by Debra Kayn
"Give me a two-second minute, and I'll bring you your drink." She hurried back to the bar and leaned over. "Two Jacks and Cokes, and one Bud, Jerry."
Jerry nodded, letting her know he'd heard and went back to talking with two women sitting at the counter as he made her order. She watched the interaction and waited to feel something. Anything.
Shouldn't she be jealous? At least curious to know what the blonde-haired woman with the skimpy top was saying as she leaned forward and gave her full attention to Jerry?
Jerry Cochran was a good-looking man. Clean-shaven, short brown hair, Jerry wore a black T-shirt when at work that hugged his upper body and showed off his muscled arms and broad shoulders—which he accented by rolling his sleeves. At thirty-four years old, he was prime boyfriend material because he claimed to be ready to settle down. She liked that about him.
But, did she like him enough to make their relationship permanent?
Jerry walked toward her and set the drinks on a tray. She slid the money she'd collected toward him.
"Half of that's mine." Proud of the tips she brought in, which usually doubled her wages on a good night, she grinned.
Jerry took Lorraine's order and then turned back to Scarlett. "Are you coming home with me after work?"
"I can't." She picked up the tray. "But I'll stay a few minutes after and catch up with you."
He frowned. "You're sure you can't come?"
"Not tonight. I'll explain later." She blew him a kiss and went and delivered the drinks.
She had two hours to come up with a truthful excuse not to spend the night with him. He hated hearing how she needed more time to think about the job offer. To him, it was a no-brainer. To her, it was much more.
After serving the drinks, she looked around for customers needing service and approached the tables filled with Tarkio members. The two closest members, Curley and Razor, were deep in conversation, so she half turned and kept an eye on the room until she found a good time to ask them if they needed anything.
"Yeah, I went and picked him up from the prison with Manny," shouted Razor over the music blaring from the Jukebox. "He doesn't look like the youngster that was sent away. He was awful quiet. I think he was in a bit of shock seeing the outside."
Scarlett stepped to the side, getting out of the way of the customers going to watch the dart competition.
"Yeah, I went over and seen Nelson four days ago, and he was having trouble adjusting. He never said much, but I could tell he was fighting his demons..."
Scarlett's body jolted. Her pulse roared in her ears, blocking out what else Curley said. Nelson was out of prison?
Straining to hear, the two men had switched the topic of the conversation to checking out a woman on the other side of the room. Her stomach rolled. She pressed her hand to her middle and stepped around the tables.
A wave of nausea overheated her body. Afraid she was going to get sick, she hurried out of the room and pushed open the backdoor. Gulping for air, she bent at her waist.
Nelson was back?
Where was he?
Was he living at Steel Mechanics?
He wasn't supposed to get out of prison for two more years. She'd marked the month on the five-year calendar on her bedroom wall. Had he gotten out for good behavior?
She leaned against the outside wall of the bar. The cooler night air not helping her stomach.
The backdoor opened. "Scarlett?"
She held up her hand at Lorraine. If she tried to talk, she'd throw up.
"I saw you run out." Lorraine rubbed Scarlett's back. "God, girl. You're shaking. Are you sick?"
She inhaled deeply. "I need to go home."
"Okay. I'll tell Jerry and cover your tables."
"Tell him, I'll call him in the morning. I just...I need to go home. Can you bring me my bag?" She tried to straighten and found herself lightheaded.
"Sure. Are you okay to drive?"
She squeezed Lorraine's arm. "I just need to go home and go to bed, sleep whatever bug I picked up off."
Lorraine hugged her. "I'll go get your stuff."
"Thanks," she mouthed, swallowing hard.
Once she had her bag, she got in her car. Rolling the window halfway down, she drove the fifteen minutes home and parked beside her mom's car in the driveway. She wanted to rush in and wake her mom to ask her if she'd heard of Nelson being out of prison, but she didn't want her mom to see how upset she was. She needed to find out herself.
She quietly entered the house and went straight to the family room. Slowly sliding the glass door open, she stepped into the backyard, looking over the fence to the upper story of the building on the other side. There were no lights on behind the curtains of the three windows facing her house.
Heart pounding, she couldn't remember the last time the bikers stayed next door. Though it hadn't been long ago that she'd heard a motorcycle. Was it three days ago? A week? One motorcycle? Six bikes?
Upset at herself for not paying better attention, she had no idea if Nelson could be there. She hadn't stayed long enough or heard the whole conversation at the bar to know if it was Nelson Steel the bikers were talking about. It could be Nelson Smith, Nelson Jones, Nelson whoever.
It wasn't like she knew everyone in Missoula.
Before she could talk herself into waiting until morning, she walked to the fence. Trailing her hand along the boards, she tried to find the spot where she used to slip through. It'd been a long time since she'd snuck over to the neighbor's property.
As if her feet remembered her childhood path, she stopped. Grabbing the top of the fence, she pushed. The boards never budged. Pushing harder, the fence top gave away, and she pried her fingers between the slats and pulled the bottom apart.
Dropping to her knees, she stuck her head into the opening. Her shoulder scraped against the wood. With two by four framework above her head, she had to slither snake-like through the fence. She couldn't remember any awkwardness of escaping her yard in her past. It used to be fast and easy.
