Gonna Ride Again

Wake

Sissie POV

When we pull up to the funeral home in Brantley's truck the MC is already there. Bikes line the parking lot. Deke comes up after Brantley helps me out and hugs me. I try to smile but I know it doesn't get very far. Deke says," we are here to support you but want to give you some time by yourself. Just sent Boss out to get us when you are ready for visitors."
"Deke you are not visitors, while I may not have been back in Jefferson I know that MC is family. So we will all go in together as a family and will receive the visitors together."
Brantley squeezed me at the waist when I said that showing me I had done good. As we all walk in there is a video playing of pictures of Daddy. I just stop and watch, I have never seen some of them but in each one I can tell it was chosen for the story it represents. There are pictures of me and him and of me, Brantley and him, and tons of him and Brantley. There are pictures of his time in the military with his family there, and what stops me are the pictures of daddy, mama and me. Daddy never stopped loving mama no matter how long she was gone. I know there were other women, hell he was a man. But I don't have a clue who they were, he never talked about them to me. I turn to Brantley and he asks," what's wrong Sissie?"
"Did daddy have a lady B?"
"Um ... Sissie ... umm"
"Just spit it out B, I have been so grief stricken that I haven't thought that he had a girlfriend because he didn't talk to me about it but if so she is hurting as bad as me and I have been awful and not thought about it. I need to fix it if she is here just tell me"
"Sissie, your daddy loved your mama, I will not give you particulars but he did spend time with two different women since you have been gone. Not at the same time basically yes but no if that makes sense."
" He spent time with them and when the first realized he wouldn't marry her she moved on. Then the second came into the picture am I right?"
"Yeah Sissie, that is right"
"So was he still with the second one?"
"Yes but this is where it is tricky, it is Amanda Jones mother Christine "
I look at him like he has lost his mind and then I take a deep breath. " okay so I always liked Christine, so is she here with the club cause if she is then I need to talk to her and apologize for not thinking about it before now."
"No she is not part of the club for obvious reasons Sissie but I'm sure Lucy can get her here if that is what you want, just know that you run the risk of Amanda coming with her"
" I realize that but I cannot exclude her now that I know just because her daughter is a skanky ass hoe"
Laughing he said," okay tell me how you really feel Sissie." As he calls Lucy over and tells her what I want. Lucy looks to me and smiles and walks away pulling out her phone. She ends the call and nods to me.
Brantley pulls me close and said," you have stalled about as much as you can baby, you are not alone. Lean on me hell I will carry you if you need me to"
I push up on my tip toes and kiss his cheek and whisper in his ear," thank you let's do this together"

Brantley POV

   As we walk in the chapel of the funeral home the first thing you see is the gleaming black casket draped with an American flag and from there you look around and there isn't a space on the wall or floor that isn't covered in flowers. Sissie walks to the casket and I walk beside her and step back to give her a moment by herself. She leans over and kisses her daddy and grabs hold of his hand as her body is wracked with sobs. I place my hand on her back just to let her know she isn't alone. It is then that I look down at my friend and I let my tears fall. There isn't a man like him, he helped me through the rough times when I was pushing everyone else away. He didn't have to and had every right not to. I broke his baby girl's heart and he still loved me and treated me like a son. He was one of a kind. Sissie stands up and we cling to each other for a few minutes just gaining strength from the other. I pull back and she looks up and nods, we make our way to the side and let the others file through, each one stopping to hug her and tell her how much they loved her and loved Carey. Everyone scatters around watching the video that Carey had made of pictures and his favorite songs. He had literally thought of everything. There was a commotion at the back and it was a group of Marines and Sissie just smiled. They walked in and came to Sissie and hugged her telling her how much Carey meant to them and how over his tours he had saved their lives. The tallest one, Jasper gave Sissie a box and she opened it. In it were medals, all kinds. Jasper said," Carey was a decorated veteran but every medal he was awarded he gave to me. Said he was just doing his job, I want to give them to you Sissie to have for yourself and your family. His service was not in vain. We will stand guard through the night if that is okay with you so he is never alone in these last hours, Semper Fi "
Sissie has stood with tears rolling down her face and she said," I would be honored to have you stand guard through the night and it sounds just like daddy."
   She takes this time to pull herself together and walks around looking at the flowers that have been sent from various people around town, her coworkers, our high school class and various people in the music business who knew just what Carey meant to me.
   As we are getting ready to open for the friends portion of the night Christine walks in and I am praying she is alone. I look around and Lucy nods so I know that she has handled it for Sissie. Christine comes up and tells Sissie ," Carey was a wonderful man and you were his whole world. I'm sorry for your loss."  Sissie surprises us all when she pulled Christine into a hug and said," not his whole world this MC and you Christine were a big part of his life. In so sorry I had not thought of it before we got here to ask if he had someone. I think he didn't tell me because of how I might react. I have been known to act like a total spoiled brat bitch and I am sorry that I didn't know. You lost him too, so please stay with us as his family. "
Christine cried and said," he was right you are an amazing woman Sissie and its not he didn't want to tell you. I wouldn't let him I feel like my family has cost you enough pain already and I didn't want to strain what you had with your dad. So please forgive me?"
Sissie hugged her again and said," we will give you a few minutes alone with him."

   As the night wore on and people came Sissie was getting worn down. I was about ready to shut it down and I saw Amber in the line. I guess Sissie felt me tense up and she looked up and the pain that went across her face when she saw Amber in the line was more than I could take. I leaned over and said," lets get out of here for a few minutes. " She shook her head and said," if you need a break go ahead "
   We stood in line talking to everyone and I couldn't do anything but be mad at Amber for showing up. She has no reason to be here she cut her ties with me when I was drinking and doing pills the worst and I had heard she got married about a year ago . She bypasses Sissie and comes straight to me and said,"Brantley I am so sorry for your loss I know how much you loved Carey "
I cross my arms over my chest and I say," Really you know that after not talking to me for over 5 years ? I think you are being presumptuous Amber, now why are you here?"
"I wanted to tell you how sorry I am and I had hoped we could get together and talk for old times sake since we were both back home."She said as she placed a hand on my arm.
   I was about to tell her no when Sissie took Amber's hand off my arm linking her own hand in mine and she said," no he doesn't want to get together with you for anything Amber. You are a married woman and that is the last thing that he needs right now. You may not like his choices but let me tell you one thing, I will not stand by and let you destroy him and his career. So my advice one woman to another.... GO HOME AND FORGET ABOUT BOSS and if you want to talk to a man ....talk to your husband."
   Amber looked to me and I bent down and kissed Sissie and put my arms around her and said," you heard her its time for you to leave now"
    Amber turned and made her way out the door and then Deke told everyone to be at the clubhouse tomorrow at 1pm. That we would follow the car to the funeral home and fall in behind the hearse to the cemetery for the service. Sissie looked at me and said," Lucy and Ashleigh are gonna ride with me in the car while you Coop and Deke lead the procession with everyone else following"
" Sissie I had planned on riding with you "
" no Boss your place is leading us, daddy would have wanted it."

I nod my head and we go out to my truck and I help her inside and shut the door. Lucy tells me ," if that little show inside didn't tell you what you need to know about how she feels well you are an idiot and I don't have you pegged for being an idiot"

"I know Luce but we have to see, she is hurting so bad right now and I am just showing her i am here for the long haul. Let me go cause she is exhausted "
I get in the truck and head home and I see she is curled up with her head on the door sound asleep. God she's so damn beautiful.