It was a dinky little place with a small display of motorcycles and one bay for repairs. She found a man crouched beside a Honda, humming off-key along with the Eagles that played on an ancient stereo system against the back wall. He glanced up and straightened immediately, wiping his hands on his blue coveralls. “Hello, ma’am. Are you lost?”
“No, I’m Delphi Gifford. You have a tire for me.”
He blinked in surprise and rubbed his greasy hands on stained coveralls that indicated his name was Jared. “Right, of course. We don’t get many women in here. Definitely not many as classy as you.” He was about ten years her senior with shaggy dark hair and lean as a post. Jared flipped through a pile of invoices that sat on his counter and stopped about halfway down. He rattled off the specs on the tire and quoted the final price with tax.
“Sounds right to me.” Delphi pulled out her credit card and paid for it. “Any chance I could have you put that in my trunk for me? I’d like to change out of this before I handle it myself.” She gestured to her white blouse and blue cotton twill skirt.
Jared smiled shyly. “Of course. I’d be happy to.” He hurried to a stack of parts and fished out a tire that resembled hers, snagging it under one arm and hauling it out the door. “We’re always happy to help with anything you need. What kind of bike do you have again?”
She rattled off the model of her Yamaha and opened the trunk for him.
“Seems like an old one for someone like you. No disrespect meant, ma’am, but you seem a lot classier than the bike.”
She grinned, amused. “It’s got a lot of sentimental value. Probably needs a tune-up, though.” It had been a while since she had it serviced.
“We do that. You bring it in anytime. I promise to give you a good price. Any friend of Jeremy’s, you know.” He closed her trunk.
“Thanks, I appreciate it.” Delphi waved and slid in behind the wheel, already planning where she would go on her ride. Snow was forecast for later that week, so she wanted to get out while the roads were still good. She felt itchy, in need for fresh air and the wind in her face, as she did every month when the anniversary of her father’s death came around. It was eleven months now. She would be able to return to New York soon. Linda had mentioned that the woman who replaced her was a bit of a flake. With a little luck, the position would be open for her in the company when she moved into her condo again.
Back home she changed into her grubbiest clothes—a pair of jeans and a T-shirt from a Van Halen concert Fallon had taken her to when they were first dating—and headed to her garage.
It didn’t take long to get the tire on again and top off the gas tank from the extra gas she kept in the garage. She greeted Jonquil, who arrived home while Delphi was working, and took two calls from upcoming weddings. Finally done, she went back inside to grab her leather jacket, a pair of chaps she rarely wore and her helmet and gloves.
“Going for a ride, then?” Jonquil stood over a pan on the stove.
“Yeah. I’ll just take it down the street and back, see how she’s running.” Of course, if she was running fine, then just down the street wasn’t nearly far enough.
“Have fun. There will be something edible in the kitchen when you get back.”
The ride never happened. Delphi had trouble getting the engine to start, and when it did, it sounded like a sick goose and died quickly. She tried several more times, but finally gave up, disgusted with herself for not hauling the thing in for a tune-up while she waited for the new tire. She went back inside to find the number for Mike’s Bikes.
“What’s going on? Having trouble?” Jonquil asked.
“You could say that.” Delphi returned to her room and left a message at the shop since it had already closed for the night. She hoped he would be able to look it over soon. On the way out of her room, her boot didn’t quite clear the door frame and she nearly fell flat on her face, catching herself on the door jam. She swore softly and hoped Jonquil hadn’t heard her hand slapping the wood.
“Want some fetuccini? I picked up some of Rosemary’s famous marinara from the restaurant on my way home,” Jonquil said when Delphi returned to the kitchen. “Rosemary and Cleo are at Harrison’s. We probably won’t see them until Cleo’s bedtime and I made plenty.”
“You always make plenty. It’s one of the things I like best about you.” Delphi slid onto one of the stools at the island.
“It’s as easy as cooking for one.” She eyed Delphi. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you make anything more difficult than coffee.”
