by Chiah Wilder
“Fuckin’ pussy,” he mumbled, dragging his gaze away from her house. He pulled into the garage, closed the door, and went inside.
“Hey,” he said as he entered the family room.
Jada lay on the couch in front of a crackling fire, watching the television. She pushed up into a sitting position and swung her legs off the sofa.
“Hey. I thought you’d be later.”
“I gotta get to the office early tomorrow morning. You wanna crash here? I don’t like you driving alone this late.”
Jada laughed as she slipped on her shoes. “It’s just a little past midnight. Believe me, I’m out way later than this on weekends. I’m good.” She rose to her feet and scooped up her backpack.
“How was Lucy?”
“Great. After she finished her homework, we played a video game then watched some TV. She had a good time. I made tacos for dinner—she loved them.”
“I’m glad. Was she distant with you?”
“A little, but I’m pretty sure she still misses her mom. Has Emerald called her at all?”
“Nope. She’s such a fuckin’ bitch. I tried calling her but the slut just won’t anwer the damn phone.” Anger bubbled just beneath the surface of his skin.
“I guess you’ll have to reconcile the fact that she’s turned her back on Lucy. I can’t even begin to believe a mother could do that, but she has.”
“I figured that out the day the bitch left Lucy with me. I gotta admit though, I love having Lucy around.”
“And I love the way you are when you’re with her.” Jada walked over to him and playfully poked him in the ribs. “All soft and vulnerable, and you get this warm glow in your eyes when you look at her. It’s so sweet. You really are a good dad, you know?”
Animal wrapped his arm around his sister’s shoulders and kissed the top of her head. “Thanks for being such a good liar—you almost have me believing it.”
“You are. Lucy just needs a lot of patience, and she also needs some work with her reading. She was struggling with a book that should’ve been a cinch.”
Animal moved away and pounded his fist into his hand. “I told that shit for a teacher that Lucy needed a reading tutor, and she acted like I was a fuckin’ moron. Bitch. I even talked to that sorry excuse for a principal and got the same reaction. Those fuckin’ assholes.”
Jada chuckled. “Parenting is loads of fun, isn’t it?” He glared at her and she held up her hands. “Sorry—bad timing for a joke. Okay … so you could hire a tutor on your own. Schools are cheap and don’t want to spend the money. I mean Lucy’s not horrible at reading, it’s just that she needs some help, otherwise she’ll fall further behind each grade.”
Olivia. And Lucy likes her. “I know someone I can ask.”
“There you go.” Jada slipped on her jacket and gloves then wrapped her scarf around her neck. “I’ll see you later.”
Animal pulled out his wallet and took out sixty dollars and handed it to Jada.
“You don’t have to pay me,” she said. “I love spending time with Lucy.”
“I know, but you helped me out tonight, and I know you could use the cash. Wheelie doesn’t pay you that well at the carwash.”
Jada tucked it into her pocket then zipped it up. “Thanks.” She smiled at him and walked to the door.
Animal opened it up for her. “Call or text me when you get home.”
“I will. See you soon.” She ambled down the sidewalk toward her Chevrolet Tahoe.
He stayed on the porch and watched the red tail lights of the car fade into the night. Animal turned and looked in the direction of Olivia’s house; it was dark and quiet. He slowly turned away and went into his home.
Chapter Eight
OKAY, SO SHE was a coward. Olivia would be the first one to admit it. Instead of delivering the spaghetti dinner in person, she’d bought—and spent way too much money on—an insulated food container that kept the spaghetti, garlic bread, and meatballs hot. She left a little bit early from school in order to put it on the front porch before Animal or Lucy came home. A ridiculous move for a professional twenty-five-year-old who owned her own home? Of course, and she cursed herself for doing it as she taped a note to the container then sneaked away.
Now Olivia hid in the shadows of her unlit house, peeking out the living room window, watching vehicles coming and going. Soon the encroaching nightfall swallowed up all the lingering shadows of the day, lending an eeriness to the bare trees and darkened houses.