Stuck halfway through with her ass on one side and her upper body on the other, the boards fell, pinning her. She groaned, clawing at the gravel on the other side. Wiggling, she pulled her body through and pushed up to a sitting position, out of breath.
She brushed off her hands and stood. Clamping her lips closed so to quiet her breathing, she crept toward the building. The backlot, once full of broken-down vehicles, was now empty, except for the tire rack by the back door.
Walking faster, she looked behind her. She'd never snuck over without worrying about Butch attacking her. But the dog wasn't here anymore. The dog was killed the night Mr. Steel was murdered.
Goosebumps broke out on her arms, and a chill went up her spine. It wouldn't surprise her if the ghost of Mr. Steel haunted the property.
If finding out if Nelson was released from prison wasn't so important to her, she'd go back home.
She hurried down the side of the building and peeked around the corner. There were no cars in the front of the building.
Headlights on the street shined in her direction. She pressed her back against the wall until the vehicle passed the building. Was there any use going and looking to see if the door was unlocked? It was late. If Nelson or someone else was inside, no doubt, the door would be closed and secured.
Giving up, she walked back, tracing her steps in the dark. She'd have to figure another way of finding out if Nelson was released from prison early.
She stepped away from the building. Halfway to the fence, she stopped and sniffed.
Her stomach fluttered. There was cigarette smoke in the air.
Chapter 14
Nelson
SCARLETT WALKED TOWARD the fence and stopped. Nelson's hands shook, and he exhaled. When he spotted someone sneaking under the fence, he'd imagined her because every time he closed his eyes, he'd think of Scarlett coming over to see him.
"Still sneaking around, fox?" His chest pounded.
She slowly pivoted. Her hea
d turned left to right, sweeping the area. She couldn't see him in the shadows by the tire rack.
He stepped out under the glow of the floodlight. Her gasp traveled the empty space between them. Every muscle in his body tensed at the sight of her. He tossed his smoke to the side.
That beautiful red hair. He had known with everything inside of him, she would be wearing it long and full. Gray eyes stared at him, studying his face. He couldn't help looking down and seeing the woman the girl had turned into, and what he found was perfection.
The added curves on such a petite body rocked him back a step. Her breasts that would've barely filled his palm years ago would now overflow his hand. He gazed lower. The urge to ask her to turn around left him breathing heavily at the changes in her.
It was Scarlett, but a Scarlett he was seeing for the first time.
"Nelson?" she said, drawing out his name.
His balls constricted in pleasure. All that sweetness nobody ever gave him, but her.
"I heard..." She blew out her breath. "I heard you were home. I didn't know...I didn't know if you'd come back here."
Pain gripped him. She believed the rumors floating around about him.
"You better tell your friends and neighbors I'm back." He pulled the pack of cigarettes from his pocket and lit another smoke. "Maybe you can set up a Neighborhood Watch. You're good at sneaking around."
She recoiled frowning. "You've changed."
He exhaled harshly. "That'll happen when you spend ten years in prison."
"Are you okay?" She stepped forward.
His body hardened. He flicked his cigarette out into the gravel, unable to hold it any longer because his hands shook. She was too close. He couldn't allow her to get near him, touch him, care about him.
She stopped two feet away from him. Her gaze followed the lit coal burning on the rocks. "You're not happy to see me?" she whispered.
She acted as if he'd personally hurt her, that ten years shouldn't have changed him. That she could sneak on the property and be pissed at him for how he'd turned out.
"Go home," he whispered back.
"I..." She tilted her head. "Is there anything you need?"
He needed a woman. He needed her.
"I need you to leave." His mind raced the longer she stayed.
Her head slightly shook. Then, she lunged toward him, wrapping her arms around his waist. His body reacted instantly. He balled his fists, wanting to shove her away to protect her from what he was capable of.
Her body trembled against him, and she squeezed him harder.
As fast as she'd hugged him, she'd let him go, turned, and ran for the fence without saying another word.
He panted harshly, wound tighter than a compressed spring about to unravel. She'd changed, too. But not enough for him to stop wanting her.
He'd destroy a woman like her.
He wasn't the man she remembered. Those days were over.
The fence boards banged shut. Several minutes later, her bedroom light came on.
He stared up at her silhouette. She paced her room behind the curtain. She grabbed her head. She bowed out of sight, then shot back up.
Then, his world turned black. She was gone.
He went inside the building and flipped the lights on in the garage. Over the last week, he'd cleaned every surface, organized his tools, and put each bay in order around him. Almost compulsively, he'd put everything from his past in front of him, trying to get comfortable.
Nelson picked up a wrench and hurled it across the garage. The tool dented the metal siding and clanked to the concrete floor. His whole life was fucked up.
Why couldn't Scarlett see what kind of man he had become?
He wasn't good enough for her ten years ago. He sure in the hell wasn't good enough for her to care about him now.
She'd seen him through some dark days a long time ago, a lifetime ago. He couldn't expect her to see him through the hell he found himself living.
