Chapter 5 Skid
SKID
“Got the information on the girl.” Shep took a swig of his beer before adding, “She’s been through it.”
“That’s what I figured.” I leaned back in my chair, bracing myself as I asked, “How bad is it?”
“Mostly the run-of-the-mill kind of thing. Grew up over in Calhoun. The family didn’t have much. Lived in a trailer and made do with what they had. She graduated high school, and things seemed to go downhill after that.”
“How so?”
“She was doing the whole community college thing, then up and moved when she turned 19. Moved around a good bit after that. Holed up with some friends for months at a time.” Shep took another drink before adding, “I figure that’s around the time she found out she was pregnant.”
“So, the parents booted her when they found out she was expecting.”
“That’s what I was thinking.” Shep shrugged. “Small town folks can be rough like that, especially when money’s tight.”
I took a long pull from my beer before asking, “What about the kid’s father?”
“No idea. Can’t find anything on him. Name was blank on the birth certificate.”
“Damn. She wanted nothing to do with the asshole.”
“Apparently not.” We sat there for a beat before Shep gave me one of his looks. “So, what’s the deal with this girl? She mean something to you?”
“Just some girl who needed a hand, and I’m doing what I can to give it to her.”
“How you doing that?”
“Well, for starters, I’m trying to get her piece of shit car running again. After that, I’m not sure.”
Shep raised a brow.
“I’ve never met anyone like her…” I trailed off, searching for the right words to explain how she’d gotten under my skin without sounding like a complete idiot.
“She’s different. She’s a fighter. Not trying to get something for nothing.
Feels like… Ah, hell. I don’t even know what the fuck it feels like. ”
“Ah, our boy’s got it bad.”
“I don’t even know this girl.”
“Maybe not….” He gave me a brotherly pat on the shoulder. “But when you know, you know.”
He didn’t say anything more. He didn’t have to.
He’d already said plenty. I stared down at my half-empty bottle of beer and wondered how the hell a girl I barely knew had managed to get to me the way she had.
I drained the rest of my beer and placed the empty bottle down on the counter as I said, “Appreciate you looking into things for me. I owe ya.”
“No problem.”
I pushed up from the stool and stretched out the stiffness in my back. “I'd better get to it.”
“You got a shift tonight?”
“Nah.” I grabbed my keys from the bar. “Gotta finish up with the car.”
That earned me a smirk. “You’re really working hard for this girl’s attention.”
“Gotta do something, man, ‘cause she’s definitely got mine.”
“Careful, brother,” he chuckled. “That’s how it starts.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
I waved him off and headed for the door. Minutes later, I was on my bike and driving back to the house. The ride was just what I needed to clear my head and to gain some focus, because damn, I needed it. Getting this car fixed was a real undertaking, and I was ready to get it done.
Once I made it back to the garage, I went straight to work, and the hours went by without me even noticing.
I was just doing what needed to be done, and around midnight, I finally decided to call it a night.
Early the following morning, I was back at it.
I gave everything one last once-over and tightened a few bolts before easing behind the wheel.
“Alright, sweetheart. Let’s see what you’ve got.”
Just as I’d hoped, the car started, and the engine sounded smooth as silk. I’d outdone myself. There wasn’t so much as a tick or rattle, and considering where I started, that was quite a feat. I cleaned up a bit, then grabbed my phone and sent Laken a message.
Me:
The suffering is over.
Laken:
She’s running?
Me:
Purring like a kitten. I’ll bring her by in a bit.
Laken:
I can’t believe it! Thank you so much!
Me:
No problem. Just glad to get you back on the road.
Laken:
You’re the best.
Before heading out, I called Smitty and told him to meet me over at Laken’s apartment in half an hour.
I shoved my phone back in my pocket and drove Laken’s car over to her place.
When I pulled up, she was standing at her front door.
Her eyes grew wide as she stepped outside and gasped, “You not only got her running again, but you washed her, too?”
“Figured the poor thing deserved it after all she’d been through.”
Her face grew pale as she muttered, “I don’t know how I’m going to be able to repay you for this.”
“I have an idea.” Curiosity filled her eyes as she waited for me to say, “Have dinner with me.”
“How is that repaying you? If anything, I should be the one taking you to dinner, but this deserves way more than that.”
“I think it’s more than enough.” I leaned back on the hood of her car as I pushed, “Just need to know if you’re up for it.”
Her eyes searched mine for a moment, then a soft smile swept across her face. “Alright. Dinner it is.”
“Good deal. You free tonight?”
“I get off at five. Would 6:30 work?”
“Works great.” I heard my ride pull up, so I stood and said, “I’ll see you then.”
I slipped into the truck with Smitty, and as I closed the door, I glanced back at Laken and couldn’t help but notice the faint blush on her cheeks.
Hell, that alone made all my hard work worthwhile.
I gave her a quick wave, and a few hours later, Laken and I were sitting in the back of a quiet restaurant on the square.
It was small with creaking wooden floors and candles on every table, and there was a low hum of elevator music playing in the background.
It was the perfect place for a quiet dinner where we could actually talk and get to know one another, and I intended to take advantage of every second. “So, where’s your sidekick tonight?”
“My friend Kayla is watching her.” Her smile widened. “She lives in our apartment complex, and she helps out when she can.”
