Burning Hot Rumors (Choices: Tarkio MC Book 2)

by Debra Kayn

  Around the first corner, he burned rubber on the asphalt. Callie's go-go-go chant grew louder until she popped her head up and looked behind them.

  As if she'd successfully escaped with her life, she beamed a smile across the seat at him. And, he was lost. Completely in love with her.

  Chapter 17

  Callie

  FIVE MINUTES BEFORE opening the gas station, Callie carried the Nordstrom bag Kent left at the house last night and set it by the back door of the gas station where he would be sure to see it when he got to work. She'd forgotten all about him bringing the bag to the trailer after their egging escapade.

  It wasn't until she moved through the house, shutting off the lights before bed, that she'd spotted the package left behind. Curiosity got her out of bed twenty minutes later, and she peeked inside, finding several pairs of jeans and some shirts. Brand new women's clothing.

  At first, she assumed Kent had a girlfriend and meant to take the bag back to his van. Until she remembered that he'd mentioned having something for her.

  But there was no reason for him to give her clothes. They weren't even her size. Plus, sharing one dinner together had nothing to do with them having any kind of a relationship past being coworkers. Technically, she was his boss.

  She walked inside and flipped on the lights. The sun showed up later each day, it would be almost eight o'clock before it was full daylight out.

  Unlocking the register, she took the money bag out of her back pocket and filled each slot with different denominations. Most of the customers paid with cash. Though some of the older locals liked to write a check. Only the bigger companies in the area used a company-issued credit card when they purchased gas.

  The rumble of a motorcycle grew louder. Her stomach fluttered, remembering last night. She hadn't expected to enjoy throwing eggs at Josh's truck as much as she had. It was such a juvenile thing to do, and despite knowing how wrong it was to take out her anger by defacing something Josh owned, it was the most fun she'd had in forever.

  The back door opened. She walked around the counter and flipped the sign to OPEN. When she turned around, Kent walked into the store, holding the bag.

  He set the sack on the counter. "These are for you."

  She walked around him and sat on the stool, wanting to melt into the floor. It was bad enough that she struggled to take care of the gas station, the trailer, and herself now that her dad was gone, and her emotions were all over the place. She really wanted Kent to be the one man who wouldn't treat her differently.

  Buying her clothes pounded in the fact that she was failing. She wanted nothing from him. Like Josh, he'd only use a gift against her in the end.

  The last thing she wanted to do was owe him.

  "I don't want you buying anything for me." She dug into the money bag and removed Kent's paycheck, placing it in front of him. "I marked the extra hours you worked. If you think I missed any time, let me know, and I'll write you a new check."

  He pocketed the check without looking at the amount. "You need new clothes that fit."

  "I'll buy my own clothes."

  "Now, you don't have to." He slid the bag toward her. "If they don't fit, you can return them for the right size."

  "Kent." She pushed the sack toward him. "No."

  "Why not?"

  "Because I don't need someone taking care of me, and I'm not going to have sex with you because you think I owe you now." She shook her head. "Why do men think they can sweep in and say some pretty words or buy me something, and I'll spread my legs and be happy about it? God, why you of all people?"

  "Whoa, honey."

  "Don't honey me." Her eyes burned. "I wanted you to be different. I thought you weren't like every other man in Missoula."

  He stroked his beard. "I thought you—"

  "You thought wrong." She looked away. "You need to go turn on the pump. The gas station is open."

  After several seconds, he walked outside. She fanned her overheated face, trying hard not to cry. Taking the sack of clothes, she put his gift by the back door so he could take it with him at the end of the day.

  The rest of the day, Kent stayed outside, only coming in to pay her the money he collected from the pump. He ate his lunch sitting on his Harley and skipped his breaks by cleaning up outside.

  By the time she locked the back door and headed to the trailer, he'd left. She wondered if he'd be back. He was a loner, a drifter, and she'd made him mad.

  She couldn't blame him if he hit the interstate and went somewhere warmer. Her attitude about the clothes he'd bought her had frozen him out.

  Chapter 18

  Kent

  ALL WEEK, CALLIE EXPECTED Kent not to show up for work, and each day, he arrived five minutes before she opened the gas station. And, each night after work, he'd gone his way and she'd walked by herself to the trailer.

  She ripped the top of the Abba-zaba candy bar box off and added the candy to the shelf. Maybe if she went grocery shopping and mentioned she had to get home after work and cook, it would entice him to join her.

  No, that was too obvious and as bad as Kent trying to give her a gift.

  She wanted things to be normal between them. It was uncomfortable being around him since he'd tried to give her new clothes. That was something a boyfriend or husband would do, not an employee or friend.

  After a horrible week, she realized he was usually her only bright spot in the day. She set the rolls of Bottlecaps on the second shelf and carried the empty boxes behind the counter. Holding on to the stool, she stomped the cardboard flat.

  Caught in an emotional rollercoaster, the week had crawled by, and the insults and sneers from the customers aggravated her more than usual.

  The bell above the door rang. She raised her head, and her heart skipped a beat in dread at the sight of her ex-husband.

