Page 105 of Love at First Ride
Tawny looks him over with hungry eyes and pouty lips, then looks at me and gives a wink. ‘Oh, honey. He’s way too cute to kick to the curb.’ Then she raises her voice as she asks them, ‘Y’all want some peach iced tea while you work? We can get everybody to vacate their rooms.’
My cheeks burn. The next person to saunter through the double entry doors is Chase Brennan. He’s carrying a large workman’s bag slung over his broad shoulders, stuffed full of tools and equipment, a beige-gray T-shirt stretched over his frame. I stiffen at the sight of him. AJ was right. His bruises are alotworse, and his bottom lip is still purple and swollen. I note that Aubri gives him a once-over from her desk, and despite his obvious injuries, her gaze lingers on his inked biceps. I also note the murderous look AJ gives Chase. He lifts his chin toward me, indicating that Chase should come over.
Chase conceals a grimace and walks right up to me. I knock my knuckles together. My previous cool has evaporated, and sweat has broken out on my upper lip.
‘Hey,’ Chase says.
AJ moves up behind him, leaving Echo talking to Tawny.
I swallow. ‘Hi.’
I see a muscle flex in his jaw. His eyes flit to mine but he can’t hold my gaze, and he seems more comfortable staring at the carpet. ‘I… uh. So, like… I’m sorry I was such a jerk to you in high school. I never meant to make your life miserable. I meant it all as a joke, but I get it now, it wasn’t funny. And I, uh… if you can find it in your heart to forgive me, it’d be nice if we could be…’ He clears his throat. ‘You know… like, uh… friends.’
My eyes meet AJ’s over Chase’s shoulder. Chase’s performance smacks of AJ’s coaching, but it warms my heart that their relationship doesn’t appear to be broken after their altercation.
I smile at Chase. ‘I’d like that. Thank you for your apology.’
His shoulders drop a little, as though he’s relieved that I didn’t give him a hard time. ‘Okay, good. You wanna show me what needs doing around this joint, or what?’
I reach into my pocket for a crumpled piece of paper. ‘I drew up a list. I can show you.’
Sunset Pines comes alive with activity. On the second floor, Balthazar assists Chase in fixing all the various problems that have been outstanding for as long as I can remember. Two older bikers are laying some fresh carpet, having pulled up the old layer. In the lounge area, Nicole is making quick work of cutting some of the female residents’ hair and has brought along one of her coworkers to assist. Another biker is fixing up the furniture using a nail gun. Echo’s girlfriend, Katerina, is painting nails while a second lady wearing tight jeans and a leather jacket gives hand massages and delights the wide-eyed residents with racy stories.
Outside, Echo and his team of bikers – AJ included – are fixing the ruined flower beds, trimming the bushes and the grass verges and mowing the lawn. They appear to have brought with them a van full of fresh plants to put into the ground. At one point, AJ drives a ride-on lawn mower shirtless, driving up and down the grass, covering the entire stretch of land around the home. I can’t help but admire the way his skin glistens in the sunlight, the smooth curves of his back and rippling abs.
Aubri’s job is to ensure a constant supply of iced tea and coffee for the workers.
‘Who’s the guy upstairs?’ she asks when she catches me staring at AJ on the lawn mower out of the rear-facing window in the reception area. ‘Not the skinny one. The other one. The guy who looks like he took a beating.’
‘That’s Chase,’ I say. ‘Why’d you ask?’
‘No reason,’ Aubri says. ‘Is he single?’
‘As can be,’ I say.
‘He from Rapture?’
‘He is.’
She’s finished making another round of peach iced teas. I offer to take a couple of glasses upstairs. I wait to see if she asks me anything else, but she stays quiet.
When I reach the second floor, I hear drilling. I locate Chase and Balthazar fixing a set of drawers in Mr Cresswell’s room. Before, the drawers used to jam all the time.
‘Peach iced tea?’ I ask them both, holding out two glasses, ice cubes clinking against the sides.
Balthazar shoots to his feet. ‘Yes, please,’ he says, taking a glass. Once he’s taken a drink, he wipes his mouth and puts the glass down. He then clears his throat.
‘So, Hollie, I got somethin’ I gotta say to you,’ he says, then I note that he glances to the outward-turned palm on his right hand. ‘I’m sorry for everything we did to you in high school. I was a total dick, and a sheep for following Chase because everything we did was always his idea.’
‘Hey!’ Chase shouts over the sound of the drill. ‘Not always, Reyes.’
‘Ninety per cent of the time,’ Balthazar mouths at me.
‘Oh, and one more thing,’ he says, then glances down at his hand for a second time. He squints, like he can’t quite make out what’s written on his palm.
He cocks his head the other way. I move closer and try to assist.
‘What’s that say?’ he asks, pointing to the heel of his hand where the writing has smudged a little.
