Chapter 28
“I need to go for a ride,” Savage said the moment we got to the apartment building parking lot.
I took a deep breath and nodded. “I understand.”
He leaned over and kissed my cheek. “That’s one of the many reasons I love you.”
“Oh yeah?” I asked, a slight smile on my face.
“Yeah. You just—let me be who I need to be.”
I swallowed. “Are you coming back tonight?”
“I don’t know,” he said. He tapped his head. “It’s really fucked up in there right now. And I don’t wanna saddle you with all of it.”
“You can saddle me with it,” I insisted. “We’re in a relationship. That’s what you’re supposed to do.”
“Yeah.” He nodded slowly. “This is new for me, you know? I don’t always know how to do this.”
“I don’t know how to do this either. My marriage was hardly a shining example of success.” I reached over and linked his hand with mine. “I want you to always be able to go for rides, do what you need to do to clear your head. But I also want you to sleep next to me every night.”
He lifted our hands to his mouth and kissed my knuckles. “From now on, no matter what goes down, as long as I’m not on a run, I’ll sleep next to you.”
I frowned. “What’s a run?”
“A run for the club,” he explained. “I’m actually leaving tomorrow morning to go on a run up to Idaho.”
“Tomorrow morning? Way to give me a head’s up.”
“Sorry, babe. It came together last minute.”
“What’s in Idaho?”
“Another club chapter,” he explained. “We can’t ride our motorcycles up there this time of year. The pass is mostly ice. So we’ll caravan in cars.”
“Are you going to take the SUV?”
“No. I’m leaving it here for you in case you want to get some driving practice in. I’m sure Roman or Virgil wouldn’t mind riding shot gun.”
“How long will you be gone?”
“A week? Ten days? Not sure.”
“Ten days?” I squeaked. “You’re going to miss our first baby class. And probably our second one, too.”
He rubbed his jaw. “Fuck. Yeah, I didn’t think about that. Sorry, babe.”
“It is what it is, I guess,” I murmured. “How are you going to sleep without me?”
“Few shots of whiskey,” he said dryly.
“Savage,” I murmured.
He ran a hand through his disheveled hair. “It is what it is, babe. I’ll figure it out.”
“But what will I do without you?”
“You start looking at places. When I get back, we’ll see a few that you’ve chosen and decide which one is best for us. Okay?”
“Okay.”
He unclasped his seat belt. “Let me get you to the door and then I’m going for a long ride. Don’t worry, babe. I’ll be back before bedtime.”
He returned from his ride when I was dozing on the couch. He carried me to bed and worshipped me with his body, as if apologizing the only way he knew how.
I fell asleep in his arms, my naked body wrapped around his.
The first night he was gone on his run to Idaho, I forced myself to lay in the middle of the bed, at a diagonal.
His scent was on the sheets, but it wasn’t enough to lull me to sleep.
I was still awake at three a.m.
I rolled over to reach for my phone, wanting to text him, but not wanting to wake him up if he’d somehow managed to fall asleep.
With a sigh, I got up. I went to the refrigerator and pulled out the leftover dessert Savage had picked up a few days ago from a hole-in-the-wall Italian restaurant.
I was just sticking a fork into the cheesecake when I heard sounds outside my door.
Frowning, I tiptoed to the peephole and looked through it and saw my neighbor across the hall setting something down onto my doormat.
I quickly unlocked the door and yanked it open, causing the young woman to squeak and pull back. “Gah!”
“Sorry,” I said. “I heard someone moving around out here and I thought I’d finally introduce myself.”
“Maybe don’t startle the neighbor who leaves you gifts, or the gifts might stop. Did I wake you?”
“No. I was already awake.” I looked down at the mat. “What are you leaving me this time?”
A smile touched her lips. “Loose leaf herbal tea.”
“Nice.”
“Yeah.”
I cocked my head to the side. “You don’t sleep much, do you?”
“I sleep.” She defended.
“Hmm. The purple shadows underneath your eyes say otherwise.” I gestured to my apartment. “I’m awake and working my way through a plethora of Italian desserts. You want to join me?”
She bit her lip. “You sure?”
“I’m sure.”
“What about your boyfriend? The biker one.”
“Ah, you’ve been watching me through the peephole, have you?”
She had the grace to blush.
I laughed. “He’s gone for the next week or so. Come on. We got Italian a few days ago and I need to finish the desserts.” I waved her across the threshold and then picked up the gift she’d left me. “It’s past time we got acquainted; don’t you think?”
“Probably, yeah. I’m not good at small talk though. It’s why I haven’t introduced myself.”
“I’m Evie.”
“Cozy. Short for Cozette, but please don’t call me that.”
I smiled. “Okay. Pick your poison. I’ve got a chocolate torte, a panna cotta, a crème br?lée, a?—”
“Whatever you’re not having,” she said. “I’ll eat anything.”
“The cheesecake is mine.”
“The chocolate torte, please.”
