Chapter 11
Axel
W e climbed onto my bike and enjoyed the ride to my favorite diner. When we arrived, she looked over the gleaming steel building with red trim. “I’ve never seen this diner before.”
“It’s a great place to eat. They serve breakfast all day. They make the best biscuits and gravy I’ve ever eaten. Cathead biscuits are their specialty.”
Her brow lifted. “Cathead biscuits?”
I laughed at her confusion, “I’m guessing someone decided they’re roughly the size of a cat’s head and that’s how they got their name.”
I put my hand on the small of her back and guided her into the restaurant. We grabbed a booth by the window. The waitress brought our menus, but Tracey didn’t open hers. Instead, she became quiet, and her eyes locked on mine. Her behavior made me realize she had something she wanted to say.
“What’s up? Just tell me. Whatever it is, we’ll deal with it.”
After a brief pause, she told me, “Bryce left the country.”
I frowned because of course he did. Anything to worm his way out of signing those damned divorce papers. “That man is pissing me off.”
“Me too,” she responded. “He claims it’s an emergency business trip.”
“Fuck that noise. He waited until he was due to sign the divorce paperwork and then just fucked off out of the country.”
“Yeah,” she said. “That’s what I think too. He didn’t even give his attorney advance notice.”
“What about the stuff the cops found in the office? I would have thought if he was under investigation, he’d not be allowed to leave the country?” I asked.
She shrugged, “I don’t know if they’ve gotten any further with that. But as it’s his father’s office there was nothing to tie Bryce to it.”
Shoving aside my annoyance with my former best friend, I asked, “What does that mean for you?”
She reached into her purse and pulled out a folded sheet of paper, smoothing it open on the table in front of me.
“Roderick filed for temporary separation in his absence. Since Bryce’s trip qualifies as an emergency situation, the court granted me temporary custody.
I can enroll the girls in school, make decisions for them.
There is no such thing as grounds for divorce in California.
It’s a no-fault divorce state. I just want to be. .. discreet.”
My brows pulled together. “Discreet? You mean as in dating?”
“Yes. I can date.” She met my gaze head-on. “It can’t be held against me in the divorce.”
Something fierce and protective fired to life in my chest. “Have you given any thought to dating? Got anyone in mind?”
“I’ve been thinking about hooking up with the hot biker I’m currently rooming with.”
I smothered back a smile. “I have it on good authority that he’d fucking love getting closer to you.”
“Right now, I need something quiet and drama free. I just want something nice in my life. You know what I mean?”
“That works for me.”
She leaned forward, amusement lighting up her face. “Sounds like we’re on the same page.”
“You are not wrong about that, darlin’.” I scratched the beard scruff along my jaw.
She smiled and then glanced nervously towards the window. “School for the girls starts in two weeks. I have to take them shopping for clothing and school supplies.”
I knew where this was going, “I already told you, whatever you need you can have. You don’t need to ask, the bank card is yours to use for anything you and the girls need.
If they’re anything like my club brothers’ kids then it’ll be all new pencil cases, sneakers, and lunch bags so they fit in with their friends. ”
“You seem pretty sure of yourself there, Axel.”
I shrugged. “You’d be surprised all the useless information I keep locked away in my mind. It comes in handy sometimes.”
She laughed and the sound was like music to my ears. “Yeah, I’ll bet you do. What kind of information do you have squirreled away in that big noggin of yours?”
“You probably don’t want to know,” I said and wiggled my eyebrows. “But maybe one day I’ll have to show ya.”
“Well, color me intrigued,” she shot back with a grin.
That made me laugh too. Oh, this woman was going to be a handful. I could tell that already.
The waitress came back and we ordered cathead biscuits along with our big breakfast. After sharing her worries about Bryce, Tracey seemed much more relaxed.
“Did you ever think it’d get this far, this fast?” I asked. “I mean the court giving you temporary custody?”
“No.” Her voice turned quiet. “Bryce kept me cash poor and made sure I didn’t have access to a vehicle, so I couldn’t leave him.
I’ve been trying to find a way for the last several years, since he cheated on me with his PA, among others.
