Chapter 8
“I’m so temptedto go back to Bozeman and hire that massage person. She literally worked miracles on my back.” York laughed, drinking some of the sweet tea Sadie brought out for the women to drink while they sat outside watching the girls play.
“No, you can’t steal her!” Allie responded in mock anger, trying hard not to laugh.
“But…but…” York started to pout, pretending to be hurt by Allie’s statement.
When Allie quirked an eyebrow at York, pretending to be amused at her suffering, the small group of women laughed. York and Allie stuck their tongue out at each other, causing the women to laugh harder.
“You guys need to come to San Diego and hang out with us on the beach for a few days. Let the boys go play ‘pew pew’ on base and stuff.” Diesel told Sadie and Allie, looking up from her ebook.
“Not sure about Sadie, but it’s harder for me to get away, even for a weekend with the ranch.” Allie sighed, leaning back into her chair.
“Don’t you guys have, like, ranch hands who can run the place at least for a weekend?” Diesel pouted, looking over at Allie.
“Yes, but, I try not make them do more than they have to. If I won’t do it, I don’t force them to do it, unless I physically can’t.” Allie explained to Diesel. “But, I will see what we can do for maybe a weekend or something this summer.”
“Yay! Granted I’m not into the shopping thing or whatever. But I can take you out on the bike, if you don’t know how to ride your own.”
“I can ride a bicycle.” Allie laughed, looking between the women.
“She means motorcycle. We all have one.” Laura informed Allie and Sadie. “I keep mine at Diesel’s since Highlander doesn’t know I ride while he’s gone. He has a freak-out at the thought of me riding without him near-by so we mostly ride while he’s out on missions or deployed.”
Sadie and Allie looked over at Laura in shock, back to each other with their mouth slightly opened in shock, then back at the women before bursting out into laughter. Laura shrugged at the laughter, not truly understanding what the big deal was.
“Wait, you seriously have your own motorcycle?” Sadie asked, gasping for air from laughing so hard.
“Yep. Own a 2017 Soft tail deluxe Harley Davidson.” Laura answered matter of factly.
“We all have one.” Cortez confirmed Laura’s response about the motorcycles. “We tend to ride in a group when we have the time. Now and then some of us ride solo for the peace and quiet too. They are definitely a blessing to have when you want to be one with the open road and the wind blowing in your hair.”
“Highlander knows you have the bike?” Sadie questioned, hesitantly.
“Yeah, he knows I have it. I just keep my bike over at Diesel’s. When he’s home, he prefers for me to ride on the back of his when we go out for a ride. He prefers to feel me at his back. It’s hilarious the looks the women give him when he’s at a stop light or riding down the open road at a steady pace. He’ll take one hand off the handlebars and play with my legs or reach behind him and hold on to me.” Laura smiled, thinking of the memory.
“Has he taken the kids on it yet?” York asked, looking over at Laura.
“He’s taken Cody on it a few times when we first got it. He’s taken the twins out twice once they reached four years old. Willie doesn’t seem to really care for it. Ryleigh, my little speed demon loves it and asks regularly for another ride. He swears she’s my mini me with the way she acts.” Laura laughs, glancing over at her daughter playing with little Emily.
“I’d take that as a compliment.” Diesel laughed, shaking her head, watching the two girls play at their mother’s feet.
“Oh, trust me, I do.” Laura smiled, thinking about her husband.
“What do you think this baby is?” Allie asked, nodding towards Laura’s small baby bump.
“I just want a healthy baby. Doesn’t matter to me either way. Highlander, though, the man is a glutton for punishment. He’s wanting another girl. Wants to even it out. He has jokes that the next pregnancy is going to be twins and then we’ll be done. He wants a mini football team.” Laura laughs, shaking her head at the thought.
“He comes from a large family, doesn’t he?” Allie asked Laura, tilting her head to the side.
“Yep. His mother, Lord, bless her soul, had nineteen children. One died on his twenty-first birthday when he was hit by a drunk driver. The irony of that bullshit, he wasn’t drinking, but the driver of the other vehicle was. He was home on RnR visiting the family, celebrating his birthday and the fact that he was selected for the SAS like their dad. The other sibling died when she was little from infant SIDS. I think there’s seventeen alive, now.” Laura responded, counting off on her fingers.
“Holy shit! Is he trying to have that many?” York asked, shocked at the number of siblings Highlander has.
Laura laughed at the expression on her friends faces at the number of children her mother-in-law had. “No. Highlander does like the idea of a large family because of how he and his siblings were raised. I didn’t have a large family, but he knows how close Dom and I are. We talked and agreed we want the large family, not large like his, but enough that if anything happens to us, the kids will have each other to lean on. We’re making sure they have the same values his parents instilled in him and his siblings.”
“Are they close?” Sadie asked, smiling over at Laura.
“Yeah, they are. I’m amazed at how close his family is. There’s the normal sibling rivalry, especially amongst the males in the family. But, it’s good sibling rivalry, it’s not that hate and evil kind like it was with me and my sister. They rib each other all the time over everything, but they are each other’s biggest supporters. You can really see the love between them.”
