Page 27 of Animal's Reformation
“The bigger question is, why is that biker coming over to your neighbor’s house?” Alice said as she picked up her glass.
“I don’t know. Probably a friend of his,” Olivia said.
“Do you know your neighbors?” Harper asked.
“The one to my left is a nice young couple with two adorable kids—a boy and girl, both under the age of five. The couple across from me is in their late thirties, maybe early forties, and have three kids—two teenagers and one in grade school. Actually, I think the boy goes to Slavens. I’m pretty sure I saw him in the hall the other day.”
A second or two passed and Alice and Harper looked at her expectantly. Olivia took a gulp of wine, set the glass down, and ran her fingers through the fuzzy fabric of her nightshirt.
“And who lives next door?” Alice said. “The house that the biker just went into?”
“Uh … a guy and his daughter, Lucy. She goes to Slavens too. She’s in Clara’s classroom.”
“I know her,” Harper said. “She’s the new girl. She’s just been here for a couple of months—after the Christmas break. Clara said she keeps to herself a lot, but has a real temper on her. She also told me her dad is a royal pain in the ass and is a member of the Insurgents.”
Olivia’s stomach knotted. “Insurgents?” she whispered.
“Yeah—the outlaw motorcycle gang. You’ve seen them around town.” Harper picked up a fortune cookie and ripped open the cellophane wrapper.
“I have, but I didn’t know he was in that club.”That just figures.
“Those are the guys Kennedy parties with sometimes at their club. I bet she knows him,” Alice said.
For reasons Olivia couldn’t figure out, that tidbit of information made her stomach sour and her body flush with anger at the same time. The thought of Kennedy and Animal together really pissed her off, but if she were being totally honest, the thought of Animal withanywoman made her blood boil.But it shouldn’t. Maybe I need to start dating again.
“Your neighbor’s hot, though. He’s got a great body on him, and he comes off as real dangerous and exciting.” Harper giggled. “He’s not my type, but I do think he’s got a real sexy vibe going for him.”
“I’d agree with that, but I could never see myself going out with him. I never was into bad boys. I like a stable, kind, and sweet man. That’s why Jonathan’s so perfect,” Alice said.
“I like guys like Jim Farley.” Harper groaned.
Olivia smiled and shook her head. “It’s too bad he’s already taken.”
“It seems like the good ones always are. And Jim’s such a good husband and father. He’s nothing like that creep, Marcus Thurber. That idiot is always hitting on all the young teachers and mothers. I don’t know how his wife puts up with him. I heard he’s having an affair with Samantha Paulson. Can you believe it? What a louse.” Harper broke open the cookie and took out the small white banner that held her fortune.
“Isn’t that Daniel’s mother?” Alice asked.
“Uh-huh.” Harper waved the paper ribbon in the air. “So this says, ‘The love of your life will appear in front of you unexpectedly.’ Yeah … Right.”
“Jonathan did. It does happen.” Alice picked up her fortune again and re-read it. “Mine says, ‘You should definitely go for it.’ That says a lot.” Alice laughed.
“Who writes these?” Harper rolled her eyes.
Olivia shrugged but her mind was on her sexy neighbor. She still couldn’t believe he was a member of the Insurgents. As hard as she tried, it seemed like she could never shake off her damn past.
“I have to get going,” Alice said standing up. “This was so much fun. I really love your house.”
Olivia rose to her feet. “Thanks—I do too. It needs some work, but I bought it at a great price, so I don’t mind using some elbow grease.”
“When are you going to get some window coverings, or are sheets your go-to?” Harper chuckled.
“I’ve been looking online for some, but they’re so damn expensive.” Memories of Animal watching her from his second floor room when she’d first moved in flashed through her mind. “I definitely want to cover the windows.”
“I don’t blame you, especially now with having an Insurgent living next to you.” Harper shuddered then walked over to the front door. “You remember Perry, right?” Olivia nodded. “I can ask him if he can get you a deal on blinds or something. He gets all that stuff either at cost or at a steep discount on account that he’s a decorator.”
“I forgot about that. It’d be great if you could ask him. I would love to get rid of the sheets. It’s such a pain to have to tape them back all the time to let the light in.” Olivia opened the front door.
“I’ll call him during lunch tomorrow. See you in the morning.” Harper stepped out onto the porch.
“I’ll see you in the teachers’ lounge for lunch,” Alice said as she zipped up her jacket.
Wintry air swirled around Olivia as she stood on the porch watching her friends pull away from the curb. She wrapped her arms tighter around herself, tucking her chin downward into the soft fabric of her nightshirt. Above, clouds the color of wet ash covered the night sky, providing a modicum of warmth. Olivia glanced over at the Harley-Davidson Ultra-Classic Limited parked on Animal’s driveway, and a sudden sadness rushed over her with the force of a wave, tumbling her emotions. She closed her eyes, remembering how Leo used to take her to the corner drugstore when they were kids to buy her Starburst candy when all the yelling and screaming got to be too much in the house. He’d always take out the leather wallet Grandma Betty had given him—it made him feel so grown up—and put down a five-dollar bill on the counter. No matter how much the candies cost, Leo would always give a five.
Tears seeped out of her closed lids and trickled down her face and off her chin. Memories flooded her mind—from Leo’s infectious laughter, his crooked smile, and the way he’d always had her back—to the bikers who filled the crowded church and Leo’s picture on an easel next to his steel-gray coffin. A chill ran through her. That night—the one when she’d lost her brother to a barroom brawl—had plunged her into a pit so dark, she was still recovering from it. It’d been over two years since Leo had been killed, but at times, it didn’t even feel like a minute had passed.
The din of voices dragged her out of past memories, and Olivia wiped her cheeks and looked toward the noise. Animal and his friend stood by the motorcycle talking and laughing. She watched them even as her body shivered and her teeth chattered. Then his eyes found hers and locked on. For a long moment, they just stared at each other, oblivious to their surroundings, and something passed between them. Animal’s friend punched his arm, breaking their connection, and he turned away.
A strong gust of wind whipped around her, tousling her hair, and Olivia opened the screen door and walked inside. She closed the door and leaned her forward against the smooth wood. The screaming cams from the Harley were like music to her ears, and she stayed there long after the roar of the exhaust pipes faded away.
After what seemed like endless minutes, Olivia locked the door, switched off the porch light, and made her way to the bedroom. Suddenly she was very tired, and all she wanted to do was crawl into bed and fall into oblivion.
