Six Months

by Dark, Dannika

  The engine growled and we took off.

  Through hand gestures and shouting, I directed him toward my trailer. Suddenly, the bike veered off the main road and pulled into a Sonic drive-in. As soon as we eased into a parking spot, he cut off the engine.

  “What are we doing here?” I asked.

  “Having lunch. Lexi is going to starve me to death waiting for the party tonight. A man’s got to eat.”

  I got off and was fumbling with the helmet when he turned around and undid my chin strap. As he slowly pulled it off, my hair fell across my face.

  He looked down at me, still wearing his shades. “You did real good, April. How was your first ride?”

  “Unforgettable.” I smiled, scraping my fingers through my bright hair, which was now a tangled mess.

  He held out his arm, coaxing me to walk toward the outside seating area. It felt good to sit in the shade and feel a gentle breeze on my neck.

  “I love all this sunshine,” I said, wiping dirt off the mesh table with my forearm. “I hope we get to keep it for a little while.” I turned around and stared at the menu that was sitting between the tables on a sturdy pole. “What do you feel like eating?”

  “Double bacon cheeseburger, large fries, and a banana shake,” he said without missing a beat.

  I slowly turned my head to give him a surprised look. “Are you sure you don’t want to just eat light? There’s going to be a lot of food at the party.”

  “This is eating light. I burn off a lot of energy,” he said, sliding his shades on top of his head.

  I admired his rich brown eyes, which were deep-set and pensive. Reno had a serious expression with frown lines in his forehead and a clean-shaven jaw. His hair was shorter on the sides and long enough on the top that I could pinch it. So clean-cut, and yet so tough-looking—like a cop or a soldier in civilian clothes.

  “Order whatever you want. I’m paying,” he said, placing his leather wallet on the table. Reno wore a white undershirt with a blue button-up over it, but it wasn’t buttoned. I could see part of a gun strap that went over his shoulder. He caught the direction of my gaze and closed it up to conceal his gun. Then he placed his forearms on the table and narrowed his eyes. “You don’t say much. Most women talk a lot to fill in the silence.”

  I shrugged, grateful I hadn’t tumbled into a trashcan by now. “Do you always carry a gun?”

  His mouth turned down in a contemplative way. “Most of the time. It’s part of my job.”

  That explained it. “You’re a cop,” I said.

  Reno shook his head. “Private investigator. I’m not going to sugarcoat it for you—it’s dangerous work.”

  “Do you normally pull out your gun and aim it at innocent people?”

  His lips thinned. “Innocent is debatable.” His finger tapped on the table. “There’re things you don’t understand, and I can’t sit here at Sonic and tell you whatever you need to hear to feel better about what happened back there. Every man draws a line in the sand that determines what he’s willing to stand for. I know exactly where that line is in my life, and nobody crosses it. So if you think a man calling you a filthy name like that means he’s innocent, then we’re not on the same page.”

  I’m not sure if what he said made me feel better, but I couldn’t deny I’d liked that renegade moment when a man had actually stuck up for me. Trevor did it all the time, but his intentions were misplaced; all a guy had to do was flirt with me. Reno had minded his own business until they called me a vulgar name. He could have blown it off and ignored them.

  But he hadn’t. Reno had protected my honor.

  Maybe after a warning like that, those men would think twice about doing that to another woman. Probably not, but I admired Reno for not having turned a blind eye like I’d seen people do so many times.

  I pressed the button on the menu and the lady asked if we were ready. After repeating Reno’s order, I examined the menu again. “Could I just get some tater tots?”

  “And?” she said in a tone that irritated me.

  “Um, a small lemonade.”

  “Is that all?”

  “Yes. That will complete my order.” I spun around in annoyance. What did she expect me to do—order a foot-long chili dog and try to eat that with class in front of a guy like Reno?

  “Is that going to be enough?” He pushed up his brow with his index finger and I smiled warmly.

  “At least it’s not a salad. I’m saving my appetite for later. Plus, I’m not big on eating out anyhow. Especially fast food.”