I handed her the box and got her a fork. Then I took my dessert and headed to the couch.
“So, you don’t sleep much, huh?” I asked, shoveling in a bite of cheesecake.
“Few hours here and there,” she said. “Every little noise makes me . . .”
“Jump. I get it.” I looked at her. “You still sleeping with your shoes on?”
“What?”
“Your shoes. You sleep with them on, don’t you? So if you have to run, you’re ready.”
She paled.
“I wish I didn’t understand, but I do,” I said quietly.
“Is that why you’re here?”
I shook my head. “I’m here because—well, because of luck. I guess.”
She took a small bite of the chocolate torte. “It’s good.”
“Yeah, I bet it is.”
“So Savage left?”
I raised my brows. “How do you know his name?”
“I heard him,” she said. “Sorry, it’s not like I meant to stalk. But I—yeah.”
“Forget it. And yeah, he’s out of town on club business.”
“Club? What club?”
“The Tarnished Angels Motorcycle Club.”
We were silent as we ate a few bites of our dessert.
“You got a plan?” I asked suddenly.
“A plan? For what?”
“For what comes after this. This place, I mean. We can’t stay here forever. Even if we want to.”
“No, not really,” she admitted. “Do you have a plan?”
“Kinda.” My hand went to my belly that now had a little pooch. “Savage and I are getting a place together. I can’t raise my babies here.”
“You’re pregnant?”
“Twins.”
“Wow.”
“Yeah.”
“Is he the father?”
“Aren’t we getting bold with our questions,” I drawled.
“Sorry, I’ve been kind of lonely in my apartment. And now that I have a human to talk to, I’m taking full advantage.”
I let out a chuckle. “I appreciate the honesty. No, he’s not the father.”
“Ah. I get it now. You were running from a bad relationship. That’s how you wound up in this halfway house, huh?”
I shook my head. “No. My bad relationship ended when my husband died.”
“Oh wow,” she murmured, biting her lip as her brow furrowed.
“You want to ask another question, don’t you?” I said with a laugh.
“Kinda.”
“Go ahead,” I urged.
“When did he die? I mean, did you know you were pregnant?”
“He passed before I knew.” I shook my head. “Boy, that was a shock.”
“I’ll bet.” She paused. “I was in a bad relationship too.”
“I’m glad you got out.”
“I’m glad you got out too.”
Cozy fell asleep on my couch sometime around four o’clock in the morning and I didn’t have the heart to wake her. After covering her with a blanket, I tromped back to the bedroom. I dozed off for a while but then woke up when I heard Cozy moving around.
My morning sickness wasted no time in asserting its control of the situation. When I’d composed myself, I went into the kitchen. Cozy had made herself a pot of coffee and was eating a piece of homemade sourdough bread.
I smiled.
“Hope you don’t mind,” she said.
“I don’t mind at all. I thought for sure you’d have gone back to your apartment, though.”
“Nah, I didn’t want to sneak out like a one-night stand.” She giggled. “So I thought I’d stay and see if you needed help.”
“Help. With what?”
“With . . . I don’t know.”
She didn’t want to be alone, and neither did I.
“You ever been to Pie in the Sky?” I asked suddenly.
She shook her head.
“I’m about to change your life,” I stated. “I’m gonna shower, and then I’m taking you to the best bakery in the world.”
Her face brightened. “Really?”
“Really.”
“Okay.” She bit her lip. “I have a car. I can drive us. It smells like worm jerky, but it gets me from point A to B.”
“Why does it smell?”
“Uh, well, it belonged to this guy who was cheating on his girlfriend. She found out and she put a thing of fishing worms in his trunk, but like way up there where he couldn’t find them under the carpet. It was summer and it was in the garage for a while and . . . yeah it was bad.”
“Wow.”
“Yeah, I got the car for a steal of a deal. The smell is almost completely gone.”
“Really?”
She shrugged. “Well, maybe breathe through your mouth. And we’ll bring a bag in case you need to puke.”
“Why don’t we just take my car?” I asked. “I have my permit, and you can be my adult in the passenger side.”
“You don’t have a license?”
I sighed. “No. I plan on getting it while Savage is away. I want to accomplish something while he’s gone.”
“Noble.”
Unfortunately, I discovered my car had a dead battery when it failed to start.
“It’s brand new ,” I groaned in frustration. “That’s annoying.”
“Worm-jerky mobile it is,” Cozy said, twirling her key ring.
“In that case, you’re driving.”
We got into her car. The smell wasn’t that bad—not until she turned on the heat.
I hastily put a hand over my mouth to keep the bile in my stomach.
Cozy looked at me. “You’re being dramatic.”
“You lied big time about the worm jerky smell.”
“You must have a sensitive nose. I can hardly smell it.”
“Must be the pregnancy thing,” I muttered. “Adding heat just made it worse. And now it’s on my clothes and on my skin. I’m going to need three showers just to get the stench out.”
“How about, thanks, Cozy , for driving us? ”
“Thanks, Cozy, for driving us. I’m sorry if I—no, pull over right now .”