  She hadn't seen Josh since before she'd egged his truck. Her cheeks warmed. Would he be able to tell she was responsible for vandalizing his vehicle? Had he come to retaliate?

  She looked toward the back of the store, knowing Kent was putting the racks of empty bottles outside for pick up. Afraid if she yelled for Kent, Josh would cause trouble, she turned to her ex-husband.

  Josh hitched his thumb over his shoulder. "Did you lose your pump attendant?"

  Instead of answering him, she said, "What do you want?"

  "Gas, for starters." Josh leaned his hip against the counter. "I also need a pack of Marlboros."

  She bit her tongue, knowing Kent had told Josh he wasn't allowed at the gas station, and grabbed a pack of the cigarettes and put them in front of her. "I'll sell you that, but you need to get your gas over at the 76 station. I don't want your business here anymore."

  "Don't be a bitch, Callie. You know it's out of my way to drive clear across town." Josh tossed down a ten-dollar bill. "Put the change in gas. I'll pump it myself."

  "You know it's against the law for customers to fill their own car." She closed the register. "I'll pump it."

  There was no use arguing with him. If she refused to sell him gas, he'd cause a scene and, in the end, do it himself anyway because that's how Josh always acted.

  "Callie?" said Kent, behind her.

  She turned, pleading with him not to cause trouble. Once Josh left, they could pretend that she hadn't been bullied into selling him gas.

  Kent lifted his chin, motioning her away from Josh. She stepped toward him and whispered, "I already sold him—"

  "How much, honey?" He looked at her.

  More than Josh blurting out untruths about her in front of Kent, the stern expression on Kent's face pushed her into answering. "Eight dollars and thirty-five cents."

  Kent removed his wallet from the back pocket of his jeans and removed several bills. "I left the back of the store open. Why don't you go shut the door for me?"

  She hurried away, taking Kent's excuse to make her escape. Out of view in the storage room, she leaned toward the opening and strained to hear the conversation going o
n inside, but all she heard was the bell above the door ringing as the two men left.

  Her knees weakened, and she slowly stepped out and looked through the front glass doors. Kent stood in front of Josh, who waved the cash in his hand and talked. No, yelled. His arm made erratic and threatening movements.

  She hurried over to get the phone, and Kent walked inside. Ignoring him, she peered outside. It surprised her to see Josh leaving in his truck.

  "He's banned from ever setting foot in here." Kent shook his head when she opened her mouth. "I don't want him around you."

  "I can't—"

  "Then, I will," said Kent.

  "No, I'm saying I can't force him to leave when he shows up. He doesn't listen to me. He never has. If I try, he's only going to start spreading lies about me." She sank down on the stool and propped her elbow on the counter to cradle her head with her hand. "He'll be back."

  "Probably."

  She looked up at him. "You don't know what you're doing. He's not someone who will let you keep pushing him out of the gas station. Everyone—and I mean everyone—supports him. It won't matter if you go in front of a judge and swear on a bible that you asked him to leave, and when he wouldn't, you banned him. Josh will give a completely different story and make you look like the bad guy. You could even end up in jail."

  "Then I'll have a nice cot, three meals a day, and a blanket. It's probably more comfortable than my van."

  She glared. "That's not funny."

  "Listen, honey. I've dealt with men like Hill before. I'll handle him," said Kent.

  She sighed and opened the register. Counting out the correct amount of money Josh had given her, and Kent used to get rid of him, she handed the cash and coins to him.

  "Keep it. There are only ten minutes left of the day, and I'll be shutting off the pump." Kent zipped up his leather coat and walked toward the door.

  Her head pounded. Afraid he was in over his head with Josh, she worried about him sleeping in a van. If Josh wanted to hurt him, he would have no problem breaking in and attacking him while he slept.

  "Hey," he called from the front of the store.

  She leaned over the counter. "Yeah?"

  "It's starting to snow." He opened the door.

  A gush of cold air came inside. Like a slap in the face, tears filled her eyes. Her dad always celebrated the first snow of the season with her, making it seem like the most magical time of the year.

  Her chest tremored, and she swiped at her cheeks as she watched the big, white flakes fall at a steady rate.

  "Callie?" Kent was at her side. "What's wrong?"

  She shook her head and tried to smile through the sadness that hit her out of nowhere. Not a day went by that she hadn't missed her dad. She would give anything to have him back.

  "I...it's just..." Her chest quivered. "My dad never failed to make hot chocolate when the snow started falling. Even after my divorce, when I was too old to be impressed by the drink, Dad would always make the first snow day special for me."

  "He liked the snow?"

  She smiled sadly. "Yeah, even though it made more work for him." She gasped. "Oh, no."

  "What?"

  "Dad always put the plow on the truck in October so it would be ready when it started to snow, and I haven't done that yet. If it snows more than a couple of inches tonight, the customers won't be able to pull off the road in the morning because the berm will be too high." She smacked her hand against her forehead. "I'm going to have to see if Mr. Jennings can squeeze me in tomorrow morning. Maybe I won't have to close the gas station a full day."

  "Hold on." He tapped the counter with his knuckles. "If you can close the gas station by yourself tonight, I can go to Curley's, borrow any tools I need, and come back and install the plow on the truck. I need to get my Harley back to Curley's anyway, and pick up my van in case the snow starts sticking."

