When Troy had finished his meal, Tom approached his table. Without invitation, he pulled out a chair and sat across from him.
“Here’s the deal. I have a bartender position available,” he started. “It’s only part time and once tourist season is over, the tips are going to suck. If you really need the money, I would suggest looking elsewhere.”
Troy shook his head. “Honestly, this job wouldn’t be about the money. I just need something to keep me busy,” he told him. He really didn’t need the cash. He needed to prove to Maya that he was going to stick around. He needed a way to be around her while she was working because clearly her job was important to her.
“The job is yours, but there are conditions.” Tom held up one finger. “If Maya, or any of my girls, feel threatened by you, you’re gone. I’d like to talk to Maya before we make the position permanent, but I don’t want to disturb her family time. I don’t know what is going on with the two of you, and I really don’t care. Just keep in mind that I think of my waitresses as my daughters.”
Troy nodded and waited for Tom to continue. He tried to hide his smile.
“Two, I don’t allow problems in my place. If your brother comes in trying to start anything, I want to know about it immediately. Don’t try to handle it yourself.”
Troy nodded again. He hoped his brother wouldn’t return, but he couldn’t help but wonder if it was Jake that the waitress had mistaken him for.
“Don’t hurt Maya. She’s been through a lot.”
“I don’t plan on it sir.”
“And I’ve already told you to stop with that ‘sir’ crap. I hated dealing with it in the military. I still hate it.”
“Sorry s-Tom,” he caught himself. “It’s a habit. I’ll try to remember.”
Tom smiled. “I know how it gets beaten into your heads in the MC.”
“Were you part of a club?”
“I was,” Tom admitted. “Seems like another lifetime.”
“What made you get out?” Troy had never met anyone that successfully left a club. He had seen people banned and others that wanted out, but no one that actually just left.
“My wife died,” the old man confessed. “In my arms. On my bike. Did absolutely nothing wrong, but the bike flipped. She broke her neck on impact. I haven’t touched a bike since. Not much use to a motorcycle club without a motorcycle,” he pointed out.
“They just let you leave?”
“Didn’t have a choice. It was my club. My brothers understood. I had to get away after that. Deadwood was her favorite place out here, so it’s where I made my new home.”
Troy didn’t know what to say. He couldn’t imagine the guilt Tom felt, but if the old man was telling the truth, it was just a tragic mistake. Luckily, Troy had only been in minor spills on his bike, and only when he was alone.
“I hope I can trust you to keep my past to yourself,” Tom went on. “My staff doesn’t know what happened and it’s none of their business. I prefer to keep my personal life private.”
“Why did you tell me?”
“A couple of reasons,” Tom told him. “You seem like a good kid. Too good to get all mixed up in the club life. There is more out there. But mostly so you take care of Maya. You never know when something completely out of your control can take her away from you.” He stood up and pushed in his chair. “I have some paperwork that you need to fill out up at the bar whenever you’re ready.”
Troy just nodded and Tom walked away. Of course he planned on taking care of Maya, but he had never thought about ways he could lose her. He knew he couldn’t let anything happen to her. Her family needed her. Troy needed her.
~***~
After dinner, Maya tried to stay busy. She filled out the paperwork for Gavin’s camping trip, and together they went through the list of things he needed to pack.
“It’s going to be so quiet around here without you,” she joked with him.
“Could you come with us?” he asked quietly. “I’m sure they need chaperones.”
“I wish I could buddy, but I can’t leave Dad,” she reminded him. “Besides, I need to work some extra hours while you’re gone.”
“What if I get scared?” His voice trembled as he plopped on his bed next to Maya. “I’ve never been away from home that long. Especially not alone. I’ve never slept in a tent before.”
Maya pulled him into her lap. “Sometimes it’s good to do the things you are afraid of,” she told him. “You can’t spend your entire life being scared. You might miss out on some super awesome things.” She told him about the zip line tour she had done earlier that day. His eyes went wide with excitement.
“You really did that?”
Maya nodded. “And it was great. I’m so glad that I didn’t miss out and that Troy was able to talk me into it.”
“Who is Troy?”
She froze. She hadn’t intended to tell her brother about him. “He is the friend that I took sightseeing today,” she said finally.
Gavin raised his eyebrows. “Just a friend?”
Maya felt her face flush as she playfully pushed Gavin off her lap. “Okay, maybe not just a friend, but that almost didn’t happen either because I was scared.”
“When do I get to meet him? Where did you meet him? Does he go to school with you?” Gavin fired question and question.
She didn’t know what to say about Gavin meeting Troy, so she ignored that question. “He does not go to school with me. I met him at work.”
“Is he why you and Cody aren’t friends anymore?”
Maya felt her heart sink. “Who told you that?”
“Cody. He helped out at camp today. I asked why he was there instead of with you.”
“It’s complicated.” How could she explain the end of their friendship with her little brother?
“He never told you he liked you, did he?” Maya shook her head. “And you really didn’t know?” She continued to turn her head from side to side. “Then that’s his problem,” Gavin concluded. “Maybe he will get over it. Maybe he won’t.”
