Beauty & the Biker (6 page)

“You make it sound tawdry,” Bella said.

“It is tawdry,” Chrissy said. “For you.”

“What’s tawdry? What did I miss?” Emma, who did not run her own business and in fact juggled three jobs, blew in and finagled a chair between Angel and Georgie.

“Aren’t you working at the museum today?” Bella asked.

“I’m entitled to a lunch break,” Emma said.

“It’s ten-thirty.”

“I took it early. Angel texted there’s a situation.”

“There is,” Angel said after Bella shot her a look.

Georgie brought Emma up to speed while they all sipped coffee and savored the warm pastries Chrissy had served before sitting down.

“I don’t know whether to be impressed or horrified,” Emma said. “You don’t know the guy, Bella. No one knows the guy. He could be a serial killer for frick’s sake and yet you drove over—”

“On a lawn mower, no less,” Chrissy interrupted. “What if you needed to make a quick getaway?”

“He’s not a serial killer,” Bella said. “He has a cat.”

They all gawked.

“A scroungy grey furball,” Bella continued after a jolt of java. “It was all over him and he didn’t seem to mind.”

“Serial killers are psychotic,” Chrissy said. “Just because he’s kind to animals—”

“He’s not evil,” Bella said. Otherwise he would have given her the willies instead of the thigh sweats. Not that she intended to share that racy tidbit. Her friends were worried enough.

“Maybe not,” Georgie said while licking icing from her fingers. “But that doesn’t mean he isn’t dangerous.”

“He moved onto Mike’s property over a month ago,” Angel said, “and no one knows anything about him. The only gossip I’ve heard at the salon is that Savage is private to the point of rude.”

“Come on, Bella,” Emma said. “The man rejected your welcome basket then he took advantage of your dad’s compromised state. What kind of person does that?”

“An asshole,” Chrissy said.

“Exactly,” Emma said.

“He gave back the truck,” Bella said, feeling the need to defend Savage.
Those haunted eyes
.

“No, he didn’t,” Georgie said. “He made a trade. You for Big Red.”

“And why did he need to bargain for a date?” Emma asked. “I’ve seen the dude up close at Desi’s. He’s not exactly hard on the eyes. And that body.” She whistled.

“Jerk or not,” Angel said, “I can name at least two women who’d sleep with biker boy in an instant.”

“He didn’t come on to me,” Bella said. “He asked for a date.”

“He didn’t ask anything,” Georgie pointed out. “He blackmailed you into slave labor and accompanying him…Where? A class reunion? A Hell’s Angel retreat?”

“I don’t know. He didn’t say and I didn’t ask. I know. I know,” Bella said, refusing to wither under her friends’ horrified expressions. “But we made a deal and I’m not welshing. It’ll be fine. I’ll be fine.” She crooked a hesitant smile. “Maybe it will be fun. An unexpected adventure.”

Chrissy raised a brow. “You sound like Emma.”

“That’s worrisome,” Emma said.

Bella blinked. “Why?”

They spoke as one. “Because you’re
you
!”

Somehow
, Bella thought,
that sounds like an insult
. But she knew what they meant. An adrenaline junkie and history buff, Emma split her time between the Nowhere Historical Museum, Eagle Butte’s Hiking Tours, and riding shotgun with Chrissy’s older brother, Zeke, as a photographer for the Z-Crew Stormchasers. The latter being more a hobby than a paying gig. A woman who got her kicks flirting with tornadoes, Emma was built for spontaneous thrills.

Bella was into thrills but not when it involved real-life risk. When it came to exploring daring opportunities, she lived vicariously through the characters she read about and/or the one’s she dreamed up in her head. Unlike Emma, Bella wouldn’t fly off with a man she had absolutely no future with—no matter the destination—knowing the excursion—no matter how exciting—would involve casual sex. So, yeah, the deal she’d made with Savage fell outside of her norm.