  "You know how to hook up the plow?"

  "No, but I'll ask Curley. It can't be that hard, and I'm good with tools. I know he's got a plow on his truck at the house. I'm sure he knows someone who can walk me through it."

  "That would be sweet if you could do it." She exhaled in a steady stream. "I'll pay you extra, of course."

  "Don't worry about it." He walked to the back of the store. "If there are people hanging around out front or on the street when you close, lock yourself inside and wait for me to get back. I'll see you in a bit."

  "Be careful. It'll get slick fast."

  "Will do."

  She sagged on the stool. How could she have forgotten about the plow?

  Worried that she had forgotten something else in her prep for winter, she made a mental list of things her dad had always done. There were pipes to wrap, water hoses to bring inside, and that was just at the gas station.

  She still needed to winterize the trailer.

  Chapter 19

  Kent

  KENT RAISED HIS HAND in thanks as Curley and Roddy drove away in the truck. Because of the snow accumulating on the ground, every biker was grounded until a break in the weather, and help was easy to find.

  He got in Ed's old pickup and backed it close to the trailer, so in the morning, he could plow a trail for Callie to the gas station before he started clearing the property around the pump free of snow.

  He got out of the truck, walked over to the van, and grabbed the sack Callie kept returning to him. He'd added something to it, hoping to soften her up long enough for him to explain his reasons for buying her clothes.

  Before he could knock, the door opened. Callie, covered from head to toe, wore a parka with the hood over her head, covering her eyes.

  A little squeak came from her, and she brought her arm up and pushed the fur away from her face. "I was just coming out to see how you guys were doing with the plow."

  "All done."

  "Already?" She stepped back, letting him in the house. "I was hoping to thank the others before they left and give them each a six-pack for helping since they wouldn't let me pay them."

  He'd tried to pay the Tarkio members, but they refused to take any kind of payment. Having been around enough bikers, he understood he was in their debt, and he was okay with that. Curley and the others had also offered a hand to him when he needed a place to stay. If they needed something, he'd make sure he'd do whatever was asked of him.

  "No thanks needed. I took care of it." He set the bag down inside the house. "I want you to take the clothes."

  "We already talked about that." She shrugged out of her coat. "Give them to someone else. I don't want them."

  "I'm not asking anything in return. We had a conversation about your jeans dragging and catching under your shoes a few weeks ago." He inhaled deeply. "Callie, your dad asked me to watch out for you."

  Her head jerked up. "He what?"

  "Before he—"

  "Wait." She held up her hand. "Why would he ask you to do that when he was still alive?"

  His chest tightened. Callie's face scrunched in pain. He could see the truth sinking in, and he regretted telling her.

  Ed never had the chance to sit Callie down and tell her he was dying.

  She swayed. He grabbed her upper arms, holding her on her feet. She lashed out, pushing his hands away and violently jerking her body.

  He backed away.

  She stared at him, breathing hard. Her eyes darted around the room as she tried to make sense of what he'd told her. She shook her head, not wanting to believe him.

  She gasped and dropped her chin, the information sinking in. He approached her again and rubbed her arms. Her body trembled under his touch. Soft cries reached his ears, and he brought her forward, wrapping his arms around her. She pressed against him, giving in to the tears she tried holding back every day since she'd put her father in the ground.

  He stroked her back, holding her steady. Besides the day her dad died, she hadn't let herself cry. At least not around him, and he was with her every day.

  She wasn't alone. He would be here until s
he was strong enough to go on by herself.

  When Ed had asked him to stay, he hadn't realized at the time that walking away from Callie when she needed him wouldn't be possible.

  No one deserved to be hurt as much as Callie had.

  He kissed the top of her head, wanting to do more for her. It wasn't easy to take care of her because she was a strong woman, an independent one.

  He hated the reasons why he got to hold her, but he wasn't letting go. He'd wanted her in his arms for a while now.

  "He knew?" she whispered, trembling.

  "Yeah, honey. He knew." He gathered her hair behind her back and pulled the strands, forcing her head back so he could see in her eyes. "He loved you. The last thing on his mind was taking care of you, and that's why he asked me to stick around and be here in case you needed help."

  "W-when did he know he was dying?" She planted her hands on his chest but made no effort to move away from him.

  "A few days before it happened, maybe. I don't know what was going on. We only had that one short talk," he said.

  "I knew his COPD was getting worse." She swallowed. "But, his doctor...afterward, at the hospital, the day he died, said he had pneumonia, and that's what killed him."

  He smoothed the hair back from her face. That outcome made sense, giving the little information he'd been given. Ed had a hell of a time breathing. His coughing had gotten worse. He was ready to go.

  "Honey, you can't fault him for trying to protect you. That's what it was all about. He wanted to protect his daughter and make sure she was taken care of when his time came."

  "I don't blame him." She squeezed her eyes closed, shook off what she was thinking, and then looked at him. "He would do that. Try to protect me."

  "To the very end," he whispered.

  She sniffed and looked at Kent's chest. "It's just a shock, you know?"