I nod, confirming I heard him. “That’s fuckin’ great, man. So, you need help with anythin’ or whatever?” I’m sure there’s a shit ton to get started on, but I know nothing about construction. I mean, I could build a damn bird house if the kids wanted to do a project like that, but I’m not versed enough to build a deck or any advanced shit like that.
“Only help I need is figurin’ out how the fuck I’m gonna get a loan.” Grim scratches the back of his head and leans his neck against the back of the couch. “Banks don’t exactly give loans out easily, you know?”
“How much money you need?” I have a little bit saved up, so if I can help them I will. It’s what family does after all, and we’re family. Ruby, Grim, and I all share the same deadbeat father. Our dad was shit, but fuck our moms were the best, they banded together and made sure we always had a relationship growin’ up. Even Grim and I put money together to help get Ruby through college. Out of the three of us, she’s gonna go off to do amazing things and I know it.
“Shit, fuck if I know. Nat’ keeps changing her mind on what floor plan she likes the best. I need the woman to make a decision. She wants a bedroom for all the kids, which I’m not complaining about in the least bit. It’ll be four average bedrooms, a master suite with a bathroom, and two more bathrooms too. With four kids we’re gonna need it, you know?”
“Damn straight, especially with all those kids,” I chuckle, and Grim laughs.
“We did get the septic pricing, and it’s a little over five thousand which should be easy to handle. Just the pricing for constructing the home and the foundation is a bit worrisome. I need her to pick a floorplan so I can see what we need to do. Now, I’m grateful as hell to Zane for even letting us put up a place on the Monroe property. You know?”
“Yeah, of course, man, but Zane’s our Prez. He was never gonna say no. You picked out where you’re gonna build yet?”
Grim nods and smirks. “Yeah, we’re gonna be a little ways off from Ashley and Blackjack, on the other side of the lake. The girls love playing with Noelle and Fist, so it works out. Ashley or Nat’ just have to take a quick drive around and they can have playdates.”
“Shit, I’m so happy for you, man. You seem so at peace, more than you have been in a really long time. Natalie and the girls are right for you, that’s for damn sure.”
Grim smiles widely and nods. “Yeah, they’ve made an irreplaceable impression on my life.”
I told Grim I’d spend some time with him here today helping him and the girls pack up while Natalie and Ashley went out for a girls’ day. Both of those ladies deserve it for everything they do for the club. Ashley’s about ten times as involved as most of the ol’ ladies, but the Reapers are her family’s legacy. Meanwhile, Natalie doesn’t only work at a chiropractor clinic, but she’s paid to meal prep for everyone at the club. Sometimes we’re so busy that cooking isn’t exactly on our list of important things to do.
We already took the girls out for ice cream and had enough time to watch a movie, now they’re off in their room packing away the few things they don’t play with constantly so Grim and I can load it up in the back of my truck and I can store it in one of the units we have at the club.
Over the course of the day, I haven’t minded spending time with him or the girls at all. They give me a totally different outlook on kids because they’re not bratty at all. Noelle was a damn terror when she was a toddler and I remember the way I told all the brothers I wasn’t gonna ever have kids. I don’t know if I will, but it’s not ‘cause I think they’re bratty little fuckers. I just gotta find the right woman.
“Weird,” Grim mutters under his breath.
“What’s up?” I ask, lookin’ to my brother.
“It’s a bit past eight and they’re not back. How long has it been since they went to the mall?” As he’s asking me, I’m trying to do the math. We got here a bit before eleven in the morning and started our day shortly thereafter.
“Around eleven this morning, and don’t worry, man. They’re probably enjoying their first kid free time in ages. Don’t worry until you have to.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right. It’s getting late so let’s get the girls to bed,” Grim says, rising from the couch.
“Bro, you gotta be kiddin’ me. It’s ten after eight. Why they goin’ to bed so damn early?”
Grim turns to look back at me and shakes his head. “There’s this thing called school. I know you don’t remember much about it ‘cause your ass barely went, but unlike you, these girls have perfect attendance and when they’re in bed by eight-thirty they do a lot better. Even Sorcha has perfect attendance at daycare now.”
“Alright, alright,” I mutter, following my brother’s orders as he tells me exactly what I need to do and how to keep the girls on track. Grim ends up helping Sorcha a bit more, but she’s not five yet so she requires a little more help than her older sisters. For the most part Aggie and Davina can do everything they need to on their own. Hell, they even brought the totes out with their toys and took the initiative to pack away some clothes they weren’t wearing now that it’s not too briskly cold out these days.
Just as Grim’s shutting the door to the girls’ bedroom and tells them goodnight his phone rings back on the coffee table in the living area. Since he’s talking to one of the girls, I go over and see Ashley’s name coming across the screen so I answer it. “Hey Ash, it’s Axel. You two okay?”
“No, I need to talk to Grim right now, like right this instant.” Her tone is panicked and rushed, so I walk over to where Grim is and hand him the phone.
“Man, it’s Ashley. She sounds a bit upset,” I tell him, keepin’ it real with him. I’ve never been the type of dude who doesn’t shoot shit straight.
He takes the phone, mouthing ‘thank you’, and speaks to Ashley, asking her what’s going on. I hear the words ‘bleeding’ and she apologizes to him over and over again, though I’m not sure why. I stand back and watch as his stance changes and he keeps nodding his head, then lowly asks her questions every chance he gets the opportunity.
“Okay, I’ll be there as soon as possible. I’m leaving right now,” Grim says on the phone before he says ‘bye’ and then disconnects the call, sliding the cell into the back of his jeans. “Look, I gotta go. Natalie’s bleeding and something’s going on with the baby. I need you to stay here and watch the kids. You gonna be cool to do that?”
I nod,. “Yeah, get goin’. I’ll be fine with the girls.”
Taking my advice, Grim rushes out the front door, starts up his bike, and flies out of the trailer park to whichever hospital Ashley said Nat’s at. I make my way over to the couch and sit down, then scan up to the popcorn ceiling. “God, if you’re up there, please don’t let anything bad happen to this kid. It’ll break him and I don’t think he’ll survive losin’ two kids before he even met ‘em.”
Chapter Two