"I've missed you so much. I've missed this. Just having fun. No worries. Just peace for a second." Kate said as we snuck outside to have a smoke. "It been rough around here lately?" I asked. "Yeah. Shit has been going south with a couple of other clubs. Jax is all over the place and doesn't know how to juggle being a single dad and a president. Tig's been crazy protective. Always scared something is going to happen to me. It's just been a mess." She said looking down at the pavement and hitting the joint.

"Babydoll, I can't tell you that everything is going to be alright. I saw Tig's patch. You know what comes with that title. He's a good man who loves you that's why he's protective. And as for someone kidnapping you, I wish that son of a bitch luck 'cause you're a mean mother fucker." I said laughing.

"I love this life with everything I have, Kathryn. I honestly do, it's just I haven't been around when the bad shits went down. Tig and I met after all the bad stuff happened, I've just heard stories about everything. I want to do everything right. I want to be able to help the club and the boys. Between them and you girls, that's all the family I have."

"I know you do. I can see it in the way you look at them. What 'bad shit' necessarily happened? Like some people get locked up or some people get killed?" I asked her.

"Both." she said nonchalantly.

"Damn. That's rough." I said taking a swig of the beer I was nursing.

"Who all passed?"

"It was a fucking mess. Jax's mom Gemma took his wife Tara out, then Jax took her out, they lost a brother in prison, and Tig accidentally took out a brother's wife cause he thought it was a brother that ATF was making look like a rat, they had to take out the former president for multiple things. That was all about a year maybe a year in a half before Tig and I met."

"Fuck." "That's some tough shit," I said finishing my beer. That was a lot to take in.

Was I sure I wanted to involve my family in all of this life? They were all amazing people, sure but it wasn't just me I had to worry about I had a daughter that looked up to me. Could I keep her safe if I got into this life?

My mind was going 1,000 miles a minute now.

"The only thing you can do is take it day by day. You know how to be there for the Tig and the boys. Do your part when you can. I know you know how to cook, clean, and take care of people. Just know when to be a woman when they need it and a man when YOU need. I know you can take care of yourself."

"Rynn you always know what to say. After everything you've been through I don't know how you do it. She said pulling me into a big hug.

"I love you, baby girl. My big little sister." I said squeezing her tight.

"You ready to head back in?" She asked.

"Go ahead. I'll be in, in a second. Just want a minute to breathe. Life's been a lot lately. Some peace and quiet will be nice." I told her.

"Okay, love you."

As the door shut after Kate walked through them I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding.

It was now around 2 in the morning. A lot of the guys had either left, were face-deep in pussy, or passed out somewhere. I was the only one out in the lot. It was nice to just have a moment. I got up off of the bench I was sitting on and decided to walk around a little bit, finding myself in the only garage bay that was still open. I walked around the old 1950s model truck that was in the bay. Older vehicles always held a spot in my heart after fixing up the cutlass with Dad. As I walked around the truck I ran my hand over the body of it feeling all of the rough edges of what looked like someone trying to patch her up. I closed my eyes and imagined all the places this truck had been, all that it had seen and been through.

"What are you doing?" Happys raspy voice that I had found myself to love asked.

"Taking a break from reality," I said opening my eyes back up.

When she opened her eyes it was the saddest look he'd seen in a woman's eyes in a very long time. This beautiful woman in front of him was lost.

"Thought you might need this." he said handing her a glass of Jack Daniels.

"Thanks." She said knocking back the glass of amber liquid. She sat the glass on the table behind her as she leaned back on it taking in a better look of the truck in front of her.

"1956? She asked.

"Yeah, didn't know you were a truck girl?" he said. He leaned against the side of the truck bed.

"There's a lot you don't know about me. Mr. Lowman." smirking at him as she looked up front where she was looking at her feet.

"Then tell me."

"What do you want to know." She said lighting a joint she pulled out of her bra.

"What you're thinking right now." He said walking closer. He was all but touching her.

Looking up at him another smirk on her face. "I'm thinking that if I act on what I want to right now it might change everything or it may make everything worse. What do you think I should do?"

Happy had slept with 100's of women but he had never been as intimate as he was being right here in this moment with Rynn. There was something about this woman that immediately drew him in. He wasn't one to think too far into things with women, it was always just fuck and forget maybe fuck again if they were good but this, this feeling was something he never felt with anyone. He felt like he was going to crawl out of his skin if he didn't get to touch her, love her.

"Act on it." he said.