“Uncle Archie must feel like a total shit,” Chrissy said. “First he gambles away Big Red then his daughter barters herself… Ow!” The petite blond glared at Georgie. “Why did you kick me? I’m not judging. I’m empathizing. I feel for Uncle Archie. He’s a good man and—”

“He doesn’t know about the deal,” Bella said, lowering her voice to a near whisper. Not that Buzz-Bee’s was crowded at the moment. Still, it only took one person with big ears and a bigger mouth to fire up the gossip train.

“How does he think you got the truck back?” Chrissy asked.

“I told him I gave Savage an earful regarding his un-neighborly behavior and—”

Emma held up a palm. “Hold, please. Trying to get a visual.”

“Right?” Georgie said with a smile. “Bella in her princess gown giving biker dude hell?”

“You never give anyone hell,” Angel said.

Bella blushed. “I was pretty miffed.”

“Miffed.” Chrissy snorted. “Please tell me you let a proper curse word fly in the heat of your rant.”

“I’m not proud, but I did stoop to name calling.”

Impressed, Georgie leaned in. “Such as?”

“Jerk. Monster.”

Emma sighed. “Bella, honey, that’s sweet talk for a man like Savage.”

“I’m pretty sure I hurt his feelings.”

“I highly doubt it.”

“Back to Uncle Archie,” Chrissy said. “He actually believed Savage returned Big Red out of the goodness of his heart? What about the debt owed? What about all the work you’ll be doing over at Funland? Surely, he’ll be suspicious.”

“I don’t think so,” Bella said. “I told Dad I offered to help Savage spruce up the grounds because that’s what neighbors do. Help each other out. I told him I took the high road, setting an example and that Savage accepted my gesture of good will. I think he believed me. He didn’t say much.” She frowned. “I thought he’d be relieved when I returned with his keys, but instead he gave me the cold shoulder.”

“Put yourself in your dad’s shoes,” Georgie said. “You fought his battle for him, Bella. That’s gotta be hard on his ego.”

“It’s a man thing,” Angel said, finishing off her bun.

“Not wholly,” Emma said. “I, for one, prefer to fight my own battles.”

Bella squirmed, her sweets and coffee forgotten. “Before I went over there, he did say he would get the truck back.”

Their row had been brief, but packed with emotion. Just thinking about her dad’s defeated expression caused Bella’s stomach to cramp. Unfortunately, she’d been less than sympathetic in the heat of the moment. Learning his financial struggles were, in part, due to a new penchant for gambling had been a fierce blow.

“I just… I was so furious that someone took advantage of him. And, okay, I was angry with Dad for being irresponsible in the first place. Maybe deep down I didn’t trust him to make things right. He hasn’t been himself since…Well, you know.” She thunked her palm to her forehead. “In trying to salvage his pride I only mangled it more.”

“He’ll get over it, Bella.”

“He absolutely cannot know about the deal,” she said, feeling panicked now. “Especially the date part. You’re right. It’s like I traded my body for the truck. Dad would be horrified.”

“He wouldn’t be happy about it,” Angel said.

“Although…” Emma said. “Maybe it would serve as a wakeup call. You wouldn’t be in this position if he hadn’t gone on another drinking binge.”

“Emma has a point,” Chrissy said to Bella. “Uncle Archie needs to snap out of his funk before it snaps him, and you, in half.”

“I’m surprised your dad hasn’t intervened,” Georgie said to Chrissy.

“He did,” Bella said. “Two weeks ago. They haven’t spoken since. Uncle Roger was trying to help, but… I don’t know what went down exactly.”

“Me neither,” Chrissy said. “But it wasn’t pretty.”

“I didn’t realize,” Angel said with a sympathetic glance at the cousins.

“Yeah, well, the Mooneys aren’t big on airing their dirty laundry,” Chrissy said.

“And here I am spilling my sordid saga,” Bella said. “The only thing worse than Dad learning about my deal with Savage is him knowing I made said deal public knowledge.”

“Since when do we count as the general public?” Georgie asked.

“As if we’d gossip about your personal trials,” Emma said. “Give us some credit, Bella.”

“Mum’s the word,” Angel said, “but I’m still concerned about you spending time alone with a guy who looks like Lucifer on wheels.”

“I don’t care if he owns a dozen cats and dogs and a goldfish,” Chrissy said. “As soon as I get off, I’m going to google Joe Savage.”

