you, Lash. The way I feel about you, it’s not—you’re everything to me. You always will be.”
He pulled her in close and kissed her hard, not wanting to let her go.
She was his rock.
Lash kissed her hard, feeling her warmth surround him. There were times that he truly believed he’d been sent his own personal angel. She was his very reason for breathing, for fighting to make the club a safer place, and of course, for putting up with so many fucking assholes in one place for the holidays.
They pulled away as they heard yelling.
“And so it begins.”
“All families have a few hiccups. This is just one of many.”