Chapter 14
Evan couldn’t stand the indignity of more false accusations, more judgments. Amber coming out of the woodwork now brought back all the memories of the shock and horror when the cops had laid out their case against him. It was an incredibly surreal feeling to stare at a backpack full of meth that he had never seen before and be told he’d do hard time for it. And he couldn’t believe he was going to have to rehash all this for a second time. Only now, the media circus was bound to be worse than when he’d originally been released, because then he was a nobody. Now, he had a TV show. In hindsight, he almost should have gotten ahead of it and just told everyone who he was before he signed. At the time, though, he thought it might sour the deal for Dan, and he didn’t want to do that. He of all people knew it was almost worse to have the possibility of success or redemption dangled ahead only to have it snatched away. They were neck-deep in cancel culture. The only question was whether they would be canceled. Amber was busy chatting away on her YouTube channel about things real or imagined. She hadn’t gone so far as to outright lie, but she’d made insinuations that were enough to cast doubt about his character.
He rolled up in front of Dan’s colorful cottage, the outside of which was decorated with brightly colored shells and a hand-painted surfboard some hippie girl made for him. He’d made up his mind what he wanted to do, but he had to be sure it was okay with Dan. Last time, he’d simply changed his name and disappeared into the swamp, trying to hide from the past. No more hiding.
This time, he was going to grab it head-on. He would say his piece. If it affected Jake, to hell with him. Evan had turned enough of his life upside down trying to protect Jake and paid the price for it every step of the way.
“I’m doing the interview,” Evan said when Dan opened the door.
“Okay.”
“But I don’t know what it’ll do to the show. So, I came to tell you I’m sorry. I hope I don’t ruin your chance.”
“You’re the only reason there even was a chance, remember? If you hadn’t bought us that first place to flip, we wouldn’t even be doing this. You do what you need to do.”
That was Dan. He’d basically been this same person since they were kids.
“Anyway, how about a beer? I got some new properties to show you. That one in Buckingham that we’ve been stuck with forever is finally under contract, so I think we can afford to buy something new.”
Dan had a passion for the business end of it. He had a few Realtors on speed dial who kept him in the loop because they were happy to be able to unload wrecked houses that would never sell in their current condition.
Just when Evanthought he couldn’t be more surprised that day, when he got back home, Kayla was sitting on his front step. She stood up as he swung off the bike. Her hands looked shaky, and she nervously scrubbed them on her pants. He shook his head. She must have read the headlines and didn’t want to date a guy who’d been in prison for drug charges related to a notorious motorcycle club. Maybe she’d even stumbled upon Amber’s character assassination. Everything she didn’t want in her life. The dread of the interview was sucking the life out of him. It had put him right back in the dark space he’d inhabited years ago. He could remember, clear as day, his mother nervously wringing her hands as his father exploded out of his chair in the interrogation room, refusing to help put up bail. They’d both marched out and left him there, left him to his fate. They’d never listened long enough to realize he had done nothing wrong.
“If you didn’t want to see me anymore, you could have just texted me and saved yourself the trouble,” he said. He was absolutely hollowed out, and he had no more reserves for this shit.
“What?” She looked genuinely confused.
“I get it. I did time for meth. I’m sure you’ve heard by now. I’m fucking done defending myself for a crime I didn’t commit. So, if that’s what you want, just go home.”
She recoiled slightly from him. For a second, she looked scared, and then she straightened up and her eyes flashed in anger. “That’s not why I came at all,” she bit out. “And fuck you for assuming it!” She started for her truck, giving him a wide berth. He took a step sideways to reach for her arm, but she dodged him.
She paused long enough to say, “It wasn’t easy coming down here. Just so you know. I wanted to see if you were okay. I guess you answered that question already.”
“Kayla, wait. I’m sorry, okay?”
She hovered by the door to her truck.
“I’m sorry. Don’t go.” His forced his tone to be gentle, even though he was boiling with frustration. He blew out a breath, trying to let go of the angst that she didn’t deserve.
“What happened?” she asked hesitantly.
“My little brother Jake happened. He got mixed up with the Pirates back when we were young. He thought he was invincible. I kept trying to stop him from going down that road. They wanted him to prospect for the club. I couldn’t talk sense in to him, so one night, I followed him when he was playing errand boy for them. I thought maybe I could at least watch his back a little bit. Instead, I wound up in the wrong place at the wrong time and got arrested by a dirty cop who framed me for a big drug bust. They needed a fall guy, and I was convenient. I was even a biker, so it looked right. A couple years later, some undercover feds busted that cop and found out he was in the club’s pocket and doing their dirty work. My conviction was overturned. All the evidence was planted, and they had proof. He actually bragged about framing me to one of the undercovers.” Evan shifted uncomfortably.
