Colorado 02 Sweet Dreams (9 page)

He interrupted my mumbling. “Find one for you, though.”

I blinked again, surprised.

“Really?”

He grinned again. “Yep.”

“Okay, that’d be nice. I’ll, uh… pay extra if you like.”

“Not necessary,” he said. “You draw down the tank, just fill it up before you return it. That good?”

I smiled at him. “Yeah, that’s great. Very nice of you.”

“Not nice,” he replied.

“Sorry?”

“I’m not nice,” he repeated.

I tipped my head to the side. “You seem nice to me.”

“It’d be nice, I was doin’ this just to do it. I’m not doin’ it just to do it. I’m doin’ it so you’ll owe me.”

I blinked again and righted my head.

“Sorry?” I asked.

“Like the idea that you’d owe me.”

“Oh,” I whispered because I really didn’t know what else to say to that odd and vaguely scary (but also vaguely exciting) remark.

He stuck out a big, strong, attractive hand that had black grease stains edging his fingernails. “I’m Wood.”

I took his hand and his fingers closed around mine, not shaking it, just holding it strong and tight and not letting go.

“I’m Lauren,” I said softly because he was kind of freaking me out.

“Pretty name,” he muttered, his black eyes not leaving mine, “suits you.”

“Thanks.” I was still talking soft.

“You new to town?” he asked, not dropping my hand.

“Yes,” I answered, wondering if I should but not stopping myself or pulling my hand away.

“Where you from?” he asked.

“Um… Phoenix, kind of. I grew up in Indiana though.”

“What’re you doin’ in Carnal?”

I shrugged even though he still had hold of my hand and I kept talking even though I didn’t know if I should. “Found myself roaming, roamed here, liked it and stayed.”

He threw his head back and laughed, at the same time giving my hand a gentle tug so I had to take a half a step toward him.

When he stopped laughing he dipped his chin and looked in my eyes again.

“Roamed to Carnal, liked it and stayed. You crazy?”

“No,” I replied.

“Think you are, you just don’t know it.”

“Um… can you let go of my hand?” I whispered.

“No,” he whispered back and I felt my heartbeat speed up.

“Ace,” I heard Tate call and I twisted my head to see him striding up to us, his long legs eating the distance, the gray-haired man he was with struggling to keep up.

“Tate, hey,” I said to him, tugged at my hand and luckily Wood let it go.

“Ace?” Wood asked and I turned back to him.

“Um… Tate’s nickname for me,” I said and Wood’s face got a little scary.

“Tate’s nickname?” he asked as Tate stopped somewhat close to my side.

“She’s mine,” Tate announced, my body gave a little jerk at his curiously proprietary words and my head twisted fast to look up at him.

“Yours?” Wood asked and his voice was now a little scary.

“I work for him,” I explained and watched Wood’s face and body relax.

“Ah,” he murmured, crossed his arms on his chest and his mouth twitched.

“You got car troubles?” Tate asked me, ignoring Wood.

“She needs an oil change and a detail,” Wood answered for me, not ignoring Tate, then he looked at the gray-haired man. “I’m givin’ her the ‘Stang as a loaner.”

The gray-haired man’s bushy eyebrows went straight to his hairline and I felt Tate go tense at my side.

“You’re givin’ her the ‘Stang as a loaner for an oil change?” the gray-haired man asked, clearly surprised.

“Yep,” Wood answered casually.

“Shee-it,” the gray-haired man muttered.

“Um… I can walk, mostly,” I informed them. “But I have to go to Shambles and Sunny’s tonight so I need a car, just for tonight.”

“I’ll give you a ride on my bike,” Tate offered and my head twisted again, and again it was fast, and I did this just so I could stare at him.

Then I said, “That isn’t necessary.”

“When you gotta be there?” Tate asked.

Before I could decline, Wood spoke. “She’s gettin’ the ‘Stang.”

Tate’s eyes sliced to Wood and he returned, “I got her.”

“We already made the deal,” Wood replied.

“I got her,” Tate repeated.

“Um…” I mumbled, Tate’s gaze sliced to me and at the look in his eyes I clamped my mouth shut.

“You’re on my bike,” he growled.

“She’s in the ‘Stang,” Wood growled back and Tate looked back at him and I could swear, for some reason, if anyone moved it would set them off and they’d jump and rip each other’s throats’ out.

