A week had passed and Tess was starting to become comfortable around Paradise MC. She had more freedom than she thought she would, with plenty of time to either ride alone or with others.
As she woke up Monday morning, she looked out the window to see that the snow was falling from the sky. It was the first snowfall, something that as a child she had always been excited about. It meant the promise of holidays, festiveness, parties, joy. In the past it had also meant family, but she pushed away those thoughts as she refused to be sucked into the past again. It was time to move forward, to start new traditions, to live her own life.
"Tess!!" Rachel came bounding into the room as she was putting on her vest over her hoodie. "It's snowing!"
Tess laughed at Rachel's excitement and was glad that it matched her own. "Yes, it is. Good thing we got those winter tires on our bikes, huh?" She smirked. She hadn't even known such things existed.
"Mmhmm. We're gonna go for a ride after breakfast to see the snow. You in?"
"Always! Let's get over to the mess hall and get some food. I'm hungry."
The girls went to the headquarters across the compound, cheering and laughing as they played with the snow that fell around them. It was like the compound had been transformed into a winter wonderland. They talked about what the club had done for the holidays in the past, including a big Thanksgiving feast.
They were greeted instantly as they entered the mess hall and went through the buffet line to grab their breakfasts. Nitro smiled over at Tess and she waved to him, following Rachel to the table where he sat. "Hey there. Isn't it gorgeous out?" She asked as she got comfortable.
"It sure is. Gorgeous in here too," he said with a wink. "Joining us for the morning ride?"
"You bet I am. You say 'ride', I'm there. Any time of the day. I always thought my brother and father were crazy for going on about their bikes the way they did... Now I get it."
"Have you called them recently? Let them know where you are?" Nitro asked, eyeing her.
Tess sighed and nodded reluctantly as she ate her French Toast. "Yeah, I did. I talked to Andrew the other night. He was glad to hear that I had found you guys. He told me to say 'hi' to you specifically. Said you were 'good people'."
Nitro grinned at that. "Well, he's good people too. So are you. Any more thoughts on prospecting?"
"Yeah, Tess. You're practically one of us already. What's holding you back?" Rachel asked, drinking her coffee.
"Actually, I was going to talk to Mr. Stenton about that today... I think it's time."
Nitro beamed and reached over to take her hand. "That's fantastic, Tess. You seem really happy this morning. It's good to see."
"Time to move forward, right? Can't live in the past forever. Where are we going on this ride?" She asked, smiling at the contact from his hand. Truth was, she was feeling butterflies when he was around, and she felt his touch shoot electricity right through her.
They talked about the ride coming up as they ate their breakfast. Others joined them and Tess joked with them about building snowmen that would look like MC members, one of the club's traditions apparently.
After breakfast, the group got on their bikes outside and headed out. The road captain, Adam Cruz (who everyone called "Road Runner") led the way, then the president and vice president, then Turbo, the Sergeant at Arms. After them were the secretary (the president's wife, Madison), and the treasurer (Logan "Neo" Everly). The members then lined up after them and then the prospects, then the hang-arounds. Then in the back, the enforcers were there to help anyone who got lost or was struggling.
Tess was impressed with how organized everything was, as well as the size of the group. They all started together and were on headsets under their helmets so they could communicate with each other on the ride. Nitro had given her one to use, and said that she could keep it once she switched vests later that day. She had a blast listening to them try and navigate through the streets, which in New York were definitely complicated. The snow fell all around them though, and it felt truly magical. It was as if things became fresh, wiping the past clean with the new snow that now blanketed the earth. It filled Tess with hope, knowing that she had truly found a home with this new family.
~Special thanks to EKMC for the Rideout at Rock of Cashel Track!~