  “We’re going to have drinks and you shouldn’t be running on an empty stomach with alcohol.”

  “I don’t drink much.”

  “How about your friend? Does he drink much?”

  “Trevor loves to drink and have a good time. I hope there won’t be any trouble because he’s coming with me, but I’m not going to the party without him. He’s my best friend and that’s the deal.”

  Reno scratched his jaw and glanced at a truck pulling out. “Well, he won’t be my friend if he thinks he’s going to drive you home after drinking.”

  “No, I’ll be the designated driver.”

  “Then you’re not drinking.”

  I frowned. “One beer won’t—”

  “Kill you? Make you a little relaxed and not pay attention when a car makes a sudden turn and you can’t get out of the way? No, you’re not drinking. But you’ll still have a good time because Denver makes phenomenal steaks.”

  “Lexi said the steaks were for certain people.”

  He tapped his knuckle on the table. “If you want a steak, then you’re getting a steak. Fuck certain people.” Then his lips briefly pressed together. “You probably don’t like swearing, but I ain’t gonna church it up for you.”

  Now that was a funny thought. I wasn’t big on cussing, but I wasn’t Mother Teresa either. Reno lived in a house full of men; it was to be expected.

  “Be yourself, Reno. There’s no need to censor yourself around me.”

  His shoulders relaxed a little, and a gust of wind blew a strand of hair in my eye. With a swift brush of his hand, Reno moved it away and we had a little moment. Maybe it was just me, but he smiled with his eyes.

  “How long have you known him?” he asked.

  “Trevor? Seems like forever.”

  “Does he have family here?”

  “They cut off relations years ago.” It wasn’t my place to tell Trevor’s business. “He’s a really good guy and a loyal friend.”

  “That I don’t doubt,” Reno muttered.

  “Were you born here?” I asked out of curiosity.

  “No. Nevada.”

  “Ah. That explains why you don’t have a heavy accent. Hey, wait a minute. Austin, Denver, Reno… Your parents must have moved around a lot.”

  He suppressed a grin and leaned forward on his elbows. “Yeah, our parents had a sense of humor. What about your name?”

  “Nothing special about my name.”

  “I happen to think it’s a pretty name. How ’bout that?”

  I felt my cheeks flush. “I think they were trying to pick baby names that sounded good with Frost. My sister’s name is Rosebud, but I call her Rose.”

  “Do your parents live here?”

  I hated talking about my parents. Instead, I listened to the classic rock ’n’ roll music playing on the speakers. It was Elvis singing about a little less conversation. “My mom… she um, she’s…”

  “Sorry,” he quickly said, clearly assuming she was dead.

  “Don’t be sorry for her,” I snapped. “She’s a prostitute living on the streets and addicted to heroin. She abandoned us after my dad died.”

  “Damn,” he said through clenched teeth. “April, you don’t have to talk about it.”

  “You brought it up,” I said in a melodic tone that dropped an octave. I never talked about it with anyone, including Trevor. Why I was rambling about my life story to a man I barely knew was beyond me. “She started using
when I was around twelve or thirteen. I just remember seeing pills and bags of weed. I guess dad didn’t make enough to support her habit because she started staying out all night. I didn’t understand what was going on at first, but then the fights began. I can’t believe she did that to my father,” I almost mouthed more than said.

  “Users have no control. No one can help them if they don’t choose to help themselves.”

  “She could have tried. She had a family, but she wanted to escape. None of it was ever good enough. We weren’t good enough. I’ve never tried drugs and I never will. That’s not the kind of person I want to be. I deal with my problems.”

  Not just mine, but I was cleaning up everyone else’s.

  Reno worked on rolling one of his long sleeves a little higher, keeping his eyes low. “Have you seen her?”

  “It’s been years. The last time I saw her, she borrowed a bunch of money from my grandma. She stayed in the trailer for two days shooting up, and when I hid her drugs, she called someone. He showed up and went ballistic.”

  Reno’s face hardened. “Who’s he?”