“Flower Petal!” I heard, I braced for mayhem but turned to see Shambles, his long hair flying out behind him, his blue-tinted, round glasses on his nose, he was carrying a plate with a napkin on it and what looked like pieces of bread and he was running toward us.

“Hey Shambles,” I called.

He skidded to a halt at our grouping and smiled at me, oblivious to the bizarre tension that was curling insidiously through the air.

“You didn’t come for coffee today,” Shambles accused good-naturedly.

“That’s my next stop,” I told him.

“Groovintude!” he shouted.

“Is that your banana bread?” I motioned to the plate with my head.

“Yeah!” he yelled. “Been wanderin’ the sidewalk all mornin’ handin’ it out. Like,
five
people took a bite and then walked right to the shop to get themselves a slice. You… are…
genius!
” Shambles answered on another yell.

“Great,” I smiled at him then pulled in breath, turned to the boys and declared, “That banana bread is the best you’ll ever eat and you can get it right down the street.”

I saw all the men were staring at Shambles like they didn’t know what to make of him but what they were coming up with they didn’t like all that much.

Then Shambles looked around the forecourt and his eyes came to me.

“You got car troubles?” he asked.

“No,” I answered quickly before anyone else could say anything. “Just need an oil change and stuff. Though, my car’ll be here for awhile.”

“Okay, that’s groovy, Sunny and I’ll swing by the hotel and pick you up before we go home. You come up early, you can help me smush chick peas for the hummus.”

Thank God for Shambles, unexpected but welcome problem-solver.

“That’s perfect,” I told him.

“Awesome!” he cried. “Be at your place at five-ish.”

“See you then,” I said and he looked at the guys and stuck his plate to them.

“Bread?” he asked.

“Pass,” Tate growled, glaring at Shambles.

“No,” Wood growled, also glaring at Shambles.

“I’ll take a piece,” the gray-haired man said and then took a piece, popped it in his mouth and chewed while Shambles watched.

“Well?” Shambles asked.

The gray-haired man looked at me and stated, “You’re right, sweetheart, that shit’s great.”

“Right on!” Shambles yelled.

“You should taste his coffee,” I said to the gray-haired man, “heaven.”

“May do that,” he mumbled as Tate and Wood remained staunchly silent.

“Speakin’ a’ that, Flower Petal, you haven’t had your fix,” Shambles put in.

“Oh, right, yeah,” I muttered then turned to Wood and held out my keys. “I’ll be back on Monday?”

“Need your number,” Wood replied, taking my keys and Tate got tense at my side again.

“My number?” I asked, forcing my eyes to stay on Wood.

“Yeah, baby, need it if we find somethin’ you need to know about,” Wood replied, he wasn’t tense and his voice had gone gentle and him calling me baby in that gentle voice, I had to admit, I liked.

 “I don’t have a number,” I told him. “I’m at the hotel.”

“Ace,” Tate bit off quietly and I looked at him to see, for some reason, he was shaking his head.

“You don’t have a cell?” Wood asked and I looked at him.

“Well, I do, it just isn’t charged and has a Phoenix number. I haven’t charged it in four months.”

All the men stared at me, including Shambles, but it was Tate who spoke.

“Babe, what in
the fuck
are you thinking?”

I looked up at him and saw that, just like anytime I was around Tate, I’d done something to piss him off.

“Sorry?” I asked.

“Jesus, honest to God, are you insane?” Tate asked.

“Why?” I snapped, because, just like anytime I was around Tate, he did something to piss
me
off.

“A woman alone without a goddamned phone?” Tate went on.

“Yes, so?”

Tate turned fully to me and got closer. “So?”

“So?” I repeated.

He looked over my head and muttered, “Christ almighty.” Then his eyes came back to mine. “You got a death wish?”

I put my hand to my hip and asked acidly, “Captain, tell me, how does me not having a cell phone translate into me having a death wish?”

“It ain’t safe,” he answered.

“I’m standing here breathing, aren’t I?” I shot back.

“Way you’re goin’, Ace, I give you a month,” he returned.

“I can take care of myself,” I snapped.

“You aren’t in suburbia anymore, babe,” he informed me.

“Yeah, I’m not,” I retorted and leaned into him. “Duh!”

Tate’s face turned to stone.

It would seem, considering I continued to speak regardless of Tate’s stony expression, that I
might
have a death wish.

“Jeez, Captain, it’s a town filled with bikers, not Viking marauders!”

