“But—” I started, but Dad shook his head.
“This is the life. It’s the only thing you know. It’s different, when you’re a kid, you’re shielded from a lot of shit but that don’t mean, darlin’, that you don’t feel the umbrella of protection that Club provides to family. I know my girl’s not dumb, she’s not gonna sit there and tell me she doesn’t know every brother in that Club was willin’ to have her back every breath she took on this earth. Now, you got a different position in the Club, one you chose, one you fought for. You’re still shielded but you are no longer a kid. You’re an adult and you’re puttin’ things together and you now are seein’ how they can directly affect you. Do not fall down at this first hurdle with your man. As his woman, you got a job, that’s to let him be who he is and do what he feels he’s gotta do. You find common ground in your home with the life you live together day to day. But what it takes to make him the man he is, you give him.”
I pulled in another breath.
Dad still wasn’t done.
“That other guy, your Jason, I liked him.”
Another hit to the gut, and I pressed my lips together.
Dad kept talking, his tone gentle, his eyes on me the same.
“He loved you. I liked the way he treated you, liked the way he looked at you, liked the way he handled you. I hated you losin’ him. But I’ll say this, what Shy did to that ass**le who was makin’ work an unhealthy place for you to be, I like more. You asked me five years ago what I’d want in my daughter’s life, I’d pick a man like Shy. I told him that after we had our fallin’ out. And, as far’s I’m concerned, him steppin’ in and sortin’ your problem, Tabby, darlin’, proves I was right.”
One could not say I didn’t like his words (as lunatic as they were).
Still, I turned my head away and took a drag of my beer.
I was contemplating it in my hand when I heard Dad order, “Cajun popcorn and two meatloaf cheeseburgers. We’re eatin’ at the bar.”
Well, at least dinner was going to be awesome.
I sucked back more beer.
“Tab,” Dad said, and I looked to him just as his hand came up, curled around the back of my neck, and his face got close. “You made the conscious choice to step back into our world. You live here again with all of us. And you made that commitment when you took on the Club and Red and me to have Shy. You knew what you were gettin’. You can’t pick the parts you want and force out the parts that make you uncomfortable. He is the man he is. With men like us, you accept him as that or you don’t take him at all. You gotta decide, what’s it gonna be?”
“I love him,” I whispered, and his eyes lit immediately as he smiled.
“Then that’s what it’s gonna be.”
I sighed.
Dad pulled my head to his, tipping it down and he kissed the top of my hair. Then he let me go, turned to the bartender and ordered us another round of beers.
I guessed that was that, that was how it was going to be, and I knew my guess was right.
Dad was not dumb.
I made my choice and that was how it was going to be, and sitting next to Dad I realized, really, after the shock wore off, I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.
* * *
Two hours later, I walked into my apartment to see Shy on his back on the couch, one leg bent, bare foot in the seat, the other leg to the side of the couch so his foot was resting on the floor.
His head was turned, eyes on me.
I walked to the back of the armchair and threw my purse on the seat.
“Come here, Tabby,” he ordered gently.
I went there.
When I got close, he grabbed my hand, pulled me closer, so I put a knee on the couch between his legs, moved in and settled on him, h*ps between his legs, chest to chest, cheek to shoulder.
His arms curled around me.
“Where you been?” he asked, still quiet.
“Dinner with Dad,” I answered, and got an arm squeeze.
Then I got a murmured “Good choice.”
I sighed.
It was. Then again, Dad was always a good choice.
“Get your head straight?” Shy asked.
“Yeah,” I answered.
He was silent a beat, then he wrapped his arms tighter around me and stated, “You got that, let’s get it all.”
Uh-oh.
Shy continued, “You f**k up food more than you don’t. You talk a lot. Coupla days before your period, sugar, you can get bitchy. It is not lost on me the way you slam the toilet seat down when I leave it up. That statement you intend to make without usin’ the words is clear. And no one should get as ticked as you do that I don’t rinse out my beer bottles before puttin’ them in the recycle bin.”
I didn’t really like where this was going.
And, seriously, you didn’t rinse stuff out before throwing it in the bin, that made the bin stink. Who’d want that?
When he stopped talking, I prompted with a slow “Okay.”
Shy went on, “I get all that’s you. I love you, so I’ve decided, instead of findin’ it annoying, to find it cute. ’Cause it’s you. So that’s what it is. Cute. Except the part when you’re bitchy ’cause you’re goin’ on the rag, but that has more to do with the fact I’m gonna lose your pu**y for a few days and that is not my favorite time of the month.”
Okay, well, I liked all that and I was with him.
Still, I said to his throat, “Beating someone up isn’t cute, Shy.”
“No, but it’s me.”
He was not wrong about that.
I pulled in breath in order to help that thought settle. When it settled, I shifted and kissed his throat.
His arms got tighter around me, and I figured that statement was clear too.
“He was f**kin’ with you, Tabby. Anyone f**ks with you, I’m steppin’ in and I’m gonna do it how I feel it needs to be done. This time, I gave you time. I’ll warn you now, I might not give you time if it happens again. All I need is for you to understand where I’m at and roll with me.”
“I’ll roll with you,” I agreed and got another squeeze.
“I’ll also say that I gave you the option of goin’ quiet about it this time ’cause we’re still gettin’ used to each other. But, sugar, in future, I’ll have a lot less patience with you goin’ into your head and keepin’ shit from me. And the only way I can think to get that across is to ask you to think about how you’d feel if I did the same to you. Somethin’ important was goin’ down, I didn’t let you in, give you a chance to help me deal even if I eventually decide not to deal the way you advise me to deal, how would you feel?”