Olivia saw several windows illuminate intermittently at Animal’s house and figured they were security lights. The porch light switched on, bathing the container she’d left earlier in a warm glow. Doubts began to creep through her until Olivia decided to walk over and grab the food then bring it back when Animal and Lucy came home. Just as she began to push away from the window, two headlights lit up the street like moonbeams. She grimaced when she recognized Animal’s dark blue SUV and slinked back a bit farther from the window. Olivia watched the vehicle pull into the garage and stayed rooted after the door had shut.
“This is so fucking juvenile,” she said aloud, yet Olivia couldn’t pull away from the window.
The front door opened and she saw Lucy push on the screen door. It looked like she said something because in less than a few seconds, Animal appeared on the porch and picked up the food container. Olivia watched as he read the note. Then, as if he could sense her watching him, he looked over, straight at her window. Blood rushed to her head and Olivia held her breath as she ducked out of the way. Her heart banged like crazy against her ribcage, and she sat on the floor plastered against the wall for what seemed like hours. Olivia slowly rose to her feet and shuffled to her kitchen for a much-needed glass of wine. She glanced at her phone and realized that forty-five minutes had passed since she’d first seen his car pull into the garage.
A low growl in her stomach reminded her that she hadn’t eaten anything since that morning. Switching on the lights, she took out a bowl of extra spaghetti and meatballs from the fridge and put it in a pot on the stove. As Olivia waited for her dinner to heat up, she jumped when her cellphone vibrated across the countertop. She reached out and grabbed it as a web of apprehension wove through her. When Olivia saw Kennedy’s name on the screen, she let out a sigh of relief and put the phone to her ear.
“Hi, Kennedy.”
“Hey there, girl. What do you have going on tonight?”
Weariness wrapped around her like a heavy blanket, and the only way she wanted to spend her night was on the couch watching a mindless show.
“Just staying in. Why?”
“You have to come out with me. There’s this mixer at Moonshine Flats. I heard there’s going to be a lot of attractive men.”
“I’ve sworn off men, remember?”
“Are you still serious about that?” An exasperated sigh came through the phone. “When are you lifting the fucking ban?”
“Not tonight. I’m beat. Sorry. Maybe Harper would like to go. She’s looking for a nice guy.”
“I already called her and she has a date with some guy her sister fixed her up with. I told her blind dates are the worst, but she sounded giddy to me.”
“Maybe it’ll work out. A friend of mine met her husband on a blind date.” Olivia walked over to the stove and stirred the spaghetti and meatballs.
“I don’t want a husband yet. We’re all too young to even think of settling down. You know thirty comes real fast, so we might as well live it up some before we have to give it up for the fucking ‘American dream.’”
“You don’t have to sell me. I don’t even want a date right now.” Olivia turned down the heat.
“I don’t know how you do it. I get all pissy if I haven’t had sex in a few days. Why are you doing this again?” Kennedy clucked her tongue.
“Because I confuse sex with love, and I fall too damn hard for a man. I’m sure it goes back to my childhood—I had a douche for a dad and a mother who stood by her man no matter what humilia
ting things he did to her. I’m definitely fucked up, but at least I know that. They say the first step is acknowledgement of a problem.”
“You’re too into your psychology classes. We all mistake sex for love—we’re women.”
“You don’t seem to.” Olivia took down a plate from the cupboard.
“I used to, but then I started thinking like a man, and life has been great. That’s what you need to do—date like a man.”
“Maybe. Anyway, there’s no one around I’m really interested in.” Animal flashed into her mind. “No one at all,” she said as if trying to convince herself.
“So I can’t talk you into joining me tonight?” Kennedy asked.
“No. I really just want to veg. Another time. Let me know how it goes though.”
“I will.”
“Oh, Kennedy? I need to pick your brain about that dating site you were telling me about—Discreet Passion. I’m writing a research paper for one of my psych classes, and it’s about online dating and interconnections.”
