Claire looked at Jim.
Jim said quietly, “He figured out enough.”
Leo held up the tag.
“What does this mean?”
Claire closed her eyes.
When she opened them, she looked older than she had ten seconds earlier.
“Can we sit?”
“No.”
“Leo.”
“I’ve been sitting around while people don’t tell me things for a year.”
Claire flinched.
Russell stepped away.
So did Frank.
The other bikers slowly gave the family space.
Jim remained.
Claire noticed.
“Jim can stay.”
Leo looked between them.
“You two knew each other?”
Claire nodded.
“A long time ago.”
“How?”
“Because of your father.”
Leo waited.
Claire inhaled slowly.
“Arthur Hayes was raised by Thomas Hayes.”
“Grandpa.”
“Yes.”
“He loved Thomas.”
“He considered Thomas his father.”
“Because Thomas was.”
Leo frowned.
“But?”
Claire’s voice softened.
“Thomas wasn’t Arthur’s biological father.”
Leo became very still.
He was eight.
He understood the words.
He did not yet understand all their consequences.
“Who was?”
Claire looked toward Dutch’s motorcycle.
Leo followed her eyes.
Then back.
“No.”
Claire’s tears came.
“Dutch Sullivan.”
Nobody in the garage moved.
Leo looked at Jim.
Then his mother.
Then the motorcycle.
“Dutch was Dad’s dad?”
Claire nodded.
“Yes.”
Leo stared at her.
“But his name was Hayes.”
“Because Thomas raised him.”
“So Dutch didn’t?”
Claire looked at Jim.
Jim turned away slightly.
Claire answered.
“No.”
“At least not when Arthur was young.”
Leo’s expression hardened.
“Why?”
“That’s complicated.”
“I’m eight, not stupid.”
“I know.”
Claire touched his shoulder.
He stepped away.
She let him.
“Dutch was very young when your grandmother became pregnant.”
“He was already living a life that wasn’t stable.”
“Motorcycles.”
“The club.”
“Travel.”
“Trouble.”
“He and your grandmother were never married.”
“Thomas came into her life later.”
“He raised Arthur from the time Arthur was very small.”
Leo looked at Jim.
“Did Dutch know?”
Jim answered.
“Yes.”
“Then why didn’t Dad use Sullivan?”
Claire spoke.
“Because Arthur believed a father was the man who stayed.”
The sentence quieted Leo.
Claire continued.
“He loved Thomas.”
“He never wanted that taken away from him.”
“What about Dutch?”
“They met again when Arthur was thirteen.”
“How?”
“Your grandmother told Dutch that Arthur had started asking questions.”
“And?”
“Dutch wanted a relationship.”
“Arthur didn’t.”