Chapter 24
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Lily
I have never felt so free in my life. When I first got on Jack’s bike, I was beyond scared. I’ll admit, I was a little excited, too. I swore I’d never get on a motorcycle. Look at me now.
At least once a week, we treated patients from motorcycle accidents in the ER. During the summer, it was almost daily. I was the attending nurse for a few of those patients. Seeing the damage and the devastation it caused for their families was heartbreaking. Sadly, some of the accidents were so bad that the rider didn’t survive. Others needed surgery and months of physical therapy. On really good days, the riders walked out with cuts, bruises, broken bones, and limps. Their pain and loss made me hate motorcycles without ever touching one.
For the first few miles, fear was winning my inner battle. The thrill of riding exploded like fireworks the moment I stopped fighting. And like fireworks, this ride is beautiful. The scenery comes alive without the body of a car around me. The trees, fields, houses, people raking leaves in their yards, and the farm animals seem to jump out at me. Until today, they were boring figures that were part of the backdrop in my mind.
We pass a pasture with horses and cows. I extend my right arm and slowly move my fingers, letting the wind flow through them. It’s the feeling you get as a child when watching the clouds and pretending to reach up to touch them. Instead of clouds, it’s horses, cows, and trees today. I’m a city girl in the middle of farm country, hiding inside a motorcycle club. My life is so comical.
I’ll never be the same after this ride. Freedom feels wonderful, and I hope it never ends. I know it can. It’s happened so many times before. Rather than slipping into the corners I was shamefully pushed into, I’ll fight to hold onto this. This ride has opened a floodgate of emotions, all good and exciting. Hopefully, more good things will follow this.
I lean closer to Jack and rest my helmet against his back. As beautiful and thoughtful as this gift is, I wish it wasn’t here, and his leather cut was gone. His shirt could go, too. Does he have tattoos on his back? I sneak peeks at the ones on his arms when he’s not watching me. I sigh happily and tighten my arms around his waist. He laughs but doesn’t speak. This moment is perfect without words.
He places his right hand on my knee and rubs up and down my calf. More emotions and fireworks explode. I wouldn’t have believed riding could be intimate until now. It’s a whole new level of intimacy. Is this why biker couples have a bond the rest of the world doesn’t understand?
We pull into the bakery’s parking lot, and Jack kills the engine. The ride to town is way too short today. A strange feeling of loss overtakes me. How’s that possible? It was just a ride. Only it wasn’t. It was something more. I cling tighter to Jack’s back, not wanting this to end. Who needs cupcakes and donuts today? We should go for another ride.
“You okay back there, angel?” His hand moves up and down my calf again.
“Yeah,” I whisper.
“Time to go to work.” He taps my hand just above my knee. “Put your left foot down and swing this leg over.”
I don’t want to, but I do as he asks when he leans the bike slightly to the left. I unsnap the chin strap and slide the helmet off. He gets off, removes his helmet, and sets it on the seat.
I offer him mine back. “Thank you for this. It’s beautiful.”
“That’s yours. Keep it. You’ll need it for the ride home.”
“Thank you.” I’ll put it in the breakroom with my bag. I’m using the backpack Nina gave me as a purse. “And thank you for the ride.” I bounce on my toes like a kid. “Can we do it again without having to go to work?”
He pulls his phone out and glances at the screen before shoving it back into his pocket. He doesn’t smile. Hopefully, that message wasn’t bad news.
“Absolutely, angel.” He tosses an arm over my shoulders and turns us toward the front door. “I knew you’d love it.”
“I did. So much. I wish the ride to town were longer.”
He laughs and opens the door. “We’ll take the long way home today.”
Great. Now, today’s going to drag by. If taking the long way home means getting lost with him for a few hours, I’m all for it.
The bakery has its normal stream of customers today. Emily’s at the register, taking an order. Ava and Melody are filling boxes with the pastries and breads customers point to in the display cases. My job is in the back. It’s fine. I have no desire to be on the frontline here. I’m great at meeting people in the hospital, but I’m no saleswoman.
Jack walks me to the opening in the counter next to the wall. The weight of his arm around my shoulders has me leaning into his side. I feel safe and protected under his arm. The rare hugs I got from Joel never felt like this. As much as I want to put my arm around Jack’s waist, I keep mine locked around my helmet.
When we reach the counter, I turn to tell him goodbye like I always do. Only this time, I don’t want him to leave. After the ride we just shared, I feel like I’m losing a part of me, even though he’ll be just a couple of blocks away. I lose all train of thought when his palm cups my cheek. A different day indeed. A much better day.