“Are you actually going to go out on a date with one of the guys you connect with?” Kennedy asked.
“I’m not planning on it. I just want to see how the courting relationship is via a computer. Talking with people and interacting with the opposite sex has become so impersonal thanks to electronic devices. At least that’s one of my premises of the research paper.”
“Interesting. Okay, I can come over and help you set up a profile that’ll be sure to get you plenty of hits. I haven’t been over to your house yet, so I’m looking forward to it.”
“Thanks. Have fun tonight, and I hope you meet someone perfect for you.”
“Perfection is a nebulous word. We’ll talk tomorrow.”
Olivia put the phone down, filled her plate, soaked the pan in hot water and dish soap, then padded into the living room and sank down on the couch. She picked up the remote and clicked on the TV, channel surfing until she found a cooking competition, then settled back and ate her food.
The insistent ringing of her doorbell woke her, and Olivia realized that she must’ve dozed off. The chimes kept sounding in rapid succession, and she sat up, wiped the drool from the corner of her mouth, and ran her fingers through her mussed-up hair.
“Hang on a minute, will you?” she called, scurrying toward the door.
Olivia looked through the peephole and her stomach lurched when she saw Animal filling the space. Shit! She glanced at the mirror on the wall and groaned. I look a mess. What the hell does he want anyway? Sorry she’d called out, she fluffed her hair once more, pinched her pale cheeks a few times, and yanked open the door.
“Why are you ringing my doorbell like a lunatic?”
Animal ran his gaze over her, making her feel weird, angry, and vulnerable all at the same time.
“I came over to thank you for the dinner. Lucy thought you were gonna bring it over yourself and eat with us, but she liked it.”
“That’s good. I was real busy after work so I just dropped it off.”
For a long pause he stared intensely at her. “Yeah … Right.”
Feeling exposed, she wrapped her arms around herself and shivered. “It’s cold out there. Do you want to come in for a minute?” Why did I ask that? I just want him to go away.
“I normally would, but I gotta get back. Lucy’s alone.”
“Of course.” Now I really feel like a doofus. “I won’t keep you then.”
“I wanted to ask you something,” he said, moving closer to her.
Butterflies fluttered in her stomach and she leaned in toward him. “What is it?” Her gaze fell on his mouth—on those perfectly shaped lips that looked so smooth and tempting.
“My sister looked after Lucy last night …”
His voice faded away as Olivia wondered what he did last night. Was he out with a woman? Probably. He was a good-looking guy and a biker to boot. Women flocked to those types of men.
“So how about it? I can pay you pretty well.”
Pay me? What the hell is he asking me? “Uh … I’m not—”
“Lucy likes you and that’s a huge plus, but if you can’t do it, then, maybe you can recommend someone to help her.”
“Lucy? Help her with what?”
“Reading.” Animal looked at her like she was a space cadet.
“Oh, right. Sorry, I’ve had a really long day, and I was dozing when you rang the bell. So you want me to tutor Lucy?”
“Yeah—she’s got a problem even if her teacher doesn’t agree. My sister’s noticed it too.” A frown knitted his brows. “But I already told you that.”
“Sorry,” she mumbled. In that instant Olivia got the impression that he didn’t like to repeat himself. “I can assess her if you’d like. I’m super busy right now with working at Slavens part-time and then at a dental clinic the other days. I’m also in college. I really don’t have a lot of free time.”
“I was thinking just once or twice a week. I can pay you seventy-five an hour.” He glanced over at his house for the umpteenth time.
“That’s too much,” she said as she calculated the extra money per week. She could apply it to buying window coverings.
“Lucy’s worth it. I want her to have any advantage I can give her. So, what do you say?”
“I’ll come over and assess her, and depending on where she’s at, I’ll be able to tell how much work she needs. That’s the best I can give right now.”
“That’s all I’m asking.” He tilted his head to one side and smiled, a slow, seductive smile.
