Chapter 39
Sid drove to the garage with a light heart. He and Grace worked together along with his friends to set the wheels in motion to save their new little town.
Parking his truck alongside the garage, Coop was already there working on a car. Sid entered, ”Good morning.”
”Morning, Sid. How was the party last night?”
”It was good. We got all the signatures we needed. We”ve already taken them to city hall and they”ve set the meeting for tonight.”
”That”s wonderful news. I”ve been hearing all morning what a nice time it was. That Jami Hart is really making a name for himself.”
Sid chuckled. ”Oh, Lordy, the women were swooning last night.”
Coop shook his old head and chuckled. ”I”ve heard.”
Coop pulled the shop rag from the pocket of his bib overalls and wiped his hands. ”So, my attorney has the paperwork drawn up. I have it here for you in the office. Anytime you want to sign on the dotted line, the old Garage is yours.”
A thrill ran down Sid”s spine. His heartbeat sped up and his throat dried. He was doing this. ”I”m ready any day you are Coop. I have the money in the bank in town and we can go there together to get it or I can have it deposited to your account. Whatever you like.”
Faded blue eyes stared into his and he saw the emotions whirling in Coop. The old man sniffed. He nodded his head slowly. ”Will I be able to stop in and work on something from time to time?”
Sid chuckled. ”I”d love for you to stop in and help me with my work. Plus, the company is always nice.”
”That it is. I”ve enjoyed spending time with you these past weeks. You”re a good man, Sid.”
Sid grinned and his eyes watered slightly. ”You”re a good man too, Coop.”
”Ehh, I”ve tried to be. I don”t have a lot of patience. I”ve entered the time in my life where...what do the kids say? I don”t have any more fucks to give. Yeah, that”s it. I won”t be badgered or bullied. I just want to come to work, not worry about things, and make broken vehicles whole again.”
Sid grinned at the old man”s honesty. ”I”m right there with you Coop. I promise you I”ll run an honest garage. There”ll be no bullshit here. Except that of friends stopping in to shoot it. I”m hardworking, and I”ll treat this business you”ve built with respect.”
”I know you will, Sid. That”s why I picked you.”
Sid chuckled.
The sound of a motorcycle caused his back to grow rigid and he fought turning around to look, but he heard two bikes pull into the lot and stop and he knew he had to deal with it. His eyes rested on Coop”s for a moment, and the old man nodded. ”I”ll have my finger on the phone to call the police.”
Sid nodded and turned to address the bikers.
He didn”t have the chance to say anything before they started talking. ”We have a bike that needs fixin”.”
Sid shook his head, he pulled his body up straight, his shoulders wide, his stance shoulder width apart. Just like in the military. ”I”ve already told you guys I”m not working on your bikes.”
”This is a garage, isn”t it?”
”It is.”
”Maybe we need to speak to the owner.”
”You are.”
The biker leaned over to look into the garage at Coop. ”I thought he was the owner.”
”He was. I am now.”
The two bikers looked at each other. Sid could almost see them seething and trying to figure out how to get their way without having the police called on them.
The taller of the two took a small step toward Sid. ”We always get our way. People don”t turn us down or things happen to them.”
He chose not to respond. Instead he stared at them with the deadest stare he could muster. Straight ahead, no emotion.
The shorter biker laughed. ”Things happen to their women too. Maybe we need to go on over and teach that woman of his what a real man is like in the sack.”
Anger slithered through Sid hotter and meaner than any he”d ever felt in his life. These two fuckers wouldn”t lay a hand on Grace. Not while he was alive. He felt his cheeks heat and the fire that was lit in his belly had him already sweating, despite this morning”s temperature being a nice seventy-four.
The two bikers laughed at their antics. They thought they were funny. They also thought they were scaring him. What scared him were the deadly thoughts running through his mind right now. Never had he been so angry to think of killing someone with his bare hands.
The tall biker cocked his hip out. ”What”ll it be grease monkey. Fix our bike or we go fuck your woman.” He gyrated his hips to emphasize his intention.
Sid took a deep breath, mostly to get his emotions reined in enough to speak clearly and succinctly. ”You two will do what you”ll do whether I fix your bike or not. You”re not honest folks so I have no reason to believe you”ll do the right thing even if I do fix your bike. But, I”m telling you right now, I will not now, and not ever, be your mechanic. And...” He paused for effect. ”If you touch one hair on my girl”s head, I”ll murder you both where you stand, and happily go to jail for it just to see your blank stares as the life flows out of you.”
The shorter biker”s smile melted away faster than an ice cream cone on a ninety-degree day. He cocked his head slightly. ”That right? You”re threatening us?”
”You just threatened me and my girl.”
”But, we mean our threats. I don”t think you have the balls to follow through on yours.”
He felt the slow, evil smile crease his lips. He knew it was evil by the looks on the bikers’ faces. He then took a step toward them and both of them straightened their posture. ”Get out.”
They stared for a long time, then the sound of sirens coming closer had them looking at each other. The tall one jerked his head toward the bikes. They both got on their motorcycles and started them up. Sid didn”t move a muscle. He stared at them until they backed their bikes out of the driveway and took off down the street.
A squad car pulled into the parking lot and Sid stepped toward it. He leaned down and spoke to Officer Isak Voss, whom he”d met last night. ”Please go down and check on Grace. They”ve threatened to do unspeakable things to her. I”ll be here to make a statement after you check on her.”
”Will do, Sid.”
The police car sped away and he pulled his phone out to call Grace. They were going to get these fuckers out of this town.