Chapter 4
CHAPTER
FOUR
Abyss
The longer I’m around Shelly, the more I’m attracted to her.
Since she came to town, the shop has never looked better or been more organized, and there’s been a steady uptick in new clients.
I’m sure some of it is due to the fact that the Kings are well-known and people want to be able to have bragging rights about where they got their tattoo done, but most of it is because both she and Mack have built solid reputations within the tattooing community.
All I know is the increased foot traffic, from appointments to walk-ins, has Nerd practically chortling with glee.
“Have you met Beth yet?” I ask as we take our plates to one of the tables that the prospects set up. “She’s with Hope House and does their counseling.”
“No, I haven’t,” she replies, holding her hand out once she sets her plate down. “I’m Shelly Adcock, how are you?”
“I’m well,” Beth tells her.
“I’m sorry, I don’t really know much about Hope House, but I see there are a lot of kids running around,” Shelly says.
“I guess the best way to describe Hope House is to say it’s a place for women to get their lives back, regardless of the reason.
So, the kids aspect ebbs and flows depending on whether or not the woman has children.
Sometimes, we have a house of women, others it’s complete chaos,” Beth replies.
“I provide group and individual counseling services for the women who live there.”
I see Shelly’s shoulders drop slightly when she asks, “So, you don’t have a private practice?”
Beth glances at me and I shrug because I have no clue about why Shelly would ask her that question.
I mean, I can tell she’s had pain in her past, it rides in her eyes even when she’s smiling or joking around at the shop.
But I want to know why, which is so unlike me I’m not sure how to process it to be honest. Rio and Issy, to my way of thinking, were a foregone conclusion, they just didn’t see it because of their longstanding friendship, having grown up with one another.
Now, BamBam and Livy? Completely out of the blue, but seeing the lengths my brother went to help his ol’ lady heal was awe inspiring, and watching the two of them along with Theo, who Bam claims as his son, as they continue on their new life has had me wanting what both of my brothers have—someone at my side that I can love and cherish, and eventually build a family with who will understand that sometimes, as a brother in the Kings, there will be things I cannot discuss.
But they’ll always be protected by every man who wears the same patch I do.
“I have the ability to take on patients,” Beth says, handing her a card. “Have whoever it is who needs to schedule something reach out to me.”
Shelly takes the card and slides it into the back pocket of her shorts. “Thanks.”
“Not a problem,” Beth replies. “Now, I see I missed out on banana pudding, so I need to go get some,” she says, grinning.
“She’s not wrong about the pudding,” I say, having already begun eating mine. If I wasn’t mindful that I’m surrounded by people, I’d be scarfing it down. “It’s fucking great.”
“Didn’t your mom teach you that you’re supposed to eat your food before dessert?” she questions, grinning at me.
“Maybe so, but I live by the old saying that life’s too short so eat dessert first,” I deadpan.
The lyrical giggle that bursts from her lips has me vowing that I’ll do whatever I can to ensure it happens on a daily basis. She’s shaking her head, and for once, her smile lights up her eyes and I find myself more captivated.
“I mean, it’s not a bad motto to have,” she manages to say between giggles, “but this brisket is so good, I had to eat it first. Besides, I’ve had my banana pudding before, so it was more important to eat other things.”
“Well, I’ve had the brisket before, so I chose to start with dessert,” I reply, grinning at her.
Seeing her so relaxed releases something inside of me.
We might have a lot of shit going on within the club, especially with the situation that Doc brought up in church, but I sense Shelly needs this; the club, the camaraderie, and maybe, if I’m lucky, at some point, me.
Shelly is currently helping the women with Hope House round up their kids so they can be given rides on the horses, something the ranch hands and Issy are overseeing when Mack walks over to stand by me, handing me a beer.
“Appreciate it,” I say, taking it from him and popping the top.
“Nice place out here, wanted to thank you for inviting us,” he says.
“You’re welcome. We’ll have you come out one night to the clubhouse for a few beers and games of pool,” I reply. “I don’t think I ever asked, what made you decide to sell your shop and move all the way down here?”
He sighs and I see a look of pain cross his face before he replies, “Too many traumatic memories to keep staying there, for both me and Shelly.”
“Both of you?” I probe.
“Yeah, not gonna share her story as it’s hers to tell, but the latest hit which was to me was the straw that broke the camel’s back, so to speak.
I wasn’t the marrying kind, but my woman stuck with me since we were in high school, even during my stint in the military.
We never had kids of our own, but when I took Shelly on to raise as a toddler, she was by my side helping me navigate the world of teenagers and whatnot.
Marcella was everything to me and she dropped dead of a massive heart attack in the middle of Walmart one day while she was out grocery shopping.
Tried to stay because it was familiar for both of us and the one constant in Shelly’s life, but it was killing both of us.
When I heard that y’all were looking to add a few artists to your shop, it was the perfect opportunity for both of us. ”
“Sorry to hear about your woman, Mack,” I say.
I knew Shelly had a story, it’s there in her eyes and how she seems to be moving through life, not taking it by the nape and running with it, but I’d rather hear it from her.
When she’s ready, which I kind of hope will be soon.
I want her on the back of my bike and in my bed sooner rather than later.
“She’d have loved it out here,” he murmurs, his tone wistful.
“She loved wide open spaces and while we had that at first, developers were making it so that the quiet was leaving one brick at a time and we had started talking about relocating. Her passing made that a necessity instead of a possibility, but I sure wish she could’ve seen y’all’s ranch.
Spent a fortune on boarding a horse for her because she loved to ride, and it killed me to sell him, but I don’t ride and Shelly never seemed interested in learning. ”
“Based on the smiles I saw from her when she and Issy came from the horse barn, she may have gotten bitten by the bug,” I state. “I’m sure the allergy to hay might put a damper on that, but there’s ways to work around it if she’s interested in learning.”
“She might like that, you’ll have to ask,” Mack replies. “I’ve noticed we’re getting pretty busy these days.”
“I’ve had to turn business away for months since it was just me after losing several artists, so now that there are three of us, they’re coming back. Our reputation is strong and there are those who want to be able to say they had a biker tattoo their body,” I tell him, smirking.
“I like the fact that we’re adding sobriety tattoos to what we offer,” he adds. “Don’t mind pitching in to make sure we’ve got the inventory to cover those since we’re giving them away.”
“Don’t worry about it, the club will cover that cost. It’s important to us to keep that shit away from our town and the community as a whole,” I reply, the shit that Doc recently told us swimming in my thoughts. “If this helps someone keep themself on the straight and narrow, it’s worth it.”
“I agree,” he states.
“Are the two of you settling in okay? Gotten a chance to get the lay of the land yet?” I ask.
“Shelly had the house sorted out in a few days,” he replies, chuckling. “Once I got the furniture where she deemed it ‘had to go’, she took over to make it our home.”
“Good to hear,” I say. “Let’s go grab another beer.”
“Works for me.”