Maya nodded. “It just sucks to lose your best friend,” she admitted. “Especially since at first I didn’t even understand why.”
It felt strange to be talking about relationships with an eight year old, but it was one of the many times that Gavin seemed much older.
“If he can’t accept that you like someone else, then he’s not a very good friend in the first place.”
“I love you kid,” Maya told him.
“I love you Maya.”
~***~
Troy was scheduled to start work at eleven the next day. He had looked at the schedule and saw that Maya was scheduled at the same time. He arrived in town a couple of hours early, parked his bike, and decided to walk around town.
He quickly discovered that there wasn’t much to do downtown other than eat, drink, shop, and gamble. Instead of walking down Main Street again, Troy found himself walking through the residential area toward Maya’s house. He turned onto her street as she stepped out the front door.
“Maya,” he called to her.
Maya’s face lit up when she saw Troy walking toward her. All of her fears about not seeing him again vanished as she took off running and launched herself into his arms.
“What are you doing here?” she asked when she finally pulled herself away.
“I figured I could walk you to work,” he said. “I promised you would see me today, and I found a way for us to see each other without sacrificing work or family time.”
“How?”
Troy looked down at her. Clearly she was hosting at work that day. Her hair was in a ponytail. She wore only mascara, and her tank top bared the same logo as his t-shirt.
“Would it be okay with you if we worked together?” he asked, suddenly afraid that she might feel smothered.
Maya’s eyes widened. “Tom hired you? This late in the season?”
Troy nodded, still unsure of exactly how she felt about it. “Unless you have a problem
with it.”
It didn’t take long for a smile to break out on her face. “I definitely don’t have a problem with it!” she assured him. She was thrilled at the thought of being able to work with Troy every day. “I guess this means you really are sticking around.”
Troy stopped walking. When Maya turned toward him, he held her hand in both of his and looked down at her. “Maya, I told you I’m not going anywhere. I really hope that one of these days, you will believe it.”
“I want to,” she said quietly. “I’m trying to.”
Troy kissed her hand and they started walking again.
~8~
M aya stayed busy at work so she didn’t have much down time to talk to Troy, but she felt better just knowing he was around. Knowing he had gotten a job to prove to Maya that he planned to stick around.
“Why did Tom hire a new guy this late in the season?” Chloe asked Maya as she was wiping down a table.
Maya shrugged. “I guess he needed a job,” she said. “You know how Tom is.”
“Since when does he hire people who don’t even live here?”
“He’s moving here,” Maya told Chloe.
“Do you know him?”
Maya nodded. “I met him last week.”
“He was in here last night,” Chloe said. “I actually dropped a glass of water on him. I thought he was Jackson. He looks so much like him.”
“Is Jackson Mason’s dad?”
Chloe nodded. “It’s not him obviously. He’s too young first of all. His eyes aren’t as cold. His hair is a bit longer. They just look so much alike.”
Troy looked up and caught the girls looking at him. He smiled and waved at Maya. She blushed and turned away as she continued to set the table.
“Is there something going on between the two of you?” Chloe asked. Maya’s blush only deepened. “I know it’s none of my business, but be careful,” she warned Maya. “Tourists never stick around. You know that as well as I do. Don’t get hurt.”
“I’ll be fine,” Maya assured her. She appreciated Chloe’s concern, but it really was unwarranted.
“You remind me so much of me when I was your age,” Chloe continued. “I never dated before I met Jackson and as soon as I met him, I couldn’t stay away. He promised he would be around, but as soon as I got pregnant, he was gone. I just don’t want you to end up like me.”
“Thanks Chloe, but Troy isn’t Jackson,” Maya insisted. “Get to know him. He’s a good guy.”
“I hope so,” Chloe replied as she walked away to get back to her tables.
Maya had insisted that Troy was different but who was she trying to assure? What if Chloe was right? Maya barely knew the guy.
Work seemed to drag on forever that day, and it was just steady enough for her to not be able to talk to Troy.
Every time she looked at him, he appeared to be enjoying the job. He was always smiling and talking with the customers. She couldn’t help but notice the way one of his customers was commanding his attention.
The customer was clearly a tourist. She looked like a biker with tight black leather pants and a low cut tank top. She wore more makeup than Maya had ever seen on one person.
Maya tried to concentrate on her job, but every time she looked back at him, the girl was there.
“Everything okay Maya?”
She jumped when she heard Tom’s voice. “I’m fine,” she insisted.
“I hope my new hire is okay with you,” he went on. “If you have a problem with it, just let me know. You girls are more important than a bartender.”
“It’s fine,” she whispered.
Tom put his hand on her shoulder. “He’s crazy about you,” he assured her, “but any bartender that wants to make money needs to flirt with customers sometimes. It’s nothing to worry about.”
She wanted to believe him, but she couldn’t get Chloe’s words out of her head. Could she really trust him?
~***~
“Can I walk you home?” Troy asked Maya after they have both punched out for the day.
Maya nodded. “Can we go somewhere and talk first?” she asked. She couldn’t just dismiss everything Chloe had said.
“Of course,” he told her as they headed for the door. “Is everything okay?”
