Chapter 6
Six
I’m going to get the last word. I don’t care if I have to mail it to you.
—Constance to Odin
Constance
Okay, so maybe I shouldn’t have been such a shit to the man that was my ride home.
I couldn’t stop the smile that turned up my lips, though.
Mostly because I found it funny that I’d gotten to him.
I opened my rideshare app and found a person willing to drive me two hours and then closed it down and waited.
I was sitting on the planter outside the courthouse when I heard the lawyer for the data center come out complaining.
“This is ridiculous,” the man said. “You didn’t share pertinent details about this, sir. This is a big deal.”
I listened quietly as the man spoke to someone on the phone.
“The environmental scientist will be here tomorrow. Let’s hope I can discredit him and his findings. Today was a shit show.”
I watched the lawyer walk to a fancy Mercedes and drive off.
As he did, a bike across the road caught my eye.
My heart stuttered inside my chest as I saw the man on the bike start it up and drive off.
Covered from head to toe in leather, there was nothing about the man that was identifiable.
But also, the man had no Dixie Wardens cut on his shoulders, either.
So there was at least that.
Errol wouldn’t have been caught dead without that cut on his back.
At that last thought, I instantly relaxed.
No, that definitely wasn’t Errol.
His loyalty to that club was above all others.
My Uber arrived, just as a bike zoomed up and came to a stop behind the Uber.
My eyes narrowed at the biker.
“I thought you’d left,” I grumbled.
The big man rolled his eyes. “I tried. But those stupid calf eyes you gave me followed me down the street until my conscience wouldn’t allow me to leave.”
I didn’t comment.
Instead, I walked up to the Uber and said, “I’m sorry, but I no longer need a ride.”
“Thank God,” the Uber driver said. “I accepted and didn’t realize how far away it was.”
He drove off and Odin rolled his bike forward using his legs.
When he was close to me, he gave me an impatient look. “Hurry up.”
I got on only after I’d wrapped my jacket around my body.
It was already getting chilly, and we still had hours left of daylight.
Soon, the “abnormally hot weather” would give way to much cooler temps. Which I was already dreading. I hated cold weather.
Give me sun and the beach any day over mountains and snow.
“Hold on,” Odin growled gruffly.
I wrapped my arms around the man’s torso—which was thick and had barely an ounce of fat on it—and squeezed in tight.
The little thrill of anticipation that shot through me when he started to move was nothing compared to the electric jolt when his hand came off the handlebar and rested high up on my thigh.
He squeezed, and I looked up at his face.
“There’s some traffic up ahead. I need you to hold on tight as I navigate all the dumbasses that don’t see bikers,” he grumbled. “It’s like people here have no clue that they exist.”
I held on tighter, and he let go of my thigh.
I wouldn’t admit to myself that I felt instant regret.
His hand was warm and strong.
I liked having it there.
Even if I wasn’t supposed to.
The ride home from Bozeman once again took a couple of hours.
But in those hours, I thoroughly enjoyed myself.
I got to see all the views, spot all the wildlife, and ultimately enjoy being pressed up against a hot body.
One that was big and muscular and would probably give great warm hugs if he wasn’t so surly.
When we arrived in Sawtooth, it only occurred to me then that I hadn’t seen my car when we had passed that area.
I’d intended to call on one of our breaks, but I’d completely forgotten all about it until right then.
“Where am I going?” Odin asked as he slowed down once we hit the Sawtooth city limit.
“I’m down the road a little bit in the next town. Bear Pass,” I explained.
He nodded and drove through town, going the speed limit.
I was quite surprised to find that he followed all traffic rules.
Honestly, I kind of expected him to ignore them the way that Errol had.
Him being a Dixie Warden, he felt like he was above the law. And if the law didn’t like what he was doing, that was too damn bad.
Hell, Odin even stopped for a couple of kids that were waiting patiently at a crosswalk.
He waved them on, and they smiled and waved, clearly unafraid.
When they were clear, Odin rode through the rest of Sawtooth and back onto the open road again. When we got to the road that would lead to my place, I tapped him on the shoulder and pointed.
He slowed and took the turn carefully, noticing the gravel drive before I could think to warn him.
He took the road slowly, being careful not to take any turns too sharply.
When he pulled up outside the gates, I got off and hit the button to open them.
His eyes were scanning everywhere as he took everything in.
“You own the Raptor Center?” he asked.
“Yeah, we took it over from the previous owners. My parents have been wildlife rehab specialists for most of their careers. We also own WRC—Wildlife Rehab Center—in Alabama. Which is where we’re originally from.”
I waited for him to ask more questions, but just as I hit the opener on the gate, a herd of dogs started running our way.
And by herd, I meant three very excited mutts.
Rolex was a herding dog mix with one leg. Then there was Ariel, the brindle boxer. And finally there was Cappy, the Border Collie that was blind.
They surrounded me and gave me all kinds of lovings.
“Hello, boys and girls,” I said as I gave them all a good scratch.
A whistle from the house had all three dogs taking off again, Cappy a little slower than the rest.
“How does he know how to get back?” Odin asked.
“Cappy follows the gravel. If he veers off of it he just moves back onto it to find his way,” I explained.
He grunted.
“Thank you for the ride,” I said sweetly.
Odin’s eyes flicked up to mine. “I called my buddy who owns a tow truck. He got your SUV. Took it to the dealership for you.”
I blinked. “Oh, thank you.”
I’d have to find a way to deal with that tomorrow.
Or ask my dad to handle it seeing as I didn’t have all that much spare time for now.
“Just being nice.” He rolled his eyes and started his bike up. “Not that you’d know what that’s like.”
I narrowed my eyes, ready to throw back an insult, but he revved the engine to halt my words.
I jumped and stepped back.
He laughed as he rolled backward, turned around, and took the gravel road a hell of a lot faster than when he came in.
“Who was that?” my dad called out.
I looked one last time at the trail of dust disappearing down the road before I said, “My Uber.”
Later that night, my stomach started to protest.
I reached for my phone and pulled up my email, ready to send a message to the court contact I had about not being able to make it in, and saw an email already there waiting.
I pulled it up and read it while my mouth hovered over the trash can.
Subject: Tomorrow
Court canceled. There are several jurors that are out with food poisoning. Court will reconvene in two days.
Sincerely, Janet Dail
Fuck.
Fuck me for eating two sandwiches, cheating Odin out of this experience.
Fuck my life.