“But Jake was the golden boy, and shit still isn’t right between me and my folks. We don’t talk much.”
“Why not?”
“It was too easy for them to believe that I did it. Meanwhile, Jake was still running around with these assholes trying to get patched in. My life got ruined trying to keep Jake out of trouble. I was the stand-up guy, Kayla. My folks ought to have known that. They wouldn’t put up bail money for me, but my dad loaned Jake the money to start his business in the Keys. Now the network wants to talk to us about our contract because of this. All my life, I’ve been the stand-up guy, and all my life, I’ve been punished for it.”
KAYLA
There was no way the hurt in his voice wasn’t real, and she couldn’t leave him alone with it. She was genuinely at a loss for words, so instead, she reached out and touched his brawny arm where it was crossed over his chest. His muscles felt like steel coiled to spring. She thought of how many times he’d ridden to her rescue, despite not knowing her very well. It wasn’t hard to imagine young Evan trying to look out for his little brother. To think he had gone to prison for it was heartbreaking.
He blew out a breath, loosened his arms to scrub a hand across his face. She took a step closer to him, unsure what she was offering. What did he want? What did she? Before she had time to ponder that further, he pulled her against him and nestled his face in her hair, holding her tight. She snaked her arms under his and locked her fingers behind his back.
Then his mouth was on her neck, and she gasped at the shock of it. It was like an invitation. He grabbed her hair, wielding her by it to reach the hollow in her collarbone. He needed her; she could feel it. It was one thing she could give him.
She let him shuffle her through his front door, and as soon as it closed, a frenzied pulling at clothes began. He walked her backward into his bedroom, already hard as a rock. She was breathless, boneless, at his mercy. He stopped long enough to take a long look into her eyes. She nodded slightly. Then he thrust inside her with as much shock as his initial kiss had been. A cry welled up in her throat as he drove into her, pinning her hands to the bed as he wrung what he needed from her body.
She’d totally lost control as usual, but the way he held her down sparked a new bloom of fear mixed with excitement that she didn’t understand. She’d never had an orgasm during regular missionary sex before, but she felt a desperation unfurl inside her, gripping him harder, her mouth open under his as they drove into each other with unfinished need.
They came simultaneously in a tangle of arms and legs, and when it was over, he collapsed on top of her. For a moment, she felt trapped beneath him. The quivering from her orgasm combined with the sheen of sweat on her skin became a real chill, and she shivered.
He stirred and threw a big warm arm across her, pulling her against him. Cuddling after sex was a hundred percent not allowed in her world. But his words echoed in her mind. No one had believed him. No one had stood by him, and he’d faced prison and having his life ruined for nothing. If he really was what he seemed to be, that was a tragic miscarriage of justice. She knew a little something about not being believed, and having everything she cared about taken from her.
Even if they had no future, and she couldn’t see how they did, she could give him this moment. She knew she cared for him, and she wanted to give him comfort. She told herself that was why she let him hold her now.
KAYLA
Just when hethought he was about to hit rock bottom, she appeared on his porch. She hadn’t come to grill him, or to condemn him, or even to break up with him. She’d come to comfort him. The gesture started to heal a broken place in his heart, where he’d been misjudged and written off. She hadn’t assumed the worst, and she’d come to offer support.
He pulled her close, smelled her hair, cherished the soft curve of her body against his.
It wasn’t until he was faced with the true threat of losing the TV show that he realized what it had come to mean. He had finally made it. The income from the show was enough to make sure he and Dan had a comfortable buffer for buying properties, even if they didn’t immediately sell. For the first time in his life, he had an honest job that paid well enough to see him through. For a short time, it felt like he had finally outrun the bad luck that seemed to follow him around. He enjoyed working on the houses with Dan. They were good at it. The thought of losing everything he’d worked for, again, for the same goddam lie, made him want to punch a hole in the wall.
“Why did you change your name? You didn’t do anything wrong, so why the new identity?”
He groaned a little. “I was a little bit of a local celebrity when I got out. There was settlement money from the state for wrongful imprisonment. I got involved with a girl. I was fresh out of prison with a bunch of cash and a band-new bike. I’d been on the news. Everywhere I went, people knew who I was. I got involved with this girl, and I was stupid enough to fall for her. She just wanted money and recognition. She thought dating me would launch her as an influencer. It was just a blow I didn’t need right then. So I took my mother’s maiden name and moved out here to get a fresh start. I invested most of the money into the business with Dan. I didn’t ever want a girl to try to get with me for that again.”