“That’s good. Does Baylor like her?”
“She loves her,” Laken laughed. “Kayla spoils her rotten, but I don’t mind. Baylor deserves to be spoiled a little.”
She had her hands folded on the table, and her eyes were locked on mine.
She looked absolutely breathtaking. Her hair was down and spilling over her shoulders, and she was wearing a soft sweater that fell just above her waist, which gave a teasing glimpse of skin above her long skirt.
I’d never been one to think much of long skirts, but damn. On her, it looked sexy as hell.
And every time she smiled, I damn near forgot how to breathe.
“Baylor seems like a great kid.”
“She is. I don’t know what I’d do without her.” Her smile faded momentarily, but then, she changed the subject by asking, “Enough about me. Tell me something about yourself.”
“What do you want to know?”
“Well, I don’t know a lot. Just that you grew up in a biker club, and that they call you Skid.”
“Yeah, my dad played a pretty big part in that,” I chuckled. “Guess it’s time you knew my real name. I’m Thatcher, but people close to me call me Thatch.”
“Thatch?” She smiled. “I like it. So, Thatcher, Thatch, and Skid. A man of many names and talents.”
“Yeah, you could say that.”
“I know the guys taught you how to work on engines.” She leaned forward as she asked, “What else did they teach you?”
“Things like loyalty and trust, and how to work hard and play harder, and everything in between.”
“So, they taught you how to be a man.”
“Yeah, I guess they did.” I leaned back in my chair as I said, “Don’t get me wrong. My pops taught me a lot, too. He was a hard ass. Hell, he never let me get away with anything, but he was always there when I needed him.”
“There was a time when I could say that about my father, but no such luck anymore.”
“I hate to hear that.”
“It’s just the way things go sometimes. It’s okay, though. There are a lot of people out there who have it a lot worse.”
“Yeah, but that doesn’t make it any easier for you.”
She shrugged. “I’ve got Baylor. She’s all I really need.”
“You’re a good mom. She’s lucky to have you.”
“We’re lucky to have each other.” Laken smiled as she asked, “Have you ever thought about having kids?”
“I haven’t put a lot of thought into it, but yeah. I figure I’ll have a couple.” I gave her a slight smirk. “I just gotta find the right girl first.”
“Yeah, that might help.”
We continued to talk until the waitress came over with our drinks. She placed them on the table as she said, “Your dinner will be out in a minute.”
“Great. Thanks.”
Once she was gone, I turned my attention back to Laken.
I sat there a moment, just watching her, and it was hard not to be a bit spellbound.
She was so damn beautiful. And she was smart and determined and a hell of a mother who was giving it her all to give her kid a decent life.
I couldn’t believe someone hadn’t already snatched her up and claimed her.
I was wondering if that someone could be me when she noticed me staring. “Is something wrong?”
“I was just trying to figure out how I got lucky enough to be sitting at this table with you.”
“I think you’ve got it wrong, Skid. I’m a walking mess with more baggage than you can imagine.”
“You seem to be holding your own.”
“It might look that way, but I’m not.” She shook her head and let out a humorless laugh.
“I’ve got a daughter whose father wants nothing to do with her.
A family that kicked me out the door and stopped talking to me the minute I decided to keep her.
I’m barely hanging onto a job that’s about as bad as it can get, and I live in an apartment that’s barely an apartment. And I can’t even keep the lights on…”
She stopped mid-sentence, and the color drained from her face when she realized she’d said too much. I leaned forward as I asked, “What do you mean you can’t keep the lights on?”
“Nothing,” she clipped. “It’s fine. I’m working on it.”
“Laken.” My gut twisted. “How long have you been without power?”
She held my gaze, but she didn’t answer. After a moment, she grabbed her purse and slid out of the booth. “I appreciate everything you’ve done. I’m more grateful than you’ll ever know. But I’m not looking for a handout or your pity.”
“Hey, wait a second.”
I started to rise, but she was already shaking her head. “I mean it, Skid. You’ve been kind, and I will never forget that. But this…” She motioned her hand between us. “This was never supposed to turn into charity.”
Before I could say another word, she turned and started for the door.
I was about to go after her when the waitress showed up at the table with our food.
I grabbed my wallet and pulled out a hundred-dollar bill.
I offered it to the waitress as I said, “Sorry, but we’ve gotta cut this short. You mind boxing this up?”
“Sure. No problem.”
“Appreciate it.” I eased past her as I said, “I’ll be right back.”
I made my way to the door, but when I stepped outside, there was no sign of Laken. I called out, but she didn’t answer. Only a few heads turned to see what the commotion was about, but nothing led me to find her. She’d either gotten in a taxi or caught the bus. Either way, she was gone.
I went back inside and waited for the waitress to finish boxing up the food. I gave her a tip, thanked her, and with my hands full of our boxed-up dinner, I headed out to the truck. I tossed the food into the passenger seat, then slid behind the wheel and slammed the door.
I sat there, staring out the window as I tried to figure out how I’d made such a mess of things, and what I was going to do about it.
I don’t know how long I sat there, but the answer didn’t come.
For the first time in a long time, there was something I didn’t have a clue how to fix. But I knew one thing for sure.
Laken was in much need of a break, and I was about to give it to her, even if that meant losing any chance I might have of making her mine.