“I can think of better things to do with that tongue.” He kisses both of us before he opens the back door and disappears.
He’s gone about thirty minutes before he trots up the stairs with freshly cut hair.
“Don’t you look handsome? Do you have a hot date tonight?” His hair is neatly trimmed, and his face is clean shaven.
“I do, and my date better put her rear in gear. The sitter is coming in thirty minutes. I want to be gone in forty-five minutes.” He takes the baby from my arms, turns me around, and swats my butt.
I emerge forty minutes later, dressed and ready to go. Zane is in the kitchen, while Ashley lies on the floor with Aaron.
“You look beautiful,” Ashley says.
“Thank you. Your sister helped me pick out my outfit today.” I twirl around so she can see the whole picture.
When I come full circle, my eyes look to Zane for some reaction. His eyes sparkle, and his lip twitches before a smile takes over half of his face. He looks pleased with what he sees. We say goodbye to Aaron and Ashley and step out on our first date.
The restaurant he picked is located on Main Street. It’s a small Italian Bistro called Luigi’s. We sit at a corner table and sip wine while we share an antipasto salad.
“I know you didn’t like me when you first met me. What changed your mind?” His hand reaches across the table and grabs mine.
“It’s not that I didn’t like you. You were bossy and verged on the edge of rude. I didn’t know you, and you barked orders at me. You told me things I didn’t want to hear.” His hand completely covers mine. “When I sat back and thought about the things you were most adamant on, I couldn’t fault you for your concern. You didn’t know me, and yet you cared more than those who have known me my whole life.”
“I just wanted to see you take care of yourself. I picked up a mess on the side of the road, and in a few days I watched you relax and show your true colors.”
“Do you miss your old life?” I ask.
“Sometimes I miss certain things. I miss frozen yogurt and weekend rides up the coast. I miss the coffee shop on the corner and the mall. What do you miss?”
“Honestly, I feel like I fell into a little piece of heaven. This town is full of real people, and I like that. If I had to choose one thing I miss, it’s probably sushi.”
“Ah…sushi, I can go for a spicy tuna roll just about now.” As soon as he says that, our pasta dishes are delivered.
“Let’s play a game. I will toss out a question, and you answer it. It will be like speed dating. We’ll bounce things off each other. You go first.”
“What’s your favorite music?”
He rolls his eyes before he blurts out, “Classic Rock.”
“What is your all-time favorite movie?” he asks.
“Definitely Wizard of Oz. What about you?”
“Citizen Kane. What’s your favorite candy?”
“Nutty Bars are my ultimate favorite.”
“Is that why my cupboard is full of them?”
“Yes. Have you ever had one?”
“No, just the name sounds awful.” He makes a face that looks like he tasted something bad.
“What’s your favorite pastime, besides having sex with me?” I section my ravioli into bite-sized pieces.
“Well, as you know, I love to ride my Harley, but I also love to fly kites.”
“Really? I would have never guessed that. Speaking of bikes, I think you should take the weekend ride with your friend next weekend. I promise not to sell your bar or steal your son.”
“I’ve been thinking about that, and I’d like to take you up on your offer, but back to the questions. What’s your favorite pastime besides using me for sex?” That little wink of his eye will be my undoing. It’s so sexy.
“I like to play pinball, any kind.” His eyes dart up in surprise.
“I’ve never seen you play the games in the bar. Why is that?”
“It’s because I’m usually on the clock when I’m in the bar.”
“You have my explicit permission to play anytime, whether you are on the clock or not. I’m also willing to give you quarters.” I smile at his generosity.
“What’s your favorite food?” I thought he would say something like steak, but he surprises me with his answer of tacos, rice, and beans.
We banter back and forth through the rest of dinner. It’s amazing what you can learn on one date. Every detail he shares makes me love him that much more.
He pays the bill and walks me to the car.
“Are you ready to turn and run, Alexa?”
“Well, you had me until you said you liked bubble gum ice cream. That’s a deal breaker for me. It’s mocha almond fudge or nothing.”
