Chapter 21 Doing The Historical Thing
Chapter twenty-one
Doing The Historical Thing
Roxy
A week ago, I’d let a few walls crumble. I hadn’t raised my voice, but I’d made sure he heard me, loud and clear. It was a first, and though I hated confrontation, I was proud every time I replayed it in my head.
Neither of us had given in. We were both convinced we were right.
When Cactus left that night, I thought he’d fade into the background.
I’d been wrong, thinking I wasn’t worth the fight.
It’d started again the next morning with a new text thread.
Cactus never pushed beyond my limits, but I was a fool if I didn’t think he was trying hard.
I’d underestimated how much thought he’d put into this.
Cactus was a smart man, and while he didn’t play emotional games, he gave me exactly what I needed.
He’d order lunch from the saloon so he could visit for a few minutes.
If he didn’t make it into town, he still checked in.
The little things made the difference, like when he walked me to and from the motel.
We’d spend the trip swapping stories about our day, like normal people.
He never stayed over thirty minutes, and it worked.
Our silences said more than words ever could, but when he was gone, the quiet wasn’t comforting. It was hollow.
Cactus had shown up during the re-enactors’ visit this week, waiting for his lunch.
He’d seen the lunch crowd and had stood in the corner with his back against the wall.
I hadn’t seen him walk in, too busy keeping the kids moving, but I hadn’t been able to shake the feeling someone was watching me.
This time, he had winked as he walked out the door.
I wasn’t invisible in a room of parents and tourists, but the person I had wanted to notice had.
My smile was brighter and wider the rest of the day.
Doc wasn’t the only one who noticed. The girls had tried to get the details out of me, but all I had said was, “Everything’s good.” They’d pushed, but I’d held firm. I wouldn’t listen to their biased opinions. For two emotionally stunted people, we were crawling. It was good for now.
Lying in my bed, I stared straight up at the popcorn ceiling.
There were blobs I didn’t stop to analyze too closely.
It was Saturday, and while I would have preferred to be working, Lulu and I always let the high school girls get extra hours.
Today, I didn’t mind. I needed a break from prying eyes continually poking where their noses shouldn’t be.
I picked up my head, searching the ledge where I kept my groceries. I hoped that if I stared at it long enough, the coffee would brew by itself. It was a dream. Microwaving a pack of instant coffee wasn’t appealing. Staying in bed and turning the TV on seemed like the best plan.
I was flipping through the channels when there was a heavy knock on my door. Cactus normally picked my lock, so if this was one of his new tactics, he’d let himself in. I ignored it.
No one needed to know I was a woman staying by myself.
They could suspect, but I’d never advertised my status.
I constantly saw the four men who’d been hanging out on the balcony.
They’d say hello when they saw me, asking how my man was.
I lied and told them he was amazing and thanked them for asking.
Another heavy knock beat on the outside of my motel door. I still ignored it, but when I heard scratching against the lock, the corners of my lips turned. Those sounds could mean only one thing. Lying on my side, I pulled the blanket up to my chin, settling in to wait.
The door popped open, and there he was, blocking out the outside light. His eyes found mine, a smirk settling on his lips. “Get dressed,” he said, standing in the doorway.
“What happened to ‘Hi, how are you?’” I shuffled deeper under the covers.
He stepped into the room, letting the door slam shut behind him. “How come you don’t have the chair underneath the handle?” Cactus pulled it out from underneath the small desk, taking a seat to prove his point.
“Baseball cap? No club cut? What’s wrong with you?” If I hadn’t known better, I would have thought he was a regular guy, out for the day. It wasn’t hard to see how handsome Cactus was for an older man. I allowed myself one quick look, and then I shut those thoughts down.
“You didn’t answer me.”
“Why would I jeopardize my safety by telling a biker?” If he wanted to break down the door, the chair wouldn’t stop him.
He raised his eyebrow at me, shifting his ass so that his legs spread open.
“I thought about getting a decent coffee this morning, but then I’d have to get up and thought better of it. You?” I pulled the covers under my chin.
He wrinkled his nose, ignoring my question. “You’ve got two choices. One: get dressed, and we’ll grab decent coffee on the way. Two: I drag you, kicking and screaming, and whatever you’ve got on is it. Go with option two.”