That’s when I watched Tate’s face turn to granite.

“Uh… Flower Petal,” Shambles edged close and took my hand, “maybe we should get you some coffee.”

I didn’t pry my eyes away from Tate’s furious ones as I spoke to Shambles. “That sounds great.”

Shambles tugged at my hand and I continued glaring at Tate and he continued scowling at me as I walked two steps away. Then I looked to Wood and said, “Thanks, Wood. Lovely to meet you.”

Wood was looking at Tate but when I spoke to him his eyes came to mine, he smiled slow and he muttered, “Yeah, Lauren.”

“Bye,” I said to the gray-haired guy I hadn’t been introduced to.

“Later, sweetheart,” he replied.

Then I turned away and walked with Shambles out of the forecourt and turned with him on the sidewalk.

It didn’t occur to me until way later that Shambles and I held hands all the way to his shop.

* * * * *

Sunny and Shambles drove an old VW van and lived in a log cabin that was powered by two windmills. Every piece of land surrounding their cabin either had newly planted flowers or vegetables planted in it and they had a fledgling grape arbor. They told me they turned on the hot water heater half an hour before they needed hot water and turned it off when they were done. And we ate on the floor because most of their furniture was big pillows or bean bags.

They were also immensely kind, extraordinarily generous and Shambles had a gift in the kitchen – and not just with baked goods.

When I told them about my journey to Carnal, they both nodded as if in complete understanding.

Then Sunny said, “We
so
get that, Petal. That’s how we both felt the minute we drove into town.”

“It wasn’t anything,” Shambles went on. “It was just this feeling, this strong feeling, we both had it and it just screamed,
here!
”

“So we stayed here,” Sunny finished on a sweet smile, leaned forward, took my hand and squeezed.

They drove me home and, full of their good food and the homemade wine they brought from Austin, Texas where they used to live, I fell right to sleep.

But I woke up in the middle of night, as usual, but it wasn’t because I heard Tate saying I was fat and old. It was hearing his deep voice saying,
“She’s mine.”

Tossing and turning and not able to get to sleep, I got up, booted up my laptop and sent my parents and sister another e-mail, telling them I thought I’d found my new home and telling them a little bit about Ned and Betty, Jim-Billy and Sunny and Shambles.

Still not sleepy after I sent my e-mail, I got up and looked out my window to the parking lot. There were two Harleys, an SUV and an old station wagon in the lot.

It was after three in the morning but I figured most people didn’t sleep light like me and swimming wasn’t loud so they wouldn’t hear me. I changed into my suit and went to the pool, slid in quietly and did my laps. I was getting better mostly because I was pushing myself not to take breaks, just to go slower and keep on going. I eeked out fifty laps with only two rest periods and then pulled myself out of the pool.

When I did, I heard a Harley idling somewhat close but that wasn’t unusual in Carnal so I didn’t even look. I just toweled off, pulled on my sweatpants, wrapped the towel around my hair, grabbed my flip-flops and sweatshirt and ran-walked to my room.

After my shower, I fell straight to sleep.

* * * * *

The Saturday shift with Wendy was a revelation.

Her energy didn’t come from sucking it out of the atmosphere. Instead, there was so much of it, it filled the air and jazzed Dalton (our bartender that day) and me right up with her.

The three of us had a blast. I found Dalton had a dry wit and didn’t mind leaving the bar to help us collect empties. Wendy was hilarious and didn’t mind shouting across the bar any thought that came into her head and she did this often (thus her having the idea I join her at a boot camp from which ensued our shouting back and forth and her finally talking me into it). Usually, though, these were just wild ideas that made Dalton, me and all the patrons laugh (not that me doing a boot camp wasn’t a wild idea, I just didn’t know it at the time). She also didn’t have an issue with full on making fun of Tonia and Jonelle and even did an impersonation of both of them, each lasting at least ten minutes, which again had Dalton, me and all the customers in stitches.

Krystal showed up at four thirty looking her usual angry that the earth was still rotating but Wendy didn’t change her behavior one bit and the great vibe continued regardless of Krystal imitating a wet blanket.

Jonelle showed at a quarter after seven and Wendy agreed to stay on until Tonia waltzed in so I gratefully took off. Saturdays were very different than normal days and this included there being five times as many people in the bar. I was run off my feet and, as much fun as I had, I wanted to get home.