“Thank me for it. My cooking’s not much better than my grace.”
Jonquil grinned. “You weren’t limping when you came up the stairs so I decided not to ask about the noise.”
“I appreciate it.” Frustration oozed through Delphi and she wondered if anyone else was as clumsy as she was.
“So what are you going to do about the bike? What’s wrong with it?”
Delphi shrugged one shoulder. “I’ll have the mechanic look it over. Fallon taught me a few basic repairs, but I don’t know the signs well enough to figure it out tonight, and I don’t have time to diddle around with it right now. Not with everything at the hotel and Rosemary’s big day coming up.”
“I’ve made some tweaks to Rosemary’s bouquet design.” Jonquil tested the sauce and smiled smugly. “It’s going to be spectacular, even better than she asked for. I can’t wait to see her face.”
It was easier to talk about something that wasn’t her, so Delphi conceded to the change of subject. Jonquil was fun, active, sweet and thoughtful. She didn’t pry, much, and seemed to notice things going on around her, but didn’t blab about the others—which meant she probably didn’t blab much about Delphi either. She made a nice companion for an hour or two.
Delphi liked being alone, but after the previous summer and fall when all of the sisters had lived in the house together, Delphi found that she missed the noise and confusion—and it would only get quieter when Rosemary and Cleo officially moved out the next week. She hadn’t been excited about having a nine-year-old move into the house, but Cleo was more entertaining than irritation—even on a bad day.
“Dad’s funeral was eleven months ago today” Jonquil commented as she started cleaning up.
Delphi nodded. It was part of the reason she’d been so anxious to go for a drive. She tried not to hold a grudge over George’s bossiness, but it was tough. He’d left them all holding the bag, dealing with his secrets—secrets he’d been too weak to deal with himself. She told herself she had forgiven him, but she still harbored unhappy feelings about it. “It was. I can never figure out how I should feel about everything now.”
“You mean the whole being angry with him and the missing him and the actually being glad he made us come here?” Jonquil asked as she turned off the heat under the tea kettle, which has started to sing.
She was taken aback by the last comment. “So you’re happy here? You’ve decided you’re okay with him throwing our lives in the rock grinder?”
Jonquil pursed her lips. “I understand why he did it.”
“Because he was weak and couldn’t face having the public know what he was while he was alive?” Delphi shot out.
That got a nod from Jonquil. “That was some of it, yes, but not all.” She fixed a tea ball with some of the bedtime loose tea blend Sage prepared for the house. “I was summoned to his house when he realized the cancer was going to take him. I’m guessing everyone else was too.” She looked up at Delphi for confirmation.
Delphi nodded. “Not that he admitted that was why he had me make the trip to Chicago.”
“Right. That would have been a little too forthcoming for him.” Jonquil frowned as she poured steaming water from the teapot. “He told me that there would be things I didn’t understand, that I might be angry with him about, but he wanted all of his daughters to be happy. He hoped I would forgive him for neglecting me all of these years.” She glanced up at Delphi. “Though with my new perspective of r
ealizing how many of us there were to juggle, I can’t imagine he could have spent more time with us if he’d wanted to.”
“Yeah, he said the same to me. So that makes it all better?” Delphi rose to put her dishes in the dishwasher.
“No. He knew we weren’t going to be happy, but he thought he had something better for us here than what we were doing with our own lives.” She leaned back against the counter. “Still not sure if he’s right about me.”
“Well, my mother thinks that this was a mistake and there are much better things I could be doing with my life. Preferably in New York, doing something high-profile that will give her prestige so she can pull my name out and wave it around like credentials. It doesn’t mean she’s right about what’s best for me.” Delphi bit her lip, wondering where that had come from. Since moving here the previous summer, she’d managed to keep her personal life to herself. She never spoke ill of her mother, no matter how frustrating she could be.