“You’d like that way too much.” I rolled my eyes, knowing I had a T-shirt and a pair of pajama shorts on. It wasn’t like he was going to get skin. He stood up from the chair and made his way over to my suitcase. “Don’t touch my underwear. We’ve gone over this.”
“What underwear? There are barely any clean clothes in here.” He shuffled my stuff around. I could have told him it was a waste of time. “Why don’t you come stay with me? This place isn’t really that safe for you, and we have a washer and dryer. I’ll even buy the fancy detergent.”
I searched his face, looking for the punchline, but all I saw was worry in his brown eyes. His mustache ticked, as if he was giving me time to think this over, but he’d already decided what was best. “Fuck, no. You live in the clubhouse.”
“My room is larger than this one.” He looked around before staring at me down the bridge of his nose. “It’s also cleaner.”
“Your room might be, but I’m having visions of a frat house crossed with a sex dungeon. No, thanks. I’ll stay here.”
He said nothing, and I must have been closer to the truth than I realized.
Cactus dropped a pair of shorts and a T-shirt onto my leg. “Get dressed. Please, sweetheart.”
I sighed, sinking into the mattress. It was the please that softened me. “What’s so important?” I asked him.
“You’re off. I’m off…today. Figured you would want to do the historical thing.” Cactus shrugged, and it made him look younger for a second.
I threw the covers off. The clothes fell to the floor as I stood on top of the bed. “I’ve never done the historical thing,” I said excitedly. This was going to be a fun day, nothing more.
“You won’t be now if you crack your head open. Come here.” He held out his arms to me, and I let him lift me from the bed until my feet touched the floor. Neither of us moved, but we held onto each other a beat. “Go. Time’s ticking.” He reached down and swatted my ass.
I shook my head and smiled. I was ready in under ten minutes.
***
We made small talk, heading towards the main street, but before we turned the corner, he stopped. “Don’t laugh,” he said.
My laughter was already bubbling to the surface, but it died when I noticed how hesitant he was. His fingers flexed as if he wanted to bolt, but something held him in place. I went to grab his arm for comfort, unsure how else to help. He wouldn’t look directly at me.
“The only original building on the main drag is the theatre,” he rushed. “The tourism volunteers will add the saloon to that, but I’m not sure if that’s actually true. Mixed accounts.” His shoulders hunched as if he were afraid of revealing a secret.
I didn’t understand what was happening, but I wouldn’t leave him.
This date… Could I even call it one? His face was blank, but his eyes danced back and forth, staring straight ahead.
“You don’t have to shrink to talk about something you love,” I whispered.
“There’s nothing wrong with liking pieces of history.
” I reached for his hand, locking our fingers together.
“Come on, tour guide, you promised me a historical day and a good cup of coffee.”
His lips tipped up at the corners, moving with me.
We turned the corner, but when we reached the Blue Angel, he bypassed it.
Continuing up the street, Cactus turned into a small bakery that was squeezed between two trinket shops.
“Don’t tell my sister or Lulu, but they make better coffee here,” he said as he held the door open for me.
“Your secret is safe with me.” I squeezed his hand in solidarity.
We ordered, and when the little old lady with her pink apron handed us our cups, she said we looked like a cute couple and hoped we had fun today. She moved towards the back of the coffee shop as we took a seat at a table.
He let his guard slip for a minute. I’d never been greedy, knowing what it was like to go without, but I wanted as many pieces as I could get of him for myself.
Cactus, the biker, was as safe for me as Grant, the man.
I doubted he knew his niece had revealed that part of him. “How did you get here?”
This was the first relationship I’d ever had where I cared to look beyond the surface. Caring hadn’t been part of the plan. Staying, even less so, but here I was, digging for the emotional parts of him no one had touched.
“My mother used to bring us here when we were kids for day trips. It holds a lot of good memories for me, so when I didn’t have a plan, I found myself here.
” Before he said anything else, his phone rang.
Pulling it out, he checked the screen before answering.
“What?” He listened, making a face at me over whatever the person on the other line was saying.
“I’m not on club business, so I don’t need a babysitter.
” He swallowed the rest of the coffee before returning to the conversation. “Get off my dick.”
There’s the prick. I smiled behind my cup as I finished my coffee.