Chapter 20
Lying on his stomach, Lola held his pillow bunched under his head. As had become the norm for months now, he fell asleep as soon as he hit the bed. The mattress shook. He waited. Must have been a dream. The bed shook. No. Not a dream.
“Either strip and climb in with me or get out and let me sleep,” Lola said without moving.
“If I strip, I get paid.”
A huff escaped Lola, partly from amusement, partly from exhaustion. Slowly, his eyes opened, and he flipped his head to face Cowboy. “I’m sure your old lady will gladly pay.”
Cowboy grinned. “Performed, paid, and tucked in tight.”
“And you’re here, why?” Lola asked, still flat of his stomach.
Cowboy kicked his other foot up to rest on the one already propped on the edge of Lola’s bed. Slouching in the chair, his elbows on the armrests, he cocked his head toward Lola. “Because, like I said, she’s sleeping.”
“So was I.”
“I noticed. But since you’re awake now, you can have a beer with me.”
“Lucky me,” Lola growled under his breath as he twisted, pushing to sit up against the headboard.
“No truer words have been spoken,” Cowboy said, holding one of the bottles out that he had brought with him. “You should be dead.”
“Can’t argue that.”
“You do realize that if you were not already committed to the club where you’d be?” The knife Cowboy had been flipping in his hand popped open as he stared at Lola.
“It definitely wouldn’t be here with you.” Lola twisted the top of the beer and flipped the cap toward the bedside table.
“You’re nothing like Mac,” Cowboy told him, pointing the blade toward Lola as he spoke. “When he prospected, he was like a machine.”
“You knew him when he prospected?”
Cowboy nodded. “He wasn’t long out of the Army when he came to us. Everything was precise and formal and no emotion. Never talked back. Never questioned an order. Now, you . . . you make me think of Rash. He questioned everything and had a mouth like you do. Nothing out of the way, just putting it all out there. And would take a dare rather than breathe. That was until some asshole in a car tried to prove something.” He threw back his head, downing the last of the bottle. “Facing death gives you a new outlook on life.”
Lola nodded, taking another pull of his own beer. He knew that to be true.
“So,” Cowboy leaned forward, setting the empty bottle on the floor next to him before grabbing another. “Which girl you doing? Or both?”
“Neither,” Lola told him. “No time for that. Pissing you off takes a lot of time and energy.”
Cowboy laughed. “Game’s up. Go get laid and chill.”
“Is that an order?” Lola grinned.
Cowboy barked another laugh, and for a while, they finished the six-pack and talked until Cowboy glanced at the time, changing his mood instantly.
“Well, I need to go. The Easter bunny will be at my house in four hours, and I need a nap.” He pushed to his feet, stretching, and moved the chair back to its original spot in the room. “Feel free to get one of your girls to drive you. Then you can show her your appreciation.” He chuckled, turning toward the door.
“Where am I going?”
“My place. Like I said, four hours. Your costume is right here.” He walked out, leaving Lola staring at the pile of white fur next to his door.
***
After three hours of sleep, Lola forced himself from his bed. A quick dash through the shower provided some energy, but a strong cup of coffee would top it off. He laughed inside as he jogged down the stairs. A cup was nothing. He needed the whole damn bag brewed and funneled into him.
The aroma hit him before he entered the kitchen. Coffee. Mia was awake. Already? Inhaling deeply, he realized she had made more than coffee. Bacon. And was that apples? Stepping into the kitchen, he was greeted by a table filled with food.
“What’s this?”
Mia closed the refrigerator and turned with a glass of juice. She smiled and pointed to the ceramic rabbit on the island.
“Yes, it is. Happy Easter,” he told her.
She settled into the seat across from him with her orange juice.
“You really enjoy holidays, don’t you?”
The sparkle in her eye was the only answer he needed. It was true, he knew it. He also knew she could take any day or event and turn it into something special. Her love of life was overflowing and at times contagious.
“A bit early for our normal breakfast. How long have you been up?”
She tapped her ear, then her wrist.
“Yeah, I did set my alarm loud. I was afraid I’d sleep right through it.”
Her eyes twinkled with amusement as she placed her palms together next to her cheek. Then, shaking her head, she touched her thumb to her fingers, opening and closing them.
He laughed. “You’re a hundred percent right. I should have been sleeping instead of keeping company. Did we keep you awake?”
She shook her head, touched her ear, and held her fingers slightly apart.
After several attempts at signing when they met, she eventually stopped trying and began using any gestures that she thought he may understand. It worked for them, and they communicated perfectly. Although Lola would never admit it, he liked to see what she would come up with to get her thoughts across.
“Only voices. No conversation,” he guessed. At her confirming nod, he said, “Then you didn’t hear my job for the day.”
Her eyes widened on him as she lifted her glass to her lips.
“You’re looking at the Voodoo Troops Easter bunny.”
Her glass slammed to the table, and she jerked her napkin to her mouth, fighting back the choking cough.
“My thoughts too.”
It only took a moment for her surprise to twist into silent laughter.
“Not funny,” he told her, finishing the last of his apple pancakes.
Biting her lips together, she nodded but in no way controlled the huge grin taking over.
“You want to drive a white rabbit around town?”
***
Mia froze. Drive? No, no, no. Her heart felt like it would leap from her chest. She couldn’t do it. She dropped her gaze back to her plate. She poked the food with her fork. She wanted to tell him something. Needed to tell him. But she couldn’t. One more stab at the pancake then she stood and gathered her dishes.
“Hey.” His voice had changed. Serious but gentle.
Quickly, she scraped the food into the trash can and placed the dish into the dish washer. Closing the door to the appliance, she turned and stood face to face with Lola.
