The day I found out he had cancer had been a dark day for me, but I was grateful when the doctor had pulled me aside to let me know that it was treatable. Still, he had to go through a round of chemotherapy, and I knew that this was going to be hard on him.
I made my way to the hospital and found the cancer treatment facility where my father was staying. It was my second time going to meet with him, and even though he kept telling me that I didn’t need to visit, I knew he appreciated it.
“Grant, I didn’t know you were coming today!” he said. “It’s good to see you, son.”
I could see the smile on his face, which was good to see. Because, other than the smile, he was looking a little gaunt and a little more tired than usual.
“It’s good to see you too, Pop,” I said. “So, how’s it going? They treating you nicely here?”
He nodded. “They are. The food is great. Better than home cooking.”
I laughed. My father lived by himself, and he’d never been good in the kitchen. “That’s because your home cooking is terrible.”
“Ha! How can you say that you to your own father?”
“It’s the truth. And don’t worry, the same can be said for me. I think it was pretty clear that none of the Maxwell brothers were going to be chefs. A good old cheese and tomato sandwich and I’m good to go.”
“Sounds like the food in my house, too. I didn’t mind, but now that they’ve introduced me to real cooking, I’m not sure that I can go back to that. I might actually have to learn a few things.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Oh yeah? Well, you can invite me over for dinner then. So, other than food, how are things?”
“Ah, you know, same old. I’m feeling okay. They said this first part would be rough but that after that I should feel more like my old self. I only have to stay here a few days at a time. At least I can come into work every now and then. I hate being away from it.”
I chuckled. That didn’t surprise me one bit. My father was a workaholic whose whole life had been dedicated to his motorcycle garage. On top of the shop, he was also one of the leading members of the motorcycle club. His whole life revolved around the shop and the club. The only other person in the family who was quite as dedicated to being in the motorcycle business was my brother Ian, who worked at the shop.
“Oh, you’ll be back in no time. And don’t worry it. I’m sure Gunner’s doing a great job. You know he’s good at what he does.”
“Do you ever call him by his real name?”
I laughed. All the members of the motorcycle club had a nickname, and I’d been calling Ian ‘Gunner’ for as long as I could remember. It would be strange to call him anything else.
“Nope. Just like I call you Pop and everyone calls me Patriot. It feels more . . . normal.”
“Hmm, well you’re still Ian and Grant to me. Did you hear that Ian was in the newspaper again? That boy is giving me gray hairs.”
I sighed. Ian and my father were more alike than either of them cared to admit.
“Look, I was also angry when I saw that he was in the paper. He shouldn’t have hit that guy. But it’s not his fault. I spoke to him. Ian has met the nicest girl. Her name is Eliza, and she’s nothing like the girls he is normally with.”
“I know. I met her. She’s adorable.”
“She is. But she has an abusive ex-boyfriend that has been looking for her. You can’t blame Ian for punching the guy’s lights out. Come on; you know that you and I would’ve done the same in his position. And it’s not his fault he was put in the newspaper for it. The media hates the motorcycle club and will do anything to tarnish our name. Did you see that the paper barely mentioned the other guy even though he was the one that was causing trouble? It’s not Ian’s fault.”
“I don’t know. He should’ve just walked away. He knows that we have the club’s reputation on the line. I don’t know, Grant. I’m starting to regret putting him in charge of the club. He’s great at his job, but I don’t want to see the club fall apart because of his poor decisions.”
I sighed. Ian was the perfect man for the job, and once my father retired from the position, I wanted to see Ian take over. Nobody else in the club cared as much as he did. Hell, even I didn’t. I was a member of the club, but I barely went to any of the meetings. I’d only been going recently to stop me from going mad sitting at home alone with just my thoughts.
“Pop, Ian is great for the job. You know that as much as I do.”
“I don’t know. Maybe you should be the one that takes over.”
“I’ll help as much as I need to while you are here. But don’t count Ian out too quickly. He needs you. And he’s a born leader, just like you are. He just doesn’t realize it yet.”
My father grunted and said he’d think about it, and I quickly changed the subject. I had no desire to be in the club anymore, and I needed him to start seeing Ian’s potential.
Afterward, I walked out of the hospital feeling confused. I loved my bike, but I just wanted to ride it. I didn’t want to be too involved in the club, and I didn’t want to work in the shop. It was clear to me just how much my father and my brother loved what they did. Every single day they woke up excited for the day ahead. But I just went to work and wondered why anyone would care so much about real estate. I stared at a screen and willed the day to go fast. I didn’t want to be involved in the motorcycle world, I didn’t want to be involved in the real estate world, and every day I came home to an empty house with nothing to do but think.
Peter’s words came rushing to the forefront of my mind as I climbed onto my bike and headed home.
I think it’s time we changed our lives.
Chapter Two
Emily
“Good girl, Wendy. Now, let’s try that one again. Let’s do it with the book. This is Ronny the Rabbit. Say it with me.”
“Ronny, the Rabbit. I said it!” Wendy exclaimed.
