You Are My Sunshine

Chapter 61 - Ill Kept Secrets

"Everyone you will ever meet knows something you don't." - Bill Nye

Amidst piles of bills and bank statements Mae sat with tears in her eyes completely lost in the numbers. Something had to wait that month, maybe her car payment of the utilities, she just wasn't sure which.

Happy for the distraction, she grabbed her phone the moment went off only to find it was a text from Lyla, not exactly who she wanted to talk with at that moment.

"You coming tonight? I'm checking out that webcam set up they have."

Mae sighed with uncertainty knowing it would never be something she could actually do but wanting to look into feeling as though she had to considering her situation.

"You going to do it?"

"Maybe. I want to see how it's all set up and how much we'll make."

Rolling her eyes at Lyla's use of 'we'll' Mae quickly responded. "I'm not going to do it but I'll go with you. What time?"

"I'll pick you up at 8:00."

"Okay. See you then."

--

Ever since Opie's visit, Piney couldn't keep from thinking on his daughter and the fated twist of events that landed her in the Winston family. Half drunk and far too anxious for a man such as himself, Piney dug a phone number out of the cigar box of various addresses and the like, and made a very long distance phone call.

"Ashby's." Piney laughed hoarsely as Maureen's harsh greeting and she immediately knew who was on the other end. "I haven't heard from you in a while."

"Sometimes I forget the tie," he admitted. "Mo, we need to talk about Amelia."

He heard her hand cover the receiver while she locked the door and moved from the front of the store to the back office. Before speaking again, she pulled a photo from the desk and smiled as she gazed at Amelia as a newborn and Piney, cuddling the child close.

"Is she alright?" There was worry in her voice but she worked to hide it.

"She's fine," he sighed. "She and Jax had a baby, they got married too, but they already split up." The news would garner him a tongue lashing, he was sure, but Maureen asked and she deserved to know.

"A baby?" Maureen inhaled sharply. "Somehow I think if they had a boy word would have come over about the new heir."

"It would have," he grumbled, hating that Amelia's assumption was proved right in that moment. "They had a baby girl, Alice Rose." Piney smiled saying the name knowing she picked the middle for a very specific purpose.

"Beautiful," Maureen sniffled. "That why you called?"

"No."

"Out with it, Piney."

"Jimmy O and some of the Irish are making comments, hinting at shit to my boy and Jax." His anger was evident but there was a hint of possessiveness in his voice. "Who knows Mo?"

Maureen closed her eyes, holding the photo to her chest, and admitted a truth she hid. "Jimmy knows, my cousin Kellan and Trinity too. If anyone else found out, it's news to me."

"If Galen finds out," he didn't finish the sentence.

"I'd be dead," she mused. "Or I'm assuming I would be. Hiding his baby, sending her to be raised with you lot, that's a death sentence."

"And it guarantees he'd come for her," Piney said with fear laced in his words. "Don't you think?"

"Maybe," Maureen lit a cigarette. "Greatest gift she never got was a damn penis."