“Have a good day, angel. I gotta go. Jay needs help with a tow.”
“You have a good day, too. And be careful.”
His cocky grin returns. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Jack!” Emily waves from the front register.
“Good morning, Emily.” He walks toward her as I do the same on the backside of the counter.
“Did you send these to Lily?”
Her question has us both hurrying to the register. A long, narrow gold box with three long-stemmed red roses with a matching bow sits on the counter. He sent me roses. Oh, my goodness. That’s so sweet. I reach to touch the satin fabric they lay on.
Jack’s hand quickly covers the box, stopping me. “Don’t touch it.” Every ounce of happiness drains from his face. He turns to Emily. “Where did you get these?”
Wait. He didn’t send them? Happiness and my newfound freedom are sucked from my body. I stumble backward until I feel the wall behind me.
“They were delivered an hour ago,” Emily replies.
“The card?” He already knows there isn’t one.
Emily shakes her head.
“Who delivered them?” A darkness I’ve never seen fills his eyes.
“My cousin, Chrissy. She works at Blooms and Bows,” Ava replies.
Jack walks over to the display case in front of Ava. “What did she tell you about them?”
“Uh. She just said they were for the bakery, and we talked about our family’s Thanksgiving plans.” Ava grits her teeth. “Sorry, Jack. I didn’t think more of it.”
He points to the roses. “So, these could be for any of you, not Lily specifically?”
My three co-workers look dumbfounded. It’s a rare look for Emily. We should probably mark this day on a calendar.
“None of us are dating, Jack.” There’s my sassy boss. Whew. We couldn’t lose her.
He pulls his phone out and makes a call. “Hey, Sandy. It’s Jack McLeod. Who does the delivery to the bakery this morning go to?” He’s quiet for a moment and nods his head a few times. “Okay. Thanks, Sandy.”
Without saying a word, he carefully removes everything from the gold box and lays it on the counter. After a thorough inspection, he puts it all back.
“Well?” Emily Powell is not a patient person.
“It was an anonymous online order. Not all the questions and details were filled in. There was supposed to be a card inside saying thinking of you . Sandy answered a call and missed adding it before Chrissy left. The card is still lying on the counter. There was no personal name on the form, just The Cupcake Cottage.”
“What does it mean?” Melody asks.
“It probably means one of you three have a secret admirer. Until you figure it out, keep ‘em here in the shop, or each of you takes one,” Jack replies.
“I’m fine with each of us having one.” Emily lifts one of the roses to her nose and sniffs. The other two happily reach for one, too.
Jay pulls up out front in a rollback truck. Jack goes to the front window and holds up a finger. He comes around the counter to where I’ve become a wall fixture. He lifts my chin until our eyes meet.
“Bake some cookies, angel.” His thumb slides just below my bottom lip. “We’ll grab something to eat after work and take a ride.”
He doesn’t say anything about my ex. We were both thinking that’s where the roses came from. I’m happy for whoever the flowers are intended for. Looks like I panicked for nothing.
“I’d like that.”
He presses his lips to my forehead before walking away. Cloudy meets him at the door for the key to his bike. Jack jogs around to the passenger side and jumps in. It’s fine. I’m fine. It’s a normal day in a small town.
Emily steps in front of me. “You okay?”
I take a deep breath and fake a smile. “Yep, but one of you three has an interesting life. Who do you think those are from?”
“You’re the one with the interesting life,” Ava says.
“What?” Does she know my story? Since Jack’s mom got me this job, I’m sure Emily knows something, but do the other two know, too?
Melody points to the front door. “Girl! Have you taken a good look at that man? The black leather, motorcycle, muscles, tattoos. Jack McLeod is beyond hot and one of the sexiest men in the state.” She waves the rose in her hand. “Whoever sent one of us these is nowhere as interesting as the man who just walked out of here.”
“And just so you know.” Ava smiles slyly. “You’re the only woman Jack McLeod has ever chased.”
“He’s not chasing me.” I narrow my eyes. Or is he? Do bikers chase? I don’t think so.
“Trust me.” Emily pats my arm. “He is. Now, back to work, ladies. Willow Creek needs its sugar fix for the day.”
Jack’s chasing me? Do I want to be chased? Better yet, do I want to be caught? After the things Joel did, I shouldn’t want another relationship, especially one so soon. I glance toward the front windows. Cars pass by like normal. Jack’s gone. Just thinking of him makes me smile. No. He’s not chasing. After all, you can’t chase what’s not actually running.