“You did! I knew you could do it. You see, sometimes it just takes a bit of practice. You’re doing very well. And the more we practice, the better you’re going to get.”
“Thank you, Miss Wessler.”
“And thank you for trying so hard today. Now, you have a few more minutes until your father arrives. Why don’t you carry on with the drawing you started the last time? I have it all ready for you in the corner.”
“Okay!” she said and ran off.
I smiled fondly at Wendy. I was always happy when it was Wednesday and I knew she was coming. She was one of the kids that I enjoyed the most. Not only was she determined to get better, but she was also incredibly cute. She was a tiny little thing with dark brown hair that fell all the way down to her waist. She had bright blue eyes and reminded me so much of what I would expect an angel to look like. The only imperfect part of her was the scar that ran across her cheek and down to her chin. But, in a way, it only served to make her more beautiful in my eyes.
Six months ago, Wendy didn’t have that scar. She’d been on her way home from her best friend’s party when a truck hit her father’s car on the highway. How they managed to survive is something that only a miracle could answer for. The entire back of the car had been squashed, and her father had walked away with only a few bruises. Wendy had knocked her face against the window with force and had cut both her tongue and her mouth, leaving her with a big scar. She had also suffered some head trauma, which had affected her speech. When she’d arrived for her first day with me she was a shy and sad little girl, but only a few months later and she was already gaining more and more confidence. It was at times like this that I loved my job as a speech therapist. It made the difficult moments worthwhile.
Exactly ten minutes later, and precisely on time, her father arrived. Brett Cadman was a sweet man who would clearly do anything for his daughter. For the first few months, I’d enjoyed seeing him, but just last week he’d asked me out on a date, and I’d turned him down. Now, I was dreading seeing him again. Even though I was flattered, I was not very good at awkward situation
s.
“Daddy!” Wendy exclaimed when she saw him and ran up to hug him.
I watched and laughed as he picked her up and swung her around.
“Your brother is in the car. You can go and see him. But first, say thank you to Miss Wessler.”
“Thank you,” she said and smiled at me.
“It’s my pleasure,” I replied and watched in amusement as she bounced all the way to the car toward her brother.
“She’s in a good mood today,” Brett said.
“She is. We finally had a breakthrough with the letter R. It’s one of the hardest, and the one she was battling with the most. I think after this, we’re going to see her just getting better and better. She’s quite a determined little girl.”
“She certainly is. And I have you to thank. She can’t stop talking about you.”
I chuckled. “Really? Well, I think about her all the time too. Between you and me, she’s my favorite student. And I promise you, I don’t say this to all the other parents.”
“Usually I would think you are lying. But I know my little girl, and I have every faith that you’re telling the truth. She’s the sweetest thing. Thank you for everything you are doing for her. I’m so glad to see her becoming more confident again.”
“Ah, she’s doing it all on her own. She’s going to be fine.”
“Uh, look, I don’t want things to be awkward between us,” he started, and I could feel myself growing more and more uncomfortable. I would’ve preferred if he’d just smiled and walked out with Wendy. We really didn’t have to talk about what had happened.
“Oh, it’s not awkward,” I said in what I knew was my awkward voice.
“And I know I’m only going to make things worse right now, but is there any chance that you’d reconsider the date with me?”
I stared at him in surprise. The last thing that I had expected was for him to ask me out again. I shuffled nervously from left to right.
“Uh, I think you’re great, Brett. I really do. I’m just not interested in meeting anyone right now. And I really do mean that. I just have a lot going on right now. But thank you so much for asking me. That’s really nice of you.”
He laughed. “Oh dear, I’ve just gone and made our next meeting super weird, haven’t I? Well, thanks for your honesty. I figured it wouldn’t hurt to ask you one more time. And I promise not to ask you again.”
I chuckled, but the sound came out all strange. “Thank you for asking,” I said. It was a weird thing to say, but I didn’t know what else to do.
“And if you ever change your mind, you know where to find me. I promise not to make this awkward the next time I see you. I better go. Wendy and her brother love each other, but they also fight just like regular kids when they’re alone for too long.”
I smiled at him and waved goodbye as he walked out. Then, the moment I saw his car drive off, I breathed a sigh of relief and leaned against the wall. I quickly stood up straight when Terra walked in, but she’d already seen me.
“What’s going on? You look relieved about something.”
“Ah, nothing. Just glad that session is over.”
“Who was it?”
“Uh, Wendy.”
“You’re glad your session with Wendy is over? But you love working with her.”
“Yes, I do. But . . . .”
I didn’t get a chance to finish because Terra started laughing. “Emily, I heard you!”
“What? What do you mean?”
“I heard the whole conversation. I cannot believe you turned that poor guy down again. What’s so wrong with him? He’s cute; I met him.”
“Then why don’t you date him?”
“Because I happen to have a date tonight with someone else.”
I looked up and saw that she was beaming in delight. She had a cherub-like face, and whenever she smiled, it seemed to take over her entire face. “You do? Who? Do I know him?”