Jonquil’s brows lifted. “That was very honest of you. Not that I hadn’t gathered most of it for myself when I met her last summer.” Zelda had made a grand entrance for the opening gala and nearly driven the staff crazy with her unreasonable expectations. “Does it feel good to get it off your chest?”
Delphi considered. “Yes, actually. That’s kind of odd. Whining doesn’t fix anything so I usually just keep my mouth shut.” She’d been conditioned to it by her parents, and decided she agreed. Most of the time.
“Plus, it’s hard for someone to use things against you if you keep it to yourself.” Jonquil sipped her tea, staring at Delphi over the rim.
“I really hate it when you’re observant like that. It’s creepy. Stop it.” But there was no heat in Delphi’s words. That had been a lesson she’d learned early on, and was probably part of the reason she still hadn’t told the others about Fallon.
“Sorry, it’s part of my nature. It’s not going to stop anytime soon. So I’ll push a little more.” She grinned. “You and Jeremy seemed awfully, um, close the other day. You bike’s not working; you should call him and get him to take you for a ride. It’ll do you good. And the fresh air won’t hurt, either.” Her eyes teased.
“You’re so lame.”
“That’s what everyone says when they don’t want to face the truth. Now, I’m going to take a long, hot soak in the tub and find out who done it in my novel. It might be my last chance before the wedding.” She took the cup with her to the stairwell, then looked over her shoulder. “Seriously, don’t be such a wuss. Call him.”
“Good night.” Since Delphi still wasn’t sure what to think of their last bake ride, she wasn’t going to rush into another one. There was plenty of work to do anyway, even if she would work better with a clear head after a good ride.
Tuesday was a slow day for Delphi that week, so since she had worked all weekend, she took the day off—and then a client called wanting changes and she ended up using it to catch up on paperwork at home despite her determination to spend it on me-time. That’s what she told herself as she settled in at the kitchen counter—she disliked working in her bedroom, sure that it made her feel tired. Besides, the others were all at work, so the house was quiet. And the espresso machine was closer in the kitchen. She eyed the box of cereal Jonquil had left on the counter earlier, and little girl sandals on the floor next to the stairs and wondered why people found it so hard to just put their things away. She knew she was anxious and irritable, so she sucked it up and turned her attention back to her work.
She thought again about Jonquil’s comment the other night and the fact that Jeremy had sent her a text on Sunday offering her another ride. She’d declined. He’d left the offer open for anytime she was interested.
Though part of her said she shouldn’t, Delphi pulled up his schedule and noticed he didn’t have any appointments this afternoon. Reconsidering, she dismissed the temptation and flipped though pages again, making notes for a wedding she was organizing for the weekend after Rosemary’s. She looked at the bridal magazine the bride had brought her and double-checked the wedding details against the notes Karla had written in the magazine. The wedding had been organized by someone she used to work with and had turned out spectacular. Delphi was jealous as it was the kind of event she wished she could organize but probably never would in Juniper Ridge.
The temptation returned and she reached for her phone and dialed Jeremy’s number. She cancelled the call and set the phone down again. Calling Jeremy without a business excuse would only lead to…what? A nice afternoon? Twisted emotions she didn’t know how to deal with? A growing friendship? Could they just be friends, though? Would going out with him a few times really be that bad? They had fun together, and she had actually started to open up to him—something she hadn’t done with her sisters since her arrival. Why was that?
She thought of Fallon and how easily she’d slid into his life, about how much better it had been with him in it, even if it was only for a while. Jeremy wasn’t Fallon, but maybe he could be that friend who let her just be herself for a while so she didn’t explode. Just her friend. She picked up the phone again and dialed. It rang and she refused to listen to the worries teasing in the back of her mind.
Jeremy answered before the second ring. “Hey, Delph. What’s up?”
“Ug. Don’t call me that.” She decided to ease into the conversation. “I called to verify things for Rosemary’s wedding.”
“Lame excuse to talk to me. We went over this two days ago.” There was a flirty edge to his voice. “You want to go for a ride?”