“Well, you know I’m only after your body, anyway,” she said drily, and he laughed. A warm feeling overtook him. He’d been angry and hurt. Now he was laughing and relaxed. She did that. When the shit hit the fan, Amber had tried to profit off him. His parents hadn’t taken the time to listen. Kayla had shown up, listened, and comforted him. “All the same, I’m surprised you’d want to be on TV after all that.”
“Trust me, I didn’t. I don’t. Me and Danny had no plans of being on TV. They approached him, and the whole thing just took on a life of its own. He wanted to do it, and I owed him…then he had this idea about salvaging houses damaged by Ian. I loved that spin on it. We could really help people.” He swallowed. “I don’t know what’ll happen now that they know I was in prison. They aren’t happy. It might sour the deal.”
“Maybe that would be for the best. You can have your private life back,” she said softly.
Could she be for real? She honestly didn’t care if he was on TV or not, what money he had? His deepest darkest secret was making the rounds on gossip news, and she simply showed up to make sure he was all right.
“Hey, remember the man-eater? She’s running barrels tonight at the fairgrounds. Want to come with me? Take your mind off all this drama.”
“That sounds great.”
A steady streamof pickup trucks rolled into the fairgrounds for the rodeo. Kayla fidgeted in her seat as they waited to get into a parking spot.
“Nervous?” he asked.
“Yeah…I mean…this is it. She’ll either win or she’ll put her rider back in the hospital, pretty much depending on how good of a job I did,” Kayla said tightly.
“That’s a lot of pressure to put on yourself. This girl bought the horse and decided to ride her, right?”
“Yeah.” They parked, and Kayla hopped out, taking his breath away for the second time. She wore a tight tank top that bared a few inches of her midriff. Her jeans were tight, and she sported one of her grandmother’s big oval belt buckles. And a cowboy hat. She was a country dream, and he wasn’t the only one who noticed her. Every guy in the fairgrounds seemed to do a double take when she went by. Evan shot them each down with a stare and kept his hand on her waist. When she glanced up at him with a small smile, he realized she was completely oblivious to it.
They found good seats in the grandstand, where she continued to fidget as they waited for barrels to begin. At long last, the announcer said, “Y’all ready to see some cowgirls ride? It’s time for barrels!”
The crowd cheered, but Kayla scanned the pens, looking for Rocket and her young rider, Miranda. She’d prepped Miranda at length and had her practice with Rocket on her farm until the two were like a well-oiled machine. Now, it was make or break. Literally.
A few horses ran,and at last, Kayla caught a glimpse of Miranda on deck. She was doing everything right, rubbing Rocket’s neck to keep her calm. She wore no spurs, and she sat calmly, waiting for her shot at the barrels.
“All right, folks, put your hands together for Miranda Ford on Red Bottle Rocket!” After a brief pause, the gate swung open, and Miranda and Rocket flew out in an actual blur.
“Easy, now,” Kayla murmured, as if Rocket or Miranda could hear her. Miranda rode incredibly well, balancing Rocket with her seat and helping her find her turns without being heavy handed on the bit. She did almost nothing to urge the horse faster, just as Kayla had told her. Rocket will run her heart out, don’t you worry about that. Just let her go.
“Holy cow!” the announcer roared as Miranda and Rocket rounded the third barrel and let ’er rip back to the chute. Miranda did everything perfectly, hands all the way forward up Rocket’s neck to give the horse her head to run.
“That, folks, is how you turn ’n’ burn! Incredible time on that run.”
Kayla held her breath as they exited the ring. She watched Miranda sit up and sink into the saddle to stop Rocket. But would she stop? The team slowed. The gallop changed to a trot and, at last, a walk. Kayla let out the air she was holding.
“Wow!” Evan exclaimed next to her. Kayla glanced over at him. “That was incredible! They did great! Right?”
“Yeah.” Kayla breathed, still feeling shaky with relief. “They did awesome. With that time, she’ll probably win.” She searched for Miranda again and saw her petting Rocket’s neck vigorously. The mare’s ears flicked back and forth, taking it all in. Then Miranda saw Kayla in the stands and waved, beaming. They’d done it. A few more horses to go and they would likely win. Kayla could hardly remember a better run. Her heart swelled so much, it made her chest ache.
“And on top of it, the horse looks….domesticated,” Evan said. Kayla laughed. “You did that,” he added, nudging her knee with his. He was right. Left to their own devices, Rocket might have killed Miranda or at least gotten sold. And with the splash Rocket and Miranda had just made, people would want to know what changed. Especially since the last time they’d been here at the fairgrounds, Miranda had been taken away in an ambulance. People would talk, and Kayla’s name would get around. She wouldn’t have to name-drop her grandmother or pound the pavement trying to get her name out now.
She looked up at Evan and smiled. At least in this moment, she had a good man, a respectable job, and a little success. The hope and excitement was foreign to her, but she prayed it could last.