Chapter Eight
Ellie
“Shit,” Ryder hissed.
“What? What’s wrong?” I asked, looking over my shoulder as I watched him pull up his pants and tuck his dick away.
“Thanks, babe,” he said, swatting my ass.
Wait. What?
I pushed off the wall of the bar and turned just as Ryder took off, jogging across the parking lot.
I stood there in shock. My jeans around my ankles, my ass hanging out. Staring out at the dark parking lot.
I heard voices, followed by people stumbling out of the door of the bar. The noise pulled me back to reality, and I quickly pulled my jeans and panties up, straightening my bra and top.
I leaned back against the wall, covering my face with my hands.
What have I done?
I waited until the parking lot was quiet again before I trudged to my truck. I climbed in and sat there. With my hands clutching the top of the steering wheel and my head resting on the back of my hands, I let my tears fall.
I couldn’t do this anymore. I was tired. I was lonely. I needed my brother, and I didn’t even know if he was alive or dead.
I jumped when my phone rang. Looking down, I saw Jessie’s name. Sighing heavily, I tried to compose myself.
“Hello.”
“What’s wrong?” She asked.
“Why do you think something’s wrong?”
“’Cause I know you. I know every way you answer the phone, and that was your ‘I can’t go on’ hello. So tell me, whose ass am I kicking?”
I laughed. I couldn’t stop it and threw my head back and laughed so hard my sides hurt.
“Ellie?”
I couldn’t stop laughing. A minute later, I was sobbing.
“Babe, what’s wrong?” Jessie asked.
I could hear the pity in her voice.
“I’m so stupid,” I sniffed.
“What’s his name?”
“Ryder,” I confessed.
“The bookstore owner?”
“Yea. I stayed away at first. I thought he had a wife, ’cause he has two little girls. But his wife left him and his girls two years ago. And those girls, oh my God. They are perfect. So sweet and adorable. The little one, Tabby. Whenever she sees me, she just puts her little arms up and wants me to hold her and snuggle her. I don’t want to let her go, Jessie. I don’t know what is wrong with me.”
I blurted everything I had been feeling since I met Ryder.
“What else?” she asked patiently.
Of course, she knew there was more. We had been friends for five years.
“We had sex,” I mumbled. “Outside behind a bar, and as soon as he was done, he left.”
I wouldn’t tell her my jeans were still around my ankles. Ryder had two girls to raise. I couldn’t let Jessie kill him.
I heard her breathing heavily over the phone.
“Jessie. Say something, please.”
“I will be there on Friday,” she snarled. “We will discuss it then. Right now, I am too angry to speak.”
“I’m sorry, Jessie. I know you’re disappointed.”
“Babe, no. I’m not mad at you. I know you want your own HEA. You love hard, that’s not a bad thing. Someday, you are going to meet someone who deserves everything you have to give.”
“I’m not sure that will ever happen.” I sighed.
“What are you doing right now?”
“Sitting in my truck. I was getting ready to drive home when you called,” I muttered, looking around the parking lot again.
For what, I didn’t know.
“Alright, start her up. We can talk on your way back to the campground. Tell me how the book signing is coming.”
During the thirty-minute drive, I told her about Sam and everything she was doing online and in person to help make my book signing a tremendous success.
By the time I got back, I felt better. Jessie always lifted my spirits. She had a way of getting my mind off the things that were weighing me down, and turning my mind onto more positive, uplifting things.
I think it had something to do with her inability to sugarcoat things. She dealt in facts better than feelings. Every girl needed a friend that could pull her out of her feelings.
Sunday morning dawned a bright new day.
I refused to think about last night. The bookstore was closed, so maybe he would hide out in his apartment with the girls, and I could avoid all of them.
Not that I really wanted to avoid the girls, but seeing them would make me think of their dad, and I was determined today would be a Ryder free day.
My first stop in town was The Bake Shoppe, as usual, and like every time before, Trudy greeted me the moment I opened the door.
Only this time, others were there to greet me too.
“Hi, Ellie!” Chrissy and Tabby ran over. Chrissy wrapped her arms around my waist, and Tabby lifted her arms.
So much for not thinking about them today.
“Good morning, girls. I am so happy to see you both,” I said, lifting Tabby into my arms.
It was true.
These girls brightened even my darkest thoughts.
“You can sit with us. Come on. You can meet Pop,” Chrissy rattled on, grabbing my hand as she dragged me over to the table where their grandparents were sitting at.
“Good morning, Ellie,” Abby greeted.
“Morning,” I offered, sitting down with Tabby on my lap.
“Your usual, Ellie?”
Turning toward Trudy, I nodded.
“Yes, thank you, Trudy.”
“Mark, this is Ellie, the girl I was telling you about,” Abby said with a smile in my direction.
“Hello, Ellie. Chrissy talks about you quite a bit,” Mark said.
“It’s nice to meet you, sir.”
Mark smiled as I held Tabby a little bit tighter.
“Here you go, sweetheart.”
Trudy set my cinnamon roll and my coffee on the table as a young boy came stomping in from the back.
“Tyler Carson Rose, you get back here this instant,” a voice called out.
“No, Old Man Johnson said I could hang out at the hardware store,” Tyler yelled, before pushing the door open and rushing through.
