Wild Ride (8 page)

The boys had one more week of break before they started back to school.  She’d been too tired both days to go downstairs for dinner
, so Chuck and the boys had brought up a table cloth and they’d had a picnic in her room.

When her mother came home from work
Meredith listened as Carla gave Chuck instructions on where they would be over the weekend and phone numbers there.  Then she heard him heading up the stairs.  She could tell it was him by the way he walked.

He knocked and then stuck his head in her door “We still up for tomorrow?”
he asked.

“Yea,
eight thirty,” she replied.

“See you in the morning then
, Edith,”

“Night
, Charlie,” she smiled.

When her alarm went off the following morning she was surprised at the energy she had.  It seemed like the more she did during the day the more energy she
built up.  The past few nights when she went to bed, it was because she was tired… not because she’d never left it. 

She felt good…
great actually.  Maybe it was from the attitude adjustment that Chuck had given her but either way she felt good.

She managed to get in the shower on her own and
, grinning like a fool, shaved her legs.  She was blow drying her hair when her mom and the boys came in to say goodbye before heading out on their trip.

“What’s this all about?”
her mother asked as she eyed the blow dryer.

“Chuck invited me to watch him paint a motorcycle where he works today
,” she said with a smile.

“Are you sure you’re up for that?”
Carla asked with a worried look.

“Yea, it’ll be fun…and it gets me out of the house.  A theme park might be a bit much but sitting around watching someone else work I think I can handle
,” she said with a reassuring smile.

Her mother smiled and kissed the top of her head
, advised her she would leave the door unlocked for Chuck and to make sure to lock it before they left.

With that they
left and she finished her hair and applied her makeup.  If not for the stump she’d look damn good.

She hadn’t realized she was listening for Chuck until she heard the front door open and the sounds of him talking.

“Hey, Dana…what’s up?” Chuck said and then after a long pause she heard him on the stairs. “Hey…slow down, babe.”

Dana?  Babe?
  Who was he talking to?  She’d not contemplated that he might have a girlfriend. 
Did he?
  If so why… maybe he hadn’t been flirting and she’d just misinterpreted his behavior toward her?

“Umm…
okay but I’m actually closer to you than the shop but I’m on the bike… and I’ll have a friend with me,” he said as he entered her room and smiled at her.

A friend?
  She couldn’t quite help the disappointment those words caused.  It wasn’t like this was a date or anything other than friendship.

His words were accurate but it didn’t take away the disappointment.  She was stupid for even entertaining that thought anyway.  First he was a criminal and second she was handicapped
.  Besides they had absolutely
nothing
in common.

She forced a smile as he said
, “Ok, sit tight and I’ll be there in like ten minutes.  Bye.” His eyes seemed to devour her and she told her racing heartbeat to chill… his look meant nothing.  He set his backpack on the foot of her bed and unzipped it taking out the helmet he’d brought on Ben’s birthday.

“Everything ok?”
she asked.

“Dana’s car died so we’re going to have to make a pit stop
,” he said. “She just got groceries and has the kids with her.”

Kids!
  Stupid her for not asking questions!  It was too late to back out now without giving away too much.

“Sure…
ok,” she replied stupidly.

“If I can’t get it started…
I don’t know what to tell her.  It’s not like I can pack everyone on the bike and the groceries too,” he said looking worried.

“We could take my car…”
she offered.

A look of confusion crossed his face “You have a car…you can drive…?”
he stammered.

“Yes I have a car!  I haven’t
always
been a cripple!  It’s in the garage and hasn’t been driven in… but yes I have one.  The keys are on the key holder in the kitchen,” she said unable to keep the sarcasm and hostility out of her voice.

“I’m sorry…I didn’t mean…”
he started. “And you’re not a cripple… don’t say that… you’re just a smartass with a disability, that’s all.”

She was letting her disappointment at the situation ruin things.  She’d looked forward to today for the past two…
and she’d spent enough time pouting over her injuries.  Chuck was fun… she could either settle for being his friend… or be a bitch…
alone.

“Sorry…”
she said. “I shouldn’t have bit your head off like that.”

Laughing he said
, “Old people can be like that sometimes, Edith.” Then smiling and setting the helmet on her dresser he continued, “Forgiven… but we need to go… Gretchen is hard to handle when she has to wait or gets bored.”

He presented his back to her and
, as though they’d practiced it a hundred times, she jumped on and he grabbed her purse.  After finding the keys to the house and to her car, they headed out to the garage.

“I think you should drive
,” she said.  Then seeing the grin on his face as he looked back at her, she said, “I know… I know… you’re an excellent driver,” she laughed.

After getting her settled in the passenger’s seat he said
, “We should take your chair… it will be a whole lot more comfortable and cleaner than anything else we have in the shop.”

With that he started the car and backed out of the garage. 
After pulling his bike inside they figured out that the garage door opener no longer worked so he got out and closed it on his way back in the house.  After a few minutes he came back out the front door carrying her wheelchair. 

After locking the house he walked to the rear of her car and yelled
, “Pop the trunk.”

She had to lean across the seat to reach the latch
for the trunk.  After stuffing her chair in the trunk and getting in the driver’s seat, he started up the car and they were headed out.  Looking down at the dashboard display he said, “We’re going to have to stop for gas soon.”

