Chapter 5 #2
“You sure about that?” He stepped behind me and poured himself some coffee. “Cause it sure looks like you got something on your mind.”
“I already told ya. It’s nothing.”
“Then, why am I sensing all the hostility?”
“Maybe because you’re interrupting my morning coffee.”
“Nah, that’s not it.” He studied me for a moment, and it wasn’t long before a mischievous smirk crossed his face. “Well, I’ll be damned. You got some chick that’s eatin’ at ya. Don’t ya?”
“She’s not eatin’ at me.” I took another drink of my coffee before saying, “I just helped her and her boy change a flat tire.”
“Oh, yeah?” His smirk grew even wider as he asked, “Was she hot?”
“She was attractive, but that’s irrelevant. I’m not interested in gettin’ tied up with some chick and her kid.”
“Then, what’s the problem?”
I watched the smirk fade from his face as I told him, “The spare I put on was pretty shoddy. I told her to get the flat fixed, but I’m not sure she did.”
“How is that your problem?”
“It’s not my problem. Not at all. Just hate to see her or her kids get hurt cause she’s driving around with an unreliable spare.”
“Um-hmm.” He didn’t smile. He didn’t mock or tease. My brother knew better than that shit. Instead, he replied, “Well, I guess you could always drive by her place and see if she got it changed out.”
“Nah. I’m just gonna leave it. Frankie’s a smart girl. She knows she needs to get the damn thing fixed.”
“Maybe. Or it could be that she doesn’t have anyone around to help her out.
” He made a point. Frankie hadn’t tried to hide the fact that she was divorced and was feeling overwhelmed by all the things she had going on.
If I had to guess, I’d say she hadn’t given that damn spare a second thought.
He’d almost convinced me to stop by when he teased, “You could be her knight in shining armor.”
“Fuck that.”
“You know I’m just fucking with you. Go by there and check it out. If nothing else, it’ll set your mind at ease.”
I glanced up at the clock and saw that it was after eight. Frankie was more than likely at her coffee shop, so it would be easy to circle by and check out the tire without her ever knowing I was there. “Yeah, I’ll think about it.”
“You do that.” He gave me a brotherly slap on the shoulder, then turned and started for the door. “I’ll catch up with ya at the club tonight.”
“Yeah. Sounds good.”
I stood there going back and forth over whether or not I should run by Frankie’s until I was at the point of fucking losing it.
Grumbling a stream of curses, I grabbed my truck keys from my pocket and headed out to the parking lot.
I had it set in my head I was just gonna drive by the coffee shop.
I wasn’t going to say a fucking word. Hell, I wasn’t even stopping.
I was just gonna go by to see about the damn tire, and then I’d be on my way.
That was it. That was my plan. Unfortunately for me, nothing ever goes as planned.
As I got closer to the coffee shop, I noticed Frankie’s car parked in the rear parking lot.
I pulled up next to it, and I’d barely gotten parked when I spotted the spare.
I’d already decided I wasn’t going to talk to Frankie, but I couldn’t just leave there—not without doing something.
I sat there stewing for God knows how long when I finally decided what to do.
I grabbed a scrap sheet of paper and wrote her a note, reminding her to get the spare taken care of.
I got out of the truck and stepped over to her car.
I’d just slipped the note under her windshield wiper when I heard Sean shout, “Hey, Widow!”
Hoping it was just my mind playing tricks on me, I slowly turned and found Sean racing in my direction. “Hey there, Sean. How’s it going, man?”
“Pretty good.” He stopped and inhaled a deep breath before asking, “What are you doing here?”
“Came by to see about your mom’s tire.”
“Oh, yeah. She’s been meaning to get around to that, but she never has the time for stuff like that.”
“I see that.” I could’ve left it at that and just left, but I didn’t. For some reason, I couldn’t just blow him off, so I told him, “She mentioned she had a lot on her plate.”
“Yeah, she does. I think it stresses her out sometimes.” He leaned in closer as he whispered, “Sometimes it gets to her, and she sneaks outside and smokes cigarettes. She thinks we don’t know, so it’s kind of a secret.”
“Mums the word.” The kid was something else. He was open and honest, and funny as hell. Nothing like I was as a kid. I was always quiet and withdrawn, never wanting anyone to get too close. Sean clearly didn’t have that problem. “What about you? What are you up to?”
“Just getting some lunch with mom.” He glanced back at the shop as he said, “I told her I thought I saw you.”
“You did?”
“Yeah, she sounded kinda surprised.”
“I’m sure she did.”
The words had no sooner left my mouth when Sean announced, “Here she comes. I better get inside before she starts griping.”
“Alright. See ya later.”
Sean darted off towards his mother. After they spoke for a brief moment, he went inside the coffee shop while Frankie continued walking towards me.
Damn. She looked incredible. She was wearing jeans and a fitted shirt with sneakers, and her long, dark hair was down around her shoulders.
Confusion crossed her beautiful face as she asked, “What are you doing here?”
“I was in the neighborhood.”
“Um-hmm.” She motioned her hand towards the windshield of her car. “So instead of coming inside to try out my coffee and say hi, you decided to just leave a note on my car?”
“Pretty much.”
When I didn’t say anything more, she placed her hand on her hip and asked, “So, what does this note say?”
I took it off the windshield and opened it where she could see it. Her eyes dropped to the paper as she read:
Don’t forget to take care of that spare. Dangerous to drive on it.
Widow
Her brows furrowed as she said, “You came by here because of my spare? Really?”
“Told you the other night you needed to take care of it.”
“Yeah, I remember. I just haven’t had a chance to get to it.”
“Yeah, Sean mentioned you had a lot going on, but it’s really important that you get to it.”
She stood there studying me for a minute, then said, “You seem oddly concerned about my tire. Any particular reason why?”
“Just hate to see you and the kid stranded again. That’s all.”
“Um-hmm. You’re right...I’d get it done today, but I only have the one car, and I have to be here until four-thirty.
” Those crystal blue eyes locked on mine, and it was all I could do to keep myself from reaching for her and taking her into my arms. What the fuck was that?
I didn’t feel like this for anyone, especially a complete fucking stranger, but it was clear that I’d developed some kind of weakness for Frankie Sullivan—a weakness I had absolutely no control over.
“I’m not sure I can get to the tire place before it closes. ”
Before I thought about what I was saying, I replied, “I could fix it.”
“Really?”
“I’d have to double check, but I’m pretty sure it just needs a plug.”
“I don’t want to put you out.”
She’d given me an out. This thing could’ve been done right then and there, but instead of just walking away, my big fucking mouth said, “I’m the one who offered.”
“Okay. If you’re sure you don’t mind.”
“I’m sure.” As I started walking back to the truck, I told her, “I’ll be over at your place around five.”
“Sounds good. Thanks, Widow!”
I didn’t respond. Hell, I’d already said enough.
While there are some who wouldn’t understand, I had my reasons for keeping outsiders at bay.
I had my father’s blood pumping through my body, his words stuck in my head, and if that wasn’t enough, I had his same short fuse.
There was only one way I could protect others from my madness, and that was to keep my fucking distance and never let anyone get too close.
I knew that, and yet, I’d made plans to see Frankie again. Damn. What the fuck was I doing?