Heat flushed beneath her skin as she looked up at him and met his intense gaze. Swallowing, Olivia forced herself to break contact, but before she could, a low chuckle rumbled from his chest as he winked at her then turned around.
“I gotta get back. Can you come over tomorrow to check out Lucy?”
“Uh … yeah. What about six o’clock?”
Animal looked over his shoulder and nodded. “See you then, Teach.”
The intense black gaze moved over her, almost insolently, making her flesh tingle. He then jumped off the porch and swaggered across the lawn to his house. Olivia retreated back into her home, hating the way Animal made her feel so vulnerable.
She padded over to the couch and plopped down as she replayed their conversation. Agreeing to tutor Lucy was just asking for trouble, but Olivia hated to think of Lucy struggling with her reading. From experience, she knew that a child who had reading problems was usually stressed and embarrassed about the difficulty, and Olivia couldn’t deny Lucy a chance just because her dad was hot and Olivia couldn’t grow the fuck up.
I’ll assess her and then I can recommend a tutor. Happy that she’d come up with a plan, Olivia poured more wine into her glass and slowly sipped it as she stared at the TV screen.
Chapter Nine
BLUE’S BELLY WAS packed with people, almost shoulder to shoulder. Loud voices competed with the live rock music that dominated the atmosphere. Along the wall behind the hand-carved wooden bar, bottles with every hue of amber liquid lined the glass shelves. Patrons sat perched on barstools, gesturing to the three bartenders while putting plastic cards and money on the counter. The sallow light of street lamps trickled in through the thick leaded windows, and the scent of beer, whiskey, and smoky barbecue wafted in the air.
“This place is crazy packed,” Olivia said, tugging down the hem of her short black skirt as she wound her way through a labyrinth of warm bodies.
“The place was remodeled, so tonight’s the grand re-opening,” Kennedy said. “I’ve been dying to see what it was going to look like.”
“How do you like it?” Olivia had never been to Blue’s Belly even though she’d heard good things about it. The place was known for their burgers and good local live music. Occasionally, the owner would book a national act, but the majority of the bands came from the county and other cities and towns around Colorado.
“I love it!” Kennedy pushed her way to the bar and leaned against it.
Olivia filled the tiny space between her friend and a tall, broad-shouldered man. “It’s not what I expected. I thought it’d be like some underground bar you see in old movies. You know, the ones that have small spaces for lovers to disappear into, and jazz notes floating on the streams of cigarette smoke billowing from tall, dark, and good-looking men.”
Kennedy laughed. “Sounds like a bar I’d love to go to. Blue’s used to be more of a dive than a mysterious one like the movies from the 1960s.”
Olivia darted her eyes around the place. “It’s now shabby chic with a real rock and roll vibe going for it.”
“I definitely love what Freddy’s done with it.”
“Freddy?”
Kennedy tossed her light brown hair over her shoulder. “He’s the owner. I have to find him at some point and tell him that the new Blue’s kicks ass. What’re you drinking?” She gestured to one of the bartenders.
“A vodka martini. Ivy wants me to bring her back a white wine spritzer,” Olivia replied. Ivy, a cute blonde with freckles and a cherubic face, was a dental technician at the clinic Olivia worked at two days a week. Over the past year, they’d become good friends.
“I’m still shocked that sleazeball Brady let her go out without him tonight.” Kennedy sighed in frustration when the bartender took someone else’s order.
“I know. I don’t get what she sees in him. She told me that he likes rough sex.” Olivia shuddered as she thought of the Slavens’ Elementary gym teacher. Brady Sickles had always given her the creeps from day one, and when Ivy began dating him a few months ago, Olivia had told Ivy she could do much better. Her friend said that she liked him, but Olivia couldn’t figure out why.
“I can see that. I heard from some of the students that he’s real tough on them in gym class. Does she like it, and what do you mean by ‘rough’?” Kennedy waved her hand vigorously at the bartender. He turned in her direction and fixed his eyes on her large breasts then smiled.
