Defying Fate (2 page)

She’s my best friend back in Iowa, and it sucked to leave her, but she understood. She always did when it came to me. Hell, she even encouraged me to get away. She once told me to run for the hills and find some hot biker to ride into the wind with. That’s my Kara, the ever loving, hot biker chick who I happen to share a love of hot biker guys with. It all started when we discovered them in the sex filled books we liked reading. Damn girl made me laugh out loud the way she went on about them. I miss her like crazy.

After we finish our chat, I take notice of my empty cupboards. Ah hell, I need to get showered and get some groceries. I need to get today’s newspaper as well so that I can start job hunting. The rent has set me back some, and unless I plan on starving by the end of my third month out here, I need to find a job.

As soon as I’ve showered, I pile my hair on top of my head and throw on some makeup. Next, I get my jeans and tank top on, and then I’m out the door. Smiling as I walk down the walkway to my car. This is the first time I have smiled a genuine smile in what feels like forever.

While driving down the street I take a good look at my new neighbors. All seems well and quiet until I get to the corner. I come to a stop because I see four Harley-Davidson’s parked in the driveway. This makes me smile even wider because Kara would totally love the sight of all these bikes. Shaking my head, I laugh as I notice three huge men coming out of the house. Oh, Sweet Jesus! I try not to look obvious, but seeing gigantic, delicious male specimens walking out of a house will stop traffic any day of the week.

Oh yeah. Bikers. Damn, not only do they look like a stereotypical biker should look, they are hot as holy hell. I so have to call Kara later. She will have me bringing my new neighbors hot meals in order to introduce myself. Better yet, she might move out here as well. It wouldn’t be for me either; it would be for the Harleys down the street from me. Shit, all this smiling is making my cheeks hurt.

Driving away, I hear the rumbling of the bikes as they start to life. Damn! I will have to keep driving by here and checking out my new neighbors.

Welcome to the neighborhood, Izzy.

THE NEXT FEW DAYS
go by fast. I’m slowly getting some furniture in the house and some food to stock my cupboards. I have yet to find a job, but that’s okay. I’m getting a chance to get settled into my new life. I found some awesome flowers at the store, so I’m ready to head out and plant them in the front yard. My lovely landlord suggested I could dress the place up with flowers. I can honestly say that Mrs. Kennedy is the sweetest old lady I have ever met. All four feet seven inches of her, I just wanted to hug her to death. My display of gratitude would probably crush this sweet petite woman.

Knee deep in dirt and flowers I hum along to Muse, my favorite band in my library. It’s a beautiful day, and the morning rain shower has been just what the ground needed.

I’m so absorbed in my planting that I don’t realize I have company until a slight movement catches my eye and startles the hell out of me. Of course, I calm down when I see that I have been snuck up on by a sweet-faced little girl of maybe six or seven, dressed in jeans with a cute blouse and boots up to her knees. Her look is adorable, but eye-raising. It’s like she’s trying to look older than she is.

I give her a smile.

She smiles right back.

Okay. I guess I’m going to need to talk first. Keeping my tone friendly and non-threatening, I greet her. “Hi, I’m sorry I didn’t see anyone standing there.”

“Hi, I like your flowers.” She is eyeing my planted flowers, smiling from ear to ear.

“Thank you,” I reply, getting a little dazzled by her big and happy brown eyes. “I think they will brighten up the yard. Do you live around here?”

“Yes, I live down the street.”

“Oh, my name is Izzy, what is yours?” I raised my eyes to look at her. ‘Down the street huh?’

“My name is Eve.” She sways back and forth in her boots, and looks down at them like she’s suddenly shy. “Can I help you plant your flowers? I don’t get to do plant stuff at home. My daddy doesn't get into flowers and stuff.”

My curiosity peaks. “What about your momma?”

Her smile drops away, and she winces like it’s a sore subject, and I want to take my question back.

Shit. What do I say? Great, Izzy, you make this cute, little girl sad and you have no idea how to fix it. Say something. “I’m sorry; I shouldn’t have said that.”

“No, it’s okay. My momma isn’t around much. I live with my daddy. I... I should go. Nice meeting you Izzy.”

I can’t stand the sight of her apparent sadness, her smile replaced with a frown, so I blurt out. “Eve, maybe tomorrow you can stop by and help me? Ask your dad if that would be alright?”

Her eyes get wide with excitement. “Awesome that’s great. I’d love to. My daddy will be happy to hear a pretty lady moved down the street from us.”

I burst out laughing.

Okay. That last part is not quite what I was expecting. I force back a chuckle. “Oh. Well. Just make sure he knows you’re here so he won’t get worried.” The last thing, I need, is an angry dad at me right now. And, just in case her daddy is one of those Harley riding men, I really don’t need to piss him off.

“I sure will. Bye Izzy, it was nice to meet you.” She waves her hand and starts walking away.

Gosh, what a cute and sweet little girl. I wipe my hands on my jeans and wave right back. “Bye Eve, see you after school?” I assume she’s coming from school based on her having a backpack hanging off her shoulder.

Suddenly she stops and turns. “Please don’t plant anymore. Wait for me, okay?” She eyes the unplanted flowers on the ground by my feet.

“No problem sweetheart, I’ll save you plenty of flowers and dirt to dig up.”

She strolls down the street, and I watch her. I am making sure she gets home okay. Yep, that’s all. I’m not waiting to see which home she goes to. Okay, that’s a lie. I’m totally watching to see which house it is.

As she passes house after house, I can feel my heart start to race. Sure enough, she walks right to the end of the street and enters the house that had the Harley’s parked in its driveway earlier today. “Oh, Shit.” Huh, well that is interesting.

