Chapter Seventeen
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DAISY
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I move the picture a little to the left and look back to Ice. “How’s it look?”
“I think it’s straight.”
“Good,” I say, climbing down from the stepladder. “Just a few more and we’re done.”
“Yeah, we’re almost ready,” She says, looking around the diner with a smile on her face.
It’s crazy how much things can change in just a few weeks. The same day I found out how bad Preach’s drinking really was, Ice told me that she was opening a diner. She and I have been working like crazy ever since to make sure it is ready to open on time. Its hard work, but I love it.
I still can’t believe she made me her assistant manager. Being pregnant means she doesn’t want me working at The Kitty Kat any longer. To say I’m glad about that would be an understatement. Sure, I loved the feeling of being on stage, but I hated the way I felt as soon as I walked off. It was like I left part of myself on the stage, part of my soul. I know Grams is a good woman, and life as a club whore suits her, but it’s not for me, and neither is stripping.
“Have you told Preach yet?” Ice asks, stepping closer to me.
She asks me the same thing every day, and every day I tell her no. It’s not like I haven’t tried. I’ve tried more times than I can count, but he ignores my phone calls and is never around when I go to the clubhouse. I’m gonna have to make him listen soon. If not, he’s going to find out on his own, and that would not be good.
“No, not yet. I’ve tried, but every time I go to tell him, he’s got some slut hanging all over him.” That’s not exactly true, but for some reason, I don’t want to tell her about finding Preach lying in his own filth.
“You need to tell him before you start showing. Everyone’s going to know soon. If he finds out on his own, it’ll just make it worse,” she says, voicing my own thoughts.
“I plan on telling him tonight. I don’t care if he’s with someone or not.”
She nods. “I’m glad. Who knows? Maybe things will work out for the two of you.”
“Nope. I gave up on that idea when I saw him with Leah only a few hours after he left my bed. After I say what I got to say to him, I’m done. I’ll let him see his child anytime he wants, but there will be no him and me. After how he’s treated me, I’m over his ass.” I want my words to be true. I want to be strong, but I’m not sure I can turn away from him. If he needs me, I’m going to be there. Part of it’s already a lie. I’ve been in his bed since I caught him with Leah. When we were at the cabin, I never even thought about getting Leah’s sloppy seconds. Getting Preach inside me was the only thing on my mind. God, why am I so weak?
She grabs my hand, giving me a sympathetic smile. “I’ll be with you, you know, when everyone finds out. I know him well enough to know he’s not gonna let you just walk away, so if he says something fuckin’ stupid, I’ll make sure the girls don’t touch him. His dick will wither away before he gets another piece of club pussy.”
I know she’s trying to make me laugh, but I don’t feel like laughing right now. I haven’t felt like laughing in a long damn time. “I wish he could be more like Kidd.”
She lets out a nearly silent laugh and says, “You’ll find your Kidd someday.”
I shrug.“Maybe.”
Wanting to change the subject, I grab another picture and walk toward one of the few bare spots on the wall. “Do you think this will look good here?”
She nods, and we go back to work. Just as we finish hanging the last picture, I hear the bell on the door ding and turn my head in time to see Kidd walk into the diner.
“Hey, babe. I got a house to look at today. You got time?” he says, walking straight to Ice.
“Sorry, Kidd. We’ve got to get the rest of this shit done, and then we have the health inspector coming in at one.”
“Daisy can be here to talk to the guy. She’s supposed to be the manager, so let her manage.”
Oh shit! I’m pretty sure I’m about to watch another Kidd and Ice blow out.
She places her hands on her hips and says, “She’s only the assistant manager, and I want to be here to talk to the health inspector.”
Kidd’s eyes narrow before he replies. “Like I said, let Daisy handle it.”
Wanting to avoid the argument that I know is coming, I step forward and smile at Ice. “Go ahead. I’ll call you if there’re any problems.”
She grumbles as he pulls her toward his bike, but she doesn’t fight when he stops to kiss her. In fact, it looks like she is melting into him, the two of them becoming one. That is what I want but I’m used to not getting what I want.
They’ve barely left when I hear the ding of the door opening. Turning toward the sound, I see a familiar looking man walking into the diner. It takes a second for me to place him. He’s the cop who stopped in front of the clubhouse on the night I saw Leah and Preach together. A second later, I notice something that I didn’t notice that night. This man is unbelievable hot.
