Liam

by James, Nicole

  “You ever ridden before?” he asked, strapping his on and slipping a pair of sunglasses over his eyes. He stepped to her, carefully pulling the shades she had pushed up on her head down over her eyes.

  She grinned at his attentiveness. “No, I’ve never been on one.”

  He leaned down and brushed his lips against hers, drawing her hips forward until she was flush against him. When he lifted his head, he asked, “You okay with taking the bike? If not, we can take my truck.”

  She found it sweet that he would ask, wanting her to be comfortable with this. She stepped back and put the helmet on her head. “I want to ride.”

  “My kind of girl.” He buckled the strap under her chin and moved to the motorcycle. Throwing his leg over the seat, he lifted the heavy bike off its kickstand and fired it up. It roared to life with the unmistakable rumble of a Harley. He looked back at her and jerked his chin. “Climb on, darlin’.”

  She did without hesitation, pressing close against his back and wrapping her arms around him.

  “You good?” he asked over his shoulder.

  When she nodded, he pulled out and they roared down the street. Her exhilaration factor went from zero to off the charts in two-point-six seconds, and she couldn’t keep from grinning. Everything was different riding down the street on the bike. She felt the wind on her face and the power of the bike under her. She had an unobstructed view of the scenery around her; it was totally different than riding in a vehicle.

  He stopped at a light a few blocks down and put his boots down on the pavement, then patted her thigh with his left hand. “You good?”

  “This is awesome!”

  He chuckled. “That’s my girl.”

  The light changed, and they roared off.

  Soon they were riding down Interstate 70 and headed up into the mountains. They rode for about twenty minutes before Liam exited and made a left turn down a dirt road. Velvet had never been up into the mountains around here, and she couldn’t help being in awe of the beauty all around her. Still, she wondered where they were going. About a mile down the road, she had her answer; he turned again at a small sign that read Wild Horse Refuge.

  There was a closed metal gate. He stopped the bike, and they climbed off. She was surprised when he walked over, opened the gate, and rolled the bike through. “What are you doing? Are we supposed to be here?”

  “Yeah. The gate isn’t to keep us out; it’s to keep the horses and foals from wandering off the protected area.”

  They rode the bike farther up the dirt trail several miles, its engine rumbling quietly. Liam finally coasted to a stop where the dirt road split. He dug out Velvet’s sling bag, the paper bag, and some bottles of water and shoved them into a nylon backpack. He stowed their helmets, but they kept the sunglasses. Slipping the pack on his back, he held his hand out to her. “Come on.”

  She took it and they walked a trail that followed along a creek bed. Velvet was in awe of the rugged scenery all around them. “How big is this place?”

  “Thirty-six thousand acres. Made up mostly of rocky canyons and plateaus. This entrance isn’t too steep, though. We’ll follow the creek bed. It’s not too far of a hike in. There’s one hill at the beginning, then we’ll continue on a fairly flat wash for a long while.”

  “You’ve been here before?”

  “Once, a long time ago.”

  “And there are wild horses here?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Then I’m glad I brought my camera.”

  He turned to smile at her. “Is that why that bag is so heavy?”

  She grinned back. “Yep.”

  “You like to take pictures?” he asked as they walked.

  She shrugged. “It’s kind of a hobby, nothing serious.”

  “And what are you serious about?”

  She huffed out a laugh. “I don’t think anyone has ever asked me that.”

  “There must be something.”

  “There is. I’m just not sure I want to share it.”

  He looked over at her. “Hmm. Mysterious.”

  “Not really, just… I wouldn’t want you to laugh.”

  “Why would I laugh?”

  She shrugged.

  They walked along the trail in silence for a few steps before he stopped and turned her to him. “Velvet, I promise I won’t laugh.” And then he did the one thing that was her undoing. He made an X over his chest. “Cross my heart.”

