was curly, and it looked like it was bouncing. “He’s nice, I promise.”
She peeked out just a little.
She was pretty. Really pretty. The prettiest girl I’d ever seen. She looked like a princess—no, an angel. Her eyes were the same color as the sky and her hair was bright, like sunshine.
“She’s beautiful,” I whispered on accident.
Uncle Gunner was standing by me again. I didn’t even notice until he laughed. I looked up at him. “She’s definitely that, kiddo,” he said.
I didn’t say anything. She was still looking at me, not hiding again. I liked being able to see her. I didn’t want her to hide.
Uncle Gunner crouched down next to me, looking at her. He put his arm around my shoulders. “This is my nephew, Gabe,” he said to her. He looked at me, and said, “This is Indian’s daughter, Ashlynn. We call her Ash.”
Ashlynn.
“Hi,” I said, hoping I wouldn’t scare her. Why did she seem afraid of me? I didn’t want her to be.
She gave me a little wave, and said, “Hi.”
“Why don’t you go over and get to know him?” Indian asked her and she grabbed onto his pants tighter.
I really wanted her to come out all the way. “Do you like to draw?” I asked.
She looked up at Indian. He nodded, then she did, too.
I ran over to my backpack. It was a super cool Harley one Uncle Gunner got me for starting first grade. I wished the motorcycle on it was a Fat Boy like I wanted instead of the Dyna Wide Glide, but it was still awesome. Inside, I had a bunch of stuff for drawing—paper, colored pencils, crayons, markers. I loved to draw. It was my favorite.
I was putting all of my stuff onto the table when she said, “You have lots of colors.” She wasn’t behind Indian anymore. She was standing next to him. She didn’t come closer than that, though.
“You can use them all,” I told her.
She came over and sat by me. She was even prettier up close.
We colored for a while, then Indian said, “I have to go talk to Pres. You okay for a bit, Firefly?” I looked at Ashlynn while she nodded. “You’ll take care of my girl, right, Gabe?”
“Right,” I said, looking at Indian.
“Good.”
Yeah, good. I would take care of Ashlynn. I wanted to. She was pretty and nice. I wanted her to be around me more.
“You wanna be my best friend?” I asked.
She looked at me. I thought she might not say anything because she was shy. She smiled and nodded. “Okay.”
I smiled, too. We could be best friends until we got older. Then, we could get married. I could be a Disciple like Uncle Gunner. I could always protect her, just like I told Indian I would.
Pulling myself from the memories, I focused on the little girl in front of me. Man, she really did remind me of Ash at that age. Same curly blonde hair above blue eyes, though hers were a bit darker than Ash’s. It was a total mind-fuck, especially since Ash was somewhere in the house for the first time in years.
“I’m thirsty,” the little girl said in a sleepy voice.
Getting a hold of myself, I knelt down in front of her. I smiled, trying to look as non-threatening as a six-foot-two biker covered in tattoos could. “What’s your name, little princess?”
Her smile got huge at the nickname. “Emmaline, but you can call me pwincess if you want.”
Damn, she was pretty fuckin’ cute. “Princess, I’m Sketch.”
“Setch,” she repeated back at me. Almost.
“Where’s your mom, little princess?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe outside?”
Well, wasn’t that fuckin’ perfect? I got to be babysitter because someone couldn’t keep it in their pants.
“You just need some water?” I asked. Emmaline nodded. Fuck it. Kid was thirsty, and it wasn’t her fault she was wandering around alone. “Then, let’s get you some.”
I set the bottle of scotch on the ground. No need to be escorting a kid around with a full bottle in my hand. Before I could stand up, Emmaline reached her arms out to me with a little pout. It
She peeked out just a little.
She was pretty. Really pretty. The prettiest girl I’d ever seen. She looked like a princess—no, an angel. Her eyes were the same color as the sky and her hair was bright, like sunshine.
“She’s beautiful,” I whispered on accident.
Uncle Gunner was standing by me again. I didn’t even notice until he laughed. I looked up at him. “She’s definitely that, kiddo,” he said.
I didn’t say anything. She was still looking at me, not hiding again. I liked being able to see her. I didn’t want her to hide.
Uncle Gunner crouched down next to me, looking at her. He put his arm around my shoulders. “This is my nephew, Gabe,” he said to her. He looked at me, and said, “This is Indian’s daughter, Ashlynn. We call her Ash.”
Ashlynn.
“Hi,” I said, hoping I wouldn’t scare her. Why did she seem afraid of me? I didn’t want her to be.
She gave me a little wave, and said, “Hi.”
“Why don’t you go over and get to know him?” Indian asked her and she grabbed onto his pants tighter.
I really wanted her to come out all the way. “Do you like to draw?” I asked.
She looked up at Indian. He nodded, then she did, too.
I ran over to my backpack. It was a super cool Harley one Uncle Gunner got me for starting first grade. I wished the motorcycle on it was a Fat Boy like I wanted instead of the Dyna Wide Glide, but it was still awesome. Inside, I had a bunch of stuff for drawing—paper, colored pencils, crayons, markers. I loved to draw. It was my favorite.
I was putting all of my stuff onto the table when she said, “You have lots of colors.” She wasn’t behind Indian anymore. She was standing next to him. She didn’t come closer than that, though.
“You can use them all,” I told her.
She came over and sat by me. She was even prettier up close.
We colored for a while, then Indian said, “I have to go talk to Pres. You okay for a bit, Firefly?” I looked at Ashlynn while she nodded. “You’ll take care of my girl, right, Gabe?”
“Right,” I said, looking at Indian.
“Good.”
Yeah, good. I would take care of Ashlynn. I wanted to. She was pretty and nice. I wanted her to be around me more.
“You wanna be my best friend?” I asked.
She looked at me. I thought she might not say anything because she was shy. She smiled and nodded. “Okay.”
I smiled, too. We could be best friends until we got older. Then, we could get married. I could be a Disciple like Uncle Gunner. I could always protect her, just like I told Indian I would.
Pulling myself from the memories, I focused on the little girl in front of me. Man, she really did remind me of Ash at that age. Same curly blonde hair above blue eyes, though hers were a bit darker than Ash’s. It was a total mind-fuck, especially since Ash was somewhere in the house for the first time in years.
“I’m thirsty,” the little girl said in a sleepy voice.
Getting a hold of myself, I knelt down in front of her. I smiled, trying to look as non-threatening as a six-foot-two biker covered in tattoos could. “What’s your name, little princess?”
Her smile got huge at the nickname. “Emmaline, but you can call me pwincess if you want.”
Damn, she was pretty fuckin’ cute. “Princess, I’m Sketch.”
“Setch,” she repeated back at me. Almost.
“Where’s your mom, little princess?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe outside?”
Well, wasn’t that fuckin’ perfect? I got to be babysitter because someone couldn’t keep it in their pants.
“You just need some water?” I asked. Emmaline nodded. Fuck it. Kid was thirsty, and it wasn’t her fault she was wandering around alone. “Then, let’s get you some.”
I set the bottle of scotch on the ground. No need to be escorting a kid around with a full bottle in my hand. Before I could stand up, Emmaline reached her arms out to me with a little pout. It
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