“Yes, but the best part was that you were there. I was happy to see you.”
“Me too.”
“Did you hook up with that blonde woman?”
Wheelie knitted his brows. “Blonde woman?”
“The one you were talking with at the bar.”
“Tiffany? No. Why?”
“I was just wondering. You seemed kinda into her.”
“I wasn’t. Would it bother you if I was?”
“No. I mean… maybe.” A small pause. “Yes,” she whispered.
Wheelie grinned. “I like that.”
“There you are, dude,” a man said behind him.
“That’s Tigger. I better go.” Panic entered her voice. “Thanks for calling.” Then there was silence.
Wheelie stood up and turned around just as Tigger came up to him. “I wanted to ask you something,” he said, stopping right in front of Wheelie. Tigger took out two joints and handed one to him. “What’s the name of that guy who has the chop shop in Balsam?”
“Sparks. You got a stolen car you wanna sell?” Wheelie lit the joint.
Tigger nodded. “Does he do bikes?”
“He might if it’s a Honda or Yamaha.”
“Skeet and I picked up a bike and a car last night in Aspen. We need to sell them fast.”
“Tell him you know me.” Wheelie gave Tigger Sparks’ phone number, and he tapped it into his phone.
“Thanks, bro. I’ll call him now. We’re thinking to take the back roads over there after midnight.”
“Good luck.” Wheelie stubbed out the joint with the toe of his boot.
“You’ve been a good friend. Don’t think I didn’t appreciate all the times you helped Sofia out when I was locked up. I was glad I had a brother I could trust to watch over her.”
Fuck.“No worries. I’m heading out now… I’ll see ya.”
“Later, dude.”
The rocks crunched under Wheelie’s boots as he walked past the clubhouse. A heaviness he couldn’t shake weighed down on him as he straddled his Harley. Putting distance between him and Sofia would be the right thing to do, but as he sped along the desolate road under a darkened sky, the thought of not seeing her wasn’t an option.
And for one brief moment as the wind swirled around him carrying the hint of summer nights and moonlit rides, he didn’t care about anything but having Sofia pressed against him, holding him tight.
Fuck the consequences.
Chapter Three
Sunlight streamed throughthe bedroom window and Sofia welcomed the heat. The minute the weather grew warm, Tigger would crank up the air conditioner, and she’d spend the summer months wrapped in sweaters and blankets inside their home.
The house was quiet, and she relished the mornings when she didn’t have to evaluate all of her husband’s words or figure out his shifting moods. Sofia went over to her chest of drawers, pulled out the third drawer, and buried her hand into her scarves. Smiling, she felt the necklace Wheelie had given her for Christmas and gripped it in her hand. She walked over to the mirror on top of the long dresser and held up the sterling silver chain against her neck. The open ring pendant lay flat on her skin, shining in the morning light.It’s so beautiful.She clasped it around her neck, her fingers skimming the bottom of it.
Wearing the necklace on mornings when Tigger left early had become a ritual for Sofia. It made her feel like Wheelie was there with her, and it allowed her to dream about all the possibilities of having a life with him. Not sure where Tigger went or when he’d be home, she took off the necklace and ran her fingertip along the engraved words on the back of the pendant “You have a friend in me.”