Chapter 60 Jim
I heard the front door softly open and shifted Daisy out of my arms and into the middle of the bed.
She rolled over with a soft moan into the spot I’d just vacated as I got up.
I smiled and pulled up the blankets to cover her.
I kept falling more and more in love with her with every minute I spent with her.
She was toughness and softness in a perfect combination, and the way she moved with me.
I pulled the towel around my waist and quietly left the room to find Bear glaring at Daisy’s bag on the floor. He held a couple of shopping bags in each hand. I don’t know what he was struggling with, to glare at Daisy’s bag so hard.
He glanced over at me. “She sleeping?” he rumbled quietly, lifting his chin towards the room I’d just left. I gave a curt nod.
He nodded back thoughtfully. “Went and saw Horse,” he muttered, his eyes swinging back to Daisy’s bag. “Kid’s pretty banged up still. They’re going to keep him for a while.”
Ah, that was it. He was processing seeing Horse hurting. We stood in silence for a while. It was awkward, but I couldn’t move until Bear did, not while he was in this mood. He gave an audible swallow.
“The riders here got the footage from the dash cam. They got the driver,” he added, then looked at me again and lifted one of his hands that was holding a bag from a clothing store. “Got Daisy some supplies, and thought you might appreciate some clothes if you’re coming along.”
“You’re a good man, Bear,” I told him, taking the bags gratefully.
He grunted distractedly. “Tinker’s coming, bringing some spare bikes up. Taking ours back,” he reported hollowly. “But the boys are waiting outside to take us to meet the driver.”
I looked at him, putting all the disjointed sentences together, then nodded.
“Ok, I’ll get changed,” I agreed.
Bear frowned at me. “You’re wearing a towel,” he pointed out. “What are you changing out of? Your skin?”
I turned around and returned to the bedroom, giving Bear a well-deserved middle finger salute.
Daisy was propped up on her elbows, the bedding covering everything except her shoulders. My body started thickening up at the image that I knew was under there.
“That Bear?” she asked, her voice husky from sleep.
I nodded. “Yeah, he went shopping.” I lifted the bags. “Your fridge has food in it again.”
“And what do those bags contain?” She looked at my hand.
“Clothes. I’ve got a meeting to attend at the local clubhouse.”
Her eyes asked the question, but her mouth stayed closed. Eventually, she sighed.
“Are you going to get dressed?” She looked at me expectantly.
“That’s not what you want to know, is it?” I responded.
Daisy shook her head, closing her eyes briefly. “I figure you’ll tell me what you trust me to know.” Her eyes opened and drifted over my body as she lay back down.
I watched her settle down into the pillows, trusting me. Her faith settled comfortably on my shoulders. I pulled out the clothes and slowly dressed myself under Daisy’s watchful gaze.
“Please stay safe, Jim. That’s all I ask. I don’t want to go through last night again.”
I picked up my discarded shirt, the one she stole from me, and sat on the bed next to her.
“I don’t want to go through that either,” I said as I ran a finger down her cheek. I leaned forward and pressed my lips against her forehead. I didn’t want to leave her. I wanted to stay. I tried to communicate this all in that one tender moment.
“Sleep now. I’ll be back when I can.”
I pulled the covers over her shoulders and tucked her in. Bear knocked on the door. I glanced over my shoulder.
“Okay, be there soon.”
“Go, be safe,” Daisy whispered. I reluctantly stood up and straightened my shoulders, then nodded at her before leaving.
It was late by the time the job was done.
The owner of the little pink car was on her way to the hospital for observation.
It was such a shame that she and her abusive boyfriend—who was driving the car at the time it crashed into Horse—were caught in a shootout when a drug bust went wrong.
She was fine, her boyfriend not so much.
Bear was still the master marksman, despite being disappointed by the weapons on offer.
The club dropped me back at Daisy’s apartment, but a quick look around outside told me she wasn’t home.
Her car was gone, and judging by the time, she’d gone to work.
I huffed my frustration out as I punched in the entry code.
I walked in to find she’d cooked up dinner for Bear and me, sitting in two Tupperware dishes with a note on top.
Take these home. I’ll come and pick them up later xx Daisy xx
I couldn’t help the smile that crept across my face. I wrote a note back.
Don’t take too long, miss you.
I picked up the containers and locked up the apartment, then went down to where Bear was waiting in the truck with Tinker.
“Here, Daisy made us dinner,” I said, handing a container to Bear. He grunted his appreciation, a small smile softening his eyes.
Tinker ducked his head down and checked out the street view of the apartment complex.
“This where Daisy lives?”
“Yeah.”
Tinker started taking off his seatbelt.
“Where’re you going?” I asked.
Tinker’s beard bristled. “To say hi to my daughter-in-law,” he snapped.
I laughed. “She’s not in there, old man. She’s at the hospital.”
The bristling changed to worry. “What’s she doing there?”
“She works there. She’s a nurse. Fucking good one,” Bear interjected before Tinker got too riled up.
The old man paused. “She’s a nurse?”
I chuckled. “You didn’t really think she’d be doing nothing for four years, did you? She got herself a scholarship, aced her classes, and was first pick for graduate positions.” I patted him on the shoulder as I saw the pride lift him up.
“My baby girl is a nurse,” he muttered.
“Yeah, can we go see her and Horse now?” Bear complained. He was still agitated after the job today.