We’d barely rolled to a stop before I had the door open, and I was throwing up.
I hastily wiped my mouth and closed the door. “Okay, carry on.”
“Such theatrics,” Cozy teased.
“Remember when we weren’t on a first-name basis or even friends? That was fun, right?” I quipped in return.
“No, but seriously. You okay?”
“Yeah, thanks. I’m good.” I leaned my head back against the seat and closed my eyes.
“I know it’s not ideal, but you’re welcome to practice driving my car,” she said.
“Really?”
“Well, sure. You want to get your license, and your car battery is dead.”
“Yeah. That’s true. You really wouldn’t mind?”
“Not at all. What are friends for, right?”
I smiled. “Friends. Yeah.”
Cozy pulled into a parking spot outside of Pie in the Sky and cut the engine. I grabbed my purse and climbed out of the car.
“Oh, sweet merciful Lord,” I moaned after taking a deep breath. “Fresh air.”
“You missed your calling.” She slammed the driver’s side door shut. “You should’ve been a comedian.”
We walked to the front door of the bakery, and I opened it, the bell jingling a cheery hello.
I waved for Cozy to go in first and we both got in line. It was several people deep but moving swiftly.
“This place is cute,” Cozy said. “I love the pink washed brick behind the espresso machine.”
“Their savory food is good, too.”
It was finally our turn to step up to the counter. Jazz was putting a few dollars into the tip jar, but when she lifted her head to greet us, her smile went from customer service professional to friend.
“Evie! I didn’t know you were coming this morning,” Jazz said. She turned toward the back and called out, “Brielle, Evie’s here!”
“Last minute decision,” I explained.
Brielle came out of the back, her red hair piled up on her head as she wiped her hands on a dish towel.
“Hey,” she said, blue eyes bouncing from me to Cozy.
“Brielle, Jazz, this is my friend and neighbor, Cozy,” I introduced.
“Oh, you’re the neighbor. The one that leaves cute little gifts on Evie’s doorstep,” Jazz said with a smile.
“Like a faerie,” I joked.
“You’re not supposed to take gifts from faeries,” Brielle said.
“Says who?” I demanded.
“The Irish,” Brielle explained. “And I’m Irish so I’d know.”
“This conversation is devolving,” Jazz said. “What can I get you?”
I looked at Cozy. “You order first. My treat.”
We took our pastries to a corner table and sat down.
“So where do you work?” I asked Cozy.
She bit her lip. “I’m kind of in between things right now.”
“I see.”
“And you?”
“I’m a receptionist at Three Kings.” When she looked confused, I clarified, “A tattoo parlor. It’s closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Hence the reason we can linger here this fine Tuesday morning. Brielle’s brothers own the place.”
“Ah.”
“And Jazz is her best friend.”
Jazz approached with our drinks. A latte for Cozy, hot chocolate for me.
“You haven’t touched your scones,” she admonished.
“Too busy gabbing,” I explained.
Jazz pulled out the chair next to me. “The first rush is over. I have a few minutes to hang out.”
“Good,” I said. “Get Brielle. I need to pick your brains.”
Jazz turned her head over her shoulder, preparing to yell. I hastily put a hand over her mouth. “I’ve had a bad night’s sleep, and I smell like worm jerky—I can’t do loud.”
I lowered my hand.
“Worm jerky?” Jazz asked.
“Never mind,” I muttered.
“Fine. I’ll go get her. Be right back.” Jazz hopped up.
I broke open my scone and took a bite. Jazz returned with Brielle a minute later and the four of us crowded around the tiny marble café table.
“I was summoned,” Brielle said.
“I need help,” I blurted out.
“Help? With what?” Jazz asked.
“I need to find a new place to live. Savage and I are officially moving in together.” I waited for their shock, but it never came. “Seriously? You’re not surprised?”
“Uh, he bought you a car,” Brielle said.
“And you’re his Old Lady,” Jazz added. “Moving in together seemed kind of inevitable.”
“Wait, he bought you the SUV?” Cozy gaped.
“Yeah. He did.”
“Whoa. Wait, what’s an Old Lady?” Cozy asked.
I quickly explained and then got back on track. “Savage said he’d take care of the rent and everything. But it feels . . . I want to contribute, you know? But I can’t pay a lot. He’s out of town on a run up to Idaho, but he said to start looking and we’d find a place when he got back. But I’d love to find something on my own and just sort of . . . surprise him. And I want to get my license while he’s gone. I want to show him that I . . .”
When I trailed off Brielle gently prodded, “That you what?”
“That she doesn’t need to be taken care of,” Cozy said, her eyes sliding to mine. “Right?”
I nodded. “So do you guys have an idea of where I can find a clean, safe place to live with Savage that I can afford?”
“Hmm.” Jazz’s brow furrowed in thought.
I looked at Brielle. “You said you were Irish. Know any leprechauns who want to give me their pot of gold?”