Page 16 of Merry Merry Biker
“Yep, I’m afraid so,” I grinned at him. I’d felt the same way at his age.
“Tommy,” Uncle Colm called out, turning I saw that the trailer was hitched up.
Lifting my hand up to show I’d heard him, I said goodbye to Maya, Jackson, and Emma before walking away, passing Johnny on the way.
“We’ll be over soon,” he assured me. “Just need to get changed.”
“Okay,” I acknowledged and got back into Uncle Colm’s car. Not long after, we were pulled up next to my bike. I lifted her, grimacing as I saw the damage done to it. Pushing it onto the trailer, I wondered how the hell someone as small as Sprite had managed to push it that far off the road.
“Don’t worry, lad,” Uncle Colm assured me, clapping me on the shoulder, “Gunny and his boy will make her look good as new.”
“I hope so, she’s not that old.”
“We’ll drop her off tomorrow for you. Come on, let’s get to Lana’s and get as much painting done as we can. I want you two at minetonight, so do what you have to do to persuade her to spend the night.”
Running my hand down my face, I shook my head at his words. Hoping that Lana wouldn’t mind spending the night next door, but I wouldn’t force her. Not long after, we were pulling back into her drive and unhooking the trailer. The front door opened as we walked up the steps, and Lana stood framed in the doorway. I didn’t think twice about dipping my head and kissing her lips as I walked past.
I wondered how she’d feel about adding a veranda. I liked the one at Uncle Colm’s, and it would give me something to do with my time.
It wasn’t more than ten minutes later that my cousins pulled up with a cooler full of sandwiches so that we didn’t have to stop working throughout the day. Lana obviously knew them well because she was comfortable with them. Comfortable enough to shovel whatever teasing shit they came up with right back at them.
It didn’t take long with all of us working for the painting to be done.
Lana hadn’t minded us packing up and spending a night at Uncle Colm’s; in fact, she asked if we could spend the next two nights if he didn’t mind. That way, we could get the sanding and varnishing done without having to breathe it all in.
I knew deep down she was doing it for my uncle’s benefit. He’d missed me and was glad I was home. Lana had a big heart and family meant everything to her now that she didn’t have any of her own. My uncle had readily agreed and told us to come over when we were ready, but he’d head out now and give Maya a hand, much to the bemusement of his sons.
I didn’t have much with me other than what was in my saddlebags. Between my few things and what Lana threw in a bag, we weren’t far behind Uncle Colm.
The memories hit me as soon as we walked in the front door, and much like the outside, not much had changed other than the décor. Instead of carpet, the floors were now wood, but everything else was the same, including the bank of family photos along one wall. Stopping in front of the one that held Uncle Colm, my aunt, and all six of us boys, including the baby, Andy. I’d been told he’d been sent to Ireland to get his behaviour under control. It was the one picture that I’d kept and carried around with me. It seemed like a lifetime ago.
A soft hand slipped into mine and I looked down into Lana’s concerned dark eyes.
“Are you okay?” she asked, a wrinkle of concern furrowing her brow.
Rubbing a finger across the furrow, I smiled, “I’m fine, Sprite, just lost in memories, but they’re good ones.”
“Okay, I’m going to drop my bag in the bedroom Maya’s given us and then I’ll meet you in the kitchen,” she told me.
“Okay,” I answered, watching as she walked down the hallway towards where the bedrooms were. She seemed to know where she was going. Turning towards the kitchen, I walked in, and my eyes widened in surprise. This room had had a major overhaul and an extension by the looks of it. It was much bigger than it used to be with a large table and chairs taking up the one side, new kitchen cupboards, cooker and fridge. It also looked like a laundry room had been added.
“Wow,” I muttered. “This has changed.”
Uncle Colm snorted, “Of course it did, my daughter-in-law needed something bigger to cook in, and I’m hoping that these two will settle soon and give me more grandchildren,” he waved his hand at Liam and Adam.
“Hey, what about him? He’s older than us,” Liam grumbled, throwing me under the bus.
Uncle Colm snorted and looked at Liam from under his brows, “Lad, are you blind? He’s been home three days and already has a woman. It’s you two I’m worried about.”
I couldn’t help the laugh that rumbled out of me at his words. I’d missed this so much; I loved my family as dysfunctional as we were.
“You just had to show us up,” Liam muttered, but he was smiling at me. “Three days home and you’re back in the favourite spot no matter the blood, sweat, and tears we’ve had to put in while you were gone.”
“Oh, cry me a river; I’ll get my violin out soon and start playing it if you’re not careful,” Colm grunted out a laugh, throwing the bottle top from the beer he’d just opened at Liam, who caught it with a grin and threw it in the bin. “I don’t have favourites lad; you’re all my favourites.”
Sitting next to Liam, I took the beer that he offered with a smile and settled back to catch up on close to twenty years of missed family meals. Lana came into the kitchen; my eyes were immediately drawn to her. Catching me watching her, she winked at me and then walked over to Maya, who was busy at the stove. Working in tandem, the two of them soon had two huge pans of lasagna, garlic bread, and salad on the table.
It was a good evening, and that night, I went to sleep in my old room, thankfully, now with a double bed. Holding Lana closeand listening to all the familiar creaks of this old house, I was happy.