“All right, then. Can you find your way home? I need to go in search of a woman who likes bubble gum ice cream.”
He watches my mouth drop open and takes advantage with a kiss.
“Do you really want to go to a movie?” I ask. “It’s just that, I don’t want to spend two hours in a room where I can’t touch or talk to you. I would rather go home and spend it in bed.”
“Let’s compromise. We’ll go to the bar, where I will ply you with alcohol. I will sit you on the glass of my favorite pinball machine and try to make your bells and whistles go off.”
It doesn’t take me long to buckle myself in for the short ride to Last Resort. Once there, Zane takes me for a long ride on every surface in the bar. Thank goodness for soundproofing. We stay out of Bud’s kitchen, but everything else is fair game.
Chapter Sixteen
The next week passes by in a flurry of activity. We visit Elaine on Tuesday and Thursday since Zane is leaving Friday morning. He seems a bit distracted with the planning of his trip. I thought they just saddled up and rode, but apparently there is a lot of logistical planning to get a group together.
I stay busy working on the tax software by day and waiting tables by night. Everywhere I look, I’m reminded of our first official date. My favorite memory is of me sitting on the pinball machine as Zane made all of my bells and whistles ring.
It’s Friday morning, and I am standing in the kitchen holding the baby and making coffee. I feel sad Zane is leaving for the weekend but happy I can give him this time. I’m overjoyed he feels comfortable leaving me with his most precious possession.
“I don’t want to leave you. Do you know how sexy you look standing in the kitchen in my T-shirt with baby drool dripping over your shoulder? I’m telling you; it does it for me.”
“Shut up and leave us alone,” I tease. “We have a whole day planned. We’re having breakfast, then napping, lunch, and then a nap. Since Bud’s brother is coming to help in the bar, I don’t need to be downstairs until four.”
“I’m a bit jealous of our boy. He gets you all to himself.”
“Yes, and you get a break from both of us. Now get on your bike and ride before I change my mind. I’m going to miss you.”
“I’m going. I’ll call you tonight. I love you, and I’m going to miss you, too.”
We spend several minutes kissing. It’s like we’re storing kisses for the days ahead.
“Be safe. Don’t forget you’re taking me on a date Monday night. It’s my birthday, and I want you here safe and sound.”
“I’ll get home safely, sweets.” He looks over his shoulder just before he closes the door.
Friday night, although crowded at the bar, goes smoothly. I spend the slower moments going upstairs to visit with Ashley and Aaron. I make sure she has plenty of junk food to keep her happy. Daisy stops by with her boyfriend, John, and we chat a bit and make plans to have lunch the following week.
Saturday doesn’t go as smoothly as I would have liked. Tabitha shows up around six with a group of bikers. In all honesty, I had hoped she would drop off the face of the Earth. She sits with her group but follows me with her eyes wherever I move. She approaches me as I pour a draft beer.
Her words are slurred, and it is obvious sh
e isn’t in the right frame of mind. She folds herself over the bar and tells me I have stolen her boy. I am certain she is referring to Aaron until she says she fucked him first.
It doesn’t take long for Bud and his brother to escort her out and send her on her way. I worry about her driving drunk. I also worry about the people driving on the same road. Bud settles my fears when he explains she is riding bitch. I’ve never liked that phrase until today, when I realize how fitting it is for her.
The last person exits the bar, and the door is bolted closed. I bring the till upstairs and count it out like Zane has taught me. I put everything in the safe, pay Ashley, and ready myself for bed.
I lie down for the night knowing Aaron will be up in a few hours. Tucked into the much-too-large bed, I doze off to sleep thinking about Zane.
Something wakes me. It’s that feeling something is wrong. I listen intently to see if I can hear anything in the house, but I hear nothing. Climbing out of bed as quietly as possible, I tiptoe down the hallway to check on the baby. I gaze into the crib and find him fast asleep. I shake my head at my overactive imagination. My first thought was Tabitha had broken in to steal the baby back.
I cover him and begin to walk down the hallway when I hear someone in the living room. I hear the unmistakable sound of someone tripping over Aaron’s play matt. I do it myself every day, so I have that sound memorized.