A frazzled-looking woman shoved the swinging door forward and marched through it.
“Tyler!”
“Let him go, Pati,” Trudy fussed. “He’ll be fine. Elbert’s grandsons work in the store. They’ll keep an eye out for him.”
“Granny, that’s not the point. He can’t just do whatever he wants.”
Pati looked over at our table and froze.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize anyone was here.”
“Pay no mind to us, Pati. We raised Ryder. We can sympathize.” Mark laughed.
“I just don’t know what I am going to do with him. I thought things would get better moving out here. His father lives in Cheyenne, but he still won’t make time for him, and Tyler blames me.”
“One day, he’ll see the truth. Right now, he keeps hoping his dad will see him and want him. But as he gets older, he’ll see the truth and he’ll apologize to you,” I mumbled.
“Are your parents divorced, Ellie?” Abby asked.
“No, just neglectful. I remember when I was little, I would hear my older brother Sebbie say just awful things about my parents. I would get so mad. I thought they were everything. Then one day, my eyes opened, and I finally understood everything Sebbie had said.”
“I’m so sorry, Ellie.” Abby reached over and squeezed my hand.
I just shrugged. I didn’t know how to answer that. The only person besides Sebbie who had ever tried to show me love and compassion was Jessie, and she struggled with those feelings the most.
“We can be your family, Ellie,” Chrissy whispered at my side.
Tears welled in my eyes. I put my arm around her and pulled her close.
“Thank you, sweet girl.”
After breakfast at The Bake Shoppe, I decided a trip to The Salon might make me feel better.
I could use a trim and maybe a pedicure if they offered them.
Walking in, I saw a woman and a man both cutting hair. A girl about my age sat at the counter.
“Can I help you?”
She was friendly and upbeat. That was always a plus when you were in customer service.
“I was hoping you take walk-ins. I could use a trim,” I said. “I was also wondering if you did nails. Manicures and pedicures?”
“We do. If you want to do the pedicure first, we can get you in with either Sadie or Simon, depending on who finishes first; unless you have a preference?”
The end had her cocking a brow and waiting for my answer.
“Nope, no preference. Whoever can take me and make me feel beautiful.”
“You want Simon,” the girl mischievously whispered.
“Hey,” the woman I assumed was Sadie called out.
“Girl, you know I’m better than you,” the man challenged.
The woman sitting in front of the man added, “He’s not wrong, Sadie.”
Sadie turned around with her hands on her hips.
“You’re lucky you’re the mayor, Allie.”
The mayor just laughed. I hadn’t met her yet. I wasn’t ready to bring too much attention to myself, so I stayed quiet.
“I’m Carly,” the girl greeted. “Follow me.”
I followed Carly to a large chair. I climbed in immediately, and after removing my shoes, I placed my feet in the small tub. It had been forever since I’d had a pedicure, and I planned on enjoying this.
I was relaxed, enjoying my pedicure, when the door to the salon opened and a biker walked in.
He was tall and handsome.
“Hey, Colt. I’ll be right with you,” Sadie said.
“How do you know he’s here for you, Sis? He might be ready to finally admit his love for me.” Simon smirked.
“Simon, you know you’re too much for me. I’d never survive,” Colt said with a wink.
“Damn right, I’m too much for you.”
Carly giggled, and I couldn’t help but smile.
“Ok, Mrs. Jensen, you are all done,” Sadie said.
She removed the cape from the woman and swept the hair from under the chair over against the wall. There was a small vent in the baseboard that when Sadie pushed a button, sucked the hair away.
That was nifty to have.
“Have a seat, Colt, while I cash out Mrs. Jensen.”
“You got it, babe.”
I watched in fascination as Colt flirted not just with Sadie, but also with Simon, Carly, and the mayor. I hadn’t really interacted with any of the bikers yet.
Maybe someday.
They seemed nice enough, but I was still cautious.
After my pedicure, Simon had finished with the mayor and pulled me into his chair, wrapping the cape around my neck.
“What are we doing, honey?”
“Um, just a trim.”
“Bor-ing,” Simon said in a singsong voice.
“Simon, be nice,” Sadie admonished.
“Um, what would you suggest?” I asked.
My hair had been the same since I was a child. Always long, always the same length. Maybe it was time for some style.
“Honey, you need a new look. I mean, you are beautiful, but you look like a teenager. How old are you?” Simon asked.
“Uh. Twenty-four,” I said, looking at him through the mirror in front of me.
“I would suggest taking some of the length off. Some layers would give it some volume—”
I cut Simon off before he could say more.
“Let’s do it. Whatever you think would look best. Something that will make a guy take notice.”
“Guys notice, babe. Trust me,” Colt said from the chair beside me.
I looked at him in the mirror, and he winked.
I felt my cheeks heat at the flirty biker’s words.
“Knock it off, asshole,” Sadie said, hitting the back of Colt’s head.
He threw his head back and laughed.
Simon was right. I needed a new look, and when he was done, I felt beautiful and confident. It was amazing how a new hair cut could make you feel like a brand-new person and change the perspective of everything in your life.
Tomorrow I would go to the bookstore and show Ryder just what he was missing out on.