It was all she could do not to blurt out “yes” like an anxious schoolgirl. “What makes you think I can’t go out on my own? My tire came in already, you know.”
“I heard. I also heard your bike has problems. I stopped into the shop to pick up some new struts for my bike and saw yours there,” he said. “The weather’s gorgeous. You’ve got to be feeling serious cabin fever. No major events today, right? I could carve out some time if you want to get some fresh air. Maybe do a little hiking.”
“Hiking? Who do you think I am, Jonquil?” But a little walk in the forest did sound appealing.
He chuckled. “Come on, I’ll pick an easy trail. Something sunny where the snow will be clear. And maybe I’ll let you rev my bike’s engine a little.”
Delphi hoped that wasn’t a metaphor, but since she’d decided to see what kind of friends they could be, she agreed. “Okay, I guess it wouldn’t hurt me to get out for a while. What time?”
“Have you eaten lunch yet?”
“No,” she admitted.
“Give me half an hour. I’ll pick up some hoagies for us and swing by your place. It’ll give you time to change into something more appropriate for a bike ride than your usual suit.”
Delphi looked at her clothes. Out of habit, she’d dressed for work even though she hadn’t gone in. “Yeah, thanks. I think I can figure that out.”
He chuckled. “See you soon.”
Delphi smiled despite herself and put away her work things. She would have changed anyway, but decided as long as she was going to, she might as well knock his socks off. Maybe just for this one afternoon she would let loose a little and see what happened.
The weather was perfect. The temperatures were in the sixties with only a light breeze and the sun shone from a cloudless sky. Jeremy felt excited and carefree and hoped Delphi felt the same. Spring fever had been gripping him extra tight this year and it was all he could do to go in to work every day and be a responsible adult.
He pulled in front of the DiCarlo house and prepared to cut the engine and dismount when Delphi came out. She wore a full outfit of black leather, including gloves, and held her helmet in one hand and a flat backpack in the other. He’d thought from the first that she was a dish, but he didn’t think she’d ever looked this sexy before.
“Do you approve?” she asked, putting a hand on one hip when she drew close enough that they could hear each other over the sound of his motor.
/> “Oh, yeah. More than I can say.” He heard the huskiness in his voice and fought to sound normal. “Hop on.”
Delphi put on her helmet and strapped it in place. She set a hand on his shoulder to steady herself as she slid on behind him.
When her arms wrapped around his waist, he sucked in a deep breath and revved the engine a little. “Hold on tight, sugar.” Air was definitely going to be a necessity.
The bike handled curves with the grace and beauty he’d come to depend on. Yeah, a long ride on a beautiful day with a gorgeous woman. What could be better?
They drove for more than half an hour—a good mile past the place he’d taken her before—when he pulled over at a trailhead and parked. There was a picnic table under a nearby tree so he grabbed the mini feast he’d picked up earlier. “Hope you don’t mind eating already. It’s been a while since my bowl of Frosted Flakes.”
“No problem. My breakfast wasn’t exactly huge either.” Delphi pulled off the helmet and ran her fingers through her short cap of hair. Then she unzipped her jacket and slung it over her shoulder, showing off the narrow camisole she’d been wearing underneath, making Jeremy’s mouth water. When she turned her back to him to walk over to the table, his heart nearly stopped. There between her shoulder blades was a spot of blue ink in the dancing shape of a pixie. It contrasted against her pale, refined planes and angles, surprise and delight all wrapped into one.
He sucked in a deep breath. First the leather and now the tat? Was she trying to kill him? “Nice ink.” He was pleased when his voice only sounded a little strained.
“Thanks.” She sauntered across the gravel, not glancing back over her shoulders.
He grabbed the food and tried to act unaffected, but his heart had started a rapid beat. “It caught me a little by surprise. I never noticed it before.”
“I generally cover it up for work.”
“And you work all of the time.”
Wild Hearts (The DiCarlo Brides) Page 6