He has blonde hair that’s nearly gold, cut close on the sides and a little long on top. He has beautiful hazel eyes that remind me of leaves on the old oak tree in my Granny Jean’s back yard. His body is amazing. He’s tall and broad, with muscles that show through his button down shirt. One word keeps running through my mind; wow!
A slow smile spreads across his face. “Hello.”
I have to stop myself from drooling before I’m able to reply. “Hi.”
For some reason, the word comes out like a purr, the same purr that I once mocked Leah for using. When his smile grows even wider, I realize just how much of an idiot I’m making of myself. “I’m sorry, but we’re not open yet.”
“I know you’re not opened yet. I just stopped in to see if you’d mind if I looked around.” He sticks his hand out for me to shake as he looks around the room. “My name’s Rick Wells. My grandma used to run this place when I was just a boy. I wanted to see how much it had changed.”
“Uhm... I don’t know.” I’m not sure what to say. I don’t really think the club would want a police officer snooping around, even though the diner is completely legit, but they also wouldn’t want me to piss this guy off. Growing up around the Renegades, I have learned a few things. One of the most important is to never make an enemy of the cops. “My boss should be back this afternoon. You should really talk to her.”
He hesitates before replying. “I can do that.”
We both go quiet, just staring at each other. For some reason, I can’t take my eyes of this guy. Finally, he breaks the silence. “For some reason, I feel like we’ve met before. Do I know you from somewhere?”
“Kinda.”
“Don’t tell me that I gave a pretty girl like you a ticket. I’m not sure, but I would say something like that would be against the rules. Surely it’s in some handbook or something. Never give a ticket to the most beautiful woman you’ve ever laid eyes on.”
I can feel heat climbing my cheeks as I respond. “No, you didn’t. I was walking home, and you just stopped to make sure I was okay.”
I can see the light shift in his eyes when he realizes exactly where we have met. His smile completely fades away as he asks, “Are you one of the Renegade girls?”
I can hear the disgust in his voice, even though he’s trying like hell to hide it. My walls go up in an instant, and I go on the defense. “No, but my father and grandfather are both members. But if I was, it wouldn’t be any of your damn business.”
He raises a hand and takes a small step back. “I didn’t mean anything by that. I swear. My father has had ties with the club for years. I don’t have a problem with Renegades. I just didn’t think you looked like one of their girls.”
Yeah right. “Who’s your Dad?”
“Kaleb Wells.”
“Homer’s your dad?” I’m sure he can hear the shock in my voice. No way. There is no way in hell that this guy is related to Chief Homer. He’s been the police chief in town for years. He’s a nice guy and a friend of the club, but he looks like he got beaten a few too many times with the ugly stick. How could he have produced someone that looks like God’s gift to woman?
His smile returns as he takes in my reaction. “I’m adopted.”
I cover my mouth to muffle my laugh when I realize that he knew where my thoughts were. I struggle to come up with a response that will make up for my lack of manners. “Homer’s a nice guy.”
“Yeah, I got lucky. Both my parents are amazing.”
Somehow, we end up spending the next thirty minutes talking about our families before moving on to our jobs. Before I realize, I know his whole life story, and he knows most of mine. Our conversation is cut short by the sound of his phone dinging. A second later, he’s shaking his head. “I finally meet a woman that I enjoy talking to, and duty calls.”
I can’t hold back my smile. “That’s okay. Now that you know where I am, you can stop by for lunch sometime.”
“Well, I was thinking dinner instead.”
“We’re not gonna serve dinner, at least not at first. The town is just too dead at night. We’re gonna close right after lunch.”
He chuckles. “I meant you and me going to dinner, preferably somewhere you don’t work at. It wouldn’t be much of a date if I brought you to a place you go to every day.”
When his words finally worm their way through my muddled mind, my hand flies to my stomach. I can’t go on a date with him while I’m pregnant with Preach’s child. All of sudden, it hits me like a ton of bricks. I haven’t thought of Preach since the moment Rick walked in. “I’m not sure if that would be a good idea. I got a lot of things going on right now.”
His eyes follow my hand, which is protectively cradling my unborn child. My baby bump is barely noticeable, but I can tell the second he realizes it’s there. He’s quiet for a second. I assume he’s trying to figure out the best way to get out of this politely, so his next words shock this shit out of me. “As long as all those things you got going on don’t include a boyfriend or a husband, then I’d still like to take you to dinner.”