Ties That Bind

The Talk

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Later that afternoon, Shiloh stood beside Bobby and Dani and watched as Jacob lost his mind over the motorcycle sitting in the driveway. With Bobby's help, she had found an old bike for Jacob to fix up. She was happy that she had let Bobby help her because, without his expertise, she wouldn't have had a clue what to look for. She heard the big man beside her clear his throat as he looked at a beaming Jacob.

"Now, she's still rough around the edges and nowhere near street-ready, but that's most of the fun. You can work on her, make her into your bike. Me and the other guys will help you with the mechanics until you have a handle on it."

Jake nodded as he grinned at his mom. "I can't believe you actually bought me one! This is the best present ever."

Shiloh chuckled and nodded. "Well, you owe Bobby a huge thank you. I had no idea what to look for until he steered me in the right direction."

She glanced over to see Bobby smiling at her. After giving her a wink, he spoke. "It was my pleasure, darlin'." He sobered before continuing. "I take it that this takes some of the weight off your shoulders?" When she nodded, so did he. "So I can expect you to quit at least one of your jobs then."

Shiloh rolled her eyes at Bobby, making him glare down at her. She missed the look that passed from brother to sister as she answered. "Maybe. We'll see where things stand."

Bobby shook his head as he took a step back. "Stubborn women." He pointed at Jacob as he started to walk to his bike sitting at the curb. "I don't want to see you on that thing until we've had a chance to check it out good. One of us will be by later to look it over."  Once seated on his own bike, he pointed a finger and grinned at Shiloh. "Don't be a stranger, sweetheart. You should come by the club Friday night. I'll save you a drink."

Shiloh blushed and shrugged as he pulled away, chuckling. She left the twins in the driveway to start dinner, pausing at the stereo to put on some music. Not long after, Dani walked into the kitchen and leaned against the counter, snickering as her mother danced around the kitchen making dinner.

"So Bobby's pretty cool, huh?"

Shiloh nodded as she put the spaghetti in a pot of boiling water. "Yeah, he is. He was a lifesaver today, I can tell you that."

Dani nodded before grinning. "You should go to the club on Friday, take him up on that drink. I don't think I've ever heard of you going on a date."

Shiloh turned a surprised face toward her daughter. "A date! Oh, honey, he wasn't asking me out. He's just being friendly, that's all."

Dani shrugged. "Sounded like a date to me, but I'll take your word on that." She pointed toward the living room. "I have some homework to do before dinner. Jacob said to tell you that he had somewhere to go, but he'd be back before the food was ready."

Shiloh nodded and smiled as she stirred the pasta sauce. "Ok, sweetie."

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Jacob pulled onto the lot of TM and cut the engine, sitting in the car for a few moments before getting out and walking toward the clubhouse. When he walked in, he saw Bobby sitting with Tig, Jax, and Opie at a table by the pool table where Chibs and Happy were playing a game. As he walked over to the group, Happy looked up and nodded.

"Hey, Jake. I'll be over in a bit to check out the bike, see what all the motor needs."

Jacob nodded before turning to the table and speaking to Bobby. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

Bobby nodded and pointed to a chair. "Sure, son. Pull up a chair and tell me what's on your mind."

Once Jacob was seated, he sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Well, first, I want to thank you for helping mom out today, with the bike. I don't know how you talked her into taking the money, but I'm grateful."

Bobby nodded as he took a sip from the beer in front of him. "That was no problem at all, and I was glad to help out. Now, judging from the look on your face, I think you have something else you want to talk about, am I right?"

Jacob nodded before taking a deep breath. "Yeah, I... shit. I'm the man of the house now, right?" When Bobby and the others all nodded, he continued. "Well, I guess I want to know what your intentions are toward my mother."

Tig and Jax burst out laughing as Jacob kept his eyes trained on Bobby, who, for his part, was trying hard not to laugh in the teen's face. Bobby nodded and cleared his throat before speaking quietly.

"I understand that you're the man of the house now that you're dad's gone, Jake, but anything that happens between your mother and myself is just that. Between us."

Jacob nodded. "I get that, man, but... mom's not a croweater. I know mom's attractive, but if you're just looking to score and go on, just leave her alone. She's been through enough."

Bobby frowned at him. "I know your mother isn't a croweater, son. I'm not sure what's going to happen between us, but I'll never disrespect her like that. She's a good woman that's had nobody but you kids to lean on for a very long time. If she'll let me, I plan on lightening the load for her, but anything else between the two of us... " He shook his head. "Like, I said, that's private and I don't plan on discussing any romantic moves I make with you. Do we understand each other?"

Jacob studied the older man for a moment before smirking and holding a hand out to shake. When Bobby grasped his hand, he nodded. "Yes, sir, we do."