As King flipped the sizzling burger, feeling like it was him on fire under the late summer sun, Shade walked up to him with a beer in his hand, giving it to him.
“Thanks.” King took a long drink of the cold beer.
“Want me to take over for a while?” Shade offered.
“Don’t even think about it. Evie doesn’t think I can do anything macho. This is me about to prove her wrong.”
“Grilling is macho?” Shade’s eyes took in his sweaty t-shirt.
“Isn’t it?” King asked, wiping the perspiration from his brow with a paper towel.
“You’re not going to feel very manly when you suffer a heat stroke.”
“Just keep the beers coming; the burgers are almost ready.”
The crowd had gathered in the backyard of the clubhouse for Beth and Razer’s sons’ baptisms. Many were waiting to be fed, already making their plates from the buffet the women had put together.
Thank Christ,
he was able to finish cooking the last of the burgers. Then he sought the shade of one of the trees where tables had been set out.
Evie waved at him from across the yard, holding one of Beth’s sons while the other baby was in his father’s arms. He couldn’t tell which one Evie was holding from where he was sitting, but he was almost certain it was Noah. Evie would never admit it, but she had grown attached to the baby she had delivered.
Chance was smaller, but he was a fighter. He had been born blue. Beth had said her son was given another chance at life. King looked down at the wedding ring on his finger; the little boy wasn’t the only one who had been given a second chance.
He and Evie, with Lily and Shade, had a quiet ceremony in his backyard. Lucky performed the ceremony, and it was the most beautiful moment of his life.
Coming out of his reverie, he saw Lily coming out of her house, carrying a large book. When she saw him sitting under the tree, she walked over to the table.
“What are you doing sitting over here by yourself?”
“Taking a breather,” King admitted to his daughter.
Lily laughed, sitting at the table next to him and setting the book down in front of him. “I made this for you.”
“For me?” Surprised, King reached out, opening the scrapbook to find pictures of Lily at the age he had left her with Beth’s parents.
“I was eight here.”
“I know.” King turned the page, looking at several more pictures of Lily. In one, she was in church, another she was sitting beside Beth. There was even one of her playing with a doll.
King reached out a trembling hand, turning another page. On this one, she appeared to be slightly older; getting on the school bus, playing on the school playground, in a mermaid costume during a Halloween party.
“I was nine here,” Lily said, placing her hand over his. She turned the pages slowly, showing him her life one page at a time. The shadows and pain in her eyes were always there until she came to the next to the last page.
On that page, she had her wedding pictures, and nothing was in her eyes other than happiness.
“Lily…”
“I didn’t give you this book to show you what you’ve missed but to share with you what a wonderful life you gave me. Thank you.”
King could only nod. If he cried, all The Last Riders would see, as well as Evie. Macho men didn’t cry.
“There’s one more picture I want you to see.” Lily turned to the final page. On it was a picture of a sonogram. “I wanted you to be the first to know. Shade and I are going to have a baby. Dad, you’re going to be a grandfather.”
King looked down at the picture, crying. He was the first out of all the people she loved she gifted with the news of her child. The tiny child in that picture was his grandchild.
“You haven’t even told Shade?” His voice was thick with emotion.
“Not yet.”
As both of them watched Shade walking toward them, King closed the scrapbook.
“Are you ready to eat?” Shade asked Lily. King brushed the tears away from his cheeks.
“No, would you mind going to the car? I left a pack of diapers on the backseat, I thought we could…” Lily began mischievously.
“No. I am not making another diaper anything. I don’t care who it’s for.” Shade broke off his rant, taking a good look at King’s face. “Is Evie…?”
“No,” King said, unable to hold back his smile any longer.
Shade looked back and forth between them. His face broke into a smile as he lifted Lily from her seat, twirling her around in his arms.
“What’s going on?” Evie asked as she came to stand next to him. “Have you been crying?”
“Yes,” King admitted.
“Why?”
“Lily called me Dad.”