****

JUST LIKE CLOCKWORK
the next day a jubilant and excited Eve comes skipping along into my yard. I timed it so that I’d be out here at the exact same time as yesterday.

“Oh my gosh, I’m so excited to help you,” she gushes with that radiant smile of hers back in place. “This is awesome. I told my daddy all about you and how I was helping you make your yard beautiful.”

She carries on talking a mile a minute and I can’t help wonder when she last saw her mother. Eve’s more than excited, it’s like she never gets any fun girl-time. I wonder if she ever spends time with any females, I find it sad and unnerving.

Finally, she stops to catch her breath and I finally get a chance to speak. “Eve, I’m so glad you’re here and eager to help me. How did I get so lucky to get such a great helper and neighbor?” I wink down at her smiling face.

Nodding back at me, she’s smiling from ear to ear. “That’s me; I am a good helper. My daddy says so.”

Gosh, what a sweetheart. It warms my heart to hear her talking about her daddy with such happiness. He seems like a great dad. I can’t help myself; I move the hair from her face and tuck it behind her ear.

“I bet he does, let’s get to work.” Her smile is infectious.

We spend the better part of the next two hours working as a team. I dig the holes; Eve puts in the flowers and we cover them back up. We laugh and chat as we work, getting to know each other.

I find out she lives with her dad, and her mom is hardly a presence in her life. It instantly makes me mad and sad. This little girl is like the daughter I never got to have. I still want a baby but with the nightmare I just escaped from, it is the last thing on my mind. Hell, from what I had learned, the possibility of my body carrying a child is close to zero. He took that from me.

Eve pulls me out of my dark thoughts with her excitement. “Izzy, I am all dirty, but hey, look at our flower garden! We put together the nicest yard on the street. My daddy said he would drive by later and look at our hard work.”

I focus my attention on the patch of garden we’ve been working on. She’s right; it does look fantastic. Her dad driving by, now that has my attention.

“What does your dad do?” I ask while removing a few yellowed leaves from the otherwise perfect flowers. Don’t sound too interested Izzy.

Wiping her face with the back of her hand, she smudges a dirt streak up her cheek. It’s adorable. “He owns a shop in town.”

“What kind of shop does he have?” Okay, I am quizzing this poor little girl about her Harley loving daddy. It feels wrong and creepy. But I still do it.

“They work on cars and bikes. My daddy’s the boss. The guys all look up to him.” The pride in her words warms me. When she talks about her daddy, she glows.

Smiling, I add. “I bet they do.”

We finish up, and Eve strolls down the street towards her house. Once I’ve made sure that she reached it, I finally go inside to wash my hands in the sink. Moments later I hear the rumbling of a motorcycle as it drives up the street. It seems to slow down as it passes my house and then revs up once again.

Shit. I guess he did drive by to check out the yard. Why do I care? Why should I let this excite me? Just the thought that some big, burly, probably incredibly hot looking guy is driving by my house is insane.

Oh God, get a grip Izzy. He is driving by to see the flowers that his daughter helped to plant.

I need a life. And better yet, a sex life.

After my shower, I lie in bed, letting my thoughts return to the rumbling of that motorcycle as it passed by my house. Damn, all of those sexy romance books have me thinking that every biker is big, burly and hot as hell. A man who would know just what a girl like me needed. He would take me over. His dominance would seduce me and I would submit to him willingly. I would surrender all of my insecurities, my fears, and he would take me in his big arms and never let me go. He would possess my body and own my soul in very splendid ways.

Yeah, drifting off to sleep, I picture myself in the arms of a broad-shouldered man with pythons for arms, and tattoos that weave intricate designs as they lace themselves around my small body. In my fantasies, his smell and dark and sexy voice are a complete turn on. His hands are rough with calloused fingertips, but man, I bet they’d feel like heaven against my skin. I can only imagine how incredible his hard body would feel against mine. It has me getting all kinds of turned on, and my last naughty thought puts a smile on my face. Okay, more like an enormous smile.

Yeah, tonight I would not worry.

Tonight I would not think about my past.

SATURDAY MORNING CAME,
and I was sleeping soundly, but a constant knocking at my door had me wiping the sleep out of my eyes. Jesus H. Christ, who the hell is at my door? I am like the walking dead, stumbling in the direction of that annoying knock. The floors are cold on my bare feet. Oh man, I need socks.

Opening the door, I find my sweet little helper staring up at me looking uneasy. Her shy smile alone wakes me from my sleepy haze. Even though I’m surprised to see her here so early, it makes me really happy.

Grinning at her, I say. “Hey Eve, how are you sweetie?”

“Hey Izzy.” Her big brown eyes light up like liquid honey. So pretty. “I wanted to spend some time with you if you don’t mind. I asked my daddy, and he said it was okay with him.”

Really? It’s odd he let his daughter spend a Saturday morning with some strange woman who he’s never even met. I could be about to throw a wild party for all he knows. Then again, it’s odd that he allowed her to visit me on a weekday. Shit. Maybe he doesn’t care. Maybe all my dreams of him are totally off base, and he is actually some asshole; a lousy excuse for a dad. Great, there goes my dream of a sexy, Harley riding, man with a heart of gold. Dammit all to hell and back. My dreams were just starting to get good too.

I open my door wider and try to shake off my less than subtle thoughts of a big, hot biker doing all sorts of naughty things to me. I’m better off concentrating on the little girl looking at me with a huge frigging smile on her face. “Come in honey, I just need to get dressed quickly.” When she doesn’t move fast enough, I put my arm around her shoulder and bring her inside. I don’t need my neighbors to get an eyeful of me in my sleepy state.