I run to Aaron’s room. Turn off the nightlight and pick up the first object I can find. I have no idea what’s in my hand, but it seems hard enough to bludgeon someone with it. I will fight that bitch or die trying.
The sounds of footsteps get louder as they get closer. I watch as the door opens slowly. I’m the only thing that stands in-between Aaron and the intruder, and there is no way they’re going to get their hands on my baby.
“Stop where you are,” I call out. “If you come any closer, I’ll be forced to shoot you.” I’m hoping I sound convincing.
The light blinds me as the intruder flips the switch. I let out a guttural cry as I lunge at my attacker and hit him with the object in my hand. A loud crash echoes throughout the room. I am like a woman possessed—hitting, scratching and biting anything I can reach.
“Alexa, it’s me. Stop!” I adjust to the light and see it’s Zane. I’ve attacked him with a blue piggy bank that shattered at his feet.
“Damnit, Zane, you scared the shit out of me. What are you doing home?” I look him over and see I’ve drawn blood on his arms in various places. He seems to be babying his left hand, which is dripping blood. “Oh, my God, I hurt you. Let me see that.” I pull his hand toward me and see a decent-sized gash on the fleshy part of his palm.
“I’m okay. Check on the baby, and meet me in the kitchen.” He shakes his head at me and chuckles all the way down the hall.
I turn around to look at Aaron, who has slept through the entire event.
“Let me see you. I’m so sorry.” I hold his hand under the water to make sure his wound gets flushed out. “Tabitha came into the bar today, and she was mad and drunk. I thought she had broken in and wanted to take our baby.”
“Sweetheart, she wants nothing to do with our baby. She’s interested in herself only. I went to our room first, and when you weren’t there, I figured you were with him. I didn’t want to scare you, so I tried to be quiet in case you had fallen asleep rocking him. As soon as I opened the door, you attacked.”
“I’m sorry; I was protecting the baby.” I bandage his cut, which isn’t too bad, and put antibiotic ointment on his bite marks.
“You were like an angry lioness protecting her cub.” He pulls me into his arms.
“I wouldn’t let anyone hurt him.” Biting nervously on my lower lip. I ask, “Why are you home? If I had known, I wouldn’t have attacked you.”
“I missed you. I took care of what I needed to, and I realized being with you and Aaron is so much more fulfilling than a bike ride.”
“You arrive at your own house and get the crap beaten out of you. I’m so sorry.” I bury my face in his chest, so embarrassed by my behavior.
“Do you have any idea how sexy that was? You’re a force to be reckoned with. I don’t feel like the victim here. The only victim is what used to be a blue ceramic pig. Remind me never to buy you a gun; you would shoot first and ask questions later.” My heart drops into the pit of my stomach, realizing how true that statement is. I could have really hurt him.
“I’m so sorry, but you shouldn’t sneak up on people. For a large man, you’re nearly silent.” I back away from him and give him another once over. He has a few bruises and cuts, but all in all, he looks pretty good for a man who was just attacked.
“I’m sorry you had to deal with Tabitha. She’ll continue to be a problem until she hooks up with someone else. That’s my fault, and I apologize.”
“She took off on the back seat of another man’s bike, so she may be out of our hair for a while. I can’t blame her; now that I’ve had you, I want to keep you.”
“Shit, Alexa, you fight hard to keep what’s yours. The only reason I’m probably not out cold is because I saw a shadow coming at my head and I raised my hand as a reflex.” He mimics the movement, and I can see I would have hit him smack on the side of the face if he hadn’t deflected with his hand.
“Is there anything I can do for you?” I lay my head on his sternum and wait for his answer.
He simply says, “Let’s go to bed.”
In the short amount of time it takes us to get to the bedroom, he comes up with all sorts of ideas that would make him feel better. We spend the rest of the night in bed. I try hard to heal his wounds through love therapy, and he sets out to reward me for my bravery. It’s quite a nice salve for both of us.
