Page 45 of Nuts

“He’s doing life in club fed.”

“Club fed?”

“Federal prison,” he said. “Third strike law. Gave him a life sentence.”

“Oh. That sucks. It was my dad’s brother-in-law?”

He nodded. “He rode with HA. Wild bastard. Bishop was his name. Road name was Nut Bucket. Hell, he was crazier than ol’ P-Nut here.”

“But he’s in jail?”

“Prison.”

“Oh.”

“More I think about it, heard word a while back that his boy had a club back there.”

“He’s got a son? He’d be my cousin, right?”

Bama rubbed his beard. “I guess he would. Yeah.”

“I’ve got a cousin?”

“Cousin who’s the head of an MC, I think.”

“Where is he?”

“Think he’s in Kansas. I’ll do some digging.”

“I can do some digging,” she said excitedly. “His name is Bishop, and he’s in Kansas? Is he the president of the club?”

“If I remember correctly. Been a while since I heard anything about him, but that’s what I’m thinking.”

“I’ll see what I can find,” she said.

I couldn’t imagine not knowing my father. Mine was my idol, and although it appeared Smudge’s father was hers, he was a man she knew very little about. It was nice to have a man who could filter stories of her father to her from time to time.

In my eyes, there was nothing more important than family. Short of an abusive stepfather, an alleged cousin, and an uncle doing life in prison, Smudge had none to speak of.

“We’re going to have to give the story telling a rest,” Bama said. “I’ve got to finish this plate.”

“I’m glad you like it,” Smudge said.

“Hard not to. You’re definitely your mother’s daughter. She made fried chicken, gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits for my birthday when I was just a youngster in the club. Best meal I think I ever ate. That woman could cook. In fact, at that dinner, you’d just been born. You were living in El Cajon at the time. You weren’t walking yet, but you were crawling all over the damned place.”

“I don’t remember a house in El Cajon.”

“She moved out right after your Ol’ Man passed. Her and some gal she was friends with moved in together. Never knew what become of her, to tell you the truth. Then, after a few years, we all heard what happened to her. Damned shame.”

Smudge nodded, and her eyes fell to the table. “Thank you.”

Bama finished his plate, and looked around the room. “So, what gets you here cooking for this fool?”

Smudge looked up and laughed. “Me?”

“Yeah, you.”

“She’s staying here for a bit,” I said.