Maya bit her lip and shook her head. She could feel the familiar sting of tears, but she refused to cry in the middle of Main Street. Instead, she took him by the hand and began to head toward the cemetery. Tears were freely falling down her cheeks by the time they were away from the crowds.
“Maya, what’s wrong?” he asked as he held her face in his hands. She could see the concern in his eyes as they began to tear up as well. “I hate seeing you upset like this,” he said she he pressed his lips to her forehead. “What happened?”
“Chloe. The girl at the bar.” Maya managed to spit out between sobs. “I don’t think I can do this,” she admitted as she pulled herself out of his grasp. She took a few steps away and sat down in the grass, pulling her knees to her chest.
“Maya,” Troy started but he closed his mouth because he didn’t know what to say. He sat down across from her, a few feet away. “The girl at the bar was crazy. Like a female Jake, if you can imagine that. I wanted to tell her to leave me alone, but I’m pretty sure Tom would fire me for chasing away customers,” he explained. “You know how it is. Working there, I have to be friendly to everyone.”
Maya didn’t reply, but she did pick up her head to look at him. He hated seeing her so upset. Her mascara was dripping down her face. Her eyes were red, but she was still absolutely beautiful to him.
“I swear, it meant nothing,” he repeated. “Just part of the job.”
“I want to believe you,” she said quietly. “I really do.”
“Maya, what do you really have against tourists?” he asked. “It’s more than what you told me about the girl at work. Something happened to you, didn’t it?”
Troy’s mention of Chloe reminded her of the conversation she had earlier. “You said you had never been to South Dakota before, right?” she asked, completely ignoring the question.
He shook his head. “Never.”
“Do you have any other brothers? Other than Jake?”
“Maya, what is this about?”
She chewed on her lip before answering. “Chloe. Last night, she dropped water on you.”
Troy nodded. “She said I looked familiar, but I had never seen her before,” he insisted.
“She said you looked just like Mason’s dad,” she said quietly.
“The tourist that knocked her up and bailed?”
Maya nodded. “Then she realized it wasn’t you. You’re too young. Not as cold, she said. So at first, I thought maybe it could be Jake, but she said his name was Jackson.”
Troy’s heart froze. No way, he thought. It wasn’t possible. “Maya, how old is this kid?”
“Three,” she replied. “He turned three back in April.”
Troy quickly did the math. “So she would have met him almost exactly four years ago?”
Maya nodded. “During Sturgis week. Why? You said you’ve never been here. And you would have been what, fifteen?”
“I’ve never been here,” he explained, “but Jake has. And it was four years ago.”
“But his name is Jake,” Maya pointed out. “Mason’s dad’s name was Jackson.”
Troy leaned to his left and pulled his wallet from his pocket. He removed his driver’s license and tossed it to Maya. “Jackson is our last name,” he confessed.
Maya didn’t know what to say. She stared at the license in her hand, and sure enough Troy Jackson stared back at her.
“I remember that summer,” Troy went on. “A group of guys came out here and they came home without Jake. I think it was October when he finally came home. Maybe November. He was gone for months, then one day I woke up and he was home. Believe it or not, he came home angrier than ever.”
“He just left you alone while he came out here?”
&n
bsp; Troy shrugged. “He left me home a lot,” he admitted. “Our parents did too, while they were around. Just part of the club life. The other guys took care of me or I would stay with Trinity and her mom.” He stopped talking and put his license away. “So I have a nephew.”
Maya nodded. “It seems that way.”
Troy moved closer to her and pulled her into his arms. She didn’t fight him or pull away. “There’s more isn’t there? What happened to you that made you so afraid of tourists?”
Maya shook her head. She couldn’t tell him. Not yet. “It’s nothing,” she insisted. She shivered. “I should get home,” she changed the subject. “I told Gavin I wouldn’t be gone all night.”
“Do you want me to walk you home?” Troy offered.
“It’s okay.”
Troy sat and held her for a few more minutes before he let her go. He stood up and helped her up before pulling her into his arms again. He reached down to wipe the tears from her eyes before bending down to kiss her.
“I’ve told you I’m not going anywhere. I’m not going to hurt you,” he whispered. “I told you I will say it every day. As long as it takes for you to believe it.”
Maya only nodded. They left the cemetery hand in hand. Troy walked her to the end of Main Street before pulling her into another kiss.
“I will see you tomorrow,” he promised.
Troy tried to process everything as he stood on the corner watching Maya walk away. He couldn’t believe his brother. Did he know about the kid? How could he just abandon someone like that?
He debated heading back to work to see if he could talk to Chloe, but they would still be dealing with the dinner rush. He considered riding into Sturgis to confront his brother, but didn’t think anything he could do or say would help the situation. Honestly, the girl and the kid were better off without him in their lives.
Not wanting to spend his evening alone in his hotel room, Troy decided to wander around Deadwood. The streets were busy, but not as insane as they had been over the weekend.
It was actually kind of quiet. Maya had told him that during the summer, there were always gunfight reenactments in the streets, but they didn’t perform during Sturgis week, leaving people to spend their time indoors.
Facing Fear Page 7
