Chapter 9
Wrath
W e spend the first two days on the family farm, as Millie calls it. Yesterday, we raced around their dirt tracks for hours. My Nightingale blew me away. She beat us all in the best of five races. Her brothers and I, being gracious losers, made dinner for everyone. And we cleaned up.
This morning, the two of us are headed into little Nashville to play tourist. I go to the bike garage to get my sled. I moved in there the same night we arrived before we turned in for the evening.
I park the sled in front of the cottage and head inside to retrieve my woman. She comes bouncing down the stairs as I open the door. Millie is wearing form fitting jeans, boots and a t-shirt that shows off her ample cleavage without being obscene.
The shirt said, ‘Hills O’ Brown’. A local slogan, perhaps, since we’re in Brown County. I whistled low before bringing up the pitch.
“Damn, baby. You look good in those jeans.”
She laughs. “You’ve seen me in jeans before.”
I nod my head. “Yup. You looked good then, too.”
Millie crosses the room, stands and her tiptoes, and gives me a quick kiss. “I’m excited to show you around my little town. I know it’s set up for tourists, but I think you’ll love it. I’ll show you some of my favorite shops and we’ll eat at like a dozen places.”
“A dozen?”
“We can split things. And get snacks at some places. Like the nut shack. Oh, and The Daily Grind has amazing coffee.”
I laugh. One of those big belly laughs. Millie is so excited she’s practically vibrating.
“Honey, we have two weeks. We can go to as many places as you want. As often as you want. This is your vacation.”
“And my birthday.”
“Are you excited about your party?”
“I am. If I know Mom, she invited everybody and their brother.”
“I don’t know her well, yet that seems on point. We should pick out your birthday present today.”
“You don’t need to get me a present.”
“I’ll pick it out then. Warning, you’re stuck with whatever I get.”
“I’m sure I’ll love anything you choose because you picked it out.”
You couldn’t slap the smile off my face. I’m falling hard for this girl. So damn hard.
“Are you ready to go?”
“My jacket and purse are by the door.”
I admire the sleek crossbody purse she puts on before adding a lightweight windbreaker. I’m wearing a jacket over my vest. I’m not wearing my cut since I’m not at home. I have no idea who’s territory this is.
I make my way back to forty-six and head into Nashville. Using the built-in mic in the helmet, I ask Millie, “Where’s our first stop?”
“Less than a mile after one-thirty-five on the right is the Artist Colony. Turn on the street after that and follow the signs for parking. We’ll do a lot of walking today. I want to get coffee and order cinnamon rolls for Dad. They’re his favorite. Then we can find breakfast.”
“I need to eat every few hours. Your plan works for me.”
“Excellent.”
I follow her easy directions and park behind in the lot after paying an attendant.
“Coffee first,” she says, taking my hand.
Millie leads us through the alley and back across the main road before we duck into a small square of shops. She leads us directly to the corner to a place called The Daily Grind. They have dozens of flavors of roasted coffee.
“You pick for us.”
Millie expertly rattles off a coffee order. In a few short minutes, we’re walking hand in hand, sipping coffee, and strolling the streets of town. It’s a five-minute walk to our next destination. I can smell the cinnamon baking down the block.
The place is aptly named Ooey Gooey Cinnamon Rolls. I’m impressed when the menu lists more than a dozen flavors. They also have a few breakfast options, which they serve from open to close. Millie orders two dozen to go, which she arranges for us to pick up later. And an orange glazed roll for us to split. We grab bottles of water and a small table. I wait until she has a bite before I try it.
“Mmm. This is delicious.”
“The orange is my fave.”
“I can see why.”
We spend the next hour walking around and window shopping before we stop for breakfast. One of the places we walk past is called the Liar’s Bench . It got its name from the group of old men that sit on it and tell stories.
Millie chooses a place with a buffet so I can load up on protein. Afterwards we held hands and walked the streets. She drags me into a dozen different shops, laughing, smiling, and remembering her childhood.
The way she talks, I can tell the years without her dad were a horror show. And she only had a childhood when she was with him. Or him and Lisa. I observed the family over the last few days. Lisa treated Millie like she’d given birth to her. In fact, the two women played a few pranks on the younger Barnes boys.
I shouldn't call them boys. They’re twenty-two and twenty-three. From what I’ve observed, they take their responsibilities seriously. While Millie’s parents are retired, the boys took vacation days so they could spend time with their sister. I love that she has that. I know how important family is.