“Something about that sounded so wrong,” Emma said, “but ditto.”

“Or,” Georgie said. “I could ask my brother to poke around.”

Bella shook her head. “Absolutely not.” Ryan McClure, just one of Georgie’s assorted step and half siblings, was a Dawes county sheriff. The last thing Bella wanted was to involve the law. She hoped to nurture a neighborly relationship with Joe Savage, not to stoke the alienation. While they painted his house, maybe she could inspire him to extend his renovations to the amusement rides. Once upon a time, Rootin’ Tootin’ Funland had been a seasonal playground for local kids and a bonus attraction for tourists. Funland had once been a valuable asset to Nowhere and it could be again. Lord knew the dying town needed a shot in the arm.

Latching on to a new and worthwhile agenda, Bella bolstered her shoulders. Pollyanna did not equal doormat or ineffectual fluff. She’d made a deal and now she’d, well, deal
.
And maybe even wheedle a bonus out of it.

“Listen guys. I appreciate your concern, but I prefer to fly under the radar with this. A week or so of renovations, one date, and I’m out of there. If at any time I feel threatened or over my head, I promise to call in the Calvary.”

“Meaning the Inseparables,” Georgie said with a crooked smile.

Bella smiled back. “Who else?”

“All right,” Emma said. “We’ll lay low.”

“But know this,” Angel said. “We’ve got your back.”

“And if Savage messes with you in any way,” Chrissy said. “I’ll have his nads.”

Bella rolled her eyes, but her heart sang with one of her mom’s favorite proverbs.

Friends are kisses blown to us by angels
.

“What about Carson?” Emma asked.

Bella blinked.

“Does he know about this deal? I know you broke off with the guy, but he still thinks you two are an item.”

“It might be kinder if you gave Carson a head’s up, rather than him hearing about it from someone else.” Angel, the only Inseparable to marry, was a widow twice over. Losing two husbands before she turned thirty had earned her a reputation for being jinxed in matters of love. Still, she had more experience with serious relationships than anyone seated around the table. Hence her opinions generally carried a lot of weight.

“Plus,” Angel added with a sympathetic smile to Bella, “maybe he’ll stop trying to win you back once he knows you’re seeing someone else.”

“Or,” Chrissy said, “he’ll do the exact opposite and step up his game. Carson thrives on squashing the competition. There’s a reason he owns the number one dealership in the county.”

Indeed Carson’s need to conquer and rule was Bella’s number one gripe with the man—albeit in hindsight. “Savage is not competition,” she clarified. “I agreed to one date and it’s a business arrangement. As for Carson, I really think the less contact I have with him, the better. At least for now.”

Her friends traded none-too-subtle looks. Even though they supported Bella’s decision to end things with Carson, she knew they were puzzled by the split. She hadn’t offered details regarding her disillusion with the man who’d showered her with gifts and attention. They’d considered her the luckiest Inseparable of the lot and though they didn’t criticize her obsession with fairy tale romances, she knew they worried about her ultimate happiness.

“Since we’re all together,” Bella said, intent on redirecting the conversation, “let’s talk about something else. Like the Arts and Fiddler Festival. Everyone’s still on for Saturday, right?”

Everyone looked at Chrissy.

“I’ll be there. Tradition and all that. Plus, Melody has her heart set on going and you know I’m not going to disappoint her. So, unlike last year, I won’t be bailing due to an unforeseen conflict.” Antsy now, Chrissy pushed away from the table and gathered empty cups and plates. “I need to get back to work.”

What Chrissy needed, Bella thought as her cousin escaped behind the counter, was to let go of the grudge she’d been nurturing for almost five years. Bella knew everyone else was of the same mind, but no one said a word. Mostly because no one knew the particulars behind Chrissy’s shocking decision to turn her back on her musical passion. Oh, she’d given them a reason, a sentimental doozy having to do with her daughter’s hearing loss. But there was more to it. Something to do with Melody’s father. The man’s identity was as much of a mystery to the Inseparables as the details pertaining to “the grudge”.

Yep, all of the Mooneys were famous for internalizing their private struggles.