Chapter 18
CHAPTER
EIGHTEEN
This time of year could be tricky with snow, sleet, or sunshine, but fortune smiled upon the Knights. The day of the rally dawned with a nice cloudless day with slightly warmer temperatures than were usual for this time of year. Perfect for the event.
“Pretty fucking amazing, yeah?” Crossman remarked as they waited in line for coffee at the Dapper Bean coffee truck.
Several more trucks had set up in spots around the neighborhood park.
Pizza, tacos, corn dogs, and funnel cakes were available.
Kids had a face-painting booth and a long row of carnival type games.
Several local crafters were scattered around selling doodads like soap, candles, and jewelry.
“Specs outdid himself,” Cam agreed.
The turnout surprised him, but it pleased him too. The club’s display included some vintage and custom bikes and the opportunity to take pictures while sitting on them. Cash already filled the donation jar next to the Harley Fatboy, and the clock hadn’t hit noon yet.
Kiss the Knights had turned into a Date Knight raffle.
Ratchet, Crossman, Melter, and Stalemate agreed to take four winners on some sort of date that involved a ride on the back of their motorcycle—after his night with Sabrina, Cam had pulled his name from the single-bikers category.
Crossman mentioned going through Wheeling, West Virginia.
Roughly an hour out, some sort of food, and an hour back.
The outings were supposed to be scheduled for the next weekend as long as the weather held out.
Cam didn’t consider a date with a Knight to be a big deal, but apparently it was, seeing as the paper tickets were almost sold out.
Two screaming kids ran past them with balloon animals in their hands, their dad chasing after them.
Cam watched them go and wondered what Scrap was up to.
He hadn’t been around the club since his hospital stay.
Sabrina had gone by his house to confront him, but she hadn’t told him anything about what happened.
This relationship was too new, and Cam had no intention of rocking any boats.
He had baggage himself he needed to share with her when they got to the full-disclosure phase.
He wanted to give her the same respect, but he had so many questions about her meeting with Scrap and how she’d ended up in that emotional state when he found her.
She did tell him she’d met Mary, Baghouse’s wife. That was news to him, as he didn’t know Baghouse was married.
Cam frowned as the line moved forward. Communication needed to improve within the club.
Baghouse feeling the need to keep that part of his life a secret was weird.
The extent of Melter’s drug habits also bugged him.
Scrap’s absence made Cam think something serious was going on.
He got the part about being private, but if anything concerned the club, he and the rest of the Knights needed to know about it.
Specs bustled by with a clipboard in his hands and a big grin on his bespectacled face. “We’re way under budget for this. So cool!”
Cam held back his amusement at the nerdy little guy. “That’s fantastic, Specs. You’ve done a great job with everything.”
The man puffed out his chest and preened. “It’s for a good cause, right?”
“Absolutely. Want a coffee?”
Specs shook his head. “Nah, I’m good. Got the adrenaline going, n’at. I’ll see yous later.”
Cam and Crossman got to the barista, and both were surprised to see Jazz manning the food truck.
“Hiya, guys. I’m helping Rorrie today, so don’t look at me like that. It’s been cranking all morning, and he needed some extra hands.” Jazz’s signature blue hair showed dark brown roots, as was expected in the growing-out process.
“I’ll get a latte with extra foam and a shot of vanilla,” Crossman ordered as he pulled out his wallet.
“On the house, boys. Yinz just keep watching and helping. What’s for you, Cam?”
“Do you make plain coffee?”
Jazz blinked. “Well… um… yeah?”
“Then I want two large coffees. One black, one cream and sugar.”
She laughed. “Okay, I get it. Coming right up.”
Coffees in hand, the two men wandered through the crowded park.
People were walking and talking with big smiles on their faces.
The band set up early and had started their first set exactly at noon.
A group of kids were dancing with wild abandon to music from the eighties and nineties—songs so old they were popular with their parents and grandparents but were still rocking even today.
Off to one side of the park, between an essential oils seller and a leathersmith, the spa had brought in two massage chairs. A tall and thin African American man rubbed down a large woman whose ample figure spilled over the seat. Sabrina worked on her twin, who appeared even larger.
“Hey, babe, I brought you a coffee. Should still be hot.”
Sabrina paused to take a healthy swallow before continuing to press into the woman’s shoulders. “How are you doing, Emma?”