“Oh, that guy I was telling you about last week. The one I met at the coffee shop.”
“The one that spilled coffee all over your white shirt?”
“The very one. You see, sometimes you really do literally bump into the man of your dreams.”
“He’s the man of your dreams?”
She laughed. “I hope so. Time will tell, I guess. I definitely thought he was very good looking, and easy to talk to. But we’ll see after tonight. But seriously, why did you say no to Peter? He honestly seems like a very nice man. And his daughter is adorable.”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. He’s not really my type. Not that I know what my type is. But it’s not him. He’s too clean cut or something. Not that I want someone who is a total mess or anything.”
She giggled. “Sounds to me like you have no idea what you want.”
“Yeah, that’s about right.”
“You should go on a date, though. Even if it’s not with Peter. I mean, I do actually think that you should give poor Peter a try. I mean, the man asked you out twice for goodness’ sake. But if you don’t want to go out with him then at least go out with someone else. There are plenty of men out there who would kill to date a girl like you. You’ve got that whole princess thing going for you. Long blonde hair, blue eyes.”
“Tattoos.”
Terra chuckled. “Okay, well this can be like some new age fairytale or something. A fairytale with an edge. But seriously, you should get out a bit. It’s good for you. You work too hard.”
I sighed. “Look, it’s not like I don’t want to. I’m not avoiding going out. I just don’t want to go out with any guy just for the sake of it either. I’d like to at least think there might be a chance, and I just don’t feel that with Peter. In fact, right now there are just no good men in town.”
“Oh, come on! There’s got to be someone.”
“Uh, have you looked around lately? We live in a small farming community. It’s not like new people come in here all the time. The fact that you bumped into some guy at the local coffee shop is miracle enough.”
“If a miracle can happen for me it can surely happen for you too. I’m positive.”
I smiled at Terra. She was always so positive about everything in life. It was one of the reasons why I enjoyed hanging out with her so much. She always turned a bad situation into a good one. “I don’t know if it’s possible, Terra. But I should hope so. For now, though, I’ve got a good job, and that’s more than most people have. I’m honestly not bothered about it. When it happens, it will happen.”
“Good attitude. Although, you should at least try a bit harder. You never know where something might lead. Anyway, you’ll see. The perfect guy is out there for you. I’m positive.”
I sighed. “Until then, I’m going to work on the perfect pasta. I’ll be honest, I forgot lunch today, and I’m really looking forward to dinner tonight. I’m making that mac and cheese again tonight.”
Talking about food with Terra was the perfect way to change the subject. Especially when it came to the famous mac and cheese dish I’d made for the two of us recently. She’d declared it the best meal she’d ever had in her life.
“And you’re not inviting me over?” she said in shock.
“You may have a date with a man; I have a date with an overload of cheese.” Personally, I thought that my date sounded better, but I decided not to tell her that.
“If my date goes badly I’m coming over!” she declared. “All I’m going to think about is that pasta dish now. You’ve ruined me!”
I stopped off at the shop to get the necessary ingredients and then I made my way home. When I arrived, I saw my neighbor Brady, working out in his yard. Brady was a good-looking guy with shaggy brown hair, a small beard, and very beautiful hazel eyes. The two of us were friends, but I’d known from the very beginning that there could be nothing between us. Just like Peter, he wasn’t my type. He spotted me and waved, and I waved back. Then I went aside and started cooking.
Chapter Three
Grant
Another mon
th passed by. Another month of phone calls, pleas, and lies. Or, as Peter liked to say, Just another day at work. I was just leaving the office when Peter ran up to me. I was just about to climb onto my bike and almost didn’t see him. He was out of breath and grinning like he’d just won the jackpot.
“Whoa. What’s up with you? You look happy. Which, I might say, is rather normal considering it’s a Friday afternoon.”
“It’s more than just a Friday afternoon. Today marks the first day of my freedom.”
“What do you mean? Did you quit?”
He grinned. “I quit. Can you believe it? I didn’t think I had it in me. But I did it. I just went into the office and calmly told Reynolds that I was leaving.”
“Just like that?”
“Just like that.”
“Do you have anything else lined up?”
“Nope. I have a month left at work, so I’m going to use this month to figure out what I want to do. I know it’s a bit crazy, but for the first time in my life, I’m going to be the guy that does something crazy. And it feels great.”
“I’m happy for you, Peter. I think you’ve made the right move.”
I rode home that day thinking about how happy Peter had looked. In all the time that I’d known him, I’d never seen him look so happy. And while I was happy for him, I couldn’t help but feel a little upset about my own situation. Since when had I become the sort of man that didn’t take matters into his own hand? When was the last time that I’d looked as happy as Peter?
I got home and cracked open a beer, and I was about to get ready to see my father when the phone rang. I looked at it in surprise for a few minutes. Hardly anyone ever called me anymore.
“Hello. Grant speaking.”
“Yo, Patriot. It’s your favorite brother.”
I chuckled. I recognized Brady’s voice anywhere. He had a slow way of talking, a soft and soothing voice that was so completely different from my own.
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