There was no need for him to protect her. She was all grown up and could see what was in front of her. If she was smart, she'd stay on her side of the fence and forget about him.
Yet, he'd never wanted someone more in his life.
He walked back inside the building. Tomorrow, he planned to open the garage doors in the front and let everyone in Missoula know he was back. Taking a step forward was harder than he'd imagined.
Just like in prison, there would be those who wanted to take away his freedom. They'd challenge him—for whatever reason.
He trusted no one. And just like in prison, he was alone, and he'd need to watch his back.
Chapter 15
Scarlett
HAZEL SCOOPED ICE CREAM into three bowls. Scarlett sat on the kitchen counter, staring out the window at the fence. Steel Mechanics had opened for business a month ago.
As of yet, she hadn't noticed any noise coming from the garage or the air compressor refilling with air. But she knew it was open because she'd driven around the block each time she'd left for work and on her way home in hopes of seeing Nelson.
It was out of her way, but she couldn't stop herself from looking.
"Who wants chocolate syrup on top?" asked Hazel.
"A little," said Scarlett's mom.
"Sis?"
"Hm?" She looked over at Hazel. "No."
"You're turning down chocolate?" Hazel handed her a bowl and grabbed a spoon, passing it to Scarlett. "Are you sick?"
"Tired." She dug in and sucked the ice cream off the spoon. "I'm sacrificing sleep, so I can visit with both of you. Feel privileged by my presence."
She kept things lighthearted because Hazel needed all the support she could get after suffering a miscarriage and feeling alone with her pain. Scarlett's work schedule was opposite of Hazel's and their mom. They rarely got to spend more than an hour together a couple times a week.
"I noticed your boyfriend's back." Hazel walked over to the table and sat beside their mom. "Never thought I'd see the day a Steel would come back to live in Missoula."
"He's not my..." She set down the bowl beside her. "What does that mean?"
Hazel shrugged. "I just remember all the talk when Mr. Steel was murdered. People suspected it was Nelson. That's all anyone talked about for years. Not to mention, finding out he was dealing drugs right in our backyard. All the Steel brothers were or are in prison for various drug charges. I know, if it was me, I wouldn't want to face everyone I knew. I'd be long gone."
"They never convicted him of killing his father," said her mom.
"But they sentenced him for having a shit-ton of cocaine." Hazel looked at her mom and raised her brows. "Make sure you guys keep your doors locked. He might've seemed like a loner years ago, but he was mixed up with some bad people."
The ice cream rolled in Scarlett's stomach. Realistically, if it was anyone else besides Nelson, she would be scared to live here. If a murderer moved next door or a drug dealer started selling out of their house, in her view, she'd never sleep.
The neighborhood had always been a safe one until the night Mr. Steel was murdered. It was unfair to judge Nelson. He never killed anyone.
As for the drug charges, they never made sense to her. She would've known if he was on drugs. At sixteen years old, she'd seen kids in high school smoking pot. Granted, that wasn't cocaine, but Nelson's personality never changed around her.
Only one time, he got mad at her, and his anger was her fault for asking him to kiss her. Sure, he told her to get out of his life, and it came right after he'd had a fight with his dad, but she knew the kiss bothered him more. She caught her lip between her teeth. Then, everything happened next door, and they never had time to talk about what happened and for her to apologize.
No, he wasn't using drugs. No matter what anyone said, she believed in him.
If Nelson was making money on the side, from drugs, he would've sunk every dime into his Harley and got away from his dad.
"We should all go get manicures." Hazel pointed her
spoon in the air. "You have time, don't you, Scarlett?"
Her sister pretended to be happy, but she could see the false sense of energy bouncing through Hazel was only a cover for the pain.
She shook her head. "I have to go to work early."
"Why?" asked her mom. "Have they changed the bar hours?"
"No, the hours are the same. I promised Jerry I would stop by before the bar opened." She hopped down from the counter. "I should probably go over there now."
"You don't sound happy to be going, honey." Her mom leaned back in the chair and studied her. "Is everything okay with you and Jerry?"
"Yeah. It's work schedules and finding time to get together. We've both been running in two different directions lately when we aren't working." She walked over and hugged her mom from behind, then stepped over and gave Hazel a squeeze. "This has been fun. Let's try to get together sooner next time, okay?"
"Sure." Hazel frowned at her. "Have fun at work."
"I always do." She forced a smile, knowing her sister could sense something was off with her.
She escaped to her room, dressed for work, and went out to her car before her mom and Hazel moved from the table. Jerry expected an answer to the manager position. She still hadn't figured out what she was going to say to him.
There was nothing stopping her from taking the job. She would be a fool not to accept the offer.
At Riverside Bar, she parked behind the building and entered through the back door. She never understood the name of the business. The bar was a mile away from Clark Fork River.
She found Jerry in his office and knocked before popping her head into the room.
"Hey." He leaned back in his chair and smiled at her. "I thought you were going to call if you could make it over."
"I thought I'd surprise you." She rounded the desk, leaned over, and kissed him. "How busy are you?"
"Nothing that can't wait." He pulled her onto his lap. "I missed you last night, and the night before, and the—"