Then
turning to her with a knowing look he said, “Do you have a gas can?”

“I think there is one back in the garage…
why?” she asked.

“Instincts
,” he muttered, turning the car around and heading back to the house.

After collecting the gas can from the garage and locking the house back up they drove to a grocery store not too far from her house.  Chuck pulled up alongside another car and a tall woman with long red hair got out of the car holding an infant, as did an angelic looking little girl around the same age as Ben.

“I’m only going to ask this based on past experiences… are you out of gas by any chance?” Chuck asked the woman she presumed was Dana.

Looking thoughtful
the woman smiled and then looked away. “Possibly…” she finally answered.

Chuck walked over
, got in the driver’s seat and turned the key then turned it back off and got back out of the car.

“Yea…
the little red light that looks like a gas can… when it comes on that means you need to stop for gas…” he said with a sarcastic laugh.

“I’m sorry
, Chuck… things have been crazy these past few weeks now that Melody’s home…” the woman said looking stressed and tired, but happy all at the same time.

“Not to worry…
I came prepared to unlock your door… change a flat tire… or even put in enough gas to get you to a gas station.” he said, pulling the gas can out of the trunk of Meredith’s car.

“Don’t tell Tommy…
please?” the woman said with a laugh and then noticing Meredith sitting alone in the car, leaned down further and said, “Hi, I’m Dana.”

The angelic looking little girl slipped past the woman and climbed in the backseat of her car and looked at Dana
. “I want to go to work with Uncle Chuck,” she said.

Meredith
was a little surprised at the level of relief she felt hearing the child refer to him as ‘Uncle.’  She’d grown more and more uncomfortable and awkward for even being there.

“That’s Edith…
I mean Meredith” Chuck said and then winked at her. “And I can’t take you with me, Gretchen… I have to paint all day and Lilly’s too busy right now to watch you.”

“Your girlfriend can watch me
,” Gretchen yelled back at Chuck while buckling her seatbelt. “And I promise to be good.”

“Gretchen, why don’t you go with me for now and maybe when Daddy gets home we can go to Gran’s house?” Dana offered.

“I could go to Gran’s with Lilly and meet you there
,” Gretchen suggested and then looking at Chuck said, “Please?”

Dana looked at Chuck and gave a non-committal shrug.

“I can’t say no, Dana… I try… but I can’t” he said with a smile.  Then looking at Gretchen and sighing he said, “Get your seat.”

“Yes!” Gretchen whispered
.  She unbuckled her seatbelt and got back out of the car to retrieve a child’s booster seat from the back of the other vehicle.

After Chuck had poured gas into
the tank, Dana began buckling the tiny infant back into its car seat.  Then looking at Chuck she said, “Double thanks,” and then looked pointedly at Gretchen.

“I’ll follow you to make sure you make it to the gas station
,” he said.

After watching Dana’s car pull into a local gas station he smiled over at her and said
, “Sorry…” 

She smiled back at him
, “Your sister seems nice…”

He laug
hed and said, “I’m an only child.  Dana’s my buddy Tommy’s girlfriend.  The rug rat in the back and the baby are his daughters.”

“Shut it
, Chuckie… I’m not a rug rat,” Gretchen said. 

Meredith
tried unsuccessfully to contain the giggle that escaped.  Chuck smiled over at her and she felt herself heat from the inside out. 
God he was downright hot!

They pulled into the lot of a building that looked like it might have been a gas station at one time.  The garage bay was open and she could see a man’s legs sticking out from under
an automobile.  Chuck got out of the car and headed to the trunk and Gretchen got out of her seatbelt and opened the door.

“Come on and I’ll show you around
,” she said hopping out of the car and slamming the door.

This was the part she’d been dreading…
the staring
.  Chuck closed the trunk and wheeled her chair over to her door and opened it.  Gretchen had run inside the bay and through a doorway with the words “office” printed on the glass.

She pulled herself out of the car and into her chair and Chuck closed the door and wheeled her into the bay.  Gretchen ran back through the door into the garage area with a woman following behind her.  Seeing her in the wheelchair Gretchen came to a complete stop…
and stared.

“I bet that shit hurt!” Gretchen said loudly staring at her missing foot that she’d pulled a sock over.

“Oh my God… she just cussed!” she said, looking up at Chuck who stood behind her with his hands on the bars of her chair.  He smiled down at her as though trying not to laugh.

“Gretchen…
you want to apologize for your filthy mouth?” A dark haired man said with a slight grin.  He was built even bigger than Chuck and taller…he was
huge.
  His chest and arms were massive and his dark looks made him an attractive but imposing looking man.

The man whose legs had been sticking out from under the car rolled out from under it and looked at her.  He was handsome for an old guy with dark hair that was grey along the sides.

“Sorry, Edith,” Gretchen said looking remorsefully around at those who’d gathered.

Chuck burst out laughing and walked away from her but she could see his shoulders shaking as he tried to stop.

“Shut it, Charlie,” Meredith said with a laugh.

“I like her already.  I’m Lilly Jackson.  It’s nice to meet you
, Edith,” she said, holding out her hand.

Chuck’s laughter started all over again even worse than before.

Unable to stop her own laughter she held out her hand and said “It’s Meredith actually.  It’s nice to meet you too.”

“I won’t ask because I probably don’t want to know
,” Lilly laughed looking toward Chuck.