Lola slipped his fingers around hers. “Tell me.”
Mia didn’t want to tell him. She didn’t want to think about it. She searched his eyes. As always, she saw nothing but encouragement. No judgement. Just like the day he discovered her scars, he didn’t care about them and never treated her differently afterward. She took a deep breath and lifted her hands, running her fingers across the scar that had transformed her neck. Watching his eyes, she demonstrated driving, then suddenly slammed her palms together.
“I didn’t know.” He pulled her to his chest, wrapping her in his arms. “You’ve never told me what happened. I’m so sorry.”
She melted into him. That was the sum of the accident. She hated recalling the trauma and the pain and the weeks in the critical care unit. She felt his chin settle onto the top of her head and she relaxed. If someone like him had been there during that time she felt it may have been tolerated better. But she struggled through each day and each procedure alone until a social worker told her about this place.
“That’s why you always sit in the back when we go out. I understand that now.”
Inhaling deeply, she pulled away, pushing out a breath. She hadn’t cried. Not one single tear stained her face. Well, not since arriving here. She was strong, she knew it, even if she questioned it at times. Gripping his hand, she stepped around him, giving a tug. She could show him.
Stepping into London’s office, she pulled open a drawer in one of the filing cabinets. Her finger flipped the folder tabs one by one. There it was. Slowly, she pulled it from its slot and turned toward Lola.
Mia attempted a smile. Her heart wasn’t in it, but she tried. She walked to the desk and rolled the chair back. She held the darkest part of her life in her hands. The scariest part. The months that she feared day to day if she would live. It may not have been her fault, but it changed her life. She wanted to tell him these things herself, but that ability had been ripped from her also. She hesitated only a moment then laid the folder on the desk.
***
Without question, Lola sat down and looked at the file label. Miriam Amorose.“This is confidential.”
Her smile became eased, and she pointed to the name on the folder, then to herself before nudging it closer to him. This was her life, and she was giving him permission to dive into her deepest secrets. He knew he shouldn’t, but he couldn’t resist. Flipping it open, he began reading, and he barely registered when she walked from the room. In minutes, he took in her past, the accident that shattered her dreams, and her recovery process.
Slowly, he closed the file. The urge to go to her was strong, stronger than any pull he’d had before. She was a strong woman. He understood that she didn’t share this with him for pity or sorrow. She did it to share a part of herself that she couldn’t thoroughly do without her voice.
Glancing toward the large clock across the room, he realized time was short. He had an order, and he couldn’t be late. He returned the folder to its place and hurried to the kitchen to tell her bye.
She wasn’t there. She would understand he had to leave. And he understood why she was hesitant to get behind the wheel again.
He ran up the stairs and grabbed the bunny suit and key to his Jeep. Pausing at her door, he forced himself to turn away. They would have time to talk later. Spinning toward the stairs, he glanced across the way toward Amber’s door. No doubt, she was still asleep. He would make this work alone.
Jogging down the steps, he ran through options of wearing the suit. He eventually decided to park away from the house to pull on the costume. Then he could arrive at the house believable. He laughed. The child was a year old. He could get away with donning the costume at the door.
He stepped into the garage and stopped in his tracks.
***
Mia didn’t miss Lola’s surprise when he stepped into the garage. Yeah, she surprised herself too. She had originally run up to her room and closed the door and fell onto her bed. Instantly, her stomach had twisted. Not the normal feeling when recalling her accident, but the kind that told her she could do better. Lola had been there for her when she needed a kind word or just someone’s silent support. And she was denying him help for something important to him. What kind of friend does that? She jumped from the bed and ran downstairs to the kitchen and grabbed the eggs she had dyed. The kids would like them. Now, here she stood, her heart racing and her fingernails cutting into her palms where she was squeezing the basket handle.
“You don’t have to do this. It’s alright, I understand,” Lola told her.
She lifted the basket filled with brightly colored eggs.
Lola laughed. “Of course, you dyed eggs. Have I told you how much of a treasure you are?”
She lifted her brows and raised along with her shoulders. Her hand shook as she slipped the key from his hand. She spun and climbed behind the wheel before she lost her nerve.
Lola tossed the bundle of fur onto the back seat and jogged to the passenger side, and climbed in. “Have you driven a stick?”
Mia nodded.
“Okay. Just take your time. And if you feel uncomfortable, pull over and I’ll take it.”
She could do this. She swallowed her fear and backed out and headed down the driveway toward the road. The first three or four miles were slow, but her heart rate began to slow and by focusing on the sound of Lola’s voice coaching her, she relaxed. When they reached Cowboy’s house, she was beginning to feel more confident of driving again.
“We’re almost there. I’m just going to climb in the back and pull on the suit. You good?”
Mia nodded without looking from the road.
Lola directed her to the driveway and hopped out when she stopped near the house. She quickly stopped him, giving him the egg basket.
“Thanks.”
She gave him a smile and watched as he hurried toward the door.
He was greeted with squeals and laughter. Mia was also invited in to witness Chasity’s excitement. Of course, Sunni snapped lots of photos. And she was happy to be a part of this. It was worth the pain of facing her fear of driving.
When they headed out, Cowboy handed Lola a sheet of folded paper.
Mia settled behind the wheel again as Lola stood next to the Jeep. She watched him. He wasn’t moving, only staring at the open paper.
Slowly, he raised his head, locking eyes with her. This didn’t look good, whatever it was. “It’s a schedule,” Lola informed her.
Mia cocked her head. Schedule? For what? Did he still need her?
“Up for more driving? We’ have more bunny appearances to make.”
Mia wiggled in her seat. Yes! This was great. She would get to be a part of each of their days and see the excitement of the kids. What a perfect holiday.