Sunday arrives, and we both lie exhausted, waiting for Aaron to wake up. After last night’s commotion, he awakened around five in the morning and went back to sleep as if nothing had transpired at the foot of his bed. While I fed him, his dad cleaned up the remains of the blue pig and laid him to rest in the trash.
With our coffee in our hands, Zane insists on watching the headline news. He scrolls through the channels as if he’s looking for something in particular. I’m too tired to care. He stops on a national news station and asks me to look up.
The area is familiar, and then I realize the news crew is standing in front of my old house.
“Holy shit, Zane. What the hell is happening?” His face shows zero emotion. My heart begins to beat rapidly. I zone in on the picture and pray to myself Zane didn’t make good on his threat to kill Tyler. It’s not that I don’t want him to pay for his wrongdoings; I don’t want Zane caught up in it.
The camera pans out to the crowd; hundreds of bikers with the BFK logo on their jackets hold signs that say Tyler Hasen is an abuser of women and very small children. The news reporter goes on to explain the mission of Biker’s for Kids and says she has never seen them come out in such large numbers. This is obviously a very evil man.
In the distance, you can see someone pull the curtains back slightly and then promptly let them fall.
“Please don’t be mad at me. Like you, I protect what’s mine. Tyler had a bit of karma coming back to him. This is part of my birthday gift to you. The other half, I’m hoping will arrive tomorrow.”
“I’m not mad at you. I’m shocked you pulled this off in such a short period of time. How many bikers are there?”
“There are only about five hundred right now, but there are over ten thousand across the United States. They don’t mess around with men who abuse woman or children, and Tyler did both. His house will be covered for weeks or until he gives in to our demands.”
“What are your demands?” I turn around to look at him.
“I don’t want to spoil anything. Let’s just wait and see. Sometimes it takes a little longer for them to come around.” He turns off the television and pulls me into his lap. We watch Aaron play on his play mat until Claire arrives.
The bar is fairly slow for a Sun
day, and Zane sees I’m fading fast. He sends me upstairs to climb into bed. Falling asleep has never felt this good.
I wake to the smell of something cooking. I can’t believe I slept the entire night. Poor Zane must be exhausted. I slip out of bed and into the kitchen to rescue him.
On the counter is a waffle maker. The batter oozes slightly from the side. The coffee pot is full, and both of my boys are swaying to some secret music that’s playing only in Zane’s head. I creep up behind him and wrap my arms around his middle.
“Good morning, birthday girl. I hope you feel rested. You were sleeping like the dead when I came to bed.”
“I was so tired. I hit the bed and was out. Let me take over, and you can rest for a while.”
“Not a chance, love. It’s your birthday, and as Abbamontes, we would be remiss if we didn’t pamper the woman who makes our lives wonderful. Have a seat. Aaron has whipped up some amazing waffles for breakfast, and I made the coffee.”
He places Aaron in the bouncy chair by my feet, and I spend the next few minutes making faces and crazy noises to get the smile I’m after. His little face lights up as I blow raspberries his way.
The boys go out of their way to pamper me the rest of the day. We enjoy a picnic in the park. We stop by Daisy’s, where Zane picks out and purchases a few more dresses for me. We stop by Walmart so he can fill the cart with Nutty Bars. On our way home, I notice cars in the bar parking lot.
“I invited Bud and his brother over for a BBQ.” I can see he’s holding something back; it’s obvious six cars aren’t needed to deliver two men to the bar.
“Surprise!” the crowd calls out as we walk inside Last Resort. The volume is so loud, Aaron gets startled and begins to cry. It strikes me as funny he can sleep through yelling and slaughter of his ceramic pig, but the shouting in the bar is his undoing.
I pull him into my arms and whisper softly into his ear. He calms immediately to the soothing sound of my voice. I wonder if all mothers feel like this. I feel like my boy knows I’ll keep him safe and secure. I will never let him down. I will never get to hold the baby I lost or soothe his or her cries. Having Aaron is like a healing balm, though. Zane entrusting this treasure into my care is exactly what I have needed to feel valued.
True North Page 15