  “Her pimp, boyfriend, dealer—who knows. He tried to hit on Rose and she was just fourteen at the time. There was a big scuffle and Grandma called the cops when he broke the folding door in her bedroom. They left and she’s kept in touch with me, but only when she needs to borrow money. My dad was the only solid thing I had in my life, and he was killed in a car accident.”

  My bottom lip twitched along with my cheek and I covered my face. I was about to have a meltdown at Sonic.

  A slim girl in a pair of roller skates wheeled in our direction and slid a red tray onto the table. “Here you are. Ketchup? Napkins?” Her blond ponytail swung from side to side.

  “All of it,” he said, handing her a bunch of bills. “Here. Keep the change, darlin’.”

  “Wow. Thanks, mister!”

  She skated off and Reno’s hand curled around my wrist. Not to pull it away from my face and make me snap out of my funk, instead he just stroked his fingers on the back of my hand and let me have a moment.

  “I don’t want kids,” I blurted out, deciding to go all the way with my confessional to a total stranger. What did I have to lose? If anything, maybe someone would be honest with me for a change. “Do you think that makes me a bad person?”

  When he didn’t answer, I lowered my eyes. “Kids are great, but I’m just not wired that way. Just because I can have them doesn’t mean I should. I don’t want to take the chance of messing up someone else’s life the way mine was.” I wiped my finger under my lashes and stared at a smudge of liner on my finger. “Great.”

  Reno handed me a napkin and I wiped off my face.

  “Don’t let your parents’ fuckups make that kind of decision for you.”

  After a deep sigh, I wadded up the napkin and put it on the table. “Sometimes it’s okay to be honest with yourself, but not everyone understands it. They think you’re selfish and missing out. But I’ve seen how it can go wrong, even with good intentions. Sometimes kids grow up to despise their parents. I just decided a long time ago that I was completely okay with not having a family. Rose will have kids for the both of us, and I’ll love being an aunt to them. But me?” I shook my head, unable to explain where I was coming from.

  I laughed when I noticed the mountain of tater tots in front of me. His eyes flashed up briefly and I wondered if he thought my laugh strange. Lexi used to say I sounded like a mischievous fairy.

  Then I noticed what was going on over on Reno’s side of the table. “Do you have OCD?”

  Reno dramatically tilted his head to the side and I snapped my mouth shut. He continued to neatly squeeze ketchup onto the edge of a plastic wrapper and placed the empty packages in a straight line. It was as if everything in front of him had its place.

  “Do what’s best for you, April. I don’t judge. I’ve seen a lot of bad shit if you want to know the truth. There are people out there unfit to parent, or maybe they’re just stressed because they can’t swing the rent and they have another kid on the way. Maybe they never got to have a life of their own before it all started. But yeah, some people just aren’t wired that way. I get it.”

  “Thanks.” I took a slow bite of my tot and then another. I never imagined I could be so open with a stranger and not be judged. “Now that I’ve slammed you with all the heavy stuff on our first date, maybe we should talk about the last movie you saw,” I said with a laugh.

  Reno held the burger up to his mouth and froze before taking a bite. His dark eyes were on me and a few pieces of diced onion spilled out of his bun. When he set the burger down, I put my hands in my lap.

  Reno smiled wide, and it revealed lines in his face that were deep and wonderful. He had straight teeth. I couldn’t help it—I was one of those people who looked at teeth. Trevor had a crooked bottom tooth, but it gave him that edgy look. I just liked to know that a man thought enough about himself to take oral hygiene seriously.

  It took me a minute to figure out what he was smiling about. Great job, my inner voice said. You just officially declared this a date. Desperation train, all aboard!

  “It’ll be our secret,” he said in a humorous tone. “I know you didn’t mean it that way. Do you plan on moving out of the trailer?”

  I frowned suspiciously. “What makes you think I live in a trailer?”

  He shoved about six fries in his mouth and chewed slowly before answering. As his jaw moved, I got a chance to admire his sculpted face up close, right before he sucked the salt off his thumb and made me squirm in my seat. “You mentioned it a minute ago. I just assumed you’re still living there since we’re heading toward the parks.”

  “Oh.” I tilted my head and shrugged a little. “I’m saving my money; it’s just temporary.”

