Page 28 of Steele

“I’m working Friday night,” she said as she pulled into the parking lot of the dealership. “Come to Roosters. It’s going to be a shitty day. I’ll buy you a drink.”

I smiled and pushed open the passenger door. “Clubs aren’t really my thing.”

Holly’s brow shot up. “Motorcycle clubs might be if you climb onto the back of that Heller’s bike again.”

I slid out of the car. “Not happening,” I said and shut the door.

I could hear her laugh through the glass. “At least call me and tell me how it goes on Friday.”

I nodded and then waved as she drove away. Ten minutes later, I was back in my repaired and freshly detailed car. Now that I was alone, the hollow ache in my chest burned again. I didn’t want to go home. I didn’t want to go to the cemetery. I couldn’t talk to Jeff when my mind was on a rugged and dangerous biker.

I couldn’t talk to Matti because I wasn’t ready to admit that last night had been a special kind of gift. For a moment, while I’d been surrounded by him, I’d forgotten not to be miserable.

Steele

Thank god it was Friday. It had been a crazy week. I sat on my bike in the crisp morning air. The engine rumbled and the vibration matched the way I was feeling. I sent a quick text off to Natalie. I’d be late picking up Lili tonight for my weekend because I’d need the hearse and the guys were picking up some bikes from a wholesaler.

Then I called Lili. She could read a text that said, “good night, Lilibug,” and she understood pick up times, but anything longer than simple sight words, she’d struggle reading.

“Hi.” Her sweet voice made me smile.

“Are you ready to come spend the weekend with me?”

“Yes. Can we get pizza?” she asked.

“We can get pizza.”

“Promise? With pineapple? Stormy likes pineapple, and she said she’d help me with my arabesque.”

“I promise, but no pineapple. Bring your ballet bag.”

“But Stormy likes pineapple.”

“She won’t be eating it. She’ll be eating barbecue.” Lili wouldn’t eat it either. She’d pick them all off because she only ate cheese pizza.

“I can eat barbecue and cookies, too. I can eat a lot.” She barely paused for breath. “And can we go to that place where they put the gummy worms in the ice cream?”

“Probably.”

“And can we go at night and get tacos like we did that one time?”

I chuckled. “Lilibug, are you hungry?”

She giggled. “Yes. Mom’s calling me. She made me a pancake.”

“Okay, listen, I’m going to be a little late tonight. Maybe six-thirty or seven. Have Mom show you on the clock. Love you, bug.”

“Love you, too.”

I could hear Natalie in the background counting for Lili to hurry.

“Have a good day,” I said to her and then thought of Jaymi. “Learn something, and be nice to your teacher.”

Traffic was light as I rode out to the jobsite. Cory’s construction company wasn’t building skyscrapers or developing subdivisions, but the work was constant. We did a lot of tenant fit-outs. Renovations and remodels to repurpose commercial space.

He had a team of subcontractors we worked with regularly and a dozen guys on the payroll. He’d given me a great fucking gig. Maybe there was a bit of nepotism at first. Nat got me in the door, but I’d busted my ass to prove I wasn’t expecting special treatment.

Downtown, a five-story office building was being refit for residential units on the upper floors and retail space on the ground floor. We were still in the demolition stage. The fun shit.