"Hey, Big Brother." She grinned, thankful that the big sunglasses she was wearing didn't show the anxiousness, hurt, and anger in them. Opie didn't say anything as he peeled off the gloves and moved toward her.
"What are you doing here?" He pulled her into a tight hug and she almost crumbled to the ground as the emotions rolled through her.
"Ry? What's wrong, why are you here?" The other men who had been working with Opie paused, they had never heard the other man talk that much before. "Jax forced me to come down." Looking over her head, he held his hand up and steered her towards his beat-up truck.
"Wendy, I guess died when she was having Abel and he wants me to become the baby's mother." She let out a rush and pushed the sunglasses up to rub her hands against her eyes. "How can I do that, Ope? He cheated on me again with a friend?"
"Because you love him." He started as he lit a smoke and handed it to her silently.
Smoking to them both was stress relieving and Ryder needed it.
"Please don't give me the rah-rah, he's the mother's charters Vice President bullshit because I have already heard it from everyone in Tacoma."
"No, it's not that." He blew out a billow of smoke, "It's because you two were made for each other. And god damn did I hate when you two got together."
Ryder was sitting on the tailgate next to him, moving her feet back and forth, "You did?"
The older Winston nodded his head, "You are my baby sister, I didn't give a damn if he was my best friend. No one was going to hurt my sister."
"You would beat up Jackson Teller?" when he didn't answer she pushed his shoulder in annoyance. "Once or twice." He finally returned, "he beat me to beating the shit out of Hale."
"How did I not know this?" She asked taking another smoke out of the pack, she had forgotten how much this helped.
Opie shrugged his shoulders smirking, the fight between him and Jax was kept from her because after it was finished, it was done, and never talked about it again. "We both saw how devastated you were when he dumped you and how much it hurt being around them."
Ryder blinked her eyes several times.
"It's not just because you love him. It's because you provide stability. You are the only rock-solid thing he has other than the club. And you can give that to Abel too."
"How," she questioned, "how are you so goddamn smart?" Opie shrugged his shoulders, "Come over later? Donna and the kids would love to see you."
"Yeah, go back to work, I have to meet Abel and save my daughter from Grandma Gemma."
"One day you are going to have to forgive her," Opie commented. "And that would be a cold day in hell." The younger Winston threw as she went back to her car.
After finding out why Jax and Ryder were going through an extremely rough patch, Gemma got in her car and went to Tacoma and confront her daughter-in-law at her law firm. She had been of the opinion then and now that the club comes first and that their old men were able to do whatever they wanted.
Including cheating.
And that is the one thing that almost broke them up for good. Ryder disagreed though, cheating was a deal breaker for her and the club didn't always have to come first. She came first, then Harley and her relationship with Jax. It has taken a lot of time and therapy to get to that point.
The confrontation on Gemma's part hadn't gone well, she was surprised that the quiet student of hers had become a fiercely independent woman who had no problem standing up for herself and telling the Queen how it was.
"This isn't Charming, Gemma, this isn't your kingdom it's mine and your bullying won't work here and on me." And not to mention the client and her coworkers who stood up from their places at the conference table ready to jump in, in Ryder's defense.
And then there was the constant meddling, and how she had to be involved in almost all aspects of Jax's life and in turn Ryder's.
There was a series of bikes pulling in next to where Ryder parked her car and she grinned and slid out of her car pulling her purse, diaper bag, and a briefcase with her. Bobby Elvis, Chibs Telford, and Tig Trager were all undoing their helmets and exchanging light-hearted jabs.
"Some things never change." Ryder mused, "Old stinky men on Harleys."
"Hey, Doll!" Tig was the first one that found his wits, the insults would have gotten her a tongue lashing but still, since it was Ryder, he refrained.
"Hey Tigger." She returned as he and the other two Sons stepped up on the sidewalk and pressed kisses to her cheek, "Chibby, Elvis."
As much as she hated being home, she loved the sons she grew up around being there, it made her feel safe. Don't get her wrong she loved the Tacoma Sons but there was nothing like the familiarity.
"Did Jax tell you Tara was here?" Tig asked.
"Tara?" She repeated confused, "As in Tara fucking Knowles. The bitch I broke my hand beating up after she had a thing with Jax behind my back?"
Bobby smacked his shoulder and shook his head, judging by her reaction, Jax hadn't told her that Tara was back. And Tig let the cat out of the bag.
"Came back a few months ago, she is working on Abel's case." He informed reaching forward to touch her shoulder but withdrawing it quickly. The woman was already trembling in anger. None of them pitied their VP for the explosion that was going to happen.
Tara had been thrilled when Ryder hadn't shown up with Gemma and Jax's daughter or did she show up with Jax. Maybe she was scared to face her face-to-face. Her conversation with herself was stopped when an excited mama came from the little girl followed by the bright return of the little girl's name.
Taking a deep breath, the doctor turned to the elevator and felt her heart drop to her stomach when she saw Ryder coming off the elevator followed by Bobby, Chibs, and Tig. The woman hadn't changed much, she was still wearing the same cut-off jean short shorts and an old distressed Marine t-shirt and her red hair still hung down her back in a high ponytail. It was like 11 years hadn't passed and she had never left Charming. Ryder's green eyes cut to her and she smirked, "Doctor Knowles." "Ms." Ryder clicked her tongue as she shifted Harley to her other hip, "It's Mrs. Teller."
Behind her, Tig and Chibs snickered anticipating a fight breaking out. From what they had heard through the grape view, Ryder was still in fighting shape.
"Yeah, I am still his wife." She held up her left hand. Sure enough, the wedding band that John Teller had given Gemma still rested on her finger underneath a diamond ring that she didn't recognize.
*Ryder, sweetheart, come on." Gemma called from the doorway, 'Leave Harley with Bobby." The younger Mrs. Teller squeezed her daughter tightly causing her to whine, "Stay here with Uncle Bobby okay?' "Come 'ere pumpkin," Bobby said holding his hands out to the little girl. "When Mommy gets done, we will go see Uncle Opie and Aunt Donna." The tot's eyes lit up and she leaned to go to Bobby. "Thank you." The Elvis impersonator nodded his head taking the little girl into his arms.
"Thanks, Gem." She commented once she was next to her mother-in-law who hugged her. "We didn't need you throwing fists until the boy is out of the woods."
"I am too old for catfights," Gemma smirked, she knew just as well as Luanne, never say never, when crow eaters tried to pick up your old man. You inserted your place as his old lady, even if that meant throwing a couple of punches along the way then so be it.
"We need to talk." She brushed the thoughts off, her eyes on her daughter-in-law who was now standing in front of the window at the little incubator that Abel was in.
"Not right now, when Harley and I get settled and when he is out of the woods then we will talk." Ryder's voice sounded harder to her own ears than she meant, but this was a lot of change happening and she wasn't sure if anything was going to work out in her favor.
Jax saw her standing there and motioned her to join him in the room, taking a deep breath, she moved away from Gemma and stepped into the room.
"Yeah, we will talk sweetheart," Gemma muttered as Jax pulled Ryder into him holding her tightly. "There is no way in hell, my son is going to let you or Harley slip through his fingers again." And Gemma Teller Morrow was going to make sure of it