  Then his eyes squinted, and not because it was sunny outside. It was that look someone gives you when they know you’re lying about something.

  “Aren’t you hot in that getup? It seems like every time I see you, you’re wearing long sleeves.”

  “Not every time,” he said in a throaty voice that rumbled from deep within his chest.

  A shiver rolled through me and I ate a few more tater tots.

  I had once driven Lexi to Austin’s house. Reno had been standing in the hot sun without a shirt, his golden chest glistening with a sheen of sweat, and the muscles in his arms and pecs twitching as he turned a horseshoe around in his hand. I could hardly comprehend anyone looking as sumptuous as he did while looking as equally intimidating. I hadn’t been able to take my eyes off him when I saw his thick arms and how his skin bronzed in the sunshine, whereas my pale skin just turned blotchy red. What I felt about him wasn’t curiosity or admiration—it was a fever. One that caught me off guard—I’d never been attracted to a man like him before. At least, not in real life. The guys I dated were of average build and much younger. Now here I was, sitting at Sonic with a man who made my toes curl just by looking at me.

  I felt a blush rising, so I grabbed the empty ketchup packets and stood up to toss them into the trash. My feet tangled around the long strap of my purse and I stumbled awkwardly, grabbing the menu stand just seconds before I did a face-plant. I steadied myself and threw the ketchup in the wastebasket. When I turned around, it was with the full expectation of seeing Reno silently cracking up at my blunder. I wasn’t a graceful woman by any means, and most guys had no qualms about laughing at my antics. It was something I had grown accustomed to, but it still needled me.

  Instead, he had shot around that table in a flash and was cupping my elbow, ready to catch me if I fell.

  When he bent down to pick up the packet, I knew immediately that I wanted to see him again. He hadn’t made a big deal about my clumsy ballerina act, and that meant a lot.

  “You still drive that toy car?” he asked, taking his seat again.

  I cleared my dry throat and sipped my drink. “No, that was Rose’s VW and she took it with her to Arizona. I don’t have a car.”<
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  Reno sucked on his banana shake and drew his brows together pensively. He set the cup down and folded his arms on the table. “You mean to tell me that you’re walking everywhere?”

  “Work is close by and I can’t complain about the exercise. It’s the rain I’m not crazy about.”

  Then he began rubbing his hands all over his jaw, as if he wanted to make that bristly sound your hands make when they rub against whiskers. But his face was baby-smooth and all it did was push his skin around.

  “I’ll lend you one of our cars.”

  “No.”

  “Yes.”

  “I get the last word, Reno. Borrowing means you owe, and I’m tired of owing people.”

  “Are you in some kind of trouble?”

  “I barely know you. I can’t borrow your car. Look, I’m sorry to rush, but I need to get home. There’s something important I have to take care of before the party tonight. Would you mind eating a little faster?”

  Reno stood up and dumped his food in the trash.

  “Wait, I didn’t mean that you had to—”

  He walked around the table and tossed mine in the trash next. I sprang to my feet to confront him, but before I could say a word, he tucked a swath of hair behind my ear that had slipped in front of my eye.

  Then I forgot my name and how to speak.

  There’s a buzzing sensation when you have chemistry with someone. It’s like there are invisible threads connecting your bodies and igniting into sparks, and the residual pulse bounces back in shockwaves, growing stronger with each second.

  I felt that with Reno. He stepped so close to me that I remembered how good it felt when he’d held me in his arms. The animalistic look in his eyes captured me like he was a predator and I was prey. He felt it too. I could tell by the soft breath he took before he spoke.

  “I’ve always liked hazel eyes,” he said. “Yours look like a sunset over sea-green waters.”

  I hit pause. This was a scene I’d be replaying in my head for weeks to come, and I didn’t want to ruin the moment by saying something inane. I let him graze his thumb across my mouth. He pulled my lower lip down just enough that his thumb glided across the fleshy inside. Then he rolled his wet thumb across my lip, making what seemed like a casual gesture become the most intimate moment I’d experienced with a man outside of sex.