The woman giggled. “I’m doing great. Even better now. I bought a whole roll of raffle tickets for the Date Knight thing. I’m sooooo hoping I’ll win!”
Cam’s first thought was if she did, whoever got her would have to put extra shocks on his bike. “I hope you do too.”
Emma giggled again.
“Okay, milady, your time is up,” Sabrina said. “I hope you feel better.”
The woman rolled her massive shoulders. “Oh, yes! Much better. Do you have a card?”
Sabrina handed her one, and Cam noticed her name was on them. He grinned at the small confirmation that she planned on sticking around. Her presence in his life had formed into a comfortable habit, and he liked it. A lot.
“How’s it been today?” he asked once Emma was gone.
Sabrina squirted some sanitizer into her palm from a nearby table full of supplies. “My hands haven’t hurt like this in a long time. Stephan and I are doing fifteen minutes for fifteen dollars, and people have been coming at us all day.”
She reached one arm forward and used her other hand to bend back her fingers toward her elbow in a long stretch.
Cam waited until she finished shaking out her arms and hands before passing the coffee back to her. “Good business, then?”
Her grin showed pure happiness. “Yes, it’s been great. We’ve booked a lot of new clients today. Cicely will be thrilled.” She looked around at the crowd of people. “I don’t know a lot about rallies, but this is one of the best block parties I’ve ever been to. Y’all have outdone yourselves.”
Cam smiled at the compliment. Yeah, he was pleased at the turnout and the show of support.
It was a shame it had to come from a tragedy.
Everyone here loved the hardworking and gentle Garfield, and his death left a hole in many lives, but seeing so many people come together to support his wife and kids meant the world.
Perhaps this was the direction the Knights needed and the basis for their purpose.
Wolf spoke often of the tight brotherhood of the Dragon Runners MC and how they thrived in both business and community.
From what little Cam had learned about the North Carolina club, they might not always follow the law, but they were always fair.
He thought that was a pretty good balance.
Crossman helped the other woman from Stephan’s massage chair.
“Thanks for that,” she said, then studied him for a beat. “Hey, aren’t you one of the Date Knight Knights?”
Crossman’s face froze. “Um, yes? Yes, I am.”
A huge grin lifted the woman’s second chin. “You are soooo cute! I hope I win you!”
“Uh… I hope you do too,” Crossman answered awkwardly.
“Never mind that now,” Stephan interrupted while wiping down the angled chair and headrest with sanitizer. “It’s this man’s turn, so let me get my hands on him, yeah?”
The masseuse bustled Crossman into position and started pressing on his shoulders. “I bought some of those date tickets myself. I might win you.”
Crossman groaned as Stephan dug into his muscles. “I’m not gay, but I’ll definitely take you for a ride if you keep that up.”
“Oooooh, keep talking, honey.”
Cam laughed as he drained the last bit of his coffee before tossing the paper cup into a nearby trash can. He turned back to an amused Sabrina. “Wanna take a break and go see the other stuff?”
“Absolutely. Hey, Stephan? Text me if you get a bunch of people and need me, okay?”
He nodded. “Will do. Now go away.”
Cam took Sabrina’s hand as they walked, threading his fingers between hers and swinging gently. He bought them loaded hot dogs from a food truck and watched as she took a big bite. Immediately, the mass of toppings splooged out, making a total mess on her pink shirt.
She laughed and swiped off the mustard and relish. “Eat a little, wear the rest,” she joked.
He handed her a pile of napkins. “I hope no one sees me in public with you like this.”
She scrunched her face at him. “Why? Will I bring down your street cred?”
He choked on the bite he’d just taken. “What the hell is street cred?”
“I don’t know. I heard it in a movie once.” She looked around for a trash bin to toss the soiled napkins, finding one near an ice cream vendor.
“You’re nuts,” he said as they headed that way.
“And you love every minute.”
Yes, I do.
“Mind if I ask you something?”
She eyed the ice cream menu. “Anything, as long as I get one of those butterscotch dipped cones.”
“Wanna tell me what happened with Scrap the other day that had you wandering around a strange place in tears?”
Her face fell. “I want to tell you everything, but I don’t think it’s my place to share Scrap’s personal business. I will tell you that he said he’d take the test. Sometime next week.”
Cam blinked and then grinned at her as they waited for their cones. “That sounds great. What made him change his mind?”