Chapter 9
CHAPTER NINE
Jackson
That next Saturday, I decided to close the garage early, and set out on a group ride with Les, Jeff, Rich, and a couple other guys Rich knew.
It was the first time I’d been outside the city limits since I came back to Lupine.
We drove out of town to the west, with the mountains in front of us, deliberately taking the roads that had the most twists and turns.
It was fucking beautiful.
There are lots of reasons people hop on motorcycles and take to the open road.
There’s something about being out there, in the elements, whether sun, wind, or rain.
You feel more connected to the world around you.
You see more. You’re more alive. Not to be all hippy-dippy about it, but there’s really no comparison between being on a motorcycle and being trapped in a four-wheeled cage.
As the six of us flew down the highway, I felt like a weight was being lifted off my shoulders — one I hadn’t even realized had been there in the first place.
I almost always ride alone. But today was an exception.
I was in the front of the formation, with Rich behind me to the right.
Behind him were Jeff and Les and other two guys, who went by Monster and Mack.
It felt good, kind of like when I’d been living in Texas, and almost decided to patch into my old vet buddies’ MC there.
I could count on one hand since I’d been back in the States the number of times I’d felt comfortable being around other people — like no one was asking anything of me I wasn’t gonna give them. This was one of those times.
I wasn’t sure what it was. Maybe it was being with all these guys who shared the same unspoken love of the road.
Maybe it was because most of them, like me, had served in Nam.
They knew what it was like there. They, unlike most other people, knew what it was okay to ask, and what to leave the fuck alone.
Even though we hadn’t served in the same units, they were my brothers in arms, the closest thing I had to family anymore.
By the time we finally decided to turn the bikes around and head back toward Lupine, I was feeling pretty damn good.
On the way back, with the sun and the mountains behind us now, my thoughts turned to Roxy, as they did frequently these days.
I thought back to seeing her a few days ago, sitting on Mrs. Watkins’s front porch.
I thought back to how it had felt to kiss her, how soft and willing her body had felt as I pulled it against me.
My dick hardened in response. Glancing in my side mirror, I caught a glimpse of Les behind me.
I wondered what he’d think, if Roxy and me…
I frowned, shaking my head slightly in the wind.
I didn’t actually think Les would have much of a problem with me dating his sister.
Back in high school, he’d never seemed to be one of those overprotective types that’s always trying to beat on any guy who showed an interest in Roxy. That wasn’t the problem.
The problem was that for what seemed like the millionth time in the past week or so, I’d caught myself thinking about Roxy in a way I never let myself think about any woman. Not just as a quick fuck. That, I could deal with.
No. The problem was that with Roxy, I wanted something more. And I didn’t want to want that.
I couldn’t even imagine what something like that would look like: being with a woman for more than a night or two.
I couldn’t imagine me being some sort of white picket fence family man.
Coming home from a hard day at the office to my wife baking cookies in a little apron, or some shit like that.
Domestic life was something I’d never wanted for myself.
Just the thought of it was enough to make me laugh at the ridiculousness of it all.
But that didn’t stop me thinking about it with Roxy. Not the shitty part. Not wearing a monkey suit and spending the whole day cooped up in an office. The other part.
The part where I got to see her every day. Where I got to go to bed with her every night, and lie awake smelling the familiar scent of her hair as she slept. And in the mornings, having her be the first thing I saw when I woke up.
It was fucking stupid to let myself fantasize about something like that. But damned if I didn’t do it anyway.
As the six of us crossed back into the city limits of Lupine, I lifted my hand and motioned to the others to follow me.
I led them toward downtown, to the Angus.
I was gonna buy my brothers a round of drinks to thank them for the ride.
On the way there, we passed by Hunt’s Pharmacy, and as always, I wondered whether Roxy was working.
Instead of parking on the street, I drove into the back alley that led to the bar’s parking lot, and got my answer when I noticed that Roxy’s car was parked out back.
We wandered into the Angus through the back door. Mikey Flynn greeted us from behind the bar as we took over a large table and sat down. The place was pretty empty at this time of the afternoon, so Mikey himself came and took our drink orders.
While we were waiting for him to come back, Les let out a low, soft whistle. “Damn,” he muttered under his breath. “There she is.”
“Who?” I asked, my gaze following his.
Over in a corner booth was a guy I recognized vaguely from high school. Sitting across from him was a young, pale strawberry blond who didn’t look to be much older than eighteen.
“You recognize that guy?” Les murmured. “Clayton Greenlee?”
A flash of memory came back to me. “Yeah.”
“That’s his wife,” Les muttered. “Name’s Maggie. He just moved back to town a couple months ago, with her.” He made a low, rude noise. “God damn, I’d like to get me some of that.”
The girl had a fragile beauty that was strangely captivating. She didn’t look like Les’s normal type — he tended to go for loud, boisterous girls — but I could see why he was taken with her.
“She doesn’t look old enough to be anybody’s wife,” I said mildly, and turned back to the table.
“How the fuck did Greenlee get a babe like her, is what I want to know,” Les complained. “What that girl needs is a little Lawless Lawson, to show her what she’s been missing.”
“Aren’t there enough other women in Lupine to keep you occupied?” I chided him.
“Define ‘enough,’” he shot back, grinning lewdly at me.
Just then, Mikey came back with a round of beer and chasers for all of us.
“You guys here what happened to Edna Boyle last night?” When we said we hadn’t, he continued.
“She was working out at the convenience store on the south side of town a little before midnight. Some guys came in, pulled a knife on her and robbed the place.”
“Holy shit,” Les swore. “She okay?”
Mikey frowned. “They cut her face up. She’ll live, but she’s gonna be disfigured, I guess.” He shook his head in disgust. “All for a couple hundred in cash.”
“Jesus Christ. Whatever happened to sleepy little Lupine?” It was hard to believe this had happened.
“We told you, man,” Jeff said. “Shit’s changed around here.”
“Yeah, goddamnit,” Mikey bit out. “It’s gettin’ so Linda and me are actually starting to lock our doors at night. It makes you nervous, especially when you got kids.”
“Fuckin’ crazy, man. I guess you weren’t kidding.” It made my blood boil. In spite of myself, I still felt a connection to this place. I didn’t want some goddamn punks taking control of it.
By the time we’d finished our beers, I was starting to feel antsy just sitting there.
Somehow, hearing about poor fucking Edna Boyle made my mind keep wandering to Roxy, until all I could think of was how much I wanted to see her.
Jeff waved to Mikey to bring us another round, but I stood up and told them I was gonna take off.
I threw a twenty on the table and left the bar through the back door, my eyes already turning toward the pharmacy to look for Roxy’s car. It was gone.
I hopped on my bike and sped off through the alley. My bike was pointed in the opposite direction of home, but I didn’t turn around. I knew where I was going. And I knew I should try to talk myself out of it. But at that point, I was beyond caring.
I had to see Roxy.