I think he sensed I wanted out and did everything in his power to make sure it didn’t happen. ”
“You don’t have to worry about any of that anymore. You have your legal separation and soon, you’ll have your divorce decree. Roderick’s a good lawyer.”
“He’s also an expensive one. I appreciate you fronting me the money I needed for the divorce and giving us a place to stay.”
“It was my pleasure. I mean that.”
She looked at me again, for several seconds, as though she was thinking something over. Then she reached across the table and touched my wrist with her fingertips. “Thanks for not making me feel like a burden, Axel. That means the world to me right now.”
“You’re not a burden. You could never be anything but welcome in my home, in my life, and in my bed if you decide that’s what you want.”
“You sure about that, Axel? Me and my girls are a package deal. You know that, right?”
“That falls in the category of nice things coming in small packages, if you ask me.”
She smiled at my gentle teasing but when she spoke again, her tone was serious, “Then there’s my crazy ass ex-husband. I get the feeling we’re gonna have to worry about him for a long time. I hate walking around looking over my shoulder all the time. That’s no way to live.”
I covered her hand with mine. “I know just how to deal with Bryce. Don’t worry about him.”
She didn’t pull away, even when I tightened my grip.
“I don’t know how to do this,” she stated quietly.
“I wouldn’t even be thinking of dating again if you weren’t so close.
Being in your house, rubbing elbows while we cook and watching you with my girls feels like the relationship I should have had all along.
I don’t think I could trust anyone else, not the way I trust you. ”
“I feel the same way. Having you close has been really hard. I’ve been trying to be the friend that you need while wanting more.
I just didn’t think now was the time to bring that up.
You’re still dealing with all the shit that’s been going on.
But I want you to know that I’m up for anything you need.
You want the house to yourself; I can sleep at the clubhouse.
If you want to be just friends, I’ll set my feelings aside and be the friend you need.
If you want someone to hold you and love you, I’ll be your rebound.
That’s not to say I wouldn’t be fucking thrilled to have a shot at a long-term relationship with you.
Because I would absolutely love that. You know something, Tracey? You were always the one that got away.”
The look that crossed her face almost melted me right on the spot. But then a dark cloud shadowed it. “I hate to keep bringing up Bryce, but he expected and demanded perfection. What if I can’t be perfect for you, Axel?”
“I fucking hate the whole idea of being perfect. Like I don’t even understand the concept of perfection. Isn’t it different for everyone? I prefer to take people just how they come, rather than trying to force them to become some ideal that I don’t even understand myself.”
“I’m glad to hear you say that, Axel. I don’t want to bring my girls up thinking they have to be perfect little dolls. I want them to be able to laugh out loud, run, play, and get dirty. I want them to make noise and live their best lives.”
I gave her hand another squeeze, before pulling mine away.
“I want that for them too. And I want you to show them what it means to follow your dreams. Go back to school to become a dentist, if that’s what you want.
There ain’t nobody to hold you back from doing the things you want anymore. Now’s your time to do as you like.”
The food came, breaking the moment, but we’d both said way more than either of us intended. Talking to Tracey was easy. The moment I heard she wanted to date me, the ground shifted beneath my feet. Suddenly, everything that seemed impossible before was now within my reach.
***
Later that night, after we tucked the girls in, I found Tracey standing at one of the upstairs windows.
She was looking out at the yard where just hours earlier the girls had been running around, blowing off steam.
Her expression was distant, and her arms were wrapped around her stomach in a way that made her seem vulnerable and in need of someone to talk to.
I took a leap of faith after what she had told me earlier, came up behind her, and slipped my arms around her waist. “You look like someone who could use a hug. Is everything alright?”
When she melted back against me, I held her more firmly. It felt good to finally have her in my arms.
She sighed and slowly turned until we were face to face. “I’m getting more texts from Bryce. He’s being extra nasty today.”
“You know what to do about that,” I said roughly, hating my former friend with the fire of a thousand suns at this point.
“I forwarded them to Roderick and his partner, just like they asked me to. It’s just a little dispiriting to have to deal with all his toxic bullshit. He’s ignoring the restraining order, and the police aren’t doing anything about it. And now he’s out of the country I can’t stop him.”