  And with those three little words and that gesture, she was a fifteen-year-old girl again, asking him to promise to do right by her tattoo. She started to get choked up and was afraid he would see it and think she was crazy for getting so emotional. So she fought off the feeling with a flippant reply, turning to walk again. “Fine. Whatever. It’s no big deal.”

  He fell in beside her. “Then tell me.

  “I want to open a coffee shop.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes. A quaint little vintage coffee shop with multi-paned windows like an old English shop. And there’d be a fireplace and books to read—lots of books, shelves full of them, and a little corner for children with a colorful rug for them to lay on and read while their parents sip my amazing coffee drinks.”

  He huffed out a soft laugh. “Wow.”

  She came to an abrupt stop, whirling on him. “You find it funny? The tatted-up girl wants to do something so… so vanilla and mundane? Oh, the irony of it, huh?” There was more irony to it than that, if he only knew she couldn’t even read, he’d be laughing his ass off. She stalked off, but he grabbed her arm, stopping her.

  “Wait a damn minute. That’s not what I was thinking. You could never be vanilla, Velvet. Not in a million years.”

  “I saw your reaction.”

  “I’m in awe, is all. You have it worked out, down to the last detail. Hell, I can practically see the place in my head.”

  “Really?” She stared intently at him. It would mean the world to her if he liked her idea.

  He chuckled. “I can even smell the coffee.” He took in a deep breath. “And it smells delicious.”

  She giggled and shook her head, looking down to kick a stone. “You’re delusional. And teasing me.”

  “I’d go to a place like that.”

  That brought her head up. “You would?”

  “Hell, yeah. I think a lot of people would go there.” He took her hand and began walking again. “I think Grand Junction could really use a place like that.”

  She stared at the ground. She’d never thought of settling permanently in Grand Junction and certainly never imagined opening her coffee shop there.

  “I’d love to do whatever I can to help you make it happen.”

  No one had ever offered to help her. “Are you serious?”

  “Serious as a heart attack, lady.”

  “Thanks, but… Well, for now it’s just a dream. It was a goal I thought I’d gotten close to but…”

  “But what? I thought your calendar was selling well.”

  “It was. It did phenomenal.”

  “You didn’t make enough to get started?”

  “I…” She paused, hesitant to admit she’d been swindled.

  “Velvet?” He stopped her again.

  She took a deep breath and blurted it out. “I had a location all lined up. I was this close to signing the lease and putting up the money. But it all fell through.”

  “How? Why?”

  “My photographer took off with all the profits.”

  “You’re shittin’ me.”

  “Nope.”

  “Son-of-a-bitch, sweetheart. I’m sorry. How much did he take?”

  “Fifteen grand. It would have been almost enough.”

  “I’m so sorry.”

  “I shouldn’t have trusted him.”

  “Why?”

  She just shook her head. “I keep getting used.”

  He searched her face. “Let’s find him and kick his ass.”

  “He’s disappeared and changed his number
. I tried contacting the woman he was dating, but she says he broke up with her just after the show, and she hasn’t seen him.” She realized she was really bringing the mood of the day down. Shrugging, she shook it off and continued walking. “Spilt milk. Nothing I can do about it now.”

  “So that’s why you’re working at House of Ink? You needed a job?”

  “It was the first thing that came along. It’s just until I can get some modeling jobs lined up or something.” She hadn’t told him that her brother owned the shop and didn’t plan to admit it now.

  “I see. So you won’t be staying in town?”

  He sounded almost heartbroken. She smiled and bumped shoulders with him. “I’m finding more and more reasons to stay.”

  “I aim to be one of them.”

  “You are.”

  “Good.”

  He looked happy again and she liked seeing that.

  “You’ll get through this, Velvet. The modeling jobs will start rolling in, and we can get you another photographer—one with ethics. I’m sure Jameson knows someone.”

  “I suppose.” Glancing over, she saw only honest caring and concern, not any motive to get something from her like so many men in her past. And for just a moment she wondered if she should tell him her other secrets—about not being able to read, about her brother owning the shop, and most importantly about who her family was and the con on Brothers Ink of which she’d taken part. Would he understand?

  Harsh reality descended. No, of course he wouldn’t; he couldn’t. No normal person could understand what that kind of life was like, and there was no way he’d ever be able to forgive her.

  Still, something inside her, perhaps some self-sabotaging mechanism, wanted to throw all her cards on the table and see if he really did care. To stop herself from the temptation to blurt out the truth, she turned the tables on him. “How about you?”

  “How about me what?”

  “I shared something personal. Now you share something about you.”

  “I hate snakes.”

  “That’s not very personal.”

  “It is when I come across one.”

  “Come on, be serious. Who is Liam O’Rourke?”

  He cocked his head, considering. “Hmm. Well, I’m very protective, soft-hearted, hard-headed, and a smartass.”

  “Really? What else?”

  “I can be blunt, hedonistic, impatient, and a little OCD.”

  “Wow. You’re a mess,” she teased.

  He chuckled. “Yep. Sound like a real catch, don’t I?”

  She laughed with him. “The body makes up for it.”

  “Oh, really?”

  “Now tell me something serious. Something you haven’t shared with anyone.”

  He stared off at the horizon a moment, and then admitted, “Rory says I’m afraid to take a risk with people.”

  “And you believe him, why?”

  “It’s probably true.”

  She frowned. “Why are you afraid?”

  He shrugged. “I don’t know.”

  “Yes, you do.”

  His eyes came to hers, searching. “My parents died when I was in my early teens. I’ve been sort of closed off since then.”

  “I’m so sorry. What happened?”

  “Car accident. Jameson was supposed to head off to college that fall. He gave that up, got a job, and raised us all.”

  “It must have been very hard for all of you.”

  He nodded. “Max struggled with a lot of anger, started getting into street fights, eventually found a place called Pops’ Gym and took up boxing. That straightened him out. Me? I just sort of closed down and stopped caring about much of anything. Jameson got me working at the shop right out of high school, taught me everything I know. I just sort of put myself into that.”

  “You’re like me. Afraid of getting hurt, of losing one more thing…”

  He studied her and finally nodded. “Yeah, I suppose so.”

  She looked away. She wanted more than anything in that moment to be able to assure him she would never hurt him, but that would be a lie. If and when he found out the truth about her, it would hurt him deeply.

  “You’re the first person I’ve ever thought was worth the risk, Velvet.”

  Her eyes stung with unshed tears. God, she didn’t want to hurt him. He was everything she ever wanted in a man, and perhaps if things had been different, if she’d never walked into Brothers Ink all those years ago—

  “I admire the way you’re not afraid to go for it.”

  Maybe that was true everywhere else in her life, but it wasn’t the case where he was concerned. Here in this moment she was terrified to go for what she really wanted. Blinking away the moisture in her eyes, she tried to laugh it off. “Thanks, that means a lot. So, tell me, Liam, do you like what you do?”

  “What, tattooing?”

  She nodded.

  “I do.”

  “What else do you like?”

  “Rock climbing, working with strays at the shelter, and old school vinyl albums.”

  “Vinyl, that’s cool. Do you collect them?”

  “I have a few.”

  She grinned. “Why do I feel like that’s an understatement?”

  “Okay, more than a few.”

  “Tell me about the animal shelter.”

  He shrugged. “I found a stray once, took it in to see if it had a microchip. Pam runs the place; she kind of roped me into helping out. Now I go down there whenever I get time. She’s a great lady… really cares about the animals. You’ll have to come out to my brother’s place and see the sweet pup I just took there for his son, Ben. Max says two hit it off right away. Buddy even slept on Ben’s bed last night.”

  “I’d love to meet them.” She tucked her hand in his arm. “So, Pam at the shelter, Mrs. Heinzlemann down at the bakery, seems like this whole town loves you.” That was something she longed for—to belong and be accepted by the community rather than be shunned and hated like her family had been. She was self-aware enough to know that was probably what the dream of the coffee shop was all about—gaining that love and acceptance.

  “It wasn’t always that way. There was a time when people in town didn’t think too much of us. Four boys growing up without parents, running loose on the town with just an eighteen-year-old as the head of the household, and one that took up tattooing as the way to support us all. No, it wasn’t that way at all.”

  “What changed?”

  “Jameson became famous when he was asked to do a reality show. Suddenly he was the town’s favorite son. Funny how fame works. Guess it made people give us a chance. They got to see our personalities on TV and that we weren’t something to be feared, that we weren’t some lowlife criminals or something.”

  Which was exactly what they would think of her.

  A chipmunk scurried across their path, and they reached the top of a rise. Velvet’s eyes were on the loose gravel and stone, not wanting to lose her footing when Liam grabbed her forearm. She glanced up, and he had his finger over his mouth indicating she should stay quiet. He lifted his chin toward the distance.

  There, partway up on the side of the canyon was a horse. It was black and white, painted like one she imagined a Native American would have ridden in the old west. It stood out against the brown landscape.

  “Oh my God,” Velvet whispered.

  “And look over there,” Liam murmured. Her eyes followed his gaze, and she spotted a buckskin-colored mare and foal.

  “This is amazing! Quick, give me my camera.”

  Liam slipped the pack off his wide shoulders and quietly unzipped it. He passed her bag to her, and she pulled out her Nikon. She popped off the lens cap and put it to her eye, adjusting the focus.

  She clicked away, flipping the camera back and forth and shifting to get different angles.

  To their right, there was a nicker from a very close distance. They both turned to see a big chestnut stallion with a black mane and tail. It stood proudly staring at them f
rom just twenty yards away.

  “Wow,” was all Velvet could say.

  “He’s a beauty. Must stand fifteen hands high. Just stay still,” Liam murmured.

  The stallion tossed his head.

  “He’s posing for you, babe.”

  Velvet brought the camera up and zoomed in for a great shot. These were going to be amazing; she couldn’t wait to print them.

  After a few minutes, the horse trotted off.

  Liam grabbed her arm. “Come on.”

  They followed the stallion for a while, and Velvet got a lot more photos. He didn’t seem to care that they were there. Eventually he moved off down the canyon to the others.

  Liam gestured to some flat rocks. “Let’s sit.”

  The rocks were warm from the sun that had now climbed high in the sky. Liam dug in his pack and took out the paper bag containing the sandwiches. He passed one to her along with a bottle of water.

  Velvet unwrapped hers and took a big bite, then moaned around the mouthful. When she swallowed it down, she declared, “Best sandwich ever!”

  Liam smiled and put a water bottle to his mouth, tilted it up, and guzzled it. She watched the muscles in his neck work. He really was quite handsome.

  He caught her watching and set the half-empty bottle down on the rock between them. “You having a good time?”

  She looked out at the view. “I’m have a wonderful time. It’s gorgeous up here. Thank you for bringing me. Seeing wild horses like that… It was amazing. I’d have to say this is the most unique experience I’ve ever had.”

  “Good. I’m glad you like it up here. Not everyone is the outdoor type.”

  Her brows rose. “You mean not every girl is the outdoor type.”

  He chuckled. “Yeah, that’s what I meant.”

  “Um hmm.” She cocked her head at him. “Was this a test?”

  “No.”

  “It so totally was.” She smacked his shoulder.

  “I admit nothing.” He chuckled, finished the last bite of his sandwich, and looked over at her. “But, since you passed, maybe we could go camping one night up at Dominguez Canyon.”

  “Ah ha! It was a test!”

  He grinned, not confirming.

  “Where’s Dominguez Canyon?”

  “It’s not